Qantas pilot academy

[Quickstatus]

@jb747 , @AviatorInsight and others- Which country town would be suitable for this
Would an existing QantasLink presence be an advantage?

 

[jb747]

In other words, who has already built a fully furnished flying academy, with appropriate runways, etc, that we can use for a while. Or which council is silly enough to offer to do so.

The RAAF output about 60 students a year, and they use the resources of multiple airbases to do so. 500, even within a decade, seems a rather big reach.

It would be best if such a flying school were the sole user of the airport.

 

[gaz0303]

Armidale Council is bidding but I doubt it meets the environment guideline unless they want regular fog and thunderstorms. Tamworth has all the facilities, but not sure about existing users.

 

[Quickstatus]

How many do Rex output in a year at WGA?

 

[flyer89]

Seems to me like it’s unlikely to exist anytime soon, if ever. Certainly not with that kind of output. Anyone who has built a house knows the debacle that inevitably follows from the very beginning with council approval etc. Let alone something of this scale and complexity.

 

[Daver6]

I wonder if Merridin in the WA wheatbelt would be in contention. I'm not sure about the hangars, but I don't think China Southern use it any longer.

 

[jb747]

It will also need to be in a big enough town to support and attract the rather large number of instructors that will be needed.

 

[Quickstatus]

It will also need to be in a big enough town to support and attract the rather large number of instructors that will be needed.

And if they don’t have a pilot training pipeline where would the instructors come from? And if they did would they want to relocate to a country town or maybe FIFO?

 

[flyer89]

It will also need to be in a big enough town to support and attract the rather large number of instructors that will be needed.

Finding the required amount of instructors could well be a challenge in itself.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Finding the required amount of instructors could well be a challenge in itself.

Might be a way to get that first job?

 

[AviatorInsight]

As crazy as this may sound I think even Goulburn could be a contender. Very quiet airfield. Has the controlled airspace and ILS capabilities of CBR next door, and many other regional ports for navs, and generally has good weather most of the year. Not too far away from major capital cities (SYD and CBR) to attract instructors.

 

[flyer89]

Might be a way to get that first job?

Certainly true in the past. However, if you haven’t already paid for the expensive instructor rating I think fewer and fewer will invest in one considering how much the minimums have been lowered by most airlines. Perhaps a pathway to greater opportunities within the group would help the cause.

 

[jb747]

Might be a way to get that first job?

Perhaps it is, but I've never liked the idea of the barely qualified being the instructors. The RAAF pilots need a tour or two under their belts before they go off to be QFIs

 

[Quickstatus]

What training aircraft would be in contention if a 1300m runway is specified? Obviously much longer than the usual aero clubs single engines require

 

[flyer89]

What training aircraft would be in contention if a 1300m runway is specified?

To give you an idea the longest runway at Bankstown is 1416m, the shortest (the circuit training runway) is 1038m. In terms of training aircraft these days Diamond aircraft are popular.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Perhaps it is, but I've never liked the idea of the barely qualified being the instructors. The RAAF pilots need a tour or two under their belts before they go off to be QFIs

While it may be true for the RAAF, are they coming back to be QFI's on the F18s or Hawks? Then I can understand the requirements to have a tour or two under their belt, but to teach ab initio on a CT4?

I was a Grade 1 multi IFR instructor before they let me teach the Qantas cadets in MEL over a decade ago. I was put through testing from the flying school with check rides and classroom briefings to make sure I was up to standard. Needless to say, not one of my students failed. If the newbies had guidance from suitably qualified and motivated mentors why couldn't they teach effects of controls, climbing and descending and an endless amount of circuits?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Certainly true in the past. However, if you haven’t already paid for the expensive instructor rating I think fewer and fewer will invest in one considering how much the minimums have been lowered by most airlines. Perhaps a pathway to greater opportunities within the group would help the cause.

Hmm, yes minimums lowered by airlines but still preferring pilots with multi crew experience? Whilst I'm sure they have taken some pilots in with 500hrs, I'd doubt that it'd be the norm.

 

[jb747]

While it may be true for the RAAF, are they coming back to be QFI's on the F18s or Hawks? Then I can understand the requirements to have a tour or two under their belt, but to teach ab initio on a CT4?

In part it was training for the QFIs too. They didn't teach on a fancy machine until they'd developed their training skills at one of the schools.

I was a Grade 1 multi IFR instructor before they let me teach the Qantas cadets in MEL over a decade ago. I was put through testing from the flying school with check rides and classroom briefings to make sure I was up to standard. Needless to say, not one of my students failed. If the newbies had guidance from suitably qualified and motivated mentors why couldn't they teach effects of controls, climbing and descending and an endless amount of circuits?

And by contrast, lots of my students failed. In fact about half of all of the students did.

 

[flyer89]

Hmm, yes minimums lowered by airlines but still preferring pilots with multi crew experience? Whilst I'm sure they have taken some pilots in with 500hrs, I'd doubt that it'd be the norm.

Hours requirement has been or will be removed soon also. CPL, MECIR and ATPLs. The end. Crazy isn’t it?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Hours requirement has been or will be removed soon also. CPL, MECIR and ATPLs. The end. Crazy isn’t it?

Wow. How times have changed. I hope the training department can cope! I remember people stabbing each other in the back just to get an interview with these airlines.