Survey Pilot/Camera Operator in jobs Forum

[Roar]

For all you newly minted pilots looking for your first job check out the ad in the jobs forum for the Survey Pilot/Camera operator at Geodesy.
I started my career there over 20 years ago. Excellent place to work and gain experience. The owners are great guys and you’ll learn a ton.

[Shinyjetsyndrome]

How does a "newly minted" pilot get a job with a company asking for a minimum of 500 hours? Sure does look like a good opportunity though. I definitely enjoyed my short stint on the 206 and would have applied if I had the time they're looking for.

[TurkeyFarmYQX]

As stated above, how is wanting 500 hours any good for us 250 hour guys?

[Roar]

How does a "newly minted" pilot get a job with a company asking for a minimum of 500 hours? Sure does look like a good opportunity though. I definitely enjoyed my short stint on the 206 and would have applied if I had the time they're looking for.

Well when I was hired there they were asking for 1500 hours and I had 300. My current job was asking for 10,000 hours and I had 7000. You will very rarely be fully qualified as per the ad requirements for the job you want, if you let that stop you, you will never make it in this industry. What’s the worst that can happen if you apply? No answer from said company? What’s the best that can happen? You get an interview, hit it off with the chief pilot and they take a chance on you?

[Shinyjetsyndrome]

How does a "newly minted" pilot get a job with a company asking for a minimum of 500 hours? Sure does look like a good opportunity though. I definitely enjoyed my short stint on the 206 and would have applied if I had the time they're looking for.

Well when I was hired there they were asking for 1500 hours and I had 300. My current job was asking for 10,000 hours and I had 7000. You will very rarely be fully qualified as per the ad requirements for the job you want, if you let that stop you, you will never make it in this industry. What’s the worst that can happen if you apply? No answer from said company? What’s the best that can happen? You get an interview, hit it off with the chief pilot and they take a chance on you?

Touché. You’ve got a good point there. Thank you for saying that.

[TeePeeCreeper]

How does a "newly minted" pilot get a job with a company asking for a minimum of 500 hours? Sure does look like a good opportunity though. I definitely enjoyed my short stint on the 206 and would have applied if I had the time they're looking for.

Well when I was hired there they were asking for 1500 hours and I had 300. My current job was asking for 10,000 hours and I had 7000. You will very rarely be fully qualified as per the ad requirements for the job you want, if you let that stop you, you will never make it in this industry. What’s the worst that can happen if you apply? No answer from said company? What’s the best that can happen? You get an interview, hit it off with the chief pilot and they take a chance on you?

Bravo! Well said.

To all the 250 hour CPL pilots on this board;

Remember, we all went though the same crap at one point in our careers. Life owes you nothing, it’s up to you to make your own destiny.

Fly safe all,

TPC

[Shinyjetsyndrome]

How does a "newly minted" pilot get a job with a company asking for a minimum of 500 hours? Sure does look like a good opportunity though. I definitely enjoyed my short stint on the 206 and would have applied if I had the time they're looking for.

Well when I was hired there they were asking for 1500 hours and I had 300. My current job was asking for 10,000 hours and I had 7000. You will very rarely be fully qualified as per the ad requirements for the job you want, if you let that stop you, you will never make it in this industry. What’s the worst that can happen if you apply? No answer from said company? What’s the best that can happen? You get an interview, hit it off with the chief pilot and they take a chance on you?

Bravo! Well said.

To all the 250 hour CPL pilots on this board;

Remember, we all went though the same crap at one point in our careers. Life owes you nothing, it’s up to you to make your own destiny.

Fly safe all,

TPC

I am not sure what is entitled about thinking that minimum posted hours are in fact a minimum and being confused as to how a job posting asking for double what you graduate with is considered to be an entry level job. I thought that was called curiosity, but maybe I’m mistaken. I was always under the impression that unless you know someone in the company, there’s no chance you’ll be considered if you don’t have the required experience. Furthermore, don’t the posted minimum hours often have something to do with insurance? i.e. medevac operators want 500TT for insurance do they not?

[ayseven]

Insurance. Good one. Keep applying and don't listen to any naysayers. It happens eventually, just not quite in the way you want most of the time...

[twa22]

Just throwing this out there as a thought... but some job posts here on avcanada explicitly write in BOLD, that if you don't have the hours, don't even bother applying, but yet here I am reading from other pilots, and in the past i've read and heard from actual employers, that even if it says, 1500 or 1000, and you don't have that, to apply... so what's the idea here? Do you just not apply to the ones that say in bold not to apply if you don't have the hours, or what's the general consensus here? I ask because I wouldn't want to be that guy pissing someone off if I apply, they open my email and see I don't have the hours, then I potentially "blacklist" myself because I was that annoying person applying when I didn't meet the requirements...I am by no means saying this is the case, I am just curious because I'm not a freshly minted pilot, but I don't quite meet the reqs for some jobs either, so I hesitate to apply when I see a posting, even though I'm not far off for some jobs

[Greasy Greaser]

Almost every industry has this conundrum; 'Entry level position with non entry level requirements'. We are not special in this case.
Just apply and like someone else already said, worst they can say is 'no'.
With Airlines and especially regionals recalling most/all pilots back currently, they won't be as picky as you think as they were about a year ago.

Also, I can't think of one operator in Canada that will 'blacklist' you for applying with less time than posted. If there are any out there, they are definitely not worth thinking about at all and probably have high turnover for a good reason.

[twa22]

Almost every industry has this conundrum; 'Entry level position with non entry level requirements'. We are not special in this case.
Just apply and like someone else already said, worst they can say is 'no'.
With Airlines and especially regionals recalling most/all pilots back currently, they won't be as picky as you think as they were about a year ago.

Also, I can't think of one operator in Canada that will 'blacklist' you for applying with less time than posted. If there are any out there, they are definitely not worth thinking about at all and probably have high turnover for a good reason.

Good to know, and I hope you're right, and that hiring does start to pick up more in the 702-704 world as the trickle down effect happens from 705

[Roar]

Just throwing this out there as a thought... but some job posts here on avcanada explicitly write in BOLD, that if you don't have the hours, don't even bother applying, but yet here I am reading from other pilots, and in the past i've read and heard from actual employers, that even if it says, 1500 or 1000, and you don't have that, to apply... so what's the idea here? Do you just not apply to the ones that say in bold not to apply if you don't have the hours, or what's the general consensus here? I ask because I wouldn't want to be that guy pissing someone off if I apply, they open my email and see I don't have the hours, then I potentially "blacklist" myself because I was that annoying person applying when I didn't meet the requirements...I am by no means saying this is the case, I am just curious because I'm not a freshly minted pilot, but I don't quite meet the reqs for some jobs either, so I hesitate to apply when I see a posting, even though I'm not far off for some jobs

You’re worrying about nothing. There is no “blacklist” for unqualified resumes. If you submit a resume that doesn’t meet the minimum requirements and the company is rigid on those all that will happen is it will be placed in the delete bin and 30 seconds later no one will remember your name. There are some positions that do have a rigid hour requirement but they are fewer then you’d think, most of the time those “minimum hours” or “ do not apply without” comments are just a way for the hiring personnel to easily trim the number or resumes they receive. So in your cover letter don’t hid the fact you’re under qualified, admit it but then highlight the portion that you are qualified for and any skill set that you have that would be beneficial to the company.

[twa22]

Just throwing this out there as a thought... but some job posts here on avcanada explicitly write in BOLD, that if you don't have the hours, don't even bother applying, but yet here I am reading from other pilots, and in the past i've read and heard from actual employers, that even if it says, 1500 or 1000, and you don't have that, to apply... so what's the idea here? Do you just not apply to the ones that say in bold not to apply if you don't have the hours, or what's the general consensus here? I ask because I wouldn't want to be that guy pissing someone off if I apply, they open my email and see I don't have the hours, then I potentially "blacklist" myself because I was that annoying person applying when I didn't meet the requirements...I am by no means saying this is the case, I am just curious because I'm not a freshly minted pilot, but I don't quite meet the reqs for some jobs either, so I hesitate to apply when I see a posting, even though I'm not far off for some jobs

You’re worrying about nothing. There is no “blacklist” for unqualified resumes. If you submit a resume that doesn’t meet the minimum requirements and the company is rigid on those all that will happen is it will be placed in the delete bin and 30 seconds later no one will remember your name. There are some positions that do have a rigid hour requirement but they are fewer then you’d think, most of the time those “minimum hours” or “ do not apply without” comments are just a way for the hiring personnel to easily trim the number or resumes they receive. So in your cover letter don’t hid the fact you’re under qualified, admit it but then highlight the portion that you are qualified for and any skill set that you have that would be beneficial to the company.

Fair enough, I wouldn't have imagined that one would get "blacklisted", but it was something I took into consideration none the less... Either way, if jobs come up where I don't quite meet the requirements, but I'm not far from them either, I apply and hope for the best, especially in these times

[cv990]

Theres some good info here. For all of you low timers worried about quals, etc: give it a chance. One size of answer doesn't fit all operators: some will be rigid on requirements, some won't. Some will appreciate a phone call, some won't. Almost all have insurance requirements, but you don't know how that plays out unless you ask. Sometimes insurance is relevant to specific customer contracts, but maybe there's flying at the operator outside of those that you can fill. Who knows, right?
Also, it can sometimes be too much of a focus to be concerned about every little hour: when you put a bunch of candidates in a pile, "fit" can be the thing that separates everyone. (I've seen lots of initial candidates come through where the low time F/O out-performed the high time Captain; it can be more about how you work together and fit as a crew.. (a bit of an oversimplification but I think I got the point across)).

If you feel a little under qualified, just apply. Show an interest. If you happen to get to sit down with flight ops personnel, make a positive impression. (Look at a sim eval, for instance. In most cases, they KNOW you don't know how to fly the Airbus or 737 or Dash 8. That isnt the point: they WOULD like to have the impression they could sit next to you for 5 hours, and that you can take instruction and follow procedures.

Just keep your chins up and take a chance. Don't let a few hours keep you from following your dream.

Brian

[PylotWolf]

Just applied. I'm an instructor but want to experience a different kind of flying. Hopefully I'm not too late. Good luck to everyone else who applied!