"Nah, he's training up to be an overpaid bus driver...
(Commercial pilot)"
i don't mean to take the wind outa ya sails but....you need to know the harsh realities of what you're getting into.....
With all due respect you have to flying a heavy jet to be on the big$$$ and the road to this is
very very very very hard.
Hard because of the large cost to initially get your Commercial Licence, thats just to get started. If you can get a start that is, with 150 hours experience, no ones going to touch you even with a CPL, you need to bridge the gap between this 150hours and the minimum number of hours a very small charter company or cattle station will require for insurance. So you might do parachute dropping or glider towing (Yes you aero tow a glider with a rope into the air with a powered aircraft, usually an old crop duster, this is what i did to get hours starting out).
So once you get the hours to get into a charter company you've only got a bare commercial to fly single engine 6 seat etc aircraft like a Cessna 210 so to get fully qualified you need an instrument and multi engine rating $8000 then get your ATPL subjects (Airline Transport Pilot Licence) so you can be a Captain in a 2 pilot aircraft above 5.7 tonnes (airline pilot) another $2000 but remember you haven't got the hours yet for this just getting the theory outa the way.
So maybe by the time you have 700hours minimum you may get into a twin engine charter aircraft like a Baron or C310, realisticly more like 1200+ hours before you get into a twin, depends on luck and the company you work for. So you finally get 1500 hours (usually more) and you get all the requirements out of the way for your ATPL licence.
you've been applying to the airlines QF,Cathay, Virgin Blue etc but get in que, the line very is long and distinguished!!! plus hang on you've been in this industry a number of year and been paid abosolute
SHIT becuase to get your hours the small companies all under cut each other, have no profit margin a pay you absolute shit and don't you kick up a fuss about it either the boss will fire you becuase 4 or 5 guys every day walk in asking if the is
any work going...... Don't make any mistakes either along the way your reputation will be shot, word spreads fast.........
Alot of guys drop out of aviation over the years unable to make it happen.
Of the course i was on in 1994 only 4 out of 9 still fly
Who wants to be a pilot now?
Don't believe flying schools "get an airline job once you've finished your licence"....this i absolute
BULL SHIT
This is just a harsh reality of aviation in Australia, i could go on and on...
The point i'm making is
KNOW what your getting into, its not going to be easy at all but if its what you really really want it wouldn't matter what i say you still want to fly anyway and.....
its this kind of determination you'll need to get yourself through
Good luck Jules any questions email me
Matt