Given I know three pilots that have applied how many in here have applied.

Mal

http://www.rex.com.au/corp_info/ShowNews.aspx?nid=153

Regional Express (Rex) today warned that Australia is facing a severe
shortage of pilots and that this will turn into a crisis in 12 months time
as demand by the larger airlines intensifies to cope with their
unprecedented expansion plans.

Commenting on this shortage, Rex Chief of Staff Jim Davis said "Already some
airlines are struggling to find enough pilots to crew their regular
schedules and many are resorting to cancelling flights to cope with the
situation. The Rex cancellation rate, for example, is now running at four
times historical levels. The latest DOTARS statistics, which are for July,
show Rex with 0.9%% of flights cancelled, Qantas at 1.6%%, QantasLink at 1.0%%,
Virgin at 1.1%% and Jetstar at 0.3%%.

"However the situation is predicted to get much worse. Based on industry
feedback, we estimate that the net additional requirement for pilots will be
of the order of 1,800 over the next two years. The supply of new Airline
Transport Pilot Licences (ATPLs) every year in Australia is less than 400.

Mal wrote...

And what are the airlines doing to try and cope with this shortage? Given that
it's getting increasingly expensive to get into aviation, and aside from the
taxpayer funded ex-military types that walk into airline jobs, it appears that
it is going to get worse, unless, of course, they (the airlines) wish to help
with a solution to the problem.

Mal wrote:

VB interviewed a good 40 of their crews in the last couple of months and
has given at least 30 of them start dates. The Virgin Chief Pilot - out of
courtesy - called the Rex CP and let him know of the impending doom. After
the conversation, the VB CP offered him a job! I've heard it from the
horse's mouth that this could potentionally send the company broke.

Serves Rex right for paying their professional pilots $30,000 a year. Why
wouldn't their crews leave to a 6-figure jet salary?

"Mal" spamers.org.au> wrote in message
news:44MOi.7416$H22.4814@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

John Ewing wrote:

In Australia? I didn't think there were any here.

"Scenic" wrote in message
news:1192337700.966734@chilli.pcug.org.au...

Grrrr ... Sorry .... Dash 8

John

John Ewing wrote:

I don't think it was just the government and big companies.

I think that trades were abandoned by young people as well, because it
was to demeaning - they wanted a Uni degree or something higher than
being an apprentice, finishing with a trade.

Nurses now do a Uni degree - who changed that?

"Rob" mine.com> wrote in message
news:4711bd5b$1_9@news.peopletelecom.com.au...

GB wrote:

Its just a commercial thing, setup within the Uni's, they did have a
diploma course, at uni, with heaps of practical work in the hospitals.

Nurses who do have a diploma are now having to return to Uni so they can
get more qualifications for advancement.

Rob wrote:

I think this has more to do with demand than anything else.