To the backdrop of a Dash 8-Q400 and a Diamond DA-42 trainer, QantasLink and the University of New South Wales announced a collaboration that will offer the next generation of pilots an exciting new direction. It is not the first time that the two organisations have worked together, but this partnership takes their relationship to a new level.
UNSW aviation students will have the ability to become ‘QantasLink Approved’ through the course of their degree studies. As QantasLink CEO John Gissing highlights, “These students will not only benefit from the opportunity to fast-track their career by joining Australia’s premium regional airline, but will also learn from the wisdom and experience of our qualified QantasLink pilots.”
Under the scheme, the trainees will have their progress monitored by QantasLink while also being mentored by pilots from the airline. They will also undertake the UNSW’s new Graduate Diploma in Advanced Flying, which will encompass such topics as Multi-Crew Co-Ordination and advanced systems while being specifically tailored to the Q400.
The Head of the UNSW School of Aviation, Professor Jason Middleton, described the new flight simulators for the program as “state-of-the-art”, adding to the already impressive UNSW facilities at Bankstown.
Once employed by QantasLink, graduates will complete their training under the supervision of QantasLink’s experienced training team and go on to become qualified as first officers flying the airline’s 74-seat Q400s.
