Crewing Opportunities
Goldrush Ballooning Pty. Ltd. has no full-time ground crew. Instead, we employ our ground crew on a casual basis at a rate of $80 per flight. For crew who provide their tax file numbers, PAYG tax of $13 per flight is payable. Except in unusual circumstances, crew do not attend our post-flight breakfasts, and are therefore needed for only about 4 hours per flight.
In all our operations areas, we have a small pool of crew to ensure that, even if called at short notice, one at least is likely to be available. The work is especially ideal for self-employed people, shift workers, students and retired people.
The qualifications to be a crew-person for us are not onerous, and indeed are easily acquired. As well as having a driver's licence to drive our long-wheel-base 4WD Toyota troop carriers, ground crew should be well-spoken and well presented, have a bright and happy demeanour, and be willing and able to chat and joke with our passengers. Although the insurance restrictions for driving our retrieve vehicles mean that we can only employ people over the age of 18, the work can readily be done by most able-bodied men and women.
Duties include helping with rigging and packing up the balloon, answering onlookers' questions, driving the retrieve vehicle to where we land, asking permission from the landowner to bring the retrieve vehicle onto their land, and acting as co-host to our passengers when on the ground. During winter and early spring, crewing duties include the preparation of hot coffee and mulled wine prior to each flight.
Although great physical strength is not required, crew must be able to help lift and carry the balloon basket, envelope and sundry ancilliary equipment. Other necessary skills include use of a UHF radio, map-reading, trailer backing, and public relations with respect to on-lookers and land-owners.
If you would like to crew for us on a casual basis, please call Alan Ramsay on 0408 706 008 for work in Victoria, or Ian Hogben on 0419 858 903 for work in South Australia.
Last updated: 30 July 2003