US Based operators who TOUR their pilots

[wde]

Just curious: Are there US based operators that tour their pilots (2/2; 4/4; 6/6) for domestic, onshore, offshore or EMS work? It would be sweet to earn USD but live in Canada.

Cheers

[GLSNightPilot]

The norm for offshore is 7/7, but 14/14 is also possible and getting more common.

[wde]

Thanks GLS...but are there Operators who need drivers and commute them from away to fly a 7/7 or 14/14 sched?

[SASless]

ERA , due to its having an airline in Alaska, has pass/discounted travel privileges and works a standard 14/14 rotation. I know the pass routine is correct....have heard the rotation is standard. Call'em and find out.

[Lu Zuckerman]

To: wde

Working in the USA but living in Canada can be a pain in the wallet. If you work in the USA you must pay taxes there. The USA tax rate is not as stiff as it is in Canada but you will have to claim the income in Canada. You will be taxed on the difference between what you paid in the USA and what the taxes for that earned income are in Canada. The only saving grace is that you can take foreign tax credits the next year and deduct a percentage of what you paid in Canada the previous year. It doesn’t come out even so you are always behind the power curve taxwise.

The only advantage is being paid in US Dollars and spending them in Canada. Right now it is about $1 USD=$1.35 CDN and it has been better but it may get worse so the advantage is not that great.

:ok:

[crop duster]

I've heard that PHI wants its pilots to live within a certain distance, can't remember how far they allow. Other operators don't care as long as you make it to work. Getting there is on you, however.

BarryB:hmm:

[GLSNightPilot]

WDE, I'm not aware of any operators who pay for your commute or subsidize it, or help in any way. This doesn't mean there aren't any, but I've never heard of any who do. The commute is on you, & it's your responsibility to get to the job on time, ready to fly. If you have pre-paid reservations & your schedule changes, it's still your problem, in most cases. The operator may try to work with you on that, but there are no guarantees that I'm aware of.

[wde]

I currently work in Nortern Ontario and my employer flies me between there and West Canada every 2 weeks; their ticket, full expenses, 2 on 2 off...

Lots of operators in Canada are forced into touring their pilots because of the isolated places we fly around. I just don't know enough of the US market.

I have seen lots of EMS jobs advertised in the US where they advertise 7/7 ... I am curious, if a company is hungry enough, is touring an option.

Thanks for the input so far :)

[GLSNightPilot]

I'm not familiar with the term 'tour' as you appear to be using it. If you mean that when the company tours its pilots that it pays for tickets to/from home, then I would have to say the answer is no in the U.S. I'm not aware of any that do down here, but then I'm not aware of lots of things. :8 :D

If you can get that up there, be very glad. At one time, many ages ago, some companies did pay mileage to/from work, but that's been gone for a long time. Maybe if the pool gets shallow enough down here........

[leading edge]

GLS

The term comes from "tour of work duty" and just means working hitch as you would say in the GOM or a schedule.

Just another example of us being united by a common language but not understanding each other fully!!

There are no US operators that I know of who pay their pilots commute as in Australia and northern Canada. I guess there is remote and remote and the GOM isn't that remote when compared with somewher like Karratha in Western Australia!

LE

[GLSNightPilot]

LE, that's the way I understood the meaning until well into the thread. In the GOM, on drilling rigs, tour means shift, but it's pronounced 'tower', as in "I go on tour at 6AM, & get off at 6PM".

I thought I knew what everyone was talking about until the pay for travel subject came up. I didn't recognize that. :( :{

[George Semel]

PHI wants its new hire pilots to live with in 500 miles of Lafayette, LA. Lafayette is not a bad place. Lots of good Resturants. Then again, in a couple of hours, You could be in New Orleans, and there is no shortage of good Resturants. In Lafayette, PraJeans serves a Smoked Duck Gumbo thats to die for.

[Cyclic Hotline]

There are hundreds of helicopter professionals working in the US, working 7/7, 14/14, 21/21 and 60/60 schedules with full travel and other expenses provided by the employer (in addition to top rates of pay and benefits).

They fly on regular scheduled airlines with real fares, get frequent flyer miles, and fly first class!

In addition to the US operations, they work in Canada and Internationally.

Try calling a large ship operator, utility, logging, firefighting or Vertrep (primarily)in the Western United States and if you qualify then you can join the crowd.

There are also a fair number of Canadian operators operating along the same lines in the US.

The helicopter industry does not revolve around the Gulf or EMS. There is a whole world of opportunity out there.

We live where we want, and generally select the very best locations to live in - everyone has a different idea of best, so take it as you like.

[wde]

Hey Cyclic Hotline...

Thanks for the morale boost...for a while there I thought that I was barking up a tree...

Got any leads as to whom I might contact...:)

Thanks