Demand for float drivers 2017?

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AirDoan
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by AirDoan »

Cat Driver wrote:I don't take your comments as disrespect at all.

I make these posts to point out that if pilots refused to work for peanuts doing manual labor for these operators they would be forced to hire you to fly.

The government has issued you a license that states you have met the requirements to fly for hire.

Working on the dock or cutting grass does not improve your flying skills.

Now if an employer offers you a job working in the hangar fixing the airplanes during the winter when there is no flying and puts you to work flying come spring that does make for a more knowledgeable pilot.
The funny thing is that you and my girlfriend share that opinion. She's always asking why I would "settle" for a dock spot? Why not hold out for a real flying job, and stay here making better money until I do. I suppose i should heed both of your advice!

In a perfect world I would prefer to get a flying job over the phone this year. Save myself working the dock and the 3-5000 that a road trip from bc would cost and use that for travel expenses or a down payment on a little Cessna to commute with. Maybe I will get lucky. But if not then what would you suggest? If you have a choice between getting a dock job with a guaranteed seat later or not getting started this year what would you do? For me it's timing. I'm already a late bloomer here and if I don't get a start this summer I'll probably figure out something else to do as a vocation (AME or Avionics perhaps) and fly recreationally. If anyone has a direct contact person who'd likely throw me a proverbial bone, pm me! But until then keeping my options open is just being prudent.
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bring me the horizon
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by bring me the horizon »

Although working the dock doesn't improve your flying skills, it does improve other skills that are essential to the operation as a whole. I'm a firm believer in working the dock before jumping into a seat because you learn the operational and logistical side of the job. Essentially you're a dock manager. You pre-flight check all a/c's, fuel them up, weigh and balance, loading arrangements, tying it all down and securing with specialty knots (bowline, spider techniques), docking planes, loading and unloading special loads that you thought could never fit through the door, strapping boats to the side of the float struts and spacing a/c's on the dock for other arrivals and departures.

It's all dock management and once you've mastered that the boss will usually give you a shot at a seat. But beware, nothing in life is guaranteed. You have to be ready to jump into that seat at any time and show the chief you can fly. Just because you've busted your balls on the dock for a season doesn't entitle you to a seat. Memorize your normal/emergency procedures, speeds, dock fly the thing when no one is around or it's a slow day and your time will come faster than you know it.

I think that becoming a pilot is a lot like an internship just as any professional career. A doctor straight out of school doesn't start performing open heart surgery nor does a lawyer intern defend the firms client in court on their first day.

My advice is to go onto the Pilot Career Centre website and find all the float operators in Canada. Most will have contact information on there such as address, email, current recruiting staff, fleet, etc. Fire off a custom tailored cover letter and resume to every float operator on there. Should be about 100 or so. You're bound to get a favorable reply. I never did the road trip thing and my gig wasn't working the dock. Although I wish it was cause I had no idea what I was doing with my wet float rating.

Good luck and enjoy the adventure. Take your time and relax cause no one's chasing iron in the float world.
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C-FDPB
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by C-FDPB »

I agree with bring me the horizon that you learn piles of useful and essential knowledge working the dock that helps your transition into flying the plane for the operator. In addition to PCC when I was researching where to apply for my first gig I used the TC civil aircraft register and looked for all of the companies that operated 180/185/206s, cubs, champs, and beavers. Not saying you'll jump into the beaver right away but lots of companies have a smaller 'learner' aircraft with the chance to upgrade to a bigger machine provided your timing and the turn over rate agree. I would also recommend applying to a company that will eventually lead to a flying position. I've seen a few adds pop up looking for commercial pilots with float ratings etc to work the dock without any chance of anything going into a logbook. Like cat driver said, you have your ticket now, so target the companies that have an aircraft you can actually potentially be put on. I wouldn't take strictly a dock job with no chance of flying unless you were working on your license or were working on your commercial or something to gain experience, and trust me you'll learn tons of the non flying side of things.

my 2 cents.
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Cat Driver
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by Cat Driver »

Hey I have no problem with pilots thinking working the dock is part of flying an airplane.

So lets see....

When I was issued my CPL and then the sea plane rating did I have to know how to make sure the airplane was within its W&B envelope?

That it had enugh fuel for the planned flight?

That it was airworthy?

I guess I was not taught how to tie a lot of knots in a rope but I did know how to make sure the thing was tied to a dock if necessary...

.....but if you guys think you need a summer on the dock by all means do it.
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by PilotDAR »

I'm quite okay with the idea of a new pilot doing honourable, but none the less grunt (dock) work. I did my fair share of pumping gas, cleaning windshields, and scrubbing filthy aircraft bellies even after I was a newly minted PPL - and 40 years later, I'm still doing it!

That menial work has three benefits: It keeps a new pilot humble, reminding them that all work has to be done, and no person is too good to do it. The boss who owns the planes will be out there doing it, if need be so why not the new pilot too? Your willingness to "do what needs to be done", and do it with cheer and purpose will demonstrate the work ethic which will distinguish you from lazy self important pilots in the eyes of the boss. And, you'll be there, working in that environment. When an opportunity presents itself, you'll be there at the ready, and you'll get that opportunity.

I have had more than 40 years working in the aviation industry, doing most every task imaginable to and with a plane and helicopter. I have been steadily and profitably employed the entire time. I have flown many thousands of wonderful hours, own several airplanes, a place to keep them, and I have no debt whatever. To accomplish that, I never once ever applied for a job, nor filled out a resume. Every job I have ever had has been offered to me, because I was there, and I was appreciated by the person who needed the work to be done. It was three years into working for the airline (Worldways) that Phyllis, the HR lady, came to my office, and asked me to provide something for my employee file, as it was empty, she could not figure out how I had been hired!

If you, as a new CPL pilot, can walk into the perfect flying job, power to you! But, if getting to that job has a path of hard, worthy, non piloting work in front of it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that either! Having spent many summers at the dock, I learned a lot, just watching - what not to do in a floatplane on the water. Invaluable education of mistakes I must not make, expensive mistakes, but never expensive for me!
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Invertago
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by Invertago »

So switching gears here a bit, what is a typical wage for float pilots on say a Dhc6 or c208 etc.
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Invertago
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by Invertago »

So switching gears here a bit, what is a typical wage for float pilots on say a Dhc6 or c208 etc.
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Black_Tusk
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by Black_Tusk »

Not a 208, but I was offered 3k/month on a 180. Well, 3k as a dock guy then once I was checked out 3500$/mo. With lodging. So hopefully at least more than that.
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Cat Driver
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by Cat Driver »

That seems like a fair offer, and once you get some experience you move up to better paying jobs.

I was talking to Randy Hanna today and he said the turbine Otter guys are making eight to ten thousand a month at most operators.
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mmm..bacon
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by mmm..bacon »

Cat Driver wrote:That seems like a fair offer, and once you get some experience you move up to better paying jobs.

I was talking to Randy Hanna today and he said the turbine Otter guys are making eight to ten thousand a month at most operators.
:shock: Does that include HArbour Air?
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FishermanIvan
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by FishermanIvan »

mmm..bacon wrote:
Cat Driver wrote:That seems like a fair offer, and once you get some experience you move up to better paying jobs.

I was talking to Randy Hanna today and he said the turbine Otter guys are making eight to ten thousand a month at most operators.
:shock: Does that include HArbour Air?
I have nothing to base this on, but I'd assume those pilots are pretty well paid, no?
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7ECA
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by 7ECA »

Assuming the HA crowd is making approximately $96,000 - $120,000+, that would likely explain why there is little movement in the full time crowd.
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FishermanIvan
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by FishermanIvan »

7ECA wrote:Assuming the HA crowd is making approximately $96,000 - $120,000+, that would likely explain why there is little movement in the full time crowd.
That's the dream job!
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AirDoan
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by AirDoan »

7ECA wrote:Assuming the HA crowd is making approximately $96,000 - $120,000+, that would likely explain why there is little movement in the full time crowd.
That's my goal! We'll see.
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Invertago
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by Invertago »

That's a bit higher then I expected for HA
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TeePeeCreeper
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by TeePeeCreeper »

7ECA wrote:Assuming the HA crowd is making approximately $96,000 - $120,000+, that would likely explain why there is little movement in the full time crowd.
I'm going to call BS on that. Find a non management pilot alone T4 that would confirm that and I'll eat my hat!
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7ECA
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by 7ECA »

TeePeeCreeper wrote:
7ECA wrote:Assuming the HA crowd is making approximately $96,000 - $120,000+, that would likely explain why there is little movement in the full time crowd.
I'm going to call BS on that. Find a non management pilot alone T4 that would confirm that and I'll eat my hat!
I'm just extrapolating, based on Cat Driver's apparent pay range for Otter floggers. If, that pay scale rings true for HA, it would make sense based on the lack of turnover of full time guys.

HA Beaver pilots, on the other hand, there is a lot of turn over - read into that as you may.
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BeaverDreamer
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by BeaverDreamer »

Starting -3 pay at HA is nowhere near 6 figures. Those numbers seem about right for seasonal float work though.
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piperdriver
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by piperdriver »

BeaverDreamer wrote:Starting -3 pay at HA is nowhere near 6 figures. Those numbers seem about right for seasonal float work though.
I am gonna go out on a limb and say there are very few float pilots making that kind of coin flying a -3 in NWO.
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BeaverDreamer
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Re: Demand for float drivers 2017?

Post by BeaverDreamer »

piperdriver wrote:
BeaverDreamer wrote:Starting -3 pay at HA is nowhere near 6 figures. Those numbers seem about right for seasonal float work though.
I am gonna go out on a limb and say there are very few float pilots making that kind of coin flying a -3 in NWO.
You're certainly right, but some are. I have heard (not firsthand) of guys making 8/month to fly even a beaver on the coast though. High time guys tend to be pretty well payed, and rightfully so.
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