Research on Solenta

[Aforaway]

Trying to get a sense of the culture, success and future of this company. Any ideas?

[Solid Rust Twotter]

It's a good company, fairly stable and hard working. Don't pay well but you'll build hours quickly and in some interesting places. A good start for a low timer looking for turbine time. No one expects you to become a career pilot with them and it's viewed more as a step up the ladder, hence engineers being paid somewhat better than aircrew. If you're considering flying for them, bear in mind they're pretty much like most other contract companies in SA, better than some, not as good as others.

[Aforaway]

Thanks for the info, Thread. Do you think they have good contracts and are considered a good operator by clients. I also have a potential interest o/side pilot arena.

[Solid Rust Twotter]

The clients they have are a picky bunch so I reckon the fact that they still have the contracts must mean they're doing something right.

[JACQUOUILLE]

Solenta is a great company to work for .
I heard from an insider that the company is going to grow and operate big heavy metal (Boeing) this year , shame for me I left the company to soon :{

[Shrike200]

Yeah, that jet rumour does the rounds every so often - I wouldn't lose sleep over it!

The company itself is quite well organised (as far as any contract company is), and they are run in a professional manner. They do have some picky clients, as mentioned, and they have managed to hold onto them. One of two issues I could complain about was that the salary was below average, and combined with paying for your own rating (a little tough to swallow for an ATR or even a 1900), made it slightly irritating. It always amused me when they lost pilots out to other companies and seemed to be all confused as to why! Being just another pilot though, I obviously didn't have the full picture as to what was going on back home.

You could certainly do far worse, I'm sure. My second issue: I felt it would have been a real 'pilots' company if they had presented a clear career path; C208 -> B1900 -> ATR, then who knows, a DHL jet maybe, if they could have gotten that one right which they didn't. They would hold onto a lot more guys, keeping valuable contract experience in the company. In any case, they seem to choose to compartmentalise the different pools, and they only way you step between them is to shell out the cash, no discounts for any amount of time served. They did introduce some sort of incentive to staying with them for a certain (long) period of time, but it was dependant on you staying in one pool and not moving on, which showed a lack of interest in their pilots careers. In any case, it was a laughably small incentive, and ultimately made no difference that I was ever aware of. I know companies aren't required to care about their pilots careers, but it is nice if a company pays more than lip service to that aspect!

Nonetheless, they are nice to work for. I'm being so picky, perhaps only because they came so close to being a really great company to work for - they had all the pieces in place, they just didn't put them together, for whatever reason. Probably money, it usually is!

My 2c...if you get work with them, go for it - they seem to be here to stay.

[avslag]

Nicely summed up, 500ft in the snot!

[learboys]

Solenta is a Dhl company, you might not get paid to much but you will get paid and you will get hours.

[flz]

:Solenta is a Dhl company, you might not get paid to much but you will get paid and you will get hours.
Hey Everyone I am a ICAO Pilot from the UK With 1200TT Caravan flt safety 500hrs Turbine, very interested in Solenta Co Pilot / Captain, How long are the contracts?
Do you think there is any chance for someone like me low hrs, to get a job there possibly?
Thanks for your help Guys & Gals:)

[Phenomenon]

Solenta is a Dhl company

Solenta is not a DHL company. DHL is just one of Solenta's many clients.

Solenta is a great company to work for... The salary isn't the best but the working conditions are the best I've seen. They're also very structured in the sense that you get paid when you should, you know exactly what's going to happen when and you know exactly where you stand in the company.

They also provide alot of room for advancement by operating C208, 1900 and ATR and there's is also rumours going around that they might start operating the DHL 727's.

[Shrike200]

Sigh....The 727 rumour, again. I can't believe it's still going around, it's like one of these chain letters that just won't die. Believe it when you see it happening, and keep happening. They tried to do it once, but it didn't work out. Maybe they're trying again, but like I said - believe it when you see it. Don't base any decisions on what 'might' happen, especially when it been at the stage of 'might happen' for so long.....It would be great, I have no doubts about that, and I'm sure it would lure a lot of pilots to them were it to actually be fact. And as long as they didn't make them pay for the rating....

And, yes, they do operate a mixed fleet, but having to shell out the cash for the conversion to type, just like anybody else out there hardly constitutes 'a lot of room for advancement'. What I'm trying to say is that they have no fixed plan in place for progression e.g. you work for X amount of time on the Van, then you will be eligible for the 1900 conversion (paid for by them!), then X amount of time on that and then the ATR conversion etc. I say again (as I said above), it would be great if they did that, but they don't. The only obstacles to joining onto whatever fleet you wanted seems to be cash, appropriate experience (ie suitable medium twin turbine time for the ATR), and them needing somebody to fill the spot. They don't hold ATR spots for their own guys without the cash to pay up.

They are generally well organised, as you say though, and they are nice to work for. 'Getting paid when you should' though, is not a bonus in my opinion - it's how it's meant to happen at the most basic of levels.

[manamana]

Caravan rating you pay off, but you already have one of those. ATR is 2 years, Beech 200/1900, I don't know. You almost certainly have enough hrs to join them. The 500 hrs turbine will stand you in good stead. Give them a go and good luck:ok:

[flz]

Thanks Manamana

I have a Canadian IFR Rating also but it has expired, I guess I am better off renewing it & then possibly going out there.
:)

[Mungalui]

Dont forget about the good ole Twin Otters going on line again soon.:E
I must say that I have had no problems so far.Paying for the ratings is a pain though.
Munga.

[FougaMagister]

Hi all-

Would Solenta consider a JAA ATR 42/72 rated applicant and native French speaker (considering the DHL services from Abidjan to Ouagadougou, Lome, Dakar, etc.)?

If so, am I correct that the crews are based at Lanseria (I remember landing there a few times CPL training in 2002) but are sent for 8-week tours to West Africa?

How much would an ATR driver with no seniority earn, and is there any flight pay/sector pay?

How many hours do the ATR crews fly every month on average?

Thanks for the answers. :cool:

[SAT_BOSS]

Talk to them direct http://www.solenta.co.za/

[GUSTO]

Fouga ,

Solenta is hiring mainly south african pilot being a SA company , saying that there is few french guys employed by the company .

Good bunch of guys and good atmosphere while on tour .Tours are 2 month ON 1 month OFF. As a new F/O expect US$ 3100 per month while on and 800 on OFF months . You can fly anything from 50 hours to 100 hours a month .

Good luck

[FougaMagister]

GUSTO - many thanks; all the answers I needed.

Cheers :cool: