Airtex, Aviation Centre??

[Lacma]

Just after some general current info on the pay and conditions at places like Airtex and Avcentre? What are their minimums like these days and are they doing much flying?

[Lacma]

Surely someone out there must know something??

[KRUSTY 34]

They're out there Lacma, but you'll probably find most people's attention is focused on the bigger game. Doesn't bode well for most GA operators, and many smaller airlines as well!

For what it's worth, When I was flying casual for these guys 16 years ago, the going rate was $180 per day. Reasonable but not excessive coin back then. A few years ago I heard that this rate had been reduced to $150 and even $120 per day! No doubt a product of the supply and demand situation being squarely in the operators favour. Why did these characters slash professional pilot's pay over these years when wages should have at least been keeping up with inflation? Because they could.

A similar scenerio has been played out across the industy in one form or another ever since. This attitude has been the single biggest cause for the dramatic reversal in pilot supply. An individual's passion can only carry so far. Eventually something has gotta' give. And it has. Young Australians have deserted the industry in droves.

So, in answer to your question, I honsestly don't know. But I would suspect that these operators would have to now be paying at the very least the 2007 equivalent of what was being offered in 1991. $320 per day maybe? If they are not, then the situation will not begin to reverse, they will not be able to find qualified drivers, and they will go out of business.

I would suspect that if you have 500-1000 hours total and at least 100 hours multi IFR you may be in with a chance. If you posess the mins required just a few years ago, then you should be getting a call from one of the major airlines in the not too distant future!

[FullySickBro]

Airtex pay last time I looked was $210/day or $250 if you did more than 4 (or 5?) hours flying for med ops. That was about 18 months ago. Not a bad mob to work for but the Chiefys aren't getting any younger. If you can handle the type of flying they do it will set you up well to move for a regional turboprop gigs.

Would imagine close to 1000 hrs and 50hrs multi on type should get you a look in although that is only a guess. The ball seems firmly in the pilots court at the moment...

[bizzybody]

this is what ive heard.
Airtex pay 200 per day you are there but there are a lot of pilots working there on a casual basis so it MAY get competitive. They were trying to get some people in the dorr not too long ago by saying you pay us i think 4000 they will give you the endorsement and you will have a job. They do a fair bit of flying but i dont know where the company is going.

Avcentre.... well they have just been bought out by someone and they are in the transition phase of getting a new chief pilot. Brian sawfeet or whatever his name is there has past is used by date and has had enough.

I dont think they do a great deal of flying these days but i could be wrong.

[Dookie on Drums]

For Airtex;

$230/day for general charter/freight.

$250/day for the Med 2 "Wingaway" runs which can turn to $290 for the day IF more than 5hrs flying time is achieved.

Generally good conditions, aircraft are getting a little long in the tooth. Good challenging flying and the airlines love that.

Don't know about Avcentre sorry.

[morno]

Dookie, are you sure it's Med 2's that they're doing? Sure it's not just a hospital transfer that the RFDS couldn't be arsed doing??

A "Med 2" flight is the transport of vital medical equipment/personnel to what will be a "Med 1".

morno

[Lacma]

Airtex took over Skymaster who used to do the Specialist RFDS stuff didn't they? Are there any other opportunities to get on to twins with relatively low time in Syd/Hunter area??

[Dookie on Drums]

Yes morno they are Med 2's.

Wouldn't say the RFDS couldn't be "arsed" but sometimes there is a somewhat "cheaper" option. :}

I stand to be corrected but from what I understand Skymaster look after the freight run to Wagga and the Med 2 runs come under the Wingaway banner.

DoD

[KRUSTY 34]

Lacma,

Just what is "relatively low time"?

Might help with the advice you're after.

[overhere]

I've been out of the SYD scene for a while, I have just over 500TT, are there any twin opportunities in SYD at that level? (would love to move back!)

[drshmoo]

Anyone know what the going rate per day to fly the metro for Scaretex is?

[morno]

So there's no patient transport at all??

morno

[Lacma]

Morno I'm pretty sure there is, I saw someone being loaded into one of the Mojave's the other week. Dookie I'm pretty sure Skymaster used to do both, but it may well be running that way now... Krusty, about 600 TT and about 100 ME

[morno]

Lacma, thanks for that. I'm just wondering, because there appears to be a bit of confusion as to what a Med 2 actually is. I was always under the impression that Airtex just transfer the non-urgent/semi-urgent patients.

Cheers

morno

[Dragun]

Airtex recently took on a couple of guys with just under 300 total time each.

Another guy I know got a call to go there with about 600 total time.

It's worth a shot and not that hard to get a gig there these days. Work can be sporadic.

Was much much better in the days when TM was running Skymaster.

[FullySickBro]

Dragun,

Are you for real? 2 1/2 years ago I considered myself lucky to get some work there and that was with 1500TT and close to 500 multi!! Considering the nature of the flying they do, that sounds like a steep learning curve for some. Oh well times are a changin...

[tnuc]

maybe one of the low time guys was flying vh-xla a couple of days ago. close.....

[airjordan]

dragun: 300 TT? i can only assume they had hardly any multi time at all?

average fresh CPL comes out with 200 tt give or take an extra 30-40 for Instrument rating. that sounds very low.

[Kickatinalong]

$360.0/ day up to $390.00 / day
Kickatinalong

[Dragun]

It's true.

They're running an ICUS program now - pay $3500 for a PA31 endorsement and 10 hours ICUS (even though the PIC gets nothing extra for doing the ICUS). If they consider you good enough after the 10 hours, they offer you a job or more ICUS depending on your level of experience.

300TT seems ridiculously low to me too. I guess with enough ICUS (after the initial 10 hours) they're hedging bets that they'll be ready to go 'solo'.

Maybe if they just employed enough pilots full time instead of trying to spread the work across a range of pilots, hoping there would always be enough, they wouldn't have as much of a problem finding relatively experienced guys.

[das Uber Soldat]

For all the very low timers though, I get the impression that you pays your money however you're by no means even remotely guaranteed a job, more of a bonus if you perform very well. Its been suggested to me that about 25% of the people doing the endo/icus package are being put on.

[Altimeters]

It's funny...I keep hearing things like, "Oh Airtex are DESPERATE for pilots" etc, so I put my application in and after emailing them and calling them several times after months still nothing! I've even gone in and have been turned away...I keep wondering if there really is a pilot shortage :hmm:

[turbantime]

Altimeters,

Keep trying mate, nothing beats perseverance.

I remember when trying to move on from instructing to twin charter, the boss of the company I contacted yelled at me...yes yelled...and told me he's too busy to talk to pilots blah blah blah.

After 4 months of keeping in touch with his ops staff, I was finally offered a job.

Moral of the story is.....don't take knock backs personally, keep plugging away.

It's always worked for me as every job I've had...including airlines...has always required me to get in touch with the people responsible for hiring and keep hacking away.

Good luck! :ok:

[Under Dog]

Altimeters

Next time you go in there try waving your cheque book around,that might
get their attention.

Regards The Dog

[Triple Captain]

I noticed Airtex advertising on the AFAP website. Anyone keen?

[Dookie on Drums]

Why wouldn't you be keen?? :hmm:

[airman1]

Would be very careful..... This thread will end up hitting a nerve with someone the way it is heading:=

[glekichi]

Are there any that might take a hard-working 700tt pilot but with <50 multi?
(And without paying for ICUS)
My old company in NZ gave a PA31 endo to me as a going away present and Im hoping it may be what saves me, as my new employer has completely shafted me:(
In operations theres a poster on the wall reading, "A verbal agreement isnt worth the paper its written on". :ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

[DUXNUTZ]

Would wait until the findings in the recent accident are known.

[Triple Captain]

Wonder how long? Lockhart River took two years.

[bentleg]

They havent found or retrieved the wreckage yet. When a Westwind went in at a similar location a few years ago it was three months before they recovered the pieces, then comes the analysis........
It will be a while before we know what really happened.

[sms777]

Guys/girls
Do not worry about recent accidents/incidents whatever. The company is still looking for pilots on their Heron Airlines tours, so trust me, you do have a chance as long as you have the minimum the company requires to do their charters you do have a chance. It is great, i have done it for 5 years.

Good luck.

[Triple Captain]

Did they end up with a new CP?

[bizzybody]

looks like it. They some new conditions on their new AOC