Tourism Pilot Required - Northern Territory

[Professional Helicopters]

Professional Helicopter Services (PHS) is seeking applications for a position as Line Pilot at our Northern Territory Base. PHS is Australia’s longest running helicopter flight school and operates a large fleet of helicopters on charter and airwork throughout Australia.

The Northern Territory Base conducts scenic flight operations from Uluru and Kings Canyon year round, operating a fleet of Bell 206 Jetrangers, Longrangers, AS350 Squirrels and EC130 aircraft.

PHS have conditional shared accommodation available for the successful applicant however this may not be suitable for all.

Minimum requirements:
CASA Part 61 Licence
CASA Class 1 Medical
500 hours PIC helicopter
GTE – or attainable within one (1) month
Current Dangerous Goods Certificate
Current Drivers Licence
Current (or attainable within one (1) month) Dangerous Goods Drivers Licence
Current ASIC
Australian Resident or right to live & work in Australia

Desired:
B206 / AS350 Experience
Engineering Experience
Current First Aid Certificate
Previous tourism experience
Able to commence work immediately or within two (2) weeks of being awarded the position

Please submit all applications to:
Attention: Brett Newman
jobs at phs.com.au

[havick]

Wow, in 20 years I don’t think I live ever seen the need to advertise for tour pilot gig at Ayers Rock.

What’s going on with the entry level side of the industry in Australia? Are there not many new takers getting their CPL?

[Wannabe60Driver]

Wow, in 20 years I don’t think I live ever seen the need to advertise for tour pilot gig at Ayers Rock.

What’s going on with the entry level side of the industry in Australia? Are there not many new takers getting their CPL?

Thanks to VET, every person and their dog has a CPL with LL and 107.5 hours in their book.

Problem is getting from there to the minimums of 200-500 hours the insurers are mandating.

[Biggles]

Havick

I thought exactly the same thing.....

[Chopper Guy]

Hasn't there always been an excess number of fresh CPL's?

I think the problem is that over the last couple years due to lockdowns and closed borders, there hasn't been the same amount of tourist flights available to fresh CPL's to get then from 105 hours to the 500+ that PHS are looking for...

[Biggles]

Chopper guy

I always thought PHS used their own fresh CPL students to fly the punters around the Rock to get hours up.
Havick and I are probably thinking the same thing, limited numbers of CPL students going through the school.
Chairman Dan's lockdowns certainly would not of helped the situation.

B

[Little Bird]

The pilot shortage is finally here!!

[Chopper Guy]

Hey Biggles

I'd be very interested to know how many students PHS in Melbourne (and other schools down south) feel they've lost since the introduction of the VET Fee help program in Qld.

I'm absolutely willing to be corrected, but I've long thought that the majority of people doing a VET Fee license don't actually have the money (or the discipline to save it) to pay the $80K?? upfront required to self fund the license. Thus we're absolutely introducing more fresh CPL's into the market, but not necessarily decreasing the number of students who self fund.

CH

[NZHelo]

It’s all good and dandy going the VET route, however, how many of those providers have the ability to get fresh CPLs into the industry and not going back to their “old” lives once the dream ended with an 80k debt?

[Wannabe60Driver]

Don’t even bother turning this into a VET debate as the world will always be full of those that shouldn’t hold a bike/car/bus/truck/boat/aircraft license but do.

The issue is that even if you want to self-fund and have bucket-loads of money, you don’t need $80k anymore. $80k only gets you the CPL and LL with around 110 hours. From there you’ll need plenty of luck and to be located in the right place to be able to rent something with two seats at $600-ish an hour.

Some schools are including 20 hours in an R44 outside of an R22/G2/300. That’s cool, but with so few insurers in the game will touch a new pilot today with less than 200/250 hours. If you have a GTE, they won’t touch your first 100 starts. Believe it or not, it’s bloody hard to even rent an R44 with $800-900 an hour in your back pocket.

So, regardless of whether someone today were to self-fund or use VET for their CPL, I believe they then need another $60k to punch holes in the sky in a 2-seater for another 100 hours.

Sure, there are exceptions if someone has family connections chasing cows on a bike/ATV/horse/truck but that crew always had a job waiting for them if they want to become an airborne cow-chasing motorcycle.

Australia will never have a helo-pilot shortage. It will however always have a shortage of conversions between the rotary 110-hour world and the 200/250/500 hour world.

Fixed-wing never faced that issue for anyone with the talent/work-ethic to do the work. You could simply get a CPL, ME IR, and a pass in your ATPLs and a willingness to eat sh#t sandwiches daily and you had a career path.

That doesn’t exist in our world for less than $200+k upfront spend unless you’re one of the few punters in the financial and family situation to be able to live in the Kimberley or Horn Island for a year or two.

Was there a round-table on this topic at the recent helo-industry event in Brisbane? Nope, yet they’ve known about it for at least five years. Just the same crew stroking each other.

[Friendly Black Dog]

There’ll be plenty of jobs around when the Vietnam boys start to retire….can’t be long now.

[Gasket18]

Hey Biggles

I'd be very interested to know how many students PHS in Melbourne (and other schools down south) feel they've lost since the introduction of the VET Fee help program in Qld.

I'm absolutely willing to be corrected, but I've long thought that the majority of people doing a VET Fee license don't actually have the money (or the discipline to save it) to pay the $80K?? upfront required to self fund the license. Thus we're absolutely introducing more fresh CPL's into the market, but not necessarily decreasing the number of students who self fund.

CH

I wish people would top being so narrow minded and stop lumping everyone into a neat little box to suit their own beliefs. Not everyone's lives fit in with the way others live. I know quite a few who have opted for VET for their own reason. I personally am now 50. I got some good advice from a pilot who sadly is now dead and pointed me in the direction of passing all medicals, asic and exams first ,so doing all that took me a few years off my own bat. Have self studied for the last 2 1/2 year whilst doing fulltime work. Now going VET to do this. A big problem with VET is it really narrows down the schools that do it. Then most of them will only do the full course. Where I had to find a school who wouldnt charge me for theory as I'd already done it. I managed to find one who till charged me the same however, I'm getting a lot more 44 hours included. I had found somewhere I really wanted to train but they didn't do VET.
My whole life I wanted to be a pilot or racer. I managed to get into racing 20 year ago and did become a professional bike racer. Only having to fund my entire career myself. Whilst doing that I had my own plumbing business with 10 guys working for me. I have lost everything twice in my life and after losing my last business, managed to get a house and with my partner we had a few toys. Floods came and took everything again. So I'm no 50 with less money and assets than when I was 20. So thats one reason I opted for VET but the main reason is if I pay for my flying lessons as I go, it will take me around 2-3 years to complete Where as with VET I can fly as often as possible whilst working as well ( have a mortgage to pay) So it makes it a manageable amount per fortnight to pay back. Sadly covid and weather has made my flying very limited so far this year. But it's picking up again. So I will still be finished before I'm 51, which will hopefully give me enough time to try and get a half decent job due to hours needed before CASA make keeping a CPL almost impossible which I heard they start doing around the 60 point. Yes if I could I would pay as I went for starter it's cheaper, theres a 20% fee ontop of the course going via VET, but sometimes you have to do what you can and try make the bet decision at the time
I know others who with covid couldnt fly where they where so they moved to start training. Then couldnt afford rent etc o they opted VET.

[Gasket18]

Don’t even bother turning this into a VET debate as the world will always be full of those that shouldn’t hold a bike/car/bus/truck/boat/aircraft license but do.

The issue is that even if you want to self-fund and have bucket-loads of money, you don’t need $80k anymore. $80k only gets you the CPL and LL with around 110 hours. From there you’ll need plenty of luck and to be located in the right place to be able to rent something with two seats at $600-ish an hour.

Some schools are including 20 hours in an R44 outside of an R22/G2/300. That’s cool, but with so few insurers in the game will touch a new pilot today with less than 200/250 hours. If you have a GTE, they won’t touch your first 100 starts. Believe it or not, it’s bloody hard to even rent an R44 with $800-900 an hour in your back pocket.

So, regardless of whether someone today were to self-fund or use VET for their CPL, I believe they then need another $60k to punch holes in the sky in a 2-seater for another 100 hours.

Sure, there are exceptions if someone has family connections chasing cows on a bike/ATV/horse/truck but that crew always had a job waiting for them if they want to become an airborne cow-chasing motorcycle.

Australia will never have a helo-pilot shortage. It will however always have a shortage of conversions between the rotary 110-hour world and the 200/250/500 hour world.

Fixed-wing never faced that issue for anyone with the talent/work-ethic to do the work. You could simply get a CPL, ME IR, and a pass in your ATPLs and a willingness to eat sh#t sandwiches daily and you had a career path.

That doesn’t exist in our world for less than $200+k upfront spend unless you’re one of the few punters in the financial and family situation to be able to live in the Kimberley or Horn Island for a year or two.

Was there a round-table on this topic at the recent helo-industry event in Brisbane? Nope, yet they’ve known about it for at least five years. Just the same crew stroking each other.

dont know how to jut do a like for your comment so hit the quote thing. Top comment. Insurance is the killer in every industry

[skypig]

The dream for any freshly minted CPL-H is to hear the words:

“We can offer you a position based at the end of the earth. The pay is minimal and conditions basic, but there is some flying involved.”

You need to be in a financial and “life” position to jump at this opportunity.
I’d suggest people think about this before going into debt.

[JohnJRamboB206]

Great Job will set up your flying career.

I would apply even with fresh CPL and great attitude, like most industries attitude will get you everywhere. Just shows people think you pay for a licence you get a job, wrong getting the job is the hard part but I suggest you find the company you want to work for and shake some hand do some free trials.

If you apply, how about you fly down to Melbourne and introduce yourself you would be surprised at how social interaction works instead of hiding behind online portals and waiting for a phone to ring.

To get a job as a barista expect to endure a trial period, if they can do it cant you?

Hey you might drive a fuel truck or help in the hangar for 6 months but its a start. Remember you only have the rest of your life to achieve your goals.

Vet fee no different to any other industry eg (architects, lawyers) I know many with a degree but didn't want to get an entry internship as it was low pay and competitive and now have 80,000 hex debt.

Your not special get used to it.

CPL licence is a ticket to learn, you still know nothing.

Insurance minimums are here to stay and will be at your next hurdle (Fires, Low Level, Instructing, Overwater, IFR, Night) all require a minimum "hours" we all been there but have a long term goal and you will get it.

Good luck to those who apply.

Stay hungry.

[Little Bird]

free trials.

gtfooh

[JohnJRamboB206]

free trials.

gtfooh

Other industries do it to be a teacher its a 3 year degree with 6 "free" placement trials while you finish your studies.

Nursing the same.

Dr is worse

Lawyer as a paralegal is up to 80 hours in a dungeon.

change your mindset or sit at home complaining about how hard your life is.

[Izzy Fullashat]

Rambo those other industries that you mentioned have a near 100% success rate for progression. Or another one you didn’t mention were trades, which you get paid to learn as an apprentice. That is the problem with helicopters that we get told you “need to do the free trial” only to find you get used! Or “everyone has had to do it” we need to stop it! I found the below article very interesting as it shows that even when we do the free trial, a lot don’t progress to that job that does keep you at home and earning enough to support your family, or keep the experienced pilot.
Before you start up at me. I was in the industry did everything you have said, but like a lot found not enough work and money wasn’t flash for the hours you put in. Now in a job that I get paid for every hour I’m there, pay goes in every week and great money!
Good luck to all those that do stick with it, great job but shame about the crap that goes with it

Cheers Izzy


https://verticalmag.com/features/does-t ... e-problem/

[JohnJRamboB206]

Izzy,

All valid points and I agree no one should be taken for a ride.

[Hello Pilots]

In terms of bridging the experience gap, CA$A introducing Part 61 didn’t really help the cause by eliminating co-pilot instrument ratings. Once seen as door into a variety of positions in the market, well, that got slammed quite abruptly. 500 hours and IREX got potentials a seat.