Rod has a couple of C-185s…He is real nice fella and would be happy to give you some general advice.
I worked in Canada flying a C-185 on floats in 2002, it was the most rewarding flying I’ve done! At the time I had 1000 hours total with 250 on floats, a working holiday visa, and a couple of grad to convert to the Canadian CPL. I was extremely lucky to get work there and I only just met the insurance minimums…With less float time I would not have been employable...
I’ve been trying off and on for a job in the Maldives. I even dropped in there to see the operators. Jobs are available if you are a Twin Otter seaplane captain. Otherwise local Maldivians are filling the first officer positions. My impression of the place was it would be great for the money ( $6,000+ US$ per month tax free for Captains) but it would not be such a great place to live…
The number of seaplane jobs in Australia is very limited – however if you can crack into it you will be in demand and get to play in some nice places! Unfortunately, there is very little demand for zero time seaplane pilots – but that is not to say don’t go for it…Unless you are very lucky, you will need in the region of 1,000 hours total time in addition to a float endorsement to have a crack at a job. I know people who have broken in with far less total time, but they lived in the town where they obtained employment, helped out with washing aircraft etc, and generally pestered the operator for a considerable time.
You could make a career out of seaplanes in Australia so long as you aren’t hoping for big money – it is more of a lifestyle thing…
Whose is better off, someone living on the beach in the tropics with coconut trees all around, (chicks in bikinis too!)and home every night, or someone earning a great deal more, but spending their life in hotels and twiddling their thumbs at 30,000 feet between one big stinking city and the next? Only you can say for yourself…As for me, since I started flying floats (with a few exceptions due to unscrupulous operators) works is much the same as a holiday.
Outside Australia there is money to be made in floats, but then most of the positions are for turbine drivers and you are competing against highly experienced pilots for those positions…Something like 2,500 total time, 1000 floats, 1,500 water landings, and 500 turbine would be a minimum for most of these jobs around the world.
-Interstingly I know of 2 Aussies recently sponsored to fly for companies in Canada, but they have much turbine float time…Still the fact that seaplane companis in Canada of all places are sponsering ex-pat pilots is a positive development from my selfish perspective!
As you are in Townsville pop down to see the boys at Airle beach too…just remember that it is a very small industry in Australia, everyone knows everyone else – so be sure to make that work for you rather than against!
As disco air says, go get a float endorsement just for the hell of it, you’ll enjoy doing the rating and with persistence after that you might get lucky!