Aussie Career Changer (again)

[Sachi]

Hello Everyone

Thanks for taking the time to read my thread. My name is Sachi and I've been on this forum quite some time now, about 5 years! I originally made the post below 4 years ago, about how I planned to leave my current line of work and pursue my dream of becomming a professional pilot.

Well a lot has happened since then. I got extremely busy with work and focused on that, while doing a very small amount of flying on the side (5 hours total time!).

I'm happy to tell everyone now though that my aviation career has taken a great leap forward as I've been accepted for a Cadet Pilot Program here in Australia. I will complete 18 months of training here in Melbourne, 2 months in Hong Kong and then on the line with the company.

I'm super excited to get started and am really looking forward to the full time emersed atmosphere of training.

Thank you to everyone that I've spoken too through the forum and have helped me so far. And thank you to everyone who posts on here as this site has been super insightful and helpful and I wouldn't be embarking on this journey with out it.

I hope that I can continue to post on this thread with plenty of great updates in the near future!

Hey Guys
Firstly, let me intorduce myself, my name is Sachi and I love this forum! I am 23 years old, I have a bachelor’s degree in IT, I’m an English Teacher in Japan, love planes and cars and I am an Australian / New Zealand and US citizen. Ha, figure that one out!

So I have always wanted to pursue it as a career, but money problems and career-minded parents who want me to get a good desk job have always been a problem. One day hopefully I will fly of a airline, but I know that’s a long time away and I could easily be pushed to follow another type of flying. For now though, after training is done, I would like to go down the CFI to regional path.

I did a BAK (basic aero knowledge) course in Australia when I was 14 years old and at the end of the course got to spend about 1 hour in a mighty Piper Tomohawk! Since then, I havent done anything. I’ll be returning home to Australia in August and planned to get back into it then, with the money I have saved in Japan.

I have enough money to get my private licence in Australia, and plan to so while working fulltime and flying weekends. Once I have saved enough to get all ratings (target US$40,000), I hope to complete my training full time. I should be able to reach my target within 18months, being a loser and living with the parents.

So you still reading? Ok here’s my career changing questions.

As a multi-national citizen, I have the oppurtunity to train and work in the US, New Zealand and Australia. So where do I go to complete my trainig?

As much as I love Australia, there is a much larger market in the US for pilots jobs. Also the US prices are generally a lower than Australia for the training part. It seems for someone in my position, it would be wise to go to the US. Am I right, or sound like an idiot for leaving sunny Australia? My parents think Im a looney for even pursuing flying as a career, let alone leaving the country to do so. The irony is, both of them worked for British Airways back in the day and my dad used to be a pilot, so they are probably the main reason I got obsessed with it.

Are there any Aussies on this forum who have completed training in the US or anyone who has been in a simliar situation?

Thanks for reading and your comments!
Sach

 

[Shiftace]

Congrats!!! Cadet Pilot Programs are the best way to go sometimes. Hope you have fun! Please do keep us posted on your progress and outcome!

Cheers

Sunny

 

[fly22]

Im located in Perth. Which cadet program? If would like send me a PM.