Discipline Is The Key

When it comes to securing the first job in aviation, rocking up to Darwin with a CPL, class 1 medical and a ‘she’ll be right’ mentality just won’t cut it.

From talking to both sides, we have discovered that the things most new CPLs think will be important and the things that employers are looking for are usually worlds apart. This is often because the newbie’s flight instructor had no real industry experience to influence the context of their training.

What employers really want

Logged hours are not as important as many assume. Each organisation will usually have guidelines but often (not always) an easily mouldable low-hour pilot will be preferred over a higherhour one who has developed bad habits.

Flight Standards’ Cameron Marchant says the most important attribute of a pilot is discipline, not safety as most people think.

He says it is possible to mitigate a lack of experience with training, discipline and process. “This will get most people through about 95 per cent of the time. The other five per cent might need to be written off as ‘character building’. But there is nothing you can do with someone with the wrong attitude. ” Integral Digital’s Steve Bolle says that their business needs pilots who can deal with high level professionals. “Our pilots need to act professionally at all times. It is vital that they present well, and this is usually judged on the very first contact. We suggest that they use terms like ‘Sir’ instead of ‘mate’ when talking to a prospective employer. ” Steve says they are looking for people who can go the extra mile. How well they dress, their demeanour, even the little things such as shiny shoes and being well-groomed.

Brenton Hurt from Territory Air Services says they see a lot of new pilots who can’t land a Cherokee but are OK with the faster Saratoga.

Some can’t steer a C210 on the ground when they first get in.

Adjusting to a fully laden plane can be difficult as many new CPLs don’t seem to have gained any experience with more than two up during their training.

He says “many new pilots struggle with the Class C procedures at Darwin. They are not able to properly monitor two radio frequencies at the same time. Most struggle to read the local weather when they are new. ” Chartair’s Michael Kohn says the main attributes he seeks are hardworking people, attention to detail (especially no errors in the resume), and a stable employment history.

“Flying the airplane is the easy bit. ”

The magical formula

First the bad news. There is no magical formula for getting that first GA job.

One of the conclusions that came out of our interviews with the Darwin employers was that different employers are looking for different things. There is no single ‘right way’ to prepare for employment. What might be a ‘must have’ for one employer, might be seen as a red flag to another.

Now the good news.

Fortunately, many of the critical things that employers look for are common to all. These are the items the aspiring pilot needs to work on.

Next in line come the things that some employers value and others don’t. These might include night VFR ratings which are mandatory for some while others don’t want anyone flying VFR at night in the Territory. This is because it can be impossible to see large clouds or even storm cells in the dark.

The rating will not be seen as a negative, but perhaps the training money could have been better spent elsewhere.

‘Logged hours are not as important as many assume’

Finally, there are those things that will polarise employers. These could be anything from the flying school attended (from a perceived reputation that may or may not be deserved) to personal presentation.

For example, an employer who may be considered as a ‘bushie’ may not be impressed by someone who turns up in a suit. Conversely, an employer with a ‘big city’ or military background may think a pilot who is casually dressed is a slob.

Everything else about the pilot might be perfect but they won’t even make it past the initial contact and may never realise why.

Unfortunately, things in the latter category will often come down to the luck of the draw. However Aero Circus is building a database of employers so that pilots can get some ‘intel’ on them before an interview. This may allow them to tailor their general approach to suit the particular employer, in the same way that any jobseeker should personalise their resume for each job application.

Employer priority list

Rule number one (and there is no polite way to say it) – no dickheads. This includes people who don’t have realistic expectations or any understanding of how the industry works.

After that comes ‘can he/she fly an aeroplane? How are the technical skills? Does the pilot have a MPPC (CSU for those who have been around for a while) and retractable endorsement’? Will they fit into the team? Will they be a good match for the company culture? Five hours of high-power experience (Cessna 200 series or Piper Saratoga time or equivalent) is often a basic requirement with some employers. However, the occasional employer will prefer a candidate with no high-power experience. Instead they would rather invest in their new recruit with between 20 and 50 hours of training at the employer’s expense.

Sign me up now! How do they present? The operator will try to look at the candidate the same way his or her customers will.

If the pilot conforms to the industry ‘norms’ they will generally have much better chances.

Previous work experience

Some employers will look for new recruits with a trade background.

They think that such people will bring something useful to the organisation. This is likely to be more relevant in the more remote locations rather than in Darwin or other more populated areas.

Most employers see any previous employment in the client service area as very appealing.

‘Five hours of high-power experience is often a basic requirement’

Flying the aircraft is only a small part of the job. Often a charter or scenic pilot will need to singlehandedly perform all the functions performed by a small army in an airline. They may be the only person the customer has contact with from the time they arrive at the departure airport until they finally leave the destination airport. Any experience in the hospitality or retail industries, for example, will generally be highly regarded.

Most operators told us that a pilot with no previous work history of any type is usually a red flag.

Those doing their CPL straight out of school should ensure they have at least held a part-time job.

What’s in the fleet?

The Cessna 210 is the workhorse of the Territory. As first-timers will most likely be flying one of these (or to a lesser extent its Piper equivalents –Lance or Saratoga), they should generally have both manual pitch propeller control (CSU) and retractable gear endorsements and at least five hours experience (and preferably a lot more) on both.

While they will not be expected to be an expert on the C210, new pilots should at least have a reasonable level of comfort with the controls and handling characteristics. They need to read the POH and learn the systems.

Why bother getting time on the Cessna 200 series or the Piper equivalent? Territory Air Services’ Brenton Hurt explains why these are the dominant players in the light single engine market in the Top End.

“There is nothing I can find to replace the Saratogas or C210s,” he says.

No operator is going to put a fresh CPL into a twin. Most want to see at least 700 hours and usually more like 1,000 hours in the logbook before that will be contemplated. So, it’s probably best to save that MECIR course for next year.

During the interview process, candidates can expect to be asked some technical questions about their aircraft of choice. For example, this may involve drawing a diagram of the fuel system (from memory) for whatever aircraft they generally fly.

Getting up to speed

Before applying for that first job in Darwin, or anywhere else for that matter, there are a number of things that can be done to improve the chances of success. The sooner a pilot begins to develop good habits and cultivate the type of knowledge and skills that employers are looking for, the easier it will be at ‘crunch time’.

There are a few things that make the Top End different to the rest of the country for the average aviator. Polishing up skills in these areas should provide a jump on the competition.

It will be assumed that pilots are already proficient in the basic flying skills – crosswind landings, go-arounds, emergency landings, proper use of controls and radio calls: everything that should have been taught properly from the start of flight training. Some flying schools do an excellent job in this regard, but others are woeful. Those who have already done the Aero Circus Basic Flying Skills Assessment will know exactly what areas need to be worked on, and how to go about that.

As we discovered when we went flying in Darwin, things are a lot different for pilots up there to the rest of the country. For example, Darwin ATC is run by the military, they use LAHSO, and the airspace and weather can be daunting when you are not used to it.

‘The real learning begins after getting that dream job’

Flying in Darwin in the wet season involves dodging squalls, storm cells and other rubbish weather.

And that’s on a good day. In the dry season, bushfires, dust and subsidence inversions may conspire to reduce visibility, often down near the VFR limits. Those who have never experienced flight when it is hard to make out the horizon might be in for a surprise.

Most new pilots who turn up in the north have no experience with unsealed strips. Of those who do, most have only experienced grass strips.

Some operators view an instrument rating as an advantage.

These are usually the ones with mostly twins in their fleet so the chances of a low-hour job with them are marginal anyway. However, given the nature of the weather in the Top End, that may be a worthwhile qualification to take along.

A new CPL won’t be flying twins for quite some time. A multi-engine command instrument rating will not help in the first year or so.

If the basic flying skills are up to scratch, the next hurdle is acquiring the local knowledge for Darwin and the tropics.

Acquiring local knowledge

Flight Standards offers the GA Ready course – a unique training package that will suit those who intend to seek their first aviation job in the Top End. It runs over three days full-time and aims to bridge the knowledge gap between flying the tropics and what was experienced ‘down south’.

Adequate basic flying and technical skills are a pre-requisite and any shortfalls in these will not be addressed during the course.

The course will deliver a much lower return for those without these skills, and participants will struggle with the more advanced topics that the course is designed around.

Another important area that is covered is the nexus between law and safety. Most new pilots don’t understand that sometimes complying with the law (eg flying overweight, unserviceable) or not, needs to be considered in the context of minimising risk in complex situations.

The course provides broad strategies to help deal with this.

The course is totally scenariobased.

C210 or Saratoga/Lance type training is included, with a minimum five hours – but usually more-– included. Once this is complete, students fly out to remote bases on simulated charter ops to meet other pilots who are literally six months ahead of them on the career path.

Just like CPL training, there is no guarantee of employment at the end of the course. But if the pilot’s basic flying skills and temperament are OK then they may have a head-start over others who do not. For some employers in the Top End completing the course is a mandatory prerequisite.

Some critics of the course cite this lack of a guaranteed job at the end of the course as a major drawback.

Obviously if someone completes the course at a time when nobody is hiring, they will not get a job, at least at that time. And if their basic flying skills are lacking, or they did not demonstrate the right attitude during the course, another piece of paper will not help.

Widen the scope

Most jobs for new pilots are to be found in Darwin itself. However, there are alternative destinations within the Top End that could be considered when looking for that first role.

The northern coast of Western Australia – the North-West – is reputed to have quite a few opportunities for new pilots. Places like Kununurra, Broome, Port Hedland, Karratha, even as far down as Geraldton, often provide employment opportunities.

What comes next?

The real learning begins after getting that ‘dream job’. Pilots need to be prepared for a steep learning curve in a broad range of subjects. The theory will provide a good head start but the practical lessons will be what builds safer pilots in the longer term.

‘Will she or he be a good match for the company culture?’

According to Brenton Hurt, there is a lot of local experience to be gained in the first year. “Darwin CTA can be a nightmare during military operations. The pilots need to be all over NOTAMS which can change every half hour. They also need to learn the waypoints as ATC will often route pilots by an unfamiliar waypoint regardless of their flight plan. Pilots can’t rely on the GPS and iPad; the basic paper map skills are essential to survival. ” Bad news for those who thought their days with paper maps were over.

Summing up

A CPL and a medical are vital but small components of what employers will be looking for when the new recruit knocks on their door. The right attitude, thorough preparation, and competence in the basic flying skills are all critical. Anything after that is icing on the cake.

Aero Circus was formed by a group of pilots with different experience levels from RPL to Grade 1 Instructor. Their aim is to bridge the gap between what the CASA syllabus teaches and what a truly safe or employable pilot needs to know. They achieve this by regularly publishing articles on various aspects of flying skills at aerocircus. com. au as well as providing detailed assessments of a pilot’s practical flying skills.