2022 float flying season

[jetson10]

After almost two full seasons of no American fishing and hunting guests it looks like things might be in full swing for the 2022 season. I am sure all operators are going to have all planes ready to go in excitement for a busy year ahead. There seems to be more job adds out there then ever before for Cessna, Beaver and Otter jobs. Who is going to fly these planes? Is there a shortage?

[Lost Lake]

There is a shortage of seasoned pilots. 2 yr. of parked planes pushed pilots to other professions. Low time airline pilots making poor wages and shitier rotations moved on. Now, the window is also open for higher time bush pilots to move up. I know of 4 operators in Northern Ontario who can't find pilots with enough experience to be chief pilots! I'm over 70 and have lots of choices. Wish I was younger.

[TailwheelPilot]

Hopefully people take this opportunity to ask for more, not just to move up a rung or two. That did not seem to happen too much in 2018-2019 (at least not for those posting jobs here).

Seems curious the chief pilot jobs even are not being offered significantly more. No chief pilot equals no flying - which shuts down a lot of those businesses or will require chartering other planes in if they remain unfilled. Plus TC needs to approve CPs beforehand. This could get interesting.

[Float_lover]

The industry is also changing, there are fewer 180/185/206 jobs to build your float time for the bigger machine.

We do see a decrease in the requirement, I saw some beaver job at 300 hours float time but it's still a whole season full time or couple of season at part-time.

And the lifestyle is less attractive to younger (30's and below) pilots, passing your summer in the north while doing an a physical job. It's not what most of pilots are looking for now.

[8675309]

I’d like to hear from some of the guys who are not going back to floats this year as to the reasons why. I am a bit amazed of the lack of qualified people available for the industry. Maybe it’s the low salary or working conditions that many are not able to swallow when you see Alaskan lodge adds offering 14-18k US a month for a Beaver position. At almost 70, I still haven’t had my fill of aviating off the water but it’s getting close.
I know of several Cessna operators who submitted adds this year and didn’t get one resume from their posting. Very interesting times.

[jetson10]

Someone needs to fire up a float training program! With confederation college in Thunder Bay not doing the float training program anymore and the last 2 years with out anyone working through the ranks there’s just nobody out there. It’s amazing to see the job adds still coming up when the season should be started already. There is going to be Americans standing next to planes on the dock that will not have pilots!

[PilotDAR]

I think we're on the declining end of the generation where we built experience on a borrowed or beater floatplane, and actually did a hundred or so hours on top of a fresh float rating. For myself, I probably had 100 hours of second pilot ride along float flying before I got my rating. The tourists who want the floatplane ride into the camp are going to have to be prepared to pay what it's actually worth to ride with an experienced pilot, 'cause building that experience is costly!

A few hundred bucks might get you to Cuba, but it won't get you to the camp anymore!

[Bede]

Someone needs to fire up a float training program!

Yep. I looked at it a couple times but can't see how to make it work. The big issue is insurance which keeps going through the roof. Divide that astronomical cost by the relatively small number of hours flown per year and it's a big hourly cost. The second is water access. Not too many places are eager to have a float flying school next to the quite tranquility of their lakefront home and all the power boats.

[digits_]

I suspect the covid vaccine requirements have something go do with it as well. I know of only 2 pilots who gave up their job because they didn't want the vaccine. Both were career float pilots.

[Float_lover]

Someone needs to fire up a float training program! With confederation college in Thunder Bay not doing the float training program anymore and the last 2 years with out anyone working through the ranks there’s just nobody out there. It’s amazing to see the job adds still coming up when the season should be started already. There is going to be Americans standing next to planes on the dock that will not have pilots!

The Terry Harrold school in aviation in the NWT has one. The CQFA in Quebec also has a bush program.

But both of them will give you 20-30 hours of float, but if you look, most of the jobs now are on beaver/Otter/Caravan, you need more hours to get those jobs.

[surferjoe]

Red River Aviation operating out of Selkirk... we offer basic seaplane ratings as well as a 25 and 50 hr professional bush/float course.
Student took the 50 hour course late last fall and started a job this spring in Sioux Lookout!
www.flyfloats.ca