calgaroo wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:38 pm 250 hour entry is through flight following, under a year to right seat in the King Air or Twin Otter

FishermanIvan wrote: ↑Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:29 am

calgaroo wrote: ↑Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:38 pm 250 hour entry is through flight following, under a year to right seat in the King Air or Twin Otter

650 hours, 400 float here... hearing probable direct to FO on anything?

olivierw wrote: ↑Thu Jan 24, 2019 11:25 pm It's mostly a matter of timing.

I showed up in October with 1000hrs (almost all pic in the bush) and I was sent to flight following (not for very long once they got an opening I bypassed all the flight followers like an asshole). Two guys showed up 3 weeks before me, one with 100hrs on type but very little total time. The other one with a bit over 500tt most of it Navajo right seat and they got straight to flight line.

Borek doesn't have rampees (well sort of). So they start guys in the office doing flight Following. "it's a shitty job, and it pays like shit but someone has to be sitting in that office 24/7" is how the cp sold it to me. Indeed it paid like shit I was making more money sitting on my ass on employment insurance rather than flight Following 40hrs a week. But the minimu wage took a steep jump since that time so it's probably not as bad. The alternating 12hr night shifts and day shifts aren't much fun. But it's definitely not the worst job to work your way up. That being said, it sure as heck would get pretty frustrating when the company hires externally, which they seem to do a lot lately. I'm not exactly sure why they do that to be honest. Some contracts require FOs with over 500hrs, and some contracts require FOs with 1500hrs (more so in Antarctica), and I know the cp doesn't like to throw 250hrs kids in the DC3 unless he has to. So there's that I guess.

A few of the flight followers get trained as flight attendant and go to the ice. It pays a bit better and it's way cooler than sitting in the office.

Most of the hiring happens in the spring in preparation for the busy summer. There's also quite a bit of hiring in the summer to replace the guys that go to Encore. There can be a few spots before the ice in September or October too. Usually once the planes are on the ice things get pretty slow in terms of hiring because the planes are down south for the most part, and they are all crewed (not many people quit in Antarctica, partly because if you do, you're expected to pay for your ticket north and it's pricey from what I heard).

My advice would be to apply frequently (3 times a month maybe?) I have a feeling that they don't really go through the whole pile of resumes. I think they kinda just start at the top of the pile and work their way down until they have someone. I had been applying for over a year (I started when I had 500hrs) and never heard a thing. Eventually I was going to make my move to the regionals but I didn't want to leave without taking one more chance so I drove over from Ottawa area to Calgary and walked in the office. I had over 1000hrs at that stage and that's how I got hired.

co-joe wrote: ↑Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:42 pm Can you still sneak in through the door everyone goes through to smoke? That's what I did 20 years ago. I just stood there smoking and when someone walked out I put mine out and walked in through the door like I worked there. I guess it's airside though so you could get arrested.