Channel FIVE5

At the airport tonight, some said they had worried about their young children left at home. Others feared a medical emergency if they ran out of medicine. All who spoke to AAP agreed they were lucky to have touched down on Australian soil. About 4000 Australia-bound passengers were stranded throughout Asia and the Pacific after Air Australia was placed into voluntary administration yesterday. John Moran is insulin dependent and said if he had not got back to Australia quickly he could have been hospitalised. "I only had about two shots (of insulin) left. Luckily we got on the Qantas flight." Mr Moran and his wife, Gale, spent nine hours on the phone and forked out $1,000 to get home to Melbourne. "Lucky we had the Visa card," Ms Moran said. Another holiday maker who managed to get onto the Qantas flight, Sandra Russell, was in a hurry to get back to Brisbane to see her two children, aged 4 and 6, who were left at home with friends. "There were a few tea...

main_pilot.jpg iStock In our continuing series interviewing airline personnel Airfarewatchdog.com asked a regional jet pilot about his work. The answers may surprise--and perhaps disturb--you. Is it true that you get paid less than some flight attendants? Yes, but it depends on the airline. Most of us are doing this because we have a passion for aviation and plan to move up in the industry. We do not plan to fly 50-seat regional jets all of our life. While the hefty salaries of experienced pilots may not stay as high as they once were, we are not doing this for the pay. We earn experience by flying regional jets and that experience will help us fly for larger airlines with mainline aircraft where the pay is higher. How do you earn the hours needed to qualify to be an airline pilot? Many of us begin very early taking flight lessons and earning our hours. Others come through the military and earn their hours flying during their training or in school. They are the lucky ones bec...