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Pilots come down to earth - The Star

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[1]

 

Sunday October 28, 2012

 

Pilots come down to earth

 

By REVATHI MURUGAPPAN

revathi@thestar.com.my

 

Young, jobless pilots are scrambling to make ends meet with the current glut in pilots.

 

SINCE he was six, S. Nathan has harboured the dream of becoming a pilot. It was an arduous journey to materialise his ambition but he made it. His parents were not affluent so he scrimped, saved, worked, invested in shares and sought ways to increase his education fund. Finally, he sold his car, took a loan and with additional funding from his family, enrolled in a flying school in Malacca in 2007.

 

After investing nearly RM250,000 in his studies, Nathan graduated top of his class in 2009 and earned himself a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL). No one could have been prouder than his labourer parents. But three years on, he's still struggling to find employment.

 

“I've tried applying to all the local airlines but to no avail. Some of my coursemates are also in the same boat and are selling burgers and insurance to survive,” says Nathan, 30, who helps his parents run a sundry store and repairs computers to make ends meet.

 

Unlike other friends who have found jobs with several Indonesian airlines, Nathan prefers to seek jobs locally as he is the only son.

 

He says, “Both my parents are in their seventies and as a filial son, I have the responsibility of taking care of them. People might say I'm stubborn but I'd like to think I have perseverance. All I want to do is become a pilot. It's not going to help if I have a gloom and doom attitude, so I'll keep trying.”

 

On a suggestion by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman to unemployed pilots to consider getting helicopter licences, Nathan lets out a cynical laugh.

 

“We've just spent a quarter of a million ringgit and have yet to pay up our loans. Where are we going to get the extra money (to obtain a helicopter licence) from?” asks Nathan.

 

Fellow pilot Low Kong Chian is also in the same predicament. He graduated in 2010 but has yet to find a flying job. He is currently dabbling in an embroidery business while continuing to apply for jobs as a pilot.

 

He confesses, “I don't enjoy what I'm doing but I do not have many alternatives. I can't afford to pay for the licence conversion (around RM100,000) to become a pilot with any Indonesia airlines. And it's not viable for me to get a helicopter licence either.”

 

Low lives with his parents in Klang and works from home to cut costs.

 

Despite holding a CPL and a Private Pilot Licence (PPL), A.William, 26, works at a call centre in an insurance agency while waiting for his dream job.

 

He obtained part of his licence overseas and part of it locally.

 

“For freshies, it's harder to get jobs in foreign airlines because we don't have enough experience. I could get an instructor licence but that would mean clocking in additional hours and forking out more money. My father withdrew all his EPF savings to pay for my education so I have to do something to survive. I can't depend on him forever.

 

“This is just a temporary job and I hope my situation will improve soon,” he says.

 

Nathan, Low and William are among 1,174 young pilots in the country with CPLs and Frozen Airline Transport Pilot Licences (Frozen ATPLs) but are jobless. However, they continue to go for medical tests and sit for exams yearly to keep their licences active in the hope that their dream job will land on their laps quickly.

 

With a PPL, you can fly throughout Malaysia and carry passengers but you are not allowed to charge for your services. With a CPL, you can work as a pilot. And with an ATPL you can fly as a captain on large aircraft.

 

A Frozen ATPL is a requirement for a pilot to work in an airline as a co-pilot. To obtain a full ATPL (i.e. “unfreeze”), pilots need to have 1,500 hours total flight time in an aeroplane, or 1,000 hours in a helicopter.

 

Nathan urges the authorities to relax this ruling for unemployed pilots.

 

“If we don't complete the hours within a stipulated time, we will have to retake the whole Frozen ATPL examination again. I've been unemployed for three years and I doubt I can unfreeze it in two years. This means I, and hundreds of others, are headed for extra costs and effort,” he laments.

 

In response to this, Azharuddin says, “If they don't make it in five years, they can appeal and we will treat it on a case to case basis although there have been no such cases. To become a captain is not something you can do by just collecting hours. There are many other factors like showing good commanding skills, etc.”

 

On the hiring of foreign captains on local airlines, he says it is sometimes a necessity until the qualified Malaysian first officers are promoted.

 

“When these airlines buy new aircraft, they want ready-made captains and if they don't have them from their stables, they have to get foreigners. For example, one aircraft may need four sets of crew so it would need four captains,” says Azharuddin.

 

The downturn of the global airline industry in the past few years, cancellation of aircraft orders and escalating fuel prices have contributed to the rise in unemployed pilots. The four DCA-Approved Flying Training Organisations (AFTO) have been asked to temporarily limit their enrolment numbers to reduce the unemployment statistics.

 

Azharuddin clarified that becoming a helicopter pilot is one of the options for the unemployed to consider, if they have the finances.

 

“There are a number of off-shore operations here and I'm sure they require helicopter pilots. These unemployed pilots can also venture into jobs in airport management, airport safety, airport operations, etc. Having a CPL will help them in these jobs,” he says.

 

Presently, the only AFTO that offers helicopter pilot licences in Malaysia is the Asia Pacific Flight Training school (APFT).

 

The school churns out around 80 CPLs every year although its executive chairman Datuk Faruk Othman admits that the intake has dropped because organisations such as MARA, Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia are not financing students anymore.

 

“If students have a CPL, it will take them another eight months and roughly RM200,000 to RM250,000 to get a helicopter licence. If they're starting from scratch, it will take around 20 months maximum and RM500,000 to complete the course.

 

“A career as a helicopter pilot is actually more lucrative than an airline pilot because their training is much harder. We also have students who switch course midway because they see a better future being a helicopter pilot,” says Faruk.

 

APFT, which began operations in 2006, started offering helicopter licences this year and thus far, the response has been good. Their instructors comprise both locals and foreigners.

 

“We have students from the Fire Department and I'm happy to note that local institutions have the confidence to send their students to local schools. However, the police still send their students to get their licences overseas because they think the training is better there,” observes Faruk.

 

Besides working in off-shore operations, helicopter pilots can opt for careers with the police, armed forces, fire department, aerial surveillance and search and rescue operations like what Britain's Prince William does.

 

Faruk is proud to note that APFT has a 100% accident-free track record.

 

“Of course, there are incidences of skidding and minor things but so far there have been no fatalities.”

 

APFT has also employed some of the unemployed pilots to become management trainees at the school.

 

Faruk says, “These are our students who have obtained their CPLs. We teach them operational duties such as flight scheduling, marketing, etc. They are here for two years and are paid a monthly salary of RM2,000 but they can leave at any time.”

 

The best cadets are also offered employment as flight instructors and have to undergo six months of training. Since these cadets are APFT's investment, they are bonded for four years upon completion of their training.

 

“Any pilot can apply for this programme but preference is given to our students,” he says.

 

http://thestar.com.m...8392&sec=nation

 

 

[2]

 

Sunday October 28, 2012

 

Pilot grads urged to spread their wings

 

By EILEEN NG

eileen@thestar.com.my

 

 

JUNIOR pilots in Malaysia are still dreaming of their pie in the sky despite a glut of rookies in their profession.

 

Industry players point out these rookies believe they can earn big bucks from commercial airlines immediately after graduation.

 

However, the reality is most of them will end up not being able to follow their dreams due to limited intake from local airlines for fresh graduates.

 

Currently, there are five flying schools in the country, churning out about 300 graduates annually. Junior pilots graduate with 200 hours under their belt, enabling them to only fly small aircrafts below 5,700kg.

 

This does not qualify them to fly for an airline, which would require at least 1,500 flight hours and further intensive type training and stringent tests. Only then would they qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL).

 

What's worse, industry players say junior pilots who end up in the ranks of the unemployed currently numbering 1,174 are still choosy and lack the will to work from the bottom up.

 

Only one in 10 pilots is willing to rough it out and work as flight instructors or fly smaller aircraft to clock in the necessary hours and experience.

 

“The majority of them want to work with big airlines only. They do not want to explore other options, which are deemed as non-glamour' jobs,” says pilot, radio deejay and TV personality Johan Farid Khairuddin.

 

Many have the misconception that being a pilot automatically means earning between RM7,000 and RM10,000 a month but in reality, the rookies have to start at the bottom of the pile, with a pay of about RM4,000, he adds.

 

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president P. Surendrasingam attributes this unrealistic expectation to the junior pilots' attitude.

 

He says there are plenty of jobs as flight instructors and those involving flying smaller planes such as joyride flights or crops spraying but the pilots are reluctant to do so.

 

“They think it is nice to put on a suit and walk around airports. They are not willing to try any other options.

 

“If they are willing to exchange the suit for shorts and T-shirts to clock in the required flying hours, they won't have any problems (in securing jobs),” he says.

 

Pilots flying smaller planes can earn between RM3,000 and RM5,000 a month. Those who take people up for joyrides can earn about RM100 per hour, he adds.

 

Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman says the department is aware of the seriousness of the current situation and has taken steps to address it.

 

This includes freezing all new applications for flying schools while the current schools need to get the department's approval on student intake.

 

“Together with the flying schools, we have informed prospective students and their parents to be aware of the challenges in getting jobs,” he says.

 

He adds that DCA also encourages pilots who are currently unemployed to register with the department through a Pilot Post Training Registry on its website as well as mulling the possibility of tightening the entry requirements to become pilots.

 

Royal Selangor Flying Club president Major ® Abdul Razak Hashim advises junior pilots not to confine their prospects within the country but spread their wings regionally.

 

“The aviation industry is slowly picking up and there is a demand for pilots, especially co-pilots in Indonesia,” he says.

 

http://thestar.com.m...8395&sec=nation

 

 

[3]

 

Sunday October 28, 2012

 

Applicants need to meet a minimum standard

 

BOTH Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia run cadet pilot training programmes with MAS recruiting more than 100 cadets annually.

 

However, according to MAS director of operations, Capt Izham Ismail, the programme has been stopped recently though he gave no reason for this.

 

“Yes, a large number of applicants used to apply for this training programme and on completion of training, they were absorbed by MAS. The duration of the programme is between 18 and 24 months. We bore the costs initially but the cadet had to pay back through salary deductions once employed,” he says.

 

Currently, contrary to public perception, there are no foreigners employed as pilots in MAS. The contracts of expatriate pilots were apparently terminated in September 2012. No pilots have been retrenched either.

 

Capt Izham says, “Recruitment of pilots is very much dependent on MAS' network and fleet size.

 

“In 2011, MAS recruited B737-rated expatriate pilots (both captains and co-pilots) to fill the shortage as the result of a change in the company's business plan. Rated pilots can be deployed immediately to continue our operations as compared to the normal process of promotion which will take about six months.”

 

While MAS has stopped its programme, AirAsia continues to take in cadets to ensure there is a constant supply of pilots.

 

Approximately 2,000 applications are received every year but only 20 to 50 suitable candidates are hired, subject to demand.

 

“This number varies depending on what is forecast within the market supply. Remember that this programme is to fill up positions two years away. We cannot wait and hope that there is market supply as the effect is significant in ensuring our growth can continue,” says an AirAsia spokesman.

 

Unpredictable future

 

He points out that the present glut was not caused by the cadet programme.

 

“No one knows the future. The demand may increase or reduce, subject to industry fluctuations but we need to ensure we have the supply to support our future growth. The issue of manpower supply is critical worldwide. We need experienced workforce, too, besides grassroots supply.”

 

AirAsia has 700 pilots at the moment, excluding AirAsia X. A small percentage is made up of foreigners.

 

The spokesman explains, “The foreigners we have are needed to support the growth while we continuously promote from within. We cannot just promote pilots without sufficient experience to captains.

 

“Junior pilots or first officers need time to gain exposure and experience before they can be promoted. There is a minimum experience and standards that they need to meet. We use foreign, experienced pilots only to bridge the gap to support the growth as one of the fastest growing companies in the aviation industry.”

 

- By REVATHI MURUGAPPAN

 

http://thestar.com.m...8391&sec=nation

Edited by Naim

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Besides AA, let's look at China. The aviation industry there is gaining. Privately owned jets are getting popular, and they are in need of pilots.

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I am so offended by the article... How possible a cpl holder be choosy to work with so-called RM4000 pilot job but willing to sell burgers at roadside to pay up loans?

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I am so offended by the article... How possible a cpl holder be choosy to work with so-called RM4000 pilot job but willing to sell burgers at roadside to pay up loans?

 

Because they're not passionate about aviation. For these people it's either the major airlines & the big bucks or no flying whatsoever.

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That is not entirely true.. There were small portion of that kind of people, who refuse to take GA flying such as crop dusting or joyride, but majority is more than happy to do just that. What matters most during this dificult time is just to stay current, and keep the hours grow.. There is just no flying job available, at all, in the nation for the time being. Trust me I've tried..

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By the number of graduates churning out by local institutions in recent years, believe similar situation is occurring in other professions but luckily these other professions (e.g. medical doctors and pharmacists) are easier to absorb into gomen service .

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..... but luckily these other professions (e.g. medical doctors and pharmacists) are easier to absorb into gomen service .

Are you kidding ?!

Won't comment on doctors, cause dunno what is the manpower situation in that profession

But for pharmacists, gahmen decided few years ago two pronged approach to resolve manpower shortage

1) implement a 1+3 system - 1 year pre-registration training plus 3 years compulsory service

2) improved pay package

Turned out to be wildly successful - new graduates were obligated to stay in govt service a bit longer but many decided grass not too much greener in private sector, and decided to stay on. So much so hospitals are having problems accomodating new graduates for pre-reg training ! All this compounded by the explosion in number of institutions churning out new graduates every year, just locally

So, case study here for how not to project and manage manpower requirements of a nation :)

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heyz... its not easy to get GA job as well. I have tried before when I was jobless. I willing to do anything as long as keep flying. I sent my resumes to those GA companies, but none of them reply me.

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Everyone wants to be a pilot. Those who can afford to pay, they end up paying their way out of their own will and get the license done. When they're done, they blame the authority or the airline for not having a job. I believe this is not a 2 week or 3 month old issue. It has been here for some time (years as far as I am aware) and yet the number grows on a yearly basis. What people need to do is research well enough before spending so much and only end up knowing they there isn't a job for them. Flying schools no doubt want your money and they will say whatever it takes to get you to enrol but that isn't the issue here. I just hope we won't see a wise politician who suggests that we start a new airline to employ these grads and get them flying (just like what they do to the unemployed grads from the local varsities).

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Good one, Sri, btw gomen gonna take in about 8k unemployed nurses from private colleges. So businessmen made money from gullible kids and taxpayers gotta pay.

 

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/health-ministry-finalising-talks-on-unemployed-private-nursing-graduates

Edited by Naim

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Syukri, I have a friend currently working as a joyride pilot in a Club. He get around 5 hours only per month. As what I know they lack of instructor only. They have more than enough joyride pilots.

 

Another issue is their aircraft rating, those who graduated from MFA definately Piper Warrior PA28, from APFT and HMA are Diamond or PA28-3, but most of the clubs in Malaysia operating Cessna 172. They need to fly around 5 hours (Minimum) in order to get Cessna 172 rating to fly for club as a joyride pilot. 5 hours x RM650 = RM3250, Exam fees around RM250... Minimum they have to pay is RM3500, to get back RM3500 they need to fly 35 joyride hours. My friend getting 5 hours a month, so in average to get back RM3500 you need 7 months.

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Another issue is their aircraft rating, those who graduated from MFA definately Piper Warrior PA28, from APFT and HMA are Diamond or PA28-3, but most of the clubs in Malaysia operating Cessna 172. They need to fly around 5 hours (Minimum) in order to get Cessna 172 rating to fly for club as a joyride pilot. 5 hours x RM650 = RM3250, Exam fees around RM250... Minimum they have to pay is RM3500, to get back RM3500 they need to fly 35 joyride hours. My friend getting 5 hours a month, so in average to get back RM3500 you need 7 months.

 

So is the issue now the job or the money? Food for thought perhaps? :drinks:

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So is the issue now the job or the money? Food for thought perhaps? :drinks:

 

hahaha... job, money and food... xD xD!! or beer?

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Another issue is their aircraft rating, those who graduated from MFA definately Piper Warrior PA28, from APFT and HMA are Diamond or PA28-3, but most of the clubs in Malaysia operating Cessna 172. They need to fly around 5 hours (Minimum) in order to get Cessna 172 rating to fly for club as a joyride pilot. 5 hours x RM650 = RM3250, Exam fees around RM250... Minimum they have to pay is RM3500, to get back RM3500 they need to fly 35 joyride hours. My friend getting 5 hours a month, so in average to get back RM3500 you need 7 months.

 

Most countries have moved on to Class Ratings e.g. Single Engine Piston Rating which allows pilots to operate all aircraft within the same "class". Only the archaic DCA still uses type rating for SEP.

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When the times comes to having to repay the loans, any job is better than sitting around and having the aged parents servicing the loans.

Money spent, need to be repaid. And if the money from another source is much stable and/or better, just might as well stick with it until the aviation industry improves.

 

The article may not have told the whole story of the persons interviewed, hence we should not pre-judge them so soon.

 

But the reality is this, there are not enough jobs available in this profession. How long would this conditon last, no one can be sure. So, as a responsible person, one need to work and earn a living and paying off loans at the same time. So, kudos to those that are willing to work just about anything.

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A friend, an MH B777 captain says, do a degree first before going to flying skool.

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But the reality is this, there are not enough jobs available in this profession. How long would this conditon last, no one can be sure. So, as a responsible person, one need to work and earn a living and paying off loans at the same time. So, kudos to those that are willing to work just about anything.

 

I believe there are enough jobs available in this profession. The issue is that there is a strong mismatch between the qualifications of the raw pilots out of flight schools and qualification expectations from airlines.

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If money is the main motivation, might as well sell burgers... with the right business sense, can become millionaire in a few years... then you can buy and pilot your own aircraft

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People jump into the industry, without being forced, investing hundreds of thousands ringgit (or a loan), and think the industry owe them a job. What a ridiculous thought.

 

I might be very lucky but in anything we do, ATTITUDE stands out.With the right attitude jobs will come and dreams will be realised. With the right ATTITUDE you dont wait for others to tell you what to do, you initiate the first steps. With the right ATTITUDE you will get to know the right people and with the right ATTITUDE, you chart your own destiny, not leaving them to politicians, airline bosses, flying school towkays etc.

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Believe there is a constant demand for nurses in Middle East and salary is as much as 3 times of Malaysia.

Read somewhere that demand there has now dried up too, and a lot of Fillipino lasses are now much in same boat as the unemployed Malaysian pilots nowadays :(

 

The subject unemployed Malaysian pilots should head towards MAR's reply #156

here: http://www.malaysianwings.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18150&st=140

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I might be very lucky but in anything we do, ATTITUDE stands out.With the right attitude jobs will come and dreams will be realised. With the right ATTITUDE you dont wait for others to tell you what to do, you initiate the first steps. With the right ATTITUDE you will get to know the right people and with the right ATTITUDE, you chart your own destiny, not leaving them to politicians, airline bosses, flying school towkays etc.

 

Fully Agree! :clapping:

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