Northern Dene

joebloggs · Post by **joebloggs** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:13 am

What's new up there these days? How are they doing (Norcan/NDA)?Dont really know anyone there anymore, everyone's moved on. Guess I'm feeling nostalgic LOL.[/u]

joebloggs · Post by **joebloggs** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:07 am

What, no responses? Did I say something wrong? Or is this a taboo subject these days?? LOL

what do I put here??? · Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:51 pm

I haven't been up there since last sept. but I did here a lot of a/c on the radio. Last I heard they were trying to pick up some mineing contract.

. . · Post by **. .** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 6:16 am

I don't think cameco wants anything to do with a contract with dene. I can't imagine how they could even come close to passing an audit.

**while on tour of the U-city base**

"if you look in this hangar here you'll see a 172 with it's gear smashed off. That happened when the owners brother buzzed a truck and smoked into it. (ackward silence) As we continue the tour here you'll noticed a whole fleet of plane carcases, sometimes our pilots can't tell the difference between our planes that work and the carcases (ackward silence). You'll be pleased to know that every now and then we get the janitrol heaters working in the planes for winter comfort. (ackward silence) You'll also be please to know that our co-pilots have usually worked a year or two on the ramp in near slavery conditions for a biblical freak and we now pay them $1000/month to live in hot spots including but definately not limited to stony rapids and uranium city" (cameco auditor running away)

Bushed · Post by **Bushed** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:11 am

Endless, or should I say brainless. Maybe they should think about removing your moderator status. NDA has it's problems as do alot of company's but they also have an up side as well. So if you can't be obejctive keep your mouth shut!

'79K20driver · Post by **'79K20driver** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 11:52 am

Good things:
-lots of flying where you learn survivor skills fast as they do not exactly hold your hand at this place.
-nice country with good float flying and fishing
-long summer days
-not bad pay if you can stick it out
-Metro down the road
-lots of old car parts if you're a car guy

Bad things:
-equipment, and I mean all equipment (not just the planes) is sub par
-the mice in UC
-the mice in Stoney and ZFD
-short winter days
-working everyday for a 1000 a month for up to two years doing lots of non aviation related tasks (operation the shite truck) and then getting to fly some CARS violating piece o' shite.
-delusional superiors who actually believe that they are doing things properly.

. . · Post by **. .** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:58 pm

Bushed: Wow, really witty play on my handle. Did you get help with that monster of an insult or did you brainstorm that one up yourself over the course of an evening?

That said, I think we must be talking about different companies. The one that I was mentioning actually had all that stuff happen. Everything I posted is accurate isn't it? Correct me if i'm wrong. If they owners brother didn't hit a truck with the 172 then I'll say sorry. If there aren't a bunch of plane carcasses sitting in YBE I'll say sorry. If the janitrols in the dene PA-31s are always working I'll say sorry. If the owner isn't actually a priest that hands out bibles to new employees, and fired a few this summer for activities on their own time that he deemed unholy then I'll say sorry. If the co-pilots don't get $1000 a month to run around like slaves AFTER having worked for a year or two on the ramp please correct me if im wrong.

So you tell me, what was I wrong about? What did I post that isn't a FACT? I've never seen anything I would consider good about NDA to post. If there was something nice I would have included it.

Actually, U city is beautiful in the summer, minus the bugs of course. I would love to spend a week up there fishing for massive lake trout around the islands to the south west near gunnar. That's the only nice thing I can think of. Hope that works for you.

Heartland · Post by **Heartland** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 10:34 am

NDA just lost all their flights into Cigar Lake. TWA has the north out of Stoney now. If your wondering about working for the company heres what your looking forward to. A buddyof mine got hired by NDA worked for a year in the Reservations office and then was sent up to Wollaston Lake to be the rampy. After a year and a half of ridiculous times in country (9-10 months at a time without going out) he was then given the right seat on the navajo. Everyone agreed he deserved it and was happy. About a month down the road he was kicked back down to the ramp because they moved another captain into Wollaston. Don't know if they were flying co-captains or what but what a kick in the nuts that is. Besides which its' actually $800.00 a month for rampy's and (I only know about the Wollaston house from my buddy) the house has no water in the winter you get to shower at the hotel, when the pipes aren't frozen you have to haul the water in the back of 73 ford with expired tags, wood burning furnace and you have to cut your own wood, air crews get to work the office still because last I heard the base manager in ZWL was out on a bender so she should be back sometime in spring. Anyway I understand paying you dews I had to up north as well but that is just downright fuhqin horrible to do that to your employees. If your a captain for NDA yes there are upsides but if your right seat or rampy you've got a long way to go to convince me that having nice country and great fishing are worth the isolation, shit pay, and being treated like a rented mule. Have at er boys.

The Hart

Gards · Post by **Gards** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:37 am

I agree with you Endless and Heart. I too worked there for a summer.I got flying right away and made decent money. But what I liked about being up there was the fact I made some great friends. I think thats how some make it up there, the people. My 2 bits!

BeaconInbound · Post by **BeaconInbound** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 7:49 pm

Endless, you are correct...except you forgot to mention the hard-working people. There are alot of good people who are willing to put up with the hardships to get a flying position and time...not much different than other companies at this level.

As for the Cigar run, pressure was put on Cameco to use a band-owned plane...NDA doesn't have one.

As far as I know, the ZWL base manager went out for an appointment and missed it so had to reschedule, but I can't confirm this.

I know things are tough in ZWL; however, they get lots of flying time there.

Just my two cents.

Bc'n

. . · Post by **. .** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:10 pm

Beacon: It goes without saying that my comments were directed at the employers not the employees. The toughest working conditions seem to build the strongest bonds between freinds. There is much to be said about how close you can become with the people you work with when you share the same misery.

I'd tip my hat to anyone who could hack a year or two at any of the rats nests that NDA would have you living at. It's not something everyone can do.

SOBDWAJE · Post by **SOBDWAJE** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:38 pm

To sum it all up in a few words, the pay sux, there are to many people flying the one and only Metro to be "given it down the road", the pilots/rampies are awesome people, the owner is a hypocrit, YSF base mgr is hated, its a little better place to work now that one of the Metro captains went elswhere in the province (WWA has no idea the type of person they hired), the equipment (planes, trucks, fuel trucks, buildings, terminals, shops, houses) are below third world standards, YBE and YXE maintanence are overworked, they have never heard of duty days, if they hate you the will use you till the bitter end and never ever let you see the inside of the plane and dangle that carrot infront of your face ( I know atleast 7 people that this is currently happening to), they follow no labour laws at all...these are just some of the problems, maybe next time I willl say a few more words.

'79K20driver · Post by **'79K20driver** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 1:02 am

The one and only thing that keeps a guy going there is the friendships that are made over the season(s). It really is just one of those not so unique companies where the ownership is so far removed from reality that they simply do not believe that the laws in this country apply to them. If TC (and perhaps Labour Canada) were doing a good job this company would have fell victim to it's own delusions a long time ago.

Sulako · Post by **Sulako** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:47 am

Everything posted so far is true. I did my time and got the hell out ASAP.

Doc · Post by **Doc** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:38 am

And pilots still go there...and actually stay for more than a couple of weeks? Boggles the mind. It hurts when I think. The PAIN!!

Gards · Post by **Gards** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:21 pm

Transport is doing what to Skyward?????????????????????? Funny how they work when you look at the big picture.

Ray-Ban · Post by **Ray-Ban** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 2:25 pm

. . · Post by **. .** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:09 pm

It's very easy to tell who's your real friend that way. I made lots of great friends working the ramp. I had their back when they needed it and they had mine when I needed it. Sometimes having their back meant that I got in shit for what might get them fired and put me one guy closer to the planes. Sometimes they did the same for me. I'll never in my lifetime forget the guys who stuck up for me.

joebloggs · Post by **joebloggs** » Sun Feb 06, 2005 9:11 am

I too made some great friends up there, and I still keep in touch with them to this day. They will always get a good reference from me when it comes to moving on to bigger/ better things in this industry. On the flip side of this coin are the ASSHOLES who work for the company and still do(one of them just recently left for another YXE based company, another is still up in YSF from what I've been hearing). As far as I'm concerned, if I ever see their resumes come accross the desk, it will go straight to the garbage. This industry is tough enough to get anywhere without having a person back stabbing you every step of the way. I say it's time for these people to get what's been coming to them for a long time. Long live the REAL NDA ers who made the north a geat place to spend a few years, YOU know who you are. That's all I've got to say.

Northern Dene

Northern Dene

agreed

Transport is doing what to who??