Flying Floatplanes in Canada?

[namdar_h]

Hi guys

I have completed my frozen ATPL-training in Switzerland in an integrated course with 150 flying hours. Since it is currently very difficult to find a job in Europe I started looking for interesting alternatives, and I found this:

Float Plane Training / Seaplane Training and Charters in Victoria, BC, Canada

There are already a few threads about this float plane school and they seem to be doing a very good job. However, I am more interested in knowing how the odds are to actually get a job (the plan would be to stay there for about 1.5 years), especially if the number of flying hours is that low.

Does anyone have any experience or knows more about that?

Thank you, your help will be very appreciated.

[localflighteast]

do you have the right to live/work in Canada? Even studying requires a visa/permit

If not , that needs to be your first concern. Home - Citizenship and Immigration Canada - Canada

for routes into Canada. I didn't immigrate into Canada as a pilot but find it hard to belive that there is a shortage of them to be honest

[Nigd3]

It would be worth you reading the sticky post at the top of this forum about how to get a job in Canada. It kind of emphasises one very important point.

The same point is also given to you more subtlely by localflighteast

[iMac0960]

You can also look at Air Hart in Kelowna. Nothing in aviation is guaranteed and the work permit will be your hardest issue as the government requires employers to hire locals first.

[RT787]

I'm currently working on my CPL in Canada right now and even I am concerned about jobs afterwards. 150 Hours definitely would not get you hired anywhere in my opinion. A lot of float ops really want a lot of float PIC from what I hear, at least in BC.

There is plenty of 250-500 Hour CPL's without jobs out here at least.

I believe you would have to convert your license as well to work in Canada, and as stated before you would probably need a Visa, Not sure how that works.

Good luck though, I'm sure you can do it as Canada is great to fly in!

[namdar_h]

Thanks guys for the helpful replies, although it doesn't sound very encouraging..

@ localflighteast: unfortunately I don't, but I have contacted the authorities about further information already.

@Nigd3: I did read that post, however, I was wondering how the odds are to actually get a job. Because from my understanding it is close to impossible to get a work permit unless there is a massive shortage of pilots, which doesn't seem to be the case.

@iMac0960: yeah that might be the main issue.. I won't get a work permit unless I have a job, on the other hand no employer would give me a job unless I have a working permit...
The Air Hart homepage is very useful though in terms of license conversion, visa application, etc... but damn it's expensive

@RT787: Thank you, I'm sure it's amazing, that's why I'm considering it good luck to you too finding a job afterwards!

My conclusion somehow is that I would have to invest quite an amount of money with a less than 20-30% chance to actually get a job.. I might have to think it over, since I'm already struggling to keep my MEP/IR alive..

[Pilot DAR]

but damn it's expensive

Yeah, it's easy to see how someone (okay, land plane pilot) could think this, but consider what has to be learned and practiced:

So far, you have been taught to land and takeoff from a place which has a runway (paved, I will presume) and a windsock, at least. You've been flying an aircraft, which when you push a pedal, will steer, and stop, without the wind or current playing much or a role in the outcome. As you walk up to the aircraft for a flight, you're not secretly asking yourself if overnight, it increased it's "empty" weight by a few hundred pounds, and at an end that throws the C of G way out of limits. When you go to do a walk around inspection, you can actually walk around the aircraft!

Now, you are going to proudly bring those skills, and attempt to apply them to flying an aircraft which will change it's empty weight, be impossible to walk around, will require you to conduct all of your pre takeoff checks while in motion, will love to follow the surface winds more than your commands to taxi somewhere and stop.

You'll operate from a "runway" which at best has only subtle wind indicators, has intruders (boats, and jet skis) who think it's fun to cut you off, can have a vastly differing surface texture one hour to the next, and will become suddenly violent in the wave of the aforementioned boat. And, just when you finally get that perfectly calm late afternoon, with not a soul around, and the lake to yourself for landing, the water will be glassy smooth, and you'll have absolutely no idea how high you are off the water to flare, unless you employ some cunning techniques, which an old timer will have to teach you.

And, the insurance companies have figured out that you have yet to learn all of these things, and therefore have no interest in offering you "cheap" insurance for your first few hundred hours.

So, your only choice is to pay the cost to learn. Either the float flying school, and 50 hours or so of really good training, or, you buy a floatplane yourself, take the risk, and forget the expensive (if you could even get it) insurance, and go with your fresh float rating, and learn for yourself.

All that said, don't be discouraged, just prepared, float flying is magnificent fun!

[justagigolo77]

Nobody has mentioned the fact that in order to convert a license, you must still meet Canadian minimum licensing requirements. You need to have 200+ hrs plus the required pic and dual training hours etc etc in order to obtain a Canadian Commercial license which is a requirement to work in Canada as a pilot. There is no such thing as a frozen ATPL here so there is no conversion for that.

[namdar_h]

@Pilot DAR: wow, thanks a lot for the detailled description, it really does sound amazing and like a lot of fun! From the way you're describing it I can see how the 50 hour training would be invaluable and the experience one gets flying one of those planes must be incredibly awesome. However, it doesn't change the fact that the odds seem to be really bad at the moment, especially for foreign pilots to actually get a job. I don't want to joint the general negativity some frustrated pilots have in this forum, but investing that much money with such a low probability to actually get a job seems a little too risky for me.

@justagigolo77: I actually have thought about that. (International CPL Conversion | Air-Hart - Aviation, Kelowna B.C., Canada) I would be able to get to the required amount of hours during the next summer, but I would still have to complete some items, like the exams and the night flying hours..