Sunwest expanding!

[brooks]

It appears that Sunwest has a few more planes in the TC database, a king air and a hawker. My friend was telling me today that they acquired a Dash 8 now! I am wondering if we will see some job posts coming up, or do they have enough drivers?

Brooks,

[CPLMike89]

I am wondering if we will see some job posts coming up

lets hope so! anyone else apply there recently?

[vrrotate]

They're already hiring. Don't wait for a job posting. I imagine a company like them has a large pool of resumes to choose from.

[BEFAN5]

Anyone know what their typical hires are like (hour wise/experience etc)?

I currently have a PPC on one of their aircraft types (only a few hundreds hours on type though) and am trying to get on with them in hopes of relocating west.

[Lightoff]

I heard they got rid of their salary scale.....I am pretty sure they had a system where there were hard salary numbers for a combination of what type you are on, years with company, and how many type ratings, and I heard they did away with that to go to a more subjective system. Don't know if this is pure fantasy or not...anyone know?

[Marinth]

I saw a bunch of ads with them for rampies a little while back. Was that because theirs were promoted to the flight line? Or was it because of expansion?

[skyclear350]

Contrail requirements...

[Marinth]

Go on...

[nimbostratus]

From what I've heard, Sunwest has some cargo runs with Navajos and Caravans that don't have contrail requirements. Starter positions in these aircraft are offered to the rampies.

Nimbo

[jackpot]

From what’s circulating Sunwest is not the career company it once was. Hence the exodus that is taking place. With no pay scale, raises range from 1%- 4% which is “performance” based. The new system grades you on criteria that have nothing to do with your performance but instead justifies the company in giving a lower percentage.

The recent Lear 35 ad: ”Sunwest is able to offer excellent opportunity for advancement” Guaranteed they had internal applications with more than 1,800 TT and 1,000 Multi. So why the promotion carrot?! I am not trying to discourage anyone from biting however with all the carrots being dangled in the industry this one might taste a little rotten and come with a ridiculously large bond. Especially if a Navajo is 10k and a 1900 is 28k…

[ScudRunner]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Sun ... story.html

Sunwest merges with Halo Jets
Partnership - Calgary-based Sunwest Aviation will be operating a new medevac company, as it combines with Edmonton-based Halo Jets. Halo Medevac Inc. will operate with five stretcher-equipped aircraft from bases in both cities. Halo Jets' employees will work for the new entity, which will be operated by Sunwest, which has been in the medevac business for more than 25 years.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

[Captain_Canuck]

Being a former employee of Sunwest, I can tell you this much:

It is a great place to work. The people are outstanding and the maintenance is top notch...

However, with them getting rid of the pay scale and offering performance based raises that range from 1 - 4%, it has left a bad taste in some people mouths. The large exodus from Sunwest is not all based on the pay scale. 90% of those who have left (myself included) have taken vertical promotions and it should not reflect badly on the company; however the optics of it are not good. This is not to say that each company is not without their own unique problems.

I see my friends from SWA regularly and I have been told that in March the company should be comping out with a more competitive pay structure; what that will look like can only be left to the imagination. I do know as I was leaving, there was a King Air 200 that had been purchased as well as a Hawker 800 that was coming from Europe (managed machine). The Dash 8 was in the works but had been purchased from under them by NCA. The 2 Dash 8's will happen, it is just a matter of time.

With regards to the Lear 35, that aircraft is the last one in the fleet to fly but it does fly! Mostly medivac and HOPE work. I would expect to do 300 hrs if that per year. I know for a fact that they have internals that would qualify but perhaps they are either doing a resume grab or no one wants to accept the bond until they know what is up with the pay scale.

Hope this helps

[Mr. North]

Very informative posts guys, appreciate the honesty.

[boeingboy]

With regards to the Lear 35, that aircraft is the last one in the fleet to fly but it does fly! Mostly medivac and HOPE work. I would expect to do 300 hrs if that per year. I know for a fact that they have internals that would qualify but perhaps they are either doing a resume grab or no one wants to accept the bond until they know what is up with the pay scale.

Not true......While TJL is still there, they have aquired a newer Lear 35 with the tail ski locker mod and medivac interior. C-GIWO.
They want to get into more international re-pat's. I believe this may have been one of Canadian Globals machines at one point.

From what’s circulating Sunwest is not the career company it once was. Hence the exodus that is taking place. With no pay scale, raises range from 1%- 4% which is “performance” based. The new system grades you on criteria that have nothing to do with your performance but instead justifies the company in giving a lower percentage.

The recent Lear 35 ad: ”Sunwest is able to offer excellent opportunity for advancement” Guaranteed they had internal applications with more than 1,800 TT and 1,000 Multi. So why the promotion carrot?! I am not trying to discourage anyone from biting however with all the carrots being dangled in the industry this one might taste a little rotten and come with a ridiculously large bond. Especially if a Navajo is 10k and a 1900 is 28k…

There is no mass exodus. A lot of guys moved on to bigger things like Cathay and Emirates. Some guys don't want to move to Edmonton - hence the ad posting, and with more machines being added to the fleet - there's room for more pilots. The pay scale thing was part of thieir cost cutting measures to weather the economic downturn the last couple of years. The company did quite well and is re-instating a lot of things that were changed or put on hold.

[MAG1]

I've heard about rebonding with these guys. I have a friend there who tells me when he finishes his huge three year bond he'll have to sign another one to change aircraft types. Is this the case? A continual bond if you want to move up in the company. And if you were to move up in the company to help you career progression you'd never be able to leave.

[privateer]

If you come with training on type, no bond.
If you upgrade on your current aircraft, no bond.
When you upgrade to a different type of aircraft, 1 to 2 year bond. Pro rated.
When you are new to the aircraft, bond. Pro rated.

Remember that Sunwest has about 19 different types of aircraft. It's not like they fly one or two different types. The bonds do suck but the training is top notch. You will go to Flight Safety for all types with the exception of the Navajo and Metro 2. No money upfront.

[FortunateSun]

Is Sunwest hiring in the near future?

[Rowdy]

When you upgrade to a different type of aircraft, 1 to 2 year bond. Pro rated.

Such a silly thing, I can see a new hire being bonded on an A/C they have not flown before as an assurance to the company that they wont just run when the trainings done or something better comes up. I know this isnt the case at sunwest, as most are quite excited to start there. However, having ALREADY proven some dedication to the company by sticking out the previous bond and then going through the re-interview process for the upgrade in aircraft within the company, I find it NUTS that they'd re-bond you for another 2 yrs! Is the HR dept. and those responsible for hiring so daft that they cant determine whether or not someone will stick around after 2 years of them already having been employed?

Maybe instead of ridiculous two year bonds to force people to stay, companies should look at other ways of enticing pilots to WANT to stay. Better schedules? A bit more pay? Better treatment? Reduce the gong-show factor?

I Still like that you throw in 'Pro-rated' and 'No money up front'.. Like those are to be selling features on the bond itself.

Take in mind that this isnt directed AT sunwest, but towards air operators in general and quite a few of the spine less pilots out there. Now you can get back to talking about the company itself. Which, in my opinion, seems to be a decent place to hang your hat.



*edited for the grammar/spelling police*

[V1 Rotate]

Rowdy, you make sense.

[Defy Gravity]

Looks like the Dash 8-300 has been added to the registry.

[whiteguy]

Looks like the Dash 8-300 has been added to the registry.

Looks like it's the Air Nostrum sitting over at Avmax. When is it going on line? Looks like it might be a while yet.

[privateer]

I found the serial number.

[V1 Rotate]

Cool!

But like all the useful SW planes, it will be going to all the gawd awful oil camps and stuff.
My guess anyways.

[boeingboy]

Rowdy, you make sense.

Oh....stop whining.

You got the best job out there. You barely work and are getting paid well for it.

[V1 Rotate]

Rowdy, you make sense.

Oh....stop whining.

You got the best job out there. You barely work and are getting paid well for it.

Who says I'm whining? All I said is that what the previous poster wrote made sense.
As for the barely work thing; I work at the pleasure of the Chief Pilot and Crew Scheduler.