Virgin Blue to train cadet pilots

[Greg McDonald]

From News.com.au:

AUSTRALIA'S second largest airline Virgin Blue will start training cadet pilots within the next year, a parliamentary inquiry into air safety has been told.

Previously, the airline had hired pilots from other carriers instead of training its own.

Virgin Blue's chief executive John Borghetti said the company would not rush into setting up the scheme, preferring to take "a good 12 months to get it right".

The airline's operations executive Sean Donohue said the proposed scheme was a long-term investment for the airline.

"With our pilot turnover of less than one per cent, it is not an urgency," he told a Senate hearing in Canberra today.

"Obviously it is to make sure we have a pipeline of skilled, trained pilots for the future."

Mr Borghetti said he placed a very high degree of importance on safety and being accessible to his company's pilots.

He told senators that he met with the chief pilots of Virgin Blue and V Australia on his first day as the airline's boss.

"The same day I sent an email to every captain in our group of airlines providing my work number, my email address and personal mobile number inviting their feedback and comments at any time," he said.

Virgin supported the immunity provisions for pilots reporting on safety matters in legislation before the Parliament.

"However, this would have to be subject to amendments that protect against the use of immunity for industrial purposes or protect against actions that are willfully reckless, negligent or non-compliant," Mr Borghetti said.

[Jakef]

Interesting, perhaps if their program isn't as criminal as the other in Australia (In regards to what they pay cadets on completion) I may consider doing this...

[NickN]

A lady I work with, her son has been offered to join the program. They are asking him to pay a HUGE amount up-front to be trained by VB. In excess of $120k to get in. They are re-mortgaging their home to get him in supposedly.

[Radi K]

Nick are you 100% sure?

Nothing has been announced either internally or externally. She might be getting mixed up with the JQ cadet program which is $120k.

I don't think you will see the VB program for quite awhile. That's if it ends up happening at all.

[Hugh Jarse]

Virgin don't have to rush into a cadet scheme, because they don't need to.

There is a steady stream of highly experienced pilots from the various regional airlines applying for positions at the moment.

I suspect the cadet scheme is purely a stop-gap measure in case this stream dries up (which I doubt) in the next 3-5 years.

[D Chan]

Originally Posted by Jakef

Interesting, perhaps if their program isn't as criminal as the other in Australia (In regards to what they pay cadets on completion) I may consider doing this...

I wouldn't bet my house on that.... why would they set one up if there's no financial gain for them?

[Jakef]

Originally Posted by D Chan

I wouldn't bet my house on that.... why would they set one up if there's no financial gain for them?

Most likely not, I'm not holding my breath.

[Matt_L]

A lady I work with, her son has been offered to join the program

Sorry mate, but not possible!

The Cadetship hasnt even been formalized yet let alone made public for applications, so I find that a bit hard to believe

[Mick F]

A lady I work with, her son has been offered to join the program. They are asking him to pay a HUGE amount up-front to be trained by VB. In excess of $120k to get in. They are re-mortgaging their home to get him in supposedly.

As Matt has said, the program hasn't even been formalised or anything, so it's not possible to even apply yet.

And as for my bolding, whatever happened to kids earning their own money to go do things? And what is wrong with just going to a flying school, getting a licence, then going up north to fly around in General Aviation for a few years first? It's a hell of a lot cheaper and it gives you some life experience (not to mention aviation experience) before you get let loose into an airline.

Everybody expects the top jobs to be handed to them on platters these days without doing any bloody work to get there!

Mick