Hiring times float jobs 2023?

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ellinas
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Hiring times float jobs 2023?

Post by ellinas »

Hello aviators,

What kind of minimum hiring times will float operators be looking for in 2023 on planes like the 185 ?

Thanks
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piperdriver
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Re: Hiring times float jobs 2023?

Post by piperdriver »

Hmmm... In terms of float hours to get on a 180/185 Probably not much to be honest. What follows is just what I am seeing and also a little bit of my opinion.....

I like to think there is 2 basic routes coming out of flight school with a fresh CPL. The airline (wheels) route and float/bush flying. And right now the airline hiring has been crazy, like nothing we have seen before. Porter, Jazz, ENCORE are constantly having new ground schools for 1000 hour first officers. That being said there has never been a better time to be a new pilot if you want to get flying quickly (wages are still terrible though). Gone are the days of working the ramp for 2 plus years, people are getting right seat jobs on the PC-12 with 250 hours and an instrument rating. Flight schools are constantly hiring new instructors as the more experienced ones leave for Porter, Encore etc. Yes there are still ramp jobs, but the wait times to get flying are way down and most get flying pretty quickly. So the opportunities are there to get flying fast so many new pilots take this route. This means less pilots entering the world of float or bush flying. Oh and Confederation College is no longer doing float rating's anymore.

Float operators used to get stacks of resumes from guys looking for their first job but that has basically shrank down to nothing. That being said I wouldn't be surprised to see guys/girls hired with a basic 7 hour float rating. I know an outfit in Northern Ontario that hired a guy that had the basic 7 hour float rating. He started out on the dock in the spring, but was flying the 185 solo my mid summer. And one place I know of actually hired a guy with a fresh CPL and no float rating. They flew with him non revenue in the Cessna 180 for 7 hours to get his float rating. I think he got about 20-25 hours of dual time on the 180 when season wrapped up. This was also Northern Ontario. Maybe these 2 examples are exceptions or outliers but I personally don't think so. I would think if a guy/girl had 50 to 100 hours of float time, and is in decent physical shape they would have no problem at all finding a job on the Cessna 180/185.

Hope this helps.
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ellinas
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Re: Hiring times float jobs 2023?

Post by ellinas »

piperdriver wrote: Mon Dec 05, 2022 6:43 pm Hmmm... In terms of float hours to get on a 180/185 Probably not much to be honest. What follows is just what I am seeing and also a little bit of my opinion.....

I like to think there is 2 basic routes coming out of flight school with a fresh CPL. The airline (wheels) route and float/bush flying. And right now the airline hiring has been crazy, like nothing we have seen before. Porter, Jazz, ENCORE are constantly having new ground schools for 1000 hour first officers. That being said there has never been a better time to be a new pilot if you want to get flying quickly (wages are still terrible though). Gone are the days of working the ramp for 2 plus years, people are getting right seat jobs on the PC-12 with 250 hours and an instrument rating. Flight schools are constantly hiring new instructors as the more experienced ones leave for Porter, Encore etc. Yes there are still ramp jobs, but the wait times to get flying are way down and most get flying pretty quickly. So the opportunities are there to get flying fast so many new pilots take this route. This means less pilots entering the world of float or bush flying. Oh and Confederation College is no longer doing float rating's anymore.

Float operators used to get stacks of resumes from guys looking for their first job but that has basically shrank down to nothing. That being said I wouldn't be surprised to see guys/girls hired with a basic 7 hour float rating. I know an outfit in Northern Ontario that hired a guy that had the basic 7 hour float rating. He started out on the dock in the spring, but was flying the 185 solo my mid summer. And one place I know of actually hired a guy with a fresh CPL and no float rating. They flew with him non revenue in the Cessna 180 for 7 hours to get his float rating. I think he got about 20-25 hours of dual time on the 180 when season wrapped up. This was also Northern Ontario. Maybe these 2 examples are exceptions or outliers but I personally don't think so. I would think if a guy/girl had 50 to 100 hours of float time, and is in decent physical shape they would have no problem at all finding a job on the Cessna 180/185.

Hope this helps.
Thank you for reaching out much appreciated. I’m an older guy (50s) with just over 100 hours on floats on three types (pa18-185 and 172) and partial season up in Elliott lake a while back. So I guess things seem pretty good.
Thanks
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Lost Lake
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Re: Hiring times float jobs 2023?

Post by Lost Lake »

Partial season in Elliot Lake? With who?
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piperdriver
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Re: Hiring times float jobs 2023?

Post by piperdriver »

Lost Lake wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 4:51 pm Partial season in Elliot Lake? With who?
There is a very small float operation that started up in Elliot Lake recently (I believe within the last 5 years). They have 1 beaver and 1 Cessna 180 servicing their 4 or 5 outpost camps and some sight seeing trips as well. I believe it is called Glassy Bay Outfitters.
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ellinas
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Re: Hiring times float jobs 2023?

Post by ellinas »

Lost Lake wrote: Thu Mar 16, 2023 4:51 pm Partial season in Elliot Lake? With who?
Blake”s air service flying the C180
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