Tuna Spotting, tuna boat ops (incl Guam)

[George Semel]

What Girv said is pretty much the whole thing in a nut shell. Working for the Koreans well that's tough. As for what you need for flight times, around 1000 hours will get you on a boat. At least that was what it took back when I when out in the early 1990's. Companies like Hanson, Big Eye (out of business) use to run ads in trade-a-plane for pilots and a+p's its got to be at least 10 years since i seen an employment ad for Tuna Pilots in TAP. The pay is just about what it was ten years ago as well. There is an ad for a Tuna Pilot on the Climb to 350 web sight. First one I seen in a long long time. Because the Fleet is closer to OZ and NZ they tend to look there for pilots due to lower travel costs.

[i4iq]

Thanks George.

[xtremalsound]

anybody have information actually about tuna boat?

I am looking for a job in a tune boat and i found a list but i called all phone in mexico and all are incorrect. Could any body give me actually information about this job? i have 200 hours of total time in h269 and bell 206. Helicopters.

Best Regards

[Heliport]

Lots of information here: Tuna boat ops

[xtremalsound]

Tuna boat

Hello Heliport:

I readed this post and i called all mexican and other countrys phone and this phone are not in use in this moment. If somebody have actually information please let me know.

Best Regards

[Wanna-be]

Can it be that you forgot to add some numers. first go out your own country (00 in Holland) then countrynumber of Mexico, then the netnumber (I think) then the telephonenumber.

[VEMD]

Try this:
Maratún [phone]
Pesquera Akalanes [phone] & 611760533
Helicopteros del Rio [phone]
Pesca Azteca [phone] /54

[xtremalsound]

Originally Posted by Wanna-be

Can it be that you forgot to add some numers. first go out your own country (00 in Holland) then countrynumber of Mexico, then the netnumber (I think) then the telephonenumber.

Hello i didn´t forget this number the problem is that in mexico there was a change in the numbres and all telephone that i had it are incorrect.

Thank for all

[xtremalsound]

Originally Posted by VEMD

Try this:
Maratún [phone]
Pesquera Akalanes [phone] & 611760533
Helicopteros del Rio [phone]
Pesca Azteca [phone] /54

Thank for this number but i had phoned all this number and all are incorrect. Yesterday i can speak with Pesquera akalanes. It is the only company that i had spoken with them.
Best Regards and thank for all

Pd: Eres español no jeje

[Rotorbike]

PANAMA
Helicopteros De David Mr. Randy Stettmeier B-47 (507) 7758899 (507)7758839
Helipan Mr. Thomas Exemberger, ([email protected]) R-22, R-44 (507)2261236 / 2637982 (507) 2261039
Pesqueros Atlantica H-500 (507) 2649944 (507) 2649900
Donair Mr. Don Underwood. Numbers are in Arizona, USA. B-47 (602) 8660730(602) 9421070
Helicoptero Pacifico Mr. Ray Kinkaid R-22, R-44, H-500, B-206 (507) 2637281(507) 2696133

VENEZUELA
Aviatun Sra. Francis Graterol or co.owner Sr. Francisco Ortisi R-22 (58) 69471610 (58) 69471610
Pezatun Sr. Louis Garcia R-22, R-44, H-500 (58) 93312495 (58) 93334741 Venepesca R-22, H-500 (58) 93331610
Aeroatun Sr. Cesar Taguil R-22, R-44 (58) 93322674 / 93312644 (58)93310477
Cannavo H-500 (58) 93334425

MEXICO
Heli Tuna Sr. Olivera B-47 (52) 61746676 (52) 61746676
Heli Albatross Sr. Tony Aguire B-47 (52) 67601425
Maratun Sr. Osvaldo Perez B-47 (52) 33366767
Pesca Azteca Sr. Arnold Del Rio or Sr. Escobar B-206 (52) 69821844 (52)69851011
Pespero Nair Sr. Louis Castillo B-47, H-500 (52) 61781070 (52) 61783003
Pespero Akalan Sr. Guiellrmo Ramirez B-47 (52) 61762402

GUAM
Hansen Helicopters Mr. Barry Hansen B-47, H-500 (671) 6499581 (671)6499582
Tropican Helicopters Mr. Frank Holmes H-500 (671) 5658367 (671) 5658367
Hoffman Helicopters Mr. Steve Hoffman (www.hoffmanhelo.com) H-500 [phone]/1350 (671) 6499890

ECUADOR
Atlantic Corp. Sr. Paco Garcia R-44 (593) 5622286 (593) 5620304

COLOMBIA
Colombia Cartagena Sra. Maria Luisa or Sr. Carlos Zarate R-22, R-44 (575) 6686306 (575) 6685648

[xtremalsound]

Hello:
Thank rotorbike for the list but i had it. in this moment a lot of phone are of diferents persons. I phoned and they said me sorry this number is of other person in this moment.
Isn´t there any pilot mexican that he have information about it?

Best Regards and Thanks for all

[rotorboy]

Hello,
I think I have stated in the past that the list you have is very outdated and probably doesnt have a single correct number.

Fishing has changed. Laws on forigen pilots have changed.

It is my understanding you will have a very difficult time on a Mexican Boat. You must be a Mexican National to fly a X reg or get a Mexican Lic. At one point there were many EU's flying off the Mexican boats , but no longer. Some of the SA countrys are the same now

You may want to drop a line to 3Top, he could probably fill you in on Panama, and what boats have aircraft still.

Part of the problem is many of these boats no longer have helicopters, the heyday of Tuna is gone, and it is not economical to use the chopper. Also other technologies being used.
My Fuel truck drvier here in Mexcio, worked the boats for many years as a pilot/eng. We were talking about this the other day and many of the Mexican boats dont have helicopters any more either. On a recent flight down the pacific coast, I saw many parked seiners, sin helicopters.

Also not to sound pesimistic, but your chances of getting on a boat with 200 hrs , well are slim to none. Most companys in the Western Pacific want 1000+ and some's insurance now require 2000+. Many of the boats in Central and South America run r22/r44 and look for pilot eng types and experience on type.

Buena Suerte

RB

[xtremalsound]

Ok, thanks for all

[rewritable]

Tuna fish flying

I am one of the lucky few who managed to get a job flying helicopters, when i first started i heard about tuna fish flying, old turbine helicopters hunting for tuna fish in south america, even had an email address. I was wondering if anyone had done this job and what their experiences were.

[Bravo73]

Have you tried a 'PPRuNe search' yet?

[Heliport]

Probably not.

All you need to know about trying to get a job on a tuna boat in various parts of the world here >>> Tuna Boat Ops


Heliport

[Colonal Mustard]

Sorry couldn`t resist

[rewritable]

Thanks for all the help, unfortunately i already had read the tuna spotting thread, this is all about trying to finda job spotting fish, i already have a job i was interested in any stories people had about spotting, things that had happened to them on the boats, life changing experiences etc.

[CYHeli]

You want stories...

A NZ instructor friend of mine received an email from a mate that was working a tuna boat. The email contained a photo of a H500 on floats that had landed on a sandy spit and someone took a photo of the pilot next to his ride. My friend made a note of the a/c rego and then checked it out on the NZ register. Turns out the register had that rego to an AS350.

Beware and don't get burnt! Those hours could be a problem in the log book (see other recent thread). Especially if you later go to the company that owns the AS350.

I also heard that when the maintenace got a bit slack, the pilot just pushed the machaine over the side. Lucky for him, they didn't make him swim back !!

[spencer17]

Pay for tuna boat pilots

Good morning all,
I just want to know what they pay for pilots operating from tuna boats.
It's an operation from New Guinea with Hughes 500 and the pay is tax free.
I'm an oldtimer with 16,700+ hours and vessel experiance (research vessel).
I have no idea what the normal pay is.
Thanks for all hints.

Always happy landings
Spencer17