Nav Canada Career Question

[Ryanrr]

Hi Everyone, really great forum, thanks for all the info!!

Just one question about working for Nav Canada.

Is it difficult to get a career going? I have a testing date for January 7th, I'm hoping to go FSS. I can travel anywhere they want to send me no problem.

Is it hard to get in? I have some things benefiting me like a diplomoa in aviation maintenance from BCIT with 89% overall.
I have my radio licence
I have completed the ground school training from a licensed pilot training facility

What are the chances that they will hire? In either IFR VFR or FSS?

Thanks everyone!!!

[cossack]

Take a look here (http://www.local5454.com/community/boards/) for lots of Canada-specific information.
Good luck

[rotornut]

I have a cousin who's working for them and also a friend who took the test. From what I've heard, the test is the most important factor. So good luck and all the best.

[Ryanrr]

Sweet thanks for that, I've just come from a tour of the YCD (nanaimo) FSS station, thanks to Colin and Jim!!

Absolutely love what the job looks like, better get my head into my "from the ground up" book.

[needanewjob]

The Navcanada website shows what pay you can expect during and after training on the experienced controller programme.
My other important considerations before applying are:

Annual Leave/Public holidays - North American employers are not well known for being generous in this area! Bearing in mind you will be flying home to visit friends and family, having the same people coming over to visit you as well as wanting to spend time exploring the wonderful country that Canada is with your close family

Pension what contribution do you and your employer make and what is the "anticipated" returns - is it a final salary scheme, how many years constitutes a full pension, what is retirement age, and if you decided after 10 years you wanted to move on can you take your pension rights with you, or if you wanted to retire back to the UK (or somewhere a little warmer!) how does that work?

shift patterns do they vary at each station and is it along the lines of 6 on 4 off or is it an individual roster. Are you expected to do overtime as well?

I have lots of questions there but I want to have the whole picture before applying.

Thanks

[Married a Canadian]

Need a new job

If you work for NATS at the moment you may have a few problems being accepted on the experienced controller program with NAV Canada

PM for info if you want.

[squibbler]

Nav Canada is almost impossible to get in under the experienced controllers program.....

Depends how you go about it. I shall we say "circumvented" the online application and took a more direct (and I have to say grovelling :O) approach.

From a speculative enquiry back in June I shall be commencing training in YQT tower on 30th Jan (and no doubt marvelling at Jerricho's vectoring skills on YQT approach ;) )

[Uncommon Sense]

The Experienced programme might have changed, but I applied in Jan02 and had a job offer in Apr02 - that was 3 days after arriving in Canada.

Did not take it up in the end, but the program for recruiting seemed pretty efficient. From all accounts the program for the actual training had some problems - which also happended to coincide with some industrial problems due to contract negotiations at the time.

[Cuddles]

morning / evening MAC.

Aren't you meant to be unpacking boxes?

[Tweety]

Navcan not theway to go

[Jerricho]

Tweety, they're no different to any other ANS/ATS/ZOO.

[Coast]

Navcan not theway to go

How do you know? When were you here??

[Lock n' Load]

I think I can speak for Jerricho, Cossack and a couple of others in saying that regardless of who employs us, Canada is the place to be. Way better standard of living than working for NATS.

[Jerricho]

True that L'n L

And I've shovelled the snow off my driveway 3 times today. Living the dream I tells you ;)

[Lock n' Load]

Hey Jerri, we had a bit of storm here a couple of days ago! Almost an inch of extra snow, and it was marginal VFR!!!
Actually, after a week of thawing brown crap obscuring windshields, I'm damn glad it's back down to -16 tonight. Finally, dry roads again and I can see where I'm going. Bliss!

[Jerricho]

Tee hee.

I've discovered one of the most entertaining things you can do with your clothes on:

1. Empty car park
2. Snow and Ice
3. Impreza WRX

:E

[Lock n' Load]

"The car made me do it, your honour"....:ok:

[runtobarlu]

Yet again the old maple leaf raises it's ugly head.. Blame the guys who came out for the failure of the program.

Their experiences ( not rumours BTW - although this is of course a rumour network ??? !!!!) are of course totally at odds with what you are obviously hearing through the no names no pack drill network

Excuse me...got to get back to some reality

[Fidgell]

Runtobarlu????

What on earth are you on about?

Do you mean the folk across the pond arent loving it?

[Jerricho]

Blame the guys who came out for the failure of the program.

Huh?

Where has anyone said this in this thread?

As to the "no names, no pack drill"...................... :rolleyes:

[Fidgell]

Management propaganda??? :}

[Jerricho]

Snow storm in a tea-cup?

[Number2]

'Blame the guys who came out for the failure of the program'

A little harsh to say the least runtobarlu. I feel the training system let some people down and, despite the fact that some returned home, I don't think many will have regretted their time in Canada. At least they took the time to try something different and not go for the safe, easy (some would say boring) option.........try living a little!!!

[Fidgell]

Few returned to the UK the majority I believe remain... and are more than happy to do so. Fair play to either its their lives and I applaud those who want to better themelves however they see fit!

As a side to that, I know for a fact that if NATS hadve acted fairly and professionaly and not got NAV Canada to drop the project for UK controllers... that a great many others would be in the maple land right now!!!

NATS as cowardly as ever barring personal progression instead of trying to retain staff in the appropriate manner ie pay, conditions, career enhancement, options etc

[Lock n' Load]

Since we've been accused of saying so... okay! A FEW, and only a few, of those who came over were not the right people with the right skill sets. Do I blame them? No! That's Nav Canada's fault for not vetting them properly. Having got here, could the training have been better and expectations more realistic? Yup, sure coulda been. Were people kept waiting around for no good reason. Yup, sure were.
Am I glad I made the move? YES!!! Not only is the country a great place to live, I also have fun at work. Some people in the UK may need to look up fun in a dictionary.
Among other things, non-PC jokes are acceptable within reason. Big trucks are virtually obligatory. No one considers a 36 inch TV "big". A female colleague brought in various sausage slices today, made from antelope, elk and deer meat (antelope is great...) and there was none of the "poor Bambi" rubbish one hears from people who regularly tuck into a Big Mac in Blightly. Tony Blair is over 4,000 NM away from YEG!

[Jerricho]

Someone buy that man a Kokanee!

(That's beer made from glacier water)

[Lock n' Load]

Jerricho, you're invited to my housewarming on Friday 13th (yes, really) January! :ok:
Have your path crossed by a mirror, break a ladder, walk under a black cat, and bring some Kokanee Gold!!! Or some Canadian, I'm not fussy.

[squidge]

Kokanee??!!! Canadian???!!!
Haven't you guys been out there long enough to discover some of the better beers? At the very least try some Sleemans Honey Brown!!!
:ok:

[Coast]

Kokanee??!!! Canadian???!!!
Haven't you guys been out there long enough to discover some of the better beers? At the very least try some Sleemans Honey Brown!!!

Hear, hear!

Even in YWG you can do better than Canadian!!

[Jerricho]

Hey, wasn't me who said Canadian.

Personally, that Steam Whistle Micro-brewery at the bottom of the CN tower in Toronto is the second best bloody beer in the world...........after my homebrew :E

Hang on, what was this thread about again?

[Lock n' Load]

Any thread about Canada should be a thread about beer!
Not having grown up around bitter drinkers (well, some of them were a bit depressed, maybe), I never developed the taste for anything with an actual flavour, thus Canadian and Labatts, etc etc, are quite refreshing enough. They also get you p*ssed when sufficient quantities are consumed. Big Rock Grasshopper ain't bad, but preferrably without the damn slice of lime or lemon.

[cossack]

With all due respect to Alexander Keith
[Annoying Scots accent]"Out vile wedgie!"[Annoying Scots accent/] You can't drink beer with fruit in it! That's only one step short of an umbrella!
Sleeman's (any variety, not tried the honey brown though) gets my vote, with Creemore Springs second.

[bagpuss lives]

Sorry for the intrusion - happy holidays cossack old chum!

[cossack]

No need for the apology. All the best to you and yours.
Say "Hi" to all at MACC for me. Check your PMs.

[Yakkity MK2]

Hey Jerricho,
When you going to allow an open house tasting of that home brew.......no snow for 3 weeks now ...but remember it is a DRY cold.......
Oh yeh your in Aus right now , Shucks :} :ok: