What do you do with your pilot licence?

[danny_galaga]

6 minutes ago, Student Pilot said:

Don't know any ex-RAAF that fly Ag, it's a different job to normal (if there is such a thing) flying. Ag flying goes from quiet spells where you might only do 300 hours a year in droughts to 12 or 1400 hours a year in boom times. There is a financial component (Ag has some prostitute pilots, only in it for the money) but you have to be really keen on flying to stick with it for very long.
WARNING possible controversial statement!  
Usually find the military boys have been given a free ride with training and life in general and don't take to Ag, it is different to what most expect. Biggest percentage go into airlines where working life has more status and is more predictable. 

And yet he's doing it 🤷‍♂️

[Student Pilot]

Ag is a pretty small industry with only something like 200 pilots, it is also very insular with small operations in remoter areas that don't get out much. I'm not saying there aren't any RAAF pilots flying Ag just that I don't know any. What area does he fly? Does he do fires too? There's not many spots with all year work left in the country now so most (generalising here) pilots do fires in the summer. 

[facthunter]

A top Gun F-18 Pilot won't necessarily be suited or Happy flying airlines. One chap my DC-4 course the was a croppy who did not make it. None of this actually Means much. One sample is not  great proof of anything..  IF you Missed out on something you may have wished to do It's not uncommon to Make out you didn't want it anyhow because they all hate the job, or it's for Wankers who like wearing uniforms etc.. Over the years I would have known well over a thousand pilots and Yes there were a few who were a bit shaky but not THAT many. Taking in very high hours Pilots who have done a lot of solo Hours didn't work out so well either. They had often fallen into Habits that were a bit hard to change from and didn't adapt well.. The Airforce doesn't want people with another way of being trained  either. We  had Ex Army Airforce and ex Vietnam chopper pilots as well as Intake cadets and Aero club/ flying school $#1t Kickers & ex instructors such as me. When I commenced  a Commonwelth gov't Commercial Plus Instructors rating scholarship course for which I had to do a DCA officers flight test where I had to  agree to apply for a Job as a Pilot on completion . The demand for Airline Pilots was over and I had already resigned my Teaching job with the NSW Dept of Education, as they require a Ship load of Notice or they will dock your Pay. ( Lovely People to work for).. Eddy Connellan offered me a job on good terms. I got on well with Him and have a lot of respect for Him,  but  was not sure I'd get on so well with his offspring. At my TAA interview is Had my nose rubbed well and truly in the Cat$#!t  by a Person  (Director of Flight Operations) who assured Me they had plenty of pilots with more hours  and other qualifications than I did which WAS UTTER bs, That was Thursday. By Friday I get a Message can I get Myself to  Melbourne to BE on a DC 4 course  the following WEDNESDAY.?????   Nev

Edited 12 hours ago by facthunter
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[danny_galaga]

1 hour ago, Student Pilot said:

Ag is a pretty small industry with only something like 200 pilots, it is also very insular with small operations in remoter areas that don't get out much. I'm not saying there aren't any RAAF pilots flying Ag just that I don't know any. What area does he fly? Does he do fires too? There's not many spots with all year work left in the country now so most (generalising here) pilots do fires in the summer. 

Northern NSW I think. For a while he was commuting from SE Qld in his RV6. I think he's permanently moved now.

 

I think you are missing the point I was making. This is not a tall tale for you to deconstruct, I was merely pointing out that it's nice to see some of the  'big boy' pilots staying grounded (so to speak) and still flying as a pass time. 

[Bennyboy320]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

A top Gun F-18 Pilot won't necessarily be suited or Happy flying airlines.

I have to disagree with that statement, everyone in the military knows that their time on the cockpit won’t last forever & the natural progression to keep flying until 65 is joining the airlines, It’s a different type of flying & you adapt, I was privileged to have been an airline pilot for 26 years of which 22 years were overseas, loved every minute of it until I voluntary took early retirement in the COVID days. Most of my squadron friends have either just retired or in their last few years, all ex classic hornet pilots. 

[Student Pilot]

2 hours ago, danny_galaga said:

Northern NSW I think. For a while he was commuting from SE Qld in his RV6. I think he's permanently moved now.

 

I think you are missing the point I was making. This is not a tall tale for you to deconstruct, I was merely pointing out that it's nice to see some of the  'big boy' pilots staying grounded (so to speak) and still flying as a pass time. 

Danny I think you are misconstruing my intent. I did not say it was a tall tail, my post was not to question your statement or deconstruct your comment.
I was stating my experience within a small industry. I haven't worked Northern NSW for a few years, both cotton and broad acre out west or fert in the tablelands but I do still have contacts there. As I said I'm not questioning your statement but my personal experience is I don't know any ex RAAF flying Ag. There could quite well be some.