Go Back  Airline Pilot Central Forums > Airline Pilot Forums > Regional
New Here - How are the job opportunities for newbie pilots right now? >

New Here - How are the job opportunities for newbie pilots right now?

Notices
Regional Regional Airlines

New Here - How are the job opportunities for newbie pilots right now?

Old 01-29-2009, 06:03 AM
  #1  
New Hire
Thread Starter
 
Joined APC: Jan 2009
Posts: 1
Default New Here - How are the job opportunities for newbie pilots right now?

Hi all,

this is my first post. I am 21, and am starting my cpl course here in New Zealand. I believe i'll be done in about 2 years, if i push myself, and have my license. what i was hoping you all could help me with is the scope out there for pilots at the moment, and your ideas on how it'll be in the future. is the aviation industry receding? is it getting harder to get a job as a pilot now? and will things turn around in the next 2 yearS?

i also heard that there are some places that provide you with free tuition, and give u a job after your course... the catch there is that u work for them for about 6 years, to cover the investment they put into you education. is that true? and if so, where abouts are such places?

i'm sorry, i'm a bit nervous about all this. i'm passionate about planes, about the sky and will do what it takes to be a pilot. i've been studying biomed till now, thinking it'll make my father happy... you know, the whole "my son's a doctor" thing. a bad move on my part, becoz; 3 years down teh line i can't stand it, and now have a dept that wasn't necessary. i'm def not going to work in the field, and have decided enough's enough. it's time i just did what i wanted to. dad's now more ok with me wanting to be a pilot, and is happy i've finally been more stern about what i wan for my future.

so.. now is the hard bit. i've mostly decided i'll study at ardmore (in auckland), as i've heard a lot of positive rep for them, but am still open to other options. (not limited to the austral-asian pacific).

so... any suggestions, and any help is more than welcome! but most of all.. how's the industry looking now, and projected for the future. i don't wanna come out, and find there's no job oppourtunities for pilots... though, with only a couple hundered flight hours, it'd be hard to get a job, i understand this, but that the industry has collapsed would be a pretty frightening welcome to the world of pilots.

plz help!

Jayps
Jayps078 is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 06:25 AM
  #2  
Gets Weekends Off
 
duvie's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: WB Bunkie
Posts: 1,246
Default

Things are quite bleak right now mate. Out of the 15+ Regional airlines I don't know if any are hiring and many of them have pilots on furlough (basically a lay off but with the right to get your job back when the company needs you again). None of the major airlines are hiring right now, many have reported large financial losses and are continuing to cut back flights for both themselves and their regional affiliates.

The Good News: This industry is very cyclical and if you had posted the same message in 2003 you would have heard about how terrible the last few years had been, but little did they know but 2005-2007 saw incredible hiring numbers. I don't think anybody knows for sure when the next big hiring spree will be, but due to the amount of retirements that are coming up, it will be big.

As for your questions about the company paying for your training and in return receiving employment from you, I don't think any airlines in the states offer the so-called "sponsorships" that are available in many other countries. I'm vaguely familiar with them in England, but don't know enough to speak intelligently.

Flying airplanes for a living is an incredible job. Everyday for the last four years I've thought to myself at least once how lucky I was to be getting paid to fly while my buddies are trying to secretly check their personal email in their cubicle. Being away from home for 3 to 4 days at a time is harder for some than others. I'm young and single and love it. I use the travel benefits extensively (Ireland, England and Hawaii in the last three months) and enjoy my time away to read and work out and just relax. Obviously if you have a wife and family it can be harder, but there are many things you can do to improve that, first and foremost, living in your domicile.

Two years from now the industry could have totally turned around or it could have rebounded and hit another snag. Nobody knows, but as long as you understand the risks and rewards going in hopefully you won't be bitter or too obliviously happy when you make it on with an airline. Good Luck and amidst all the hype of training/job hunting/future employment, just don't forget how much you love flying
duvie is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 06:45 AM
  #3  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: Out
Posts: 448
Default

Originally Posted by duvie View Post
Things are quite bleak right now mate. Out of the 15+ Regional airlines I don't know if any are hiring and many of them have pilots on furlough (basically a lay off but with the right to get your job back when the company needs you again). None of the major airlines are hiring right now, many have reported large financial losses and are continuing to cut back flights for both themselves and their regional affiliates.

The Good News: This industry is very cyclical and if you had posted the same message in 2003 you would have heard about how terrible the last few years had been, but little did they know but 2005-2007 saw incredible hiring numbers. I don't think anybody knows for sure when the next big hiring spree will be, but due to the amount of retirements that are coming up, it will be big.

As for your questions about the company paying for your training and in return receiving employment from you, I don't think any airlines in the states offer the so-called "sponsorships" that are available in many other countries. I'm vaguely familiar with them in England, but don't know enough to speak intelligently.

Flying airplanes for a living is an incredible job. Everyday for the last four years I've thought to myself at least once how lucky I was to be getting paid to fly while my buddies are trying to secretly check their personal email in their cubicle. Being away from home for 3 to 4 days at a time is harder for some than others. I'm young and single and love it. I use the travel benefits extensively (Ireland, England and Hawaii in the last three months) and enjoy my time away to read and work out and just relax. Obviously if you have a wife and family it can be harder, but there are many things you can do to improve that, first and foremost, living in your domicile.

Two years from now the industry could have totally turned around or it could have rebounded and hit another snag. Nobody knows, but as long as you understand the risks and rewards going in hopefully you won't be bitter or too obliviously happy when you make it on with an airline. Good Luck and amidst all the hype of training/job hunting/future employment, just don't forget how much you love flying
Looks like you are currently a CRJ FO, right? Some people could argue that you actually get "PAID" to fly. I am glad that you enjoy your job but please let's be fair to the first poster and don't tell him how great it because there is definetlly alot that he doesn't know yet. For instance, your friends may be working at cubicles, but on the weekends they are home with their families and have every major holiday off while you are flying people around with 6 hours of sleep on 14 hour day. I when I worked for a "top" regiona andl I rember looking at my pay check and realizing that I got paid around $50 to fly 50 people from NYC to Chicago! That's really hard to swallow and I certantlly don't qualify this as "getting paid to fly"

To the first previous poster: If you plan to fly in the USA for living then I suggested to look at the pay scales and try figure out if you want to have family living on the edge poverty. Finish your biomed degree and buy yourself an airplane.
Rascal is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 07:07 AM
  #4  
Gets Weekends Off
 
Joined APC: Jun 2008
Posts: 384
Default

Agreed. If you don't mind not seeing your friends and family often its a great job. Key being job, that doesn't pay all that well unless you get some seniority. If all the stories of current and former airline pilots doesn't turn you off the go for it.

But if you gotta do it, do it when your young and single. If you actually want to raise your kid and not have the postman do it for you think long and hard or get out after the fun wears off when your older. Thats the beauty of life, you can do it and if you don't like it after a while, or your priorities change do something else. No one says you have to do one career your whole life! The key is priorities. What are yours will be a big factor on how rewarding your career in the biz will be. Good luck!
Rnav is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 07:19 AM
  #5  
Prime Minister/Moderator
 
rickair7777's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,100
Exclamation

Hold on! The previous posters mean well, but I don't think they are giving you good info...

Most of the folks on this forum are Americans, and our airline industry is different than Europe's or Asia's. Unless you want to work in the US I'm not sure the information here would be that valuable to you. Asia (including A/NZ) has a much better long term airline outlook than the rest of the world, due to growth potential.

If you want to get your training paid for you will need to look into military flying, or a few European airlines. Of course you would need euro right-to-work for that.

You might be able to get a good major airline job with low time in your part of the world. I think Qantas used to hire low-timers as interns, and Cathay Pacific will hire low-timers.

You might also check out pprune.org, it is more focused on non-US airlines.
rickair7777 is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 07:21 AM
  #6  
ULTP-Ultra Low Tier Pilot
 
The Juice's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,228
Default

Granted there are many things that someone does not realize about this job until they have it (reduced rest fatigue, mgmt crap etc...) However there is no secret that being an airline pilot means many nights away from home and working holidays, it is the job and anyone with half a brain understands this when they pursue this career.

And yes there are times you fly the 50 people for $50, and those days suck. I laugh sometimes that I could make more at a lemonade stand somedays. But there are also those days when we pick up an easy trip with the double draft pay from crew scheduling and laugh how we made $300 for a few hours of work. My point is this job has its ups and down but many on here complain about the bad and only the bad

People complain, and those who always complain become tiresome to others.

All in all I enjoy my job. Maybe it is because I worked in other fields before this and would not want to go back, even if it meant a few more bucks. For someone who wants to pursue this as a career take all the information and make your own judgement and dont get to bogged down by those who always stomp their feet and complain. If it is so bad for them, why dont they just give it up?
The Juice is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 07:53 AM
  #7  
Gets Weekends Off
 
stoki's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: bar stool
Posts: 771
Default

Might want to check www.pprune.org . They have a New Zealand/Aus section I believe on the forum, and lots of members from your area. Will probably be much more helpful.

This is a U.S airline forum, and the U.S the industry is far different/worse, then elsewhere in the world, and therefore different then your situation. Check it out, and good luck mate.

Things at the moment in general are kinda of slow everywhere around the world. As long as the future, who knows.

Last edited by stoki; 01-29-2009 at 11:18 AM.
stoki is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 08:31 AM
  #8  
Gets Weekends Off
 
ugflyer's Avatar
 
Joined APC: May 2008
Position: PIC
Posts: 109
Default

JAYPS078.....All I can say is that things in the american aviation industry are very different from elsewhere in the world. One thing I can guarantee you is that NO ONE will pay for your training and then offer you a job after that. NOT IN AMERICA. If it happens, it is EXTREMELY RARE. Pilots here sweat it out and toil as they build their hours to move on to something bigger. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, I have heard of bonding in Africa and elsewhere but like rickair777 said. This is a forum that is geared to aviation in Amrica for the most part. Try www.pprune.org and that should help a lot better.
ugflyer is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 08:32 AM
  #9  
Gets Weekends Off
 
NuGuy's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,823
Default

Heyas,

To the OP. Stay in school. Become a doctor. Buy your own plane.

DO NOT DO THIS FOR A LIVING.

Nu
NuGuy is offline  
Old 01-29-2009, 08:34 AM
  #10  
Gets Weekends Off
 
JetJock16's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: SkyWest Capt.
Posts: 2,963
Default

I agree with Juice. This is my second career; my first required me to work 70-80 hours a week and I didn’t have a day off in over 3 years. Yes it was my choice to work that hard but if I wanted to succeed and gain some sort of job security as a solid rep then that was what it required. Those who didn’t put in the time were quickly replaced. I’d go on vacation just to spend the first few hours of every morning working. I was home every night but was I? I usually had to use that time to work on planners, reports, budgets, etc because there just wasn’t time during the day. I made more than I make now but money’s not everything. If I medical out or something else unthinkable happens then I have a solid second field to fall back on but that’s all it is to me right now…………..a backup.

Every job has its pitfalls. The question is, are these pitfalls right or wrong for you? Some can barely handle them so they spend all their time talking and thinking about the doom and gloom. This isn’t healthy and they really need to start working towards another career. For others who can handle the pitfalls, enjoy its benefits and love the job itself then flying can be extremely rewarding. My father who was a 32 year Braniff CA used to say: “There are two main parts of one’s life, Private and Professional, if you are not happen in one it will bleed over and affect the other.” Now I’m not a complainer and the main reason is that I feel the ONLY pilots who should be allow to complain and have the RIGHT to complain are Ex-Braniff pilots. NOONE has or will never BE (probably) “F’d” more than those poor men and women. ALPA, Eastern, Braniff Mgmnt, the banks, Federal government and State government all negatively played their parts in their fall from grace………………..but that’s another story.

Currently when I’m off I’m off, I fly my a/c and when I walk away I’m done. I have a long commute and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone but it won’t last forever and my goal is to be living in domicile before my girl turns 5. When I work as an FO in domicile I was home every day, only worked 12-13 days per month and only spent around 4-6 nights per month away from home. Now I commute for my Captaincy and I still average 14 days off, 12-14 nights away from home and I haven’t worked a holiday, birthday or anniversary in over 4 years. I know it won’t last and when I get to a Major/Legacy things will change but it will still be leagues better then my last career.

Take it for what its worth and your experience will not be the same as mine. I was lucky and hit the last hiring boom at the right time and with the right airline. Just remember that you can plan and educate yourself as much as humanly possible but as a labor group that has very very little control over our company’s future, it’s all just dumb luck in the end.

And I wish you and everyone the best of luck in whatever you choose to do.

ps. sorry for any errors, I pounded this out rather quickly.

Last edited by JetJock16; 01-29-2009 at 01:27 PM. Reason: errors
JetJock16 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
usmc-sgt
Regional
44
03-11-2012 02:04 PM
SWAjet
Regional
23
01-14-2010 07:19 AM
vagabond
Union Talk
2
01-15-2009 11:15 PM
forgot to bid
Major
15
11-25-2008 09:21 PM
RawTriGuy
Corporate
7
11-06-2008 12:17 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread
Your Privacy Choices