From what I understand Kenny you should have been DEC.

I've spoken to the crew control manager from Jetstar and a senior training captain at your outfit and both tell me that they are down to applicants with turbo-prop time. Yes, there are lot's of guy's like yourself spread out all over the place, my room mate being one of them, but very few are willing to go back to Oz for the T&C that are being offered, namely by the likes of Jetstar and Tiger. Virgin group is not so bad; as for my feeling's on the cruise FO position at V, the pay fit's the candidates.

The first five pages of the seniority list at Air NZ are over 60, and I imagine QF is much the same. AA back in the States has more pilots over 60 then under 40. Asking a reasonable economist would get you a very scary answer as to how/if all these planes will be flown in the future.

I do wish the governments/industry would quit with this crap though. We've always been a commodity in a cyclical industry. As a commodity you'd think, at times, our wages would move like the price of gold. This constant meddling of late, with the support of organized labour (some have even supported the MCL) has killed our chances to gain when times have been good. The Air NZ (now this is really my own opinion) ALPA representation has been woefull in the past three to four years. Unfortunately as much as Unions have helped us with this at times, in the past two decades, in my opinion only, they have done more harm than good. My proof is my right seat on a B744 in a communist country with some of the best T&C's on the planet, negotiated by me. What's up with that?

The pilot shortage in Asia has risen wages steadily over the last six months. Even Air Asia pays pretty well. . . better than a starter at J* NZ by a bit, and you don't have to pay for the "privelage" of being interviewed.