Flight Training In Australia - What Career Paths Can It Lead To?

Interested in flight school and want to know where it can lead you? There are many different pilot career pathways that you can transition into after finishing your initial commercial flight training in Australia. Whilst they all involve you working professionally as a pilot, the experiences each offer can be quite unique and varied.

Let’s take a look at just some of the career paths you can follow as a professional pilot:

Airlines

When most people think about a job as a pilot, they will picture a job with a commercial airline. As an airline pilot, you have the opportunity to fly large passenger aircraft either domestically or around the world. You can work your way up the airline pilot ranks, generally starting from Second Officer and working up to Check and Training Captain. Different airlines will offer different opportunities.

There are 2 main avenues you can take to become an airline pilot. The first is to be accepted into an airline cadet pilot program, which takes you through all of your flight training, and if successful you can then start training with the airline. The second is to obtain your Commercial Pilot Licence and then build enough flying hours to apply for direct entry roles.

Applying to airlines can be competitive. Many Melbourne-based flight schools offer preparation courses that can provide guidance on airline application and interview processes to help give you the best chance possible.

Defence

As an Air Force Pilot, yYou will be flying very different aircraft to those in your training! You could be flying a fighter jet, or a large transport plane - or you could end up working in many of the important pilot support roles on the ground. Starting a role in the Air Force isn't easy, but if you have the ambition and the passion for the skies, you might just have what it takes.

There are very few similarities between air force pilots and commercial pilots aside from the fact they both fly aircraft. Flying in the Air Force is a diverse and intense experience, where each mission and each day is different to the last. It's an exciting, hands-on role, if you give it the dedication and motivation it requires.

Emergency services

Firefighting

Aerial firefighting is used to access terrain that is inaccessible by road. Both fixed and rotary wing aircraft are used to transport crew along with equipment and suppressants for putting out fires, and this has to be done as quickly as possible. In areas involving dense bush, it is incredibly important to fight fires before they grow large enough to be a danger to nearby towns. Aerial firefighting pilot roles can include water-bombing aircraft, or support roles like surveying, evacuation and airborne controlling.

Aeromedical

The role of services provided by organisations such as the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) is exponential in giving unwell Australians living far away from civilization a faster route to the hospital. This can offer a rewarding and exciting career for any pilot, with a diverse range of locations to fly to in addition to a diverse range of “missions” or situations. Getting into air ambulance roles can be quite competitive.

Flight Instruction

Flight instructing is a very rewarding pilot career option, allowing you to build your own flying hours and teach the next generation of pilots. This involves classroom teaching as well as practical teaching, and then monitoring student progress as they learn to and progress through their training.

You will accompany students in the cockpit and help them become familiar with the aeroplane’s controls, systems and emergency procedures, and teach them how to assess if an aircraft is safe to fly. Just like in your own initial flight training in Australia, there is as much learning on the ground as there is in the air, so it essential you are ready to teach in both environments. In order to become a flight instructor, you must obtain a Flight Instructor Rating (or FIR).

Regardless of what path you choose, there are plenty of fulfilling careers available in the aviation industry and the first step to all of them is speaking to someone from your Melbourne-based flight school about what additional training you may need to do. They will be able to lead you on the path to your dream career in aviation.