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CHC Global

Old 7th Oct 2006, 00:34
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CHC Global

I am interested in joining CHC Global as a Touring IFR Captain (6/6). What can I expect regarding compensation? What can I expect as far as assignments (location/aircraft) ? What are the accomodations like? Are meals provided? Is travel provided between your assignments and home? I realize that I've asked quite a few questions, any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 7th Oct 2006, 09:23
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Stand By For Nigeria!

With the present shortage in Nigeria you may well be told that your first assignment will be there, flying S76. If you end up in Africa, many of the bases have S76s, though in Sudan they have SA365s. Nigeria is a cr*p place to be but has some of the most modern hardware with mostly new S76C+s and SA 365N3s and AW139s on the way before the end of the year.
Compensation depends on what experience you have, which will be used to determine your starting grade. That will give you a nonthly basic, paid every month. As an IFR offshore Captain, you'll then get $Cdn 213 per day on site and an incentive pay allowance per day on site ranging from zero in a peaceful place like Thailand, to $Cdn 100 per day in a violently unstable place like Nigeria. There are also good health insurance, loss of licence and accident insurance and pension schemes. If you want to buy a personal computer they'll give you an interest-free loan over 2 years to pay it off. The downside is that the method of payment is unnecessarily complicated and pay varies from month-to-month depending whether you're on tour or at home.
Accomodation varies from country to country and base to base. You could be in a nice, comfortable villa in Malabo or a run-down estate in Nigeria (but with a move planned to a nice estate in one of the most dangerous parts of town). You may be in a base with central catering and meals supplied, or one with a daily allowance where you can either cook for yourself, eat out or buy food and have a cook prepare something for you.
They pay travel from your base to home, but at the moment they use some scheme of very cheap marine fares and you carry documents claiming you're based on a rig in the Solomon Isles or wherever . Many of the airlines are now seeing through this scam and refusing to issue marine fare tickets to CHC personnel. You can claim for a taxi or mileage from your nearest airport to home.
You'll also be sent to a simulator centre somewhere annually to carry out 6 days of training, a mixture of technical refresher and sim flying. This is well planned and very good value. In general the quality of training in the company is good.
Good luck if you can stay clear of Nigeria, but if not you'll find it a sometimes frustrating, but varied and interesting place for your first base.
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Old 7th Oct 2006, 10:52
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Thumbs up CHC Global

Monthly basic salary is from 2359 to 3812 $Cdn
Daily rate when you work is 213 $Cdn
Incentive when you work is from 0 to 100 $Cdn depending on the country
Extra salary for line trainig captain, TRE, TRI
Possibility in some places to do extended tour if requested by the company
Simulator training once a year,depending on what you fly, USA, France,Norway
Good health insurance, loss of licence and accident insurance and pension schemes
Meals are provided or you have a per diem
Accomodation varies from country to country and base to base
2000 $Cdn advance when you join for any expenses ( taxi, meals....)
Computer interest-free loan over 2 years
Return ticket from your base to home, travel time taken on your leave
Aircrafts: AS365,S76,S61,AS332L1L2,AW139,S92 and EC225 soon
Locations:Brazil, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Malabo, South Africa, Angola, Azerbaidjan, Vietnam, Thailand.....(big needs in Nigeria for the moment)
A good company with one of the best package
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Old 7th Oct 2006, 11:34
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CHC Global again

Thank you Gentlemen. Your information is very helpful regarding my upcoming decision. Just a few more questions, I hope. The $213 daily, is that paid each day of your 6 weeks on? Which leads to my next question, if not, I assume it is then paid only on days you are scheduled for duty. When on for your six weeks, are you scheduled for duty every day? How much can you expect to fly each day? If asked to extend your tour, is it mandatory and what type of compensation do you recieve. How long can you expect to work in an area, e.g Africa? What are the chances of working in South America? Last, I am unclear from the previous posts, am I expected to pay for travel to the tour site of your 6 weeks on and the company only pays for travel to return to your home? Again, I greatly appreciate your help.
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Old 7th Oct 2006, 13:13
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Yes the $213 daily is paid every single day of your 6 weeks even when you have a day off.

In Nigeria (by local law) you must have one day off per week, in other country things are different.

Monthly average is about approx 70 flight hours (+ or -). On a busy day it's possible to make 6/7 hours of flight, then on a quite sunday you go to the hangar and sit all day doing noyhing.

Extended tour is no so common, only when there is a shortage of pilots. The company doesn't like grounded aircraft due to lack of pilots.
On extended tour you get an extra $200 daily on top off normal salary, this make $513 daily in Nigeria (213 + 100 + 200) plus your basic monthly salary.

Officially you change country every 3 years, but with the big needs in Nigeria, you can stay there much longer.

Keep in mind that everybody wants to go to the good places, so don't hope too much.

The compnay provide ALL TICKETS, you won't pay anything, and if you have like a day stand-by in an airportwhile travelling, they book an hotel room for you.
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Old 8th Oct 2006, 07:45
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ET pay is daily rate + 300Cdn + IP

Travel days are unpaid, only nights on site are paid. No ET for training on time off. Training is very good. Thailand is not as peaceful as previous posts suggest. Many bases currently flying a lot more than 70 hours a month.... 61 crews in Songkhla (Thailand) regularly fly 110 in 30 days, and always 35 in 7 days.

LOL insurance is OK, pension just took a big dive when they switched vendors. New hires can expect Nigeria, as previously mentioned. Lots of new metal joining the fleet, Craig Dobbin just died so we will see how things move ahead now. Pilots are VERY close to the reured numbers to form an association to gain better representation.

Generally a good deal, not many people leaving right now but some unrest over postings (Nigeria in particular) and allocation of new type endorsements. South America is generally covered by National pilots.. Brazil, Venezuela, Equador at the moment.

Lots of variety, lots of extra cash if you want it (hardship posts and ET), good guys to work with, good flight standards dept. Cheers

Last edited by Super 61; 8th Oct 2006 at 07:46. Reason: Clarification...Thailand
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Old 9th Oct 2006, 01:31
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As`Super 61 points out, some of the bases are closed to expats. In Brazil for example. By law, only Brazilian and Portugese nationals are allowed to crew there. There are a few exceptions for training, but flying the line is not allowed. Similar situation in Venezuela.
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Old 9th Oct 2006, 23:29
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Expats vs. Locals

I've heard that CHC Global generally prefers to hire local nationals to fill copilot slots and only uses expats to get the pilot experience needed for captain slots. Do any of you anticipate that, as those local copilots gain experience, the company will eventually stop hiring expats as the local pilots become captains? I'd imagine that would lower the company's costs considerably.

As an aside, how would a job with CHC Global compare with working for one of the CHC outfits in the North Sea while living someplace other than Europe? Wouldn't the higher compensation in the North Sea significantly exceed the pilot's out-of-pocket cost to fly between work and home for each hitch? I guess it would depend on the tax situation and whether a non-EU citizen would have to pay income tax in the country they work. And then there's the work visa issue...not sure how easy those are to get.
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Old 10th Oct 2006, 00:59
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There are NO out of pocket travel expenses... except for the Bangkok happy ending . You can live wherever you want to, chc gets you to work ( in the cheapest seat possible). The pay compares reasonably with the North Sea IF you factor in the tax issues. $100,000 CDN tax free is (almost) close to Scotia Captains after tax. Wherever possible CHC Global hires local pilots. You don't deal with visa's, the company takes care of that... unless you want to work for Scotia / HS then there are residency requiremnts and JAA issues. However, you will go to Nigeria, see the other thread for more on that issue.
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Old 10th Oct 2006, 01:26
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Devil Global or Europe

CHC Global and CHC Europe are two different things

Yes Super 61 is right !

Working for CHC Europe when you take into account taxes (between 40% and 50%) and living cost and european weather or working for CHC global but send in Nigeria and living in a tropical taxfree paradise of you choice , it's up to you

Both CHC (Europe and Global) are looking for pilots, if you have JAA licence you get the choice...

But after joining don't complain, you can't say "sorry I didn't know"
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Old 11th Oct 2006, 09:35
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CHC Global

Also interested in joining CHC Global (6/6 Fixed Wing DHC-6)
Can anyone elaborate on the recruitment process, I've been invited to do the online selection tests.
Are the Salary/Day Rates mentioned above comparable to what the fixed wing guys are on?
Any idea where the current demand for DHC-6 drivers might be?
Any info greatly appreciated
Regards Prop
 
Old 11th Oct 2006, 19:41
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Yes with CHC Europe you get paid a lot more, but lose a lot more in taxes, so the overall pay is not much different.
However, in terms of quality of life, you can't compare somewhere like Nigeria with Europe. In Nigeria, the hazard is on the ground more than in the air. Just look at the internet or TV during this last week and you'll see about the expats who have been taken hostage in Nigeria. You'll live in some kind of a compound with totally inadequate security, with unarmed incompetent guards who just sleep at night or armed police who'll do nothing to protect you. Most of the companies in Nigeria now have their staff under some sort of 'lockdown' curfew. Medical facilities are barely adequate and if you're seriously injured in a terrorist attack or attempted kidnapping, just hope you're covered by the repatriation medical insurance. Facilities are such that even the senior military officers who were injured in a recent crash of a military aircraft in the mountains, were flown to South Africa for medical treatment. Then. there's the risk of malaria or other tropical disease. For this, with CHC, you'll get an extra $Cdn a day. You just have to decide if it's worth it for that.
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Old 29th Aug 2007, 23:01
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CHC Global

Just wondering how long CHC Global usually take to respond to a resume / job application being sent in.

Eagerly awaiting word on a second in command touring pilot position recently applied for...
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Old 29th Aug 2007, 23:09
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Indeed I did.
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Old 30th Aug 2007, 14:04
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all depends on what experience you have. If you dont have any twin time, then you wont be getting a repy. You need at least 100 hours twin, preferably S76. Total time would have to be between 500 and 1000 hours I think. Good luck.
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Old 30th Aug 2007, 15:50
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The only reply you will get is the affirmative one. The HR department at CHC GO gets over 100 apps a day most of which are not appropriate to the cause. So I believe there is a disclaimer somewhere on the website that says no reply means " thank you for your interest in CHC GO blah biddy blah blah blah"

Second Officer positions are often filled by Nationals in the country they are operating in so there are limited positions for touring SO's.
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Old 30th Aug 2007, 15:55
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Education / Credentials:
· 1000 hours Total Time
· Current JAR/ICAO/Canadian/FAA CPL with IR
· Valid passport
· Offshore experience is an asset
· Experience with one or more of the following types is an asset:
- S61, S76 (A, A++, C+, C++)
- AS332, AS365 (N series preferred)
- Bell 212/412

As taken from the www.CHC.ca website. I meet all the requirements - if not the "asset" listings. Nowhere do I see a requirement for 100 hrs twin for a sic job.

Cheers for all the replys so far fellas - keep em coming ! :-)

Last edited by Flying Bajan; 30th Aug 2007 at 16:08.
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Old 30th Aug 2007, 16:42
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The asset bits are there because those are the main types the group operates and thus if you have one or more of them then you are further up in the list with regard to immediate suitability as a new hire. If you do not have one of those types then you will need to be trained up in one of them at company cost.

Simply converting you is also not necessarily a win for the company either, as the clients (oil companies) dictate minimum requirements on type to qualify to tender a contract, thus your new conversion is still not a useable asset to the company without a certain number of hours under your belt.

Then there is the national pilot issue in whatever country we operate in. Quite often that is a condition of simply being allowed into the country and getting an AOC irrespective of whether the nationals are capable or not.
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Old 31st Aug 2007, 12:41
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"...If you dont have any twin time, then you wont be getting a repy. You need at least 100 hours twin, preferably S76."

Even if you've got 5000+ hours twin IFR on S76/B412 you still might not get a reply any time soon. I've been waiting to hear back from them for 2 years, and I'm still waiting!
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Old 31st Aug 2007, 12:56
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If you go onto www.chc.ca and put in an application for a position, the site you go to is an automated system that has been set up as a filter to weed out spurious applications and time wasters.
When you fill out the forms, be accurate and careful as it will automatically mark your application if it triggers a filter and then it literally goes to the back of the queue to be processed only once all the "real" applications are processed.

The system is far from perfect so it is inevitable that a person can fall through a crack. It is also possible to go online and amend your application if your rating/qualifications change at any time.

Cheers,

UL
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