Road Trip Season

[Road Trip]

In my opinion the boom of years are gone and I doubt faxing off resumes is going to lead to a job for low time guys like it did in the past couple of years. I think we are going to be returning to the old days were employers are only going to consider resumes from low time pilots that are hand delivered.

Spring is around the corner and it's getting close to that time of year when many low time commercial pilots head out on the customary road trip to hand out resumes to perspective employers.

I wanted to test the waters and see if there might be any interest in a flying road trip?

I’m looking at rounding up an amphib float plane and instructor with some real northern flying experience and doing the equivalent of a 50 hour bush course BUT instead of churning out circuits in the local flying school’s lake I’m trying to talk them into doing it on a trip to the north.

I have found one place that may be interested but I would need a couple more pilots to make it worth their while.

I’m thinking early or late April and if we had enough people interested 3 pilots at 50 hrs each that’s 150 hours we could cover a lot of ground. Most of the NWT, Northern Ontario, Manitoba, BC interior, northern BC and even the Yukon. Alot of the far north lakes will still be frozen but that's why we take an amphib.

I figure 7 hours isn’t going to get even a ramp job this year. And if I’m going to do a 50 hour bush course it might as well be in combination with a road trip and include some real northern bush flying.

What do you think? Would anyone else be interested in doing this?

[rotornut]

RT
There's approximately a 3 week period in the spring when the ice melts and you can't land on the lakes. It varies from year to year so you might want to call a few of the operators well in advance to get an idea of when the lakes are likely to be clear.

[rigpiggy]

most operators have there crews lined up before breakup. start pounding out the resumes now, and if you're not working by april, then definitely do it. just remember a 180 would be best for what your planning, and probably best to take only 2 along with the instructor, baggage you know. Also have a plan in case one of you get a job along the way. Considering that you could concievably do the whole country in about 50 hrs, it would be fun.

[Road Trip]

Yes no more than 2 plus the instructor. But there is no reason why the trip couldn’t go from West to East and then those two finish up and then two more hop on board and they fly back east to west.

If anyone is interested PM me would be nice to start planning relatively soon and I need one more pilot to sinch the deal.

[Hamtarro]

Good luck on your road trip but seriously, leave your buddys at home including the instructor. Jobs are not that plentiful and I really don`t think anyone is going to be impressed at you showing up from the air. Save the cash and drive. Get some time in on floats and get on the road. Your moving West to East hit every Northern community you can. Northern Sask eastward. hang around for a day or so if you can. Northern Man and Northern Ontario are great places to get a start and not work for free. I did this adventure in 94 and it paid off. I just spoke with a friend who is in Yellowknife and said all is very slow with some layoffs. You might want to check/phone Norman Wells. The Wells has Northwright Air, it`s a struggle but they have the equipment. Travelling the roads less beaten without your buddys for competition is just my opinion.
Take the ramp if you can. Good luck man!!!
H

[Road Trip]

Thanks for the tip Hamtarro but like I mentioned in my original post I want to build up 50 hours of float time and if given the choice to build that time splashing around in the same old lakes or to do it while on a road trip I'd prefer the road trip.

[+TSRA]

There is another really good reason for leaving your buddies and the instructor at home and that is the jobs.

Think of it like this. You've put all the planning into this trip, get all the way to Simpson or Yellowknife or elsewhere and all your buddies - but you - get a job...

Road trips, in my opinion, are best done with you, a car/airplane and an i-pod. While you may think its a great idea, experience tells me that a road trip with another person is a disaster waiting to happen. It took me three times to realize that while I interviewed OK, those other guys just interviewed better - even though I had a bit more experience and some time sitting on my hands in the right seat.

Your first interview, especially as a combined group as some operators will do, will show everyones true colours, and at the end of the day as a guy who has done the hiring for drivers in the past I have no desire to see a car/plane load of guys come through my door anyways - all its going to be is like a bunch of cocks in the hen house when all the hens are lesbians.

All sarcasm aside though, I think that your idea of actually flying around rather than just doing splash and goes in a single lake is a wicked idea...