"Float planes are a northern Ontario icon and still vital to the region's economy. But one of the few flight schools that trains bush pilots is taking a different path. Guest host Jeff Walters finds out more."

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2686123116/

Saw this gem today.

Yes- this is old news. They cancelled the floats in favour of IFR training. My daughter was accepted for next fall.

No need for the float program, dontcha' know all the confed grads move straight into Air Canada.

This is what you get when all the folks making the decisions aren't even pilots.

I wonder if they had to consult with the ministry regarding the change due to being subsidized or, was it a matter of ...

Here is your funding... do what you want as long as you don't over spend. Extending the length of the program would probably put them over the budget.

I curious to know if the program chair is still receiving flight training at the college. I will never forget watching him attempting to land in a crosswind and the shit show that ensued.

I like how they say they are preparing grads for the airlines. Last time I checked a Group 3 won't get you very far for an entry level job. PC12 maybe but good luck getting that out of flight school or possibly an IFR Caravan. Not that that would be much of an entry level job. A multi IFR is much more valuable with the loads of Navajos flying around Canada.

I think they are heading towards MIFR... But cancelling floats is just stupid. Do they still do Skis at CKG8?

xchox wrote:I think they are heading towards MIFR... But cancelling floats is just stupid. Do they still do Skis at CKG8?

There has been talk about a multi IFR for many years.... I believe this will happen some day but I cant see it in the near future. Unfortunately, zero ski flying this season.

There was a day that Confed was a program that pilots across Canada were proud to be graduates of. Now its something else.
What a poor decision overall. How many float driver jobs have popped up in the past four or five months compared to group 3 right-seat flaps operator jobs.... Group 3...in a 172... This industry is hard enough to get established in, so lets take away a valuable skill-set that will actually teach you what hands and feet flying is, and replace it with a useless rating.
The CBC interview was also a monstrosity, next time interview someone who actually understands how this industry works.
Poor decision confed...poor decision..
C-GOYR...don't even get me started on "The Flying Dutchman", this meatball is still tearing up the skies of t-bay. In a military flight suit no less...

Could be the insurance rates are too high on Floatplanes, and not worth the expense for the collage,

Pretty sure they just outsource the float ratings to another school and pay the fee per rating. They don't own/operate the float planes.

It seems like a dumb move because now they are directly competing with Seneca and Sault. Except they only have group 3 which for most people is fairly useless. Before they had an advantage being the only float subsidized school.

Awitzke, Con College owns and operates their own float planes. They are maintained by their engineers and the students are taught by college instructors. They operate some of their fleet on floats for the summer then put back on wheels for the winter.

Since the new Program Chair arrived the Float Programs days were numbered. He certainly knows what's best for the students and everything about aviation, just ask him!

My mistake. I was under the assumption they did float ratings in Kenora or something?

Yes they used Kenora as the training grounds last summer. Was a bit of a logistical nightmare but the Program Chair set it up cause he knew best. It almost as if it was supposed to fail!

I am starting to understand. Lol.

I'm amazed the "flying Dutch man" is still chair of the program. I wonder if anyone at the college is questioning his decision making. How will they do an ils to mins in a 172 while a Q400 is behind. I'd love to hear what the British fella in the tower has to say.

Why don't they scrap the winter survival course? Let it go the way of egress training; optional. It lacks realistic values and students have gotten serious frostbite as a result. The sims they have are garbage but yet they're moving full steam ahead with ifr training.

I'd love to find out how the " flying Dutch man" flight training is funded.

I shall stop my rant now.