Hey all.
I'm hoping someone can shed some light on arriving in Alaska and finding work. The wife and I are seriously in the throws of packing it up in Australia and setting off.
I have researched the licencing and immigration aspects, and I know a lot of the work is seasonal, but...
...can anyone give me an indication of how much flying work IS available? Any good, bad or indifferent experiences? My wife and I would love hear about it!
I don't care what I fly, just as long as I can put food on the table for the family. I know it's hard to say anything without a few experience numbers floating around, so here goes... though please don't tell me I don't have enough rotary time. Sadly, I am painfully aware of that already
...but the fixed wing
...
Total Experience: 2800hrs
Rotary Experience: 362.0hrs on AS350BA (Navy), and EC135 P2+
Endorsed on:
Pc9
Caribou DHC-4
Macchi MB-326H
F/A-18
Pc7 (Malaysia)
CT4 (Pacific Aerospace)
AS350BA Squirrel (including International Embarked Ops)
EC135 P2+
Tigermoth
Pitts Special
C150/152
C172
C185 (float endorsed)
C310
C421
Piper Warrior
Duchess
Baron
Bottom line - is it a reckless notion to head to Alaska at the start of the season and 'hope' to find work
. Operators I have spoken with say they don't take an application seriously unless you are standing on the tarmac in front of them, which I can understand. But it is obviously a gamble to head out with paperwork in one hand, and blind faith in the other...
What do you think?
BTW, my wife and I always wanted to live either in Alaska or far north Canada - since we were kids. The whole notion of 'maybe you won't like it up there'?, absolutely NOT an issue.
Cheers