Aviation graduates flying high
by Charlotte Knottenbelt
A lot of people dream about becoming a pilot, but
not all of us have the will, the stamina, the eye sight or the $30,000 - $50,000
it will cost you to obtain a commercial pilot's license these days. Indeed,
those that finally get there and are being paid to fly have inevitably undergone
sacrifices. But strangely you don't hear that much complaining going on – at
least not when you chat to Melissa Game and Daina Borrillo, two pilots who
trained at the University of South Australia’s aviation academy.
Most pilots say it beats working for a living,” says Game, 30, who after graduating in ‘98 spent four and a half years flying general charter in north west Australia, soaring over waterfalls after wet season rains, and flying doctors, visitors and supplies into places so remote most of us will only ever dream about visiting.
Game doesn’t know whether it was having an aviation-keen family, a general thrill-seeking streak, or perhaps just watching Top Gun one too many times but becoming a pilot is what she’s always wanted to do and she is now living her dream. She and her husband Dave (also a pilot – they met at the UniSA aviation academy) now work for Rex regional airlines, flying passengers around the countryside to Port Lincoln, Mt Gambier, Broken Hill, Whyalla and Roxby Downs.
“I think most pilots do it because they love it. It’s dynamic, it’s constantly changing, and I feel privileged to have been to a lot of the places I have been,” says Game. “Every landing is a challenge – no two conditions are ever alike.”
Borrillo, 23, also thrives on the challenge in her jobs – an aviation instructor at UniSA and a traffic survey pilot, where she flies a plane around the metro area during peak hours, helping collect information about traffic hotspots which is relayed to radio stations and motorists.
“The scenery’s always changing, and you’re not stuck in an office all day,” she says.
“There are a lot of challenges to overcome – but when you do it’s a great feeling.”
Some of those challenges can include losing radio contact, losing power and having to contend with hairy weather conditions, but these are exactly the sort of circumstances our pilots are trained to deal with.
“It’s like any other emergency you’re trained for,” says Game.
“You’ve been through the scenario that many times that you react how you were trained to react – it’s only later that you think about it.”
And the challenges are not all just about take off, landing and weather, points out Borrillo. “You’ve also got to consider the people you are taking up all the time – it’s not just about flying the plane.”
So do you have to be game to be a pilot? Well, Borrillo reckons if you are one of those people who enjoys fast rides at the show, then a career in aviation could be the thing for you. “You also need the drive to succeed and to overcome challenges, and the willpower to test yourself.”
And the thing about being a pilot is the tests keep on coming. “Even when you get to the so-called stable jobs there are checks every six months where your job is, in effect, on the line,” says Game. “It’s a high standard to maintain. It’s not something you can just keep your hand in – you either do it or you don’t.”
So you still want to be a pilot? Well, if not at least you can rest assured that people like Melissa Game, Daina Borrillo, and other UniSA graduates – graduates who are flying for major airlines and small charter companies all over the world from Oodnadatta to New York – have done the hard yards to get there and are having a ball.