Krish Rawal is an aspiring pilot from New Delhi. Originally the 19 year old came to Australia to study aviation in Sydney, but he soon realised that his course of study there would place limitations on his opportunities after graduation. After a little online research Krish found the course he was looking for on the Gold Coast.

“I was studying to be a pilot at UNSW initially, but they only offer an Australian commercial pilot’s licence and I discovered that I would have to convert that to an Indian pilot’s licence if I wanted to return home to work”, he says. “In contrast the course offered at Southern Cross University in partnership with Airways Aviation is tailored to your own requirements which would give me a full pilot’s accreditation to fly in India.”

Fantastic Support

After Krish’s application was accepted by Southern Cross University he heard about Study Gold Coast’s Student Accommodation Grant which covers up to 10 weeks’ accommodation for new students enrolling to study on the Gold Coast.

“It’s a fantastic student support program for someone moving to a new city with limited financial means. I chose to stay with a Homestay family because I don’t know anyone on the Gold Coast. The family I’m staying with at Robina are really lovely and helped me to settle in easily. The meals are delicious and they are keen for me to cook for them too, so I promised to make an Indian curry for my host family.”

Flying Experience

Krish says living in Sydney was very expensive. “I was paying $365 per week rent with weekly groceries of about $130-150. I started doing Uber Eats to support myself, but it wasn’t very profitable as I had to take out $89 for the weekly rent of my bike before I made any money for myself. Moreover, I needed to work for the entire week which was a hindrance between me and my studies.”

After graduation Krish would like to gain flying experience in Australia. “There’s more opportunities for new pilots here, whether it’s crop dusting, sky diving or joy flights. Once I gain that experience and get my hours up I’ll then be able to apply for a job with a commercial airline”, he says.

This article was written by Trevor Jackson and first appeared on 22nd of September 2020 in https://www.studygoldcoast.org.au/news/just-the-ticket/

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