View Full Version : Pilots needed for summer work in Canada
Hello all...
IF you are looking for work with a major Canadian operator for the summer, I am collecting contact information to forward to the Director of Operations. Good salaries, lots of flying. Last summer we had machines parked from a lack of drivers so I want to do my part to avoid that this summer AND get some PPRUNErs some work.
PM me with your contact info, I will email you (MSN or skype) as the situation dictates and we can start a dialogue.
This is for real...probably need 10-15 pilots from now unitl Sep 30.
wde
mattie_k
1st May 2005, 19:34
What kind of hours are they looking for, any possibilities for a low timer?:8
Lots of response so far. I will answer each of you by tomorrow..I need to talk with the Director of Ops....
Generally, we look for 1000 hrs plus but this is going to be a strange season in Canada so who knows. We just recently hired a contract pilot from NZ with 1500 hrs...
In any case. Doesn't hurt to contact me....
wde
Fun Police
2nd May 2005, 00:43
what do you mean by a "strange season"? hopefully, you mean "busy".
Yes, I mean BUSY!!
Trying to avoid parking machines due to a lack of pilots...
wde
407 Driver
2nd May 2005, 03:19
Is this for CHL, and are you bucking for the $1,000 signing bonus per name?
If so, Good on you for headhunting, but maybe Pprune wants part of your profit for using their site for commercial gain?
:ok: :p
Cyclic Hotline
2nd May 2005, 03:39
I think it is the particular company rather than the industry that is short of pilots. Why would that be?
You're right 407 - good money-making scheme that one!
donut king
2nd May 2005, 04:08
Just to balance this desperation for pilots scenario.....if this is CHL, there has been somewhat of a mass exodus ( of experienced guys) from this company in the past recent months. Yes, there is a $1000.00 "bounty" for any present employee recommending a new hire to CHL. For experienced crews, CHL is not worth your application. For inexperienced crews......go nuts!!!!!
I hope this a balanced view!
D.K
reacher
2nd May 2005, 05:07
DK: care to explain that a little further? Why's it bad for experienced crew?
Let's just say their management is not necessarily wonderful (depends on the base), although their training school at Penticton is widely acknowledged to be one of the best, so if you get some exposure there it may be worth some hassle.
There were 7 fires in Ontario a couple of weeks ago, and it's very dry, so, yes, it could be a silly season - it didn't start there till June-ish in 2003
Don't forget the immigration.......
phil
donut king
2nd May 2005, 12:49
Reacher,
I will try to explain without badmouthing CHL. As an experienced pilot I would asume you would be looking for a professionally managed employer/ company. For guys just starting out in this industry just getting a job is the priority.
As Paco said, the management is questionable as it stands right now.
But at the end of the day we must experience things for ourselves. This is just an opinion from the inside.
I worked for CHL for a bunch of years mostly on EMS ops. The way they did things at the top sometimes seemed at little strange.
That being said: they always treated well, paid me well, stuck to their word, all in all I would not hesitate - if I was looking- to work for them again.
However I know very little of their VFR ops.
Well, interest has certainly picked up.
Some more details: Although these are generally the minimum requirements, I would encourage you to contact me because there will be many more opportunities in the future.
Generally, we will be looking for:
1500 hrs TT
1000 hrs PIC
B206 and AStar endorsed with experience
As I said earlier, last summer we parked machines. Some lower time pilots were hired to work as crew for some high value contracts and managed to get full time positions by the end of the summer.
I will be repsonding to all the PMs tonight and hopefully we can get the ball rolling.
wde
donut king
3rd May 2005, 13:54
Hi WDE!
Can you post the payscale please! IFR and or VFR????
D.K
Steve76
3rd May 2005, 16:21
Gidday DK, Doubt if it is IFR with those mins. You only need 500 PIC for the cojoe job. You should know better anyway ;)
As Phil mentioned, the major consideration is the immigration and CHL will have to go through HRDC unless you are antipodean and under 30 for the one year work visa. Unless you have a BC Forestry approved Mountain Course you won't be doing fires in BC, so I guess it is the oil field or Ontario or possibly Quebec...
Good luck, CHL are OK but DK knows what he is talking about and if you have time there are lots of offers out there at the moment.
murdock
3rd May 2005, 23:23
Hey wde,
your PM box is all full and I was just wondering if you are still looking for any other pilots. Ready to go with my Canadian License and plenty of hours.
My PM in box has been cleaned up...I am in the process of collating the information I have received (over 30 interested parties) by the way...
Steve76 is correct insaying there are lots of operators looking; I just work for one of them!!
DK: I will not post the payscale at this time as it is under review..a revised 2005 scale is due out within the week.
That's all for now.
rotorrookie
5th May 2005, 07:39
One related question, how difficult is it to get work permit or immigrade to Canada???
Do you need to have an employer who is willing to hire you to get the work premit, and he has to notfy the immigation office about it or do you need to have the work premit before start seeking for jobs??
does anyone know how this process goes :confused:
As an employer, you have to prove that there is no Canadian available for the job, and that you have "advertised adequately", then prove that your qualifications are suitable. It can be done in as little as 4 weeks, but there is some hassle involved.
Phil
Hey thanks for the answer PACO...
To all concernecd, I'm ferrying an aircraft today between 2 bases and then flying home...I'll respond to anyone I have missed sometime tomorrow...
Thanks for all the interest....hopefully we can get some Aussies some work..:)
Wde
Steve76
5th May 2005, 18:31
At least a month for HRDC approval. Often the persons working for the government have no idea about the aviation industry and the processing speed can be very very slow.
If you get the HRDC approval you will need to go to the consulate or the border posts outside of Canada to present yourself. You will need to have a licence from Canada, your logbooks, your HRDC letter and $400 (that was a couple of years ago. May be more now)
This can be done at the border but some Customs staff will make you go to a consulate.
Consulates are in Seattle and Buffalo. They have bizarre opening times for work visas and you will have a limited window of opportunity to get an interview. I arrived in Seattle and lined up at 0430am to be there for the 9am opening. By the time 9am came around there were another 50 people behind me. The visa staff only take applications from 10 to 12 (for example...) so if you are #51 in the line and 12:01 rolls around you have to come back next week. It is that crazy...
You will need to convert a licence as well. It should take a month which will give you something to do while you wait for HRDC. However, you are supposed to be under a student visa to attend a learning facility in Canada. If you don't mention you are training when you come into Canada, you should be able just to enter on a visitor visa (6 months) and start your training. If you mention you are training they will want a student visa. These can only come from a consulate outside of Canada, so they may send you home. Student visas take a lot of time and effort to organise and involve sending deposits, getting letters off the training organisation, sending passports etc...etc...
Seek the hassle yourself if you want. Allow 6 weeks + to get one.
So, just enter on a visitor visa and mention nothing about the licence conversion.
Recently a buddy of mine from NZ took someone else's advice regarding this and spent 3.5hrs being interviewed at Vancouver International. He mentioned he might be looking for work. He came as close as he could to being sent back downunder. They allowed him in after a lot of backtracking on his behalf.
Often antipodeans will come to Canada and try and get a job offer letter. This may be a good year for that. If you want to try to work in Canada you need to have a licence. Come over to Vancouver, convert the licence and then start making calls.
Once you have someone interested in you. Ask them to give you a no commitment job offer letter with the company logo on it. It needs to explain why they need you, the minimum requirements (licence and hours) and a good reason. IE: no pilots, specialist task you are trained for, fires are raging out of control...blah...blah.
Then you drive, hitch, bus to the border (USA) cross over on a visitor visa ($6 USD for a aussie/kiwi), turn around and drive or walk to the Canadian Customs and present yourself, letter and quals for the visa. Most guys seem to get lucky with this and get either a 6 month or 1yr visa. If the border post you go to disallows it. Return to Canada and head 100kms down the road to the next border crossing. Try again until you succeed.
If it works out, you need to register for tax and then go to work. There is also a bunch of other personal information you should bring with you if you intend to try and stay in Canada forever. I will list this if there is a demand.
Needless to say. This is not easy or cheap
I neglected to mention...
DON\\\'T bother coming here unless you have 1000hrs+.
Most of the jobs you will get in Alberta and Northern BC have 1500hr mins. Recently there has been a trend to allow 1000hr guys in on these contracts but it all depends on the moment.
If you come here under a 1000, you are competing with all the low time guys here struggling to make a living and get that first good job. Sounds hypocritical but there are just as many people here trying to get a start and it is unfair.
DON\\\'T come here and talk yourself up or state you have a pile of experience doing a particular task.
Instances of guys destroying blades, dropping loads and wrecking machines do no good to the reputation of southern hemisphere pilots. I think we adapt well to Canada, there is very little foreign to most antipodean bush guys (except the snow!) and our work ethic is appreciated.
Good fortune to those trying.
rotorrookie
5th May 2005, 23:24
Thanks Steve for your reply and explaning how things are over there.
There´s been rumour about shortage of pilots in CA wich seems not right according to you, well maybe shortage of 1000+hrs guy´s, but not in the newbie low timer department, like elsewhere on this globe
p.s. the snow is no problem for me.......
ok that is one plus thoug :cool: :cool: