Air New Zealand

[Cpt. Underpants]

I have heard from many Kiwi colleagues (flying for CX) that it's possible to sit as an S/O for up to 10 years in Air New Zealand and that time to command is 20 years or more!!

Not that it's important, but salary is shoddy too.

Small fleet, dead man shoes syndrome. Have you any mates in ANZ AlohaFlyer?

 

[J D]

I had heard that as well, however I've also heard that over 50% of the pilots are 55 plus. I hope that's true. Expansion + retirements, it should get better.

 

[ApM]

Slow upgrades and rotten pay...Sounds like the US industry these days.

 

[J D]

According to a few friends who are there, it is starting to improve and they are expecting much quicker upgrade times in the near future.

 

[spitfire1500]

How does one get a work/residency visa in NZ?

You need to have New Zealand citizenship to fly for Air NZ ( at least in 1995 you did). I learned to fly there and at the time I only had residency and got my citizenship later on.
Its a beautiful place to live. I would recommend doing any flight training at a Royal New Zealand Aero Club http://www.flyingnz.co.nz/ (they are all over the place and great for training ) they tend to cost a lot less than the flight schools for training. I was in Ardmore fFying School doing my writtens and one of their twins (Duchess) was shared by an an Aero club on the same field (Waitemata Aero Club) for about a 3rd less on the cost and a more experienced instructor (Neil Hyland)....they had a great bar too.
I would recommend Southland Aero club or Southern Districts Aero Club down in the deep South (Invercargill and Gore). Things tend to cost less down there ( and they have Speights). I have been through tons of training events since flying and the best instructor I have ever had is down there, a guy named Bryan Jones.

 

[J D]

Good call on many fronts Spitfire!! Both Southland Aero Club and Speights are top notch!! My wife's cousin is one of the instructors at Southern Wings / Southland Aero. He has been there for years. You are right about the cost of living etc. in Invercargill/Southland. Much cheaper then around Auckland etc. I plan on settling somewhere in the deep south, just not sure exactly where.

Things have changed a bit since '95, Now you you can work for Air NZ as long you have residency. Luckily I am finished with that process. So
who are you flying for now?

Cheers,
JD

 

[spitfire1500]

Good call on many fronts Spitfire!! Both Southland Aero Club and Speights are top notch!! My wife's cousin is one of the instructors at Southern Wings / Southland Aero. He has been there for years. You are right about the cost of living etc. in Invercargill/Southland. Much cheaper then around Auckland etc. I plan on settling somewhere in the deep south, just not sure exactly where.

Things have changed a bit since '95, Now you you can work for Air NZ as long you have residency. Luckily I am finished with that process. So
who are you flying for now?

Cheers,
JD

Im on this ugly duckling:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_747_Large_Cargo_Freighter

 

[J D]

Wow...I never knew that thing existed. I must admit I like it!! You must have an interesting career path to find your way there.

 

[blzr]

You need to have New Zealand citizenship to fly for Air NZ ( at least in 1995 you did).

I wish they would make that a requirement here in the U.S. Too. Maybe we would have better (?) upgrade times here too.

 

[DC10]

Wow. We actually reached 24 posts before somebody started posting the usual American xenophobic, anti-foreigner opinions.

How about all other countries ban Americans from flying there? Not such a good idea when the tables are turned, is it?

 

[Cpt. Underpants]

Well, if it happened in HKG, CX would cease to exist as 90% of the aircrew are "gweilos". Wake up mate, we work in a "global Village" these days...

 

[J D]

Well, if it happened in HKG, CX would cease to exist as 90% of the aircrew are "gweilos". Wake up mate, we work in a "global Village" these days...

Amen!

 

[blzr]

Wow. We actually reached 24 posts before somebody started posting the usual American xenophobic, anti-foreigner opinions.

How about all other countries ban Americans from flying there? Not such a good idea when the tables are turned, is it?

Go apply at British Airways, Quanta, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, South African Airways, most Scandinavian carriers, ET. Al. I have flown with pilots from all these countries, except New Zealand. They come here and have no problem going to flight school or working for an airline.

Why can these countries REQUIRE citizenship for pilots (some countries require that you were actually born there) and it is cool. If an American Pilot suggests that we do the same here in America, He is a racist, a biggot, and otherwise unworldly person??? Personally, I could care less. Just make it fair. If a pilot from New Zealand, or anywhere else comes here to get a job, their country must be open to Americans going to their country for the same purpose.

 

[DC10]

Please get your facts straight. No European major airline requires a pilot to be a citizen of that country in order to fly there. They simply require the same that is required of non-Americans flying in the US, namely the legal right to live and work in that country and a license from that country. No different to the requirements for flying in the USA.

Over the years I have known 2 Americans flying for BA, 2 flying for EasyJet, 1 flying for Finnair and another flying for Air France. All are or were legally working at these airlines because of their marriage to Europeans. I even knew a Brit flying for South African Airways, and there are thousands of non-local citizens flying in the Middle East and Asia.

Don't think for a second that any non-American can simply show up in the US and apply for a job here without being either a naturalized citizen or a legal permanent resident. The only way to obtain these is through marriage to an American or from birth in the USA. Believe me, as a Brit living and working in the US legally due to my American wife for the past 13 years, I know what I'm talking about.

 

[Kenny]

Go apply at British Airways, Quanta, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa, South African Airways, most Scandinavian carriers, ET. Al. I have flown with pilots from all these countries, except New Zealand. They come here and have no problem going to flight school or working for an airline.

Why can these countries REQUIRE citizenship for pilots (some countries require that you were actually born there) and it is cool. If an American Pilot suggests that we do the same here in America, He is a racist, a biggot, and otherwise unworldly person??? Personally, I could care less. Just make it fair. If a pilot from New Zealand, or anywhere else comes here to get a job, their country must be open to Americans going to their country for the same purpose.

This post is just wrong on so many factual levels;

Name one of the companies above that requires citizenship of the home country to be employed.....In fact apart from Eire, I can't think of one of those countries, namely the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, South Africa or even Scandanavia, that actually requires you to be have been born in them, to be a citizen. I'm a citizen of 2 of them, having never been born in either....

I personally know of 3 Americans who fly for Qantas. All ex-military and married to Aussie women. Get the right to live and work in another country, get that country's license and you too can apply for a job. It's no different than it is here......

And for the love of god there's no "U" in QANTAS!!!!!!