muzz00ka wrote:Mongrel Dog wrote:Is it though? 50% of your license to be stuck in a ground based job for the next four years at who knows what salary doesn’t strike me as an incredible opportunity.
As someone who is not in the industry yet, I more thought of it as a great way to learn about the industry and create connections, whilst having the opportunity to complete your license at a subsidised rate.
It's ok for sure but it's a long way short of a great opportunity.
Dont get me wrong, I'm not throwing shade at Microflight. They, by all accounts appear to be an outstanding operation with good equipment, so if you do your due diligence and it's something that will work for you, get stuck in.
With that said, heres a few things to consider...
a great way to learn about the industry and create connections
The best way to do this is to get in your car and head to places that operate the helicopters you're likely to get a start on. Find a gig selling tickets for scenics and doing ground ops for a season, get a job in a hangar on the tools,or do a year on the ground at a cattle station if that's your thing. Most jobs come in the second year after operators have had a chance to get to know you. Spending four years at an operation that has no job at the end is just marking time. You'll learn all you need to know as a junior pilot in 12 months on the ground. Bear in mind that the smallest aircraft Microflite operate is an EC120, which they won't let you anywhere near with 105 hours.
Well done Microflite - paying it forward
They're not paying anything forward. To think this is some great act of altruism, is extremely misguided. Microflite are a business and they exist to make money. No more, no less. This is what businesses do. Their cost of training amortised over the four years is tiny in the grand scheme. For this they have a cheap employee for four years than can perform any task asked them for I suspect a very small wage. It's actually a very good idea from that standpoint.
not all new/fresh pilots will get the opportunity to get straight into a flying role.
Indeed very few do, but most don't have to wait four years.
all without having to live in a very remote part of the Australia/the world for multiple seasons
You say this like it's a bad thing. Some of the best days of my flying career were spent in the most remote parts of this country.
very likely get a FT flying role with Microflite, based in a capital city, doing tours in/out of Southbank, beach patrols, fires etc etc.
Not with 105 hours they won't.
I don’t see any other companies offering up something like this in Aus
No, however up until a few years ago, a major operator in Australia that no longer exists due to some incredibly inept management, offered a subsidised program. For 50k you were sent to the U.S to train to flight instructor level, after which you were employed at the flying school as a flight instructor for 12 months. After approximately two years and with around 1000 hours command time and a good chunk of night, you returned to Australia and were employed as a copilot in the S76.
Further to this, most operators that bond new hires for type ratings usually only do so for two years, and these ratings cost a good deal more that 50% of a cpl.
Once again, I'm not trying to talk anyone out of this. It may be great for a particular person, but just make sure you ask plenty of questions and know what you're getting yourself into.
