PST skyvan driver

[N181CS]

from http://www.pilotcareercentre.com/Job.aspx?id=3355
Parachute School of Toronto Limited

Job Details
Aircraft Caravan/Skyvan
Position Pilot
Pay Details $27/hour
Experience Required * 2000 hours Total Time
* 100 hours flying jumpers
* 100 hours with Garret Turbine
* Personal Skydiving Experience
* Group 1 IFR, Night Rating, Multi-Rating
Pilot Licence & Docs Required * Canadian and U.S. CPL
How to Apply Email, Mail, Telephone
Contact Mr. Adam Mabee, president

PO Box 73
Baldwin ON
L0E 1A0

Tel: 905-722-5252
Fax: 905-722-7723
Email: info@parachuteschool.com
Posting Date 2009/12/29
Notes We have a six-month contract for a Skyvan, with a Garrett-powered 900 hp Caravan as backup. We jump all day weekends and holidays, plus Monday, Thursday, and Friday after 3:00 to sunset.

[Rudder Bug]

Any takers?

[N181CS]

I heard something about the hour requirement being so high to get a work permit again for the American pilot (for the 3rd year). No qualified Canadians!!!

[supercub7]

900hp garrett caravan. Very few of these out there right now. Perhaps they they can replace the aging otters used by many operators in the north.

[lk978]

I have the requirements and have applied...

[Pete]

Where is the usual 208 driver from in the states? hear him on 22.8 alot...that man is a work horse, the first one on the freq and the last one off. Always taking care of his divers too.

[Brewhouse]

A little off topic but the Garret Caravan, or for that matter any Caravan, will never be able to replace an Otter. The Caravan definately has its place but lets be serious it is not a bush plane it was designed to carry parcels from pavement to pavement.

[lk978]

Brewhouse... how many hours do you have in the DHC6 ad C208? I would disagree with you totally I fit almost the same number of jumpers in the van as I do the otter and use way less gas and only have one engine to replace.

As for not a bush plane.... come down under mate and we can show you where you can land the van you just have to stop landing it nose first and it will stop the shimmy.

I agree it can't do everything the otter can do but gets close for a lot less and gets there quicker too

[Brewhouse]

IK978,
Though I have no time in the DHC6 I have a lot of time in the DHC3T with both the garret and pt-6, as well as a couple of thousand hours in a Caravan doing off strip work north of 60 in nothern Canada. I fly the DHC3T on wheels, ski's and floats, and the Caravan just on wheels.

I have been to the Caravan factory in Wichita Kansas, taken the flight safety course, toured the factory, and taken delevery of brand new Grand Caravans. The Caravan with an up gross kit, and the big wheel kit including the extended nose forks is a good airplane. On a trip of 140sm or more it can out haul the DHC6 due to fuel burn, at a fraction of the cost. I don't deny the 208 is a very good airplane and I know exactly what they can do having pushed the edge of the envelope for years as well as beyond the edge once unfortunately.

The Otters are built far more robust than the 208. The Otters I have flown all have over 25,000 hours. The cessna product will no longer exist after 25,000 hours doing the same type of work. Hauling jumpers up and down the 208 may last, but operating on unimproved strips and eskers, the 208 is not built to handle that kind of work.

Adding a Garrett to the 208 will definately improve its performance, but will not make it a stol aircraft.

In my last post I was only trying to point out the fact that the 208 won't replace the Otter anytime soon in the north as suggested by Supercub7. I am in no way trying to belittle the flying you and others do with the Caravan. In fact I would love to come down under and see what you guys do with the aircraft. I will extend you the same offer and if you PM me your email I will forward you a bunch of pictures and video of both the 208 and Otter in action in the berren lands of northern Canada. The people at the Cessna factory nearly sh!t themselves when they saw what we were doing with there brand new 208's.

Cheers Mate

[lk978]

Thanks brewhouse,

I actually plan to move up to Canada this year... I was there last year and loved it.

I think we have the same thoughts on the aircraft the otter is definately built like a tank but with very few new aircraft to replace it I think the Van comes pretty close, I am about to finish flying a Van that I have been flying for the last few thousand hours.

I would still like to see a competition between an otter and a van... would be interesting

LK978

[Slats]

Has been posted before, but here ya go:

Turbo Otter vs Caravan-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2uw3nvJ_sM

[Oldfartus]

How does the cruise speed of both compare, usually it's one or the other. Quick off ground and slow cruise or slow take of and quick cruise.

[Blue Side Down]

All this compare and contrasting of takeoff distance, cruise speed, taxi speed and buoyancy is great, but in a skydive operation, the only numbers that matter are how many minutes between when the wheels leave and return to the world and how much fuel was turned into noise in the mean time.

IIRC, the Garret Caravan approaches or equals the turn around time of the Twotter, carries two or three fewer jumpers, and has one less engine to maintain, and drinks marginally less fuel. Needless to say, that all adds up to more money in the bank at the end of the day.

The Caravan will never replace the Otter in the bush, but that's not even the issue here.

[N181CS]

Bump back to topic. Mr AM is going to get a work permit for an American to take jobs away from Canadians. People are upset about CanJet, what about the 702/3 jobs?

[nortont]

Bump back to topic. Mr AM is going to get a work permit for an American to take jobs away from Canadians. People are upset about CanJet, what about the 702/3 jobs?

I hear ya, It's been 2 or 3 summers that the Caravan has been there.

Plenty of enough time to get Canadian pilots trained for and such if need be. That's how it's done at other DZ's when pilots are unfamiliar or have no time in type.

[Blue Side Down]

So what, when Saunders sends a C registered Caravan to Ecuador for survey work is it now unfair that they send a crew with it and leave two Ecuadorian pilot out in the cold still looking for work??

I can't think of one Canadian firm that owns Caravans and will lease them on a summer contract for jump work, can you?? Where pray tell should a Canadian dropzone lease a Caravan from then?

[nortont]

Can I ask why is it so hard for a Canadian to get a work visa in the United States for the same type of operation ?

I've tried, The Lawyer said it won't happen, Customs and Immigration will not issue a Visa for an individual pilot, even with support form an operator.

[Oldfartus]

Can I ask why is it so hard for a Canadian to get a work visa in the United States for the same type of operation ?

I've tried, The Lawyer said it won't happen, Customs and Immigration will not issue a Visa for an individual pilot, even with support form an operator.

Are their many Americans working in Canada? It's now nearly impossible for an Australian to get work in Canada yet they come over here for summer work. Level playing field?

[N181CS]

Saunders sends a C registered Caravan to Ecuador for survey work

That is a horrible comparison, Survey Flying vs Jumper dumping, 3rd World to Developed nation, A place with little to no flight training to a place with too much.

Look at the Maldives (before it split with KB) They hired local pilots not just Canadians. If Saunders was to base there every year and have an Ecuadorian OC and a national pilot with the experience applies..... I would.

The other DZs I have been to all have US turbines and Canadian pilots. The planes are not a temp fix they are under a 700 OC. There are 61 US firms with NAFTA OC's, No one expects them to put Canadians in all the seats if its one time deal or short term/fill in Contracts. Basing the plane here...... Did the Germans not come with the planes? and I think a lot more Canadians can fly Van's VS Boeing/Bus products

[Blue Side Down]

The example is irrespective of country- Ecuador just popped to mind in jest. Generally speaking, the rules are such that the country name on the license and registration should usually match up-etc etc.

Without going into speculation, there are two obvious points- a. there was a reason why the plane previously came with a FN pilot, as like you say, it's common to hire FAA licensed canadian pilots to fly such leased planes; and b. the ad is clearly looking for a Canadian pilot to fill the drivers seat this year.

I can't see the issue past that. I just don't see how people should get annoyed by what amounts to standard practice- even if it's so extreme as sending a crew with an aircraft.

[208Drvr]

Heard that the the Super Van that they got last year is not available for them this year. and they are having trouble getting the Skyvan. A buddy did a jump out of the super van as it was in florida this past winter. It took 8 minutes to get up to 13,000 feet. which is all that matters for what that supervan will be used for. that would be 4 trips to 13,000 in an hour, sweet. It takes around 12-13 minutes to get to 13,000 in a stock van. The trip back down is pretty short, always beating the jumpers to ground.

[nortont]

So what are they using in the mean-time, just the Cessna's ??

[208Drvr]

They have one 206 that they are flyn. makes it fun with no door.

[208Drvr]

heard they got a skyvan to start the season with until a twotter comes from states side.

[MoonRay]

12-13 min is a bit quick for a stock van isn't it?? Last one I was in had trouble hitting 500fpm at 13000.