Looking over the pond!!
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Looking over the pond!!
Hey there guys and girls, Im sure similar questions have been asked many a time in the past but im wondering what the situation is like now in the post covid world!
Im a 41 year old 737 FO with nearly 3000 hours TT (2700 on the 73) with a European low cost. Im approaching command here and whilst i do love the job, im starting to think longer terms about how i want to live out the rest of my working life. I know a move across the pond would involve a lot of licensing headaches but it doesnt seem impossible on that front, especially if the rewards were worth it.
As it stands, myself and most of my colleagues are looking over to the US market at the moment with a fair bit of envy, as i am sure most of you north of the border are too! I hold a UK and Canadian passport and i am wondering if any of the improvements seen in the US employment conditions are starting to be seen north of the border? Also, Is there any route for a Canadian to get a job in the US that is more favourable than that which is open to us here in Europe? Any thoughts around these points would be appreciated
Im a 41 year old 737 FO with nearly 3000 hours TT (2700 on the 73) with a European low cost. Im approaching command here and whilst i do love the job, im starting to think longer terms about how i want to live out the rest of my working life. I know a move across the pond would involve a lot of licensing headaches but it doesnt seem impossible on that front, especially if the rewards were worth it.
As it stands, myself and most of my colleagues are looking over to the US market at the moment with a fair bit of envy, as i am sure most of you north of the border are too! I hold a UK and Canadian passport and i am wondering if any of the improvements seen in the US employment conditions are starting to be seen north of the border? Also, Is there any route for a Canadian to get a job in the US that is more favourable than that which is open to us here in Europe? Any thoughts around these points would be appreciated
I hold a UK and Canadian passport and i am wondering if any of the improvements seen in the US employment conditions are starting to be seen north of the border?
Yes and no. It will come but plan on it being 10 years behind the Americans as Canadians just aren't as bold in negotiating... yet. Our biggest issue is one we cannot overcome at the negotiating table. High taxes. The Americans will always come out ahead of us because of that.
Also, Is there any route for a Canadian to get a job in the US that is more favourable than that which is open to us here in Europe?
Join Date: Oct 2007
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TC is pretty good with the licensing transfers. It's not as horrible as it could be. Just know that they're ticking boxes, so it helps if you already know if you're short on hours and accept you may need to rent to do some cleanup flying. Don't assume they'll just tick the box for you because you fly a shiny airplane. They don't care. When I moved back home to Canada, I was short 1.8 hours or so of dual night instruction because NZ had a lower requirement than Canada. So, 1.8 hours in a 172 with an instructor it was. Seems silly, but if you just accept it and run with it, you'll be better off. Just take the CARs, plug in your hours for the license you're converting, and see what you'll need to do. No nightmare required.
Now, if you're coming over for the lifestyle that living in certain parts of Canada can bring, cool. But you don't have nearly enough experience to come over for any sort of Direct Entry Captain spot, so you'd be moving back to the bottom of the seniority list at whatever airline you are hired onto. I'd suggest that if lifestyle is your primary driver, get a few years of command flying under your belt, and then make the move. Then you're in a spot to maybe obtain a DEC spot with someone like Flair or Lynx. No such luck with the likes of AC or WJ though, so you may as well come sooner if those are the companies you're looking at as only seniority drives upgrades there.
As Mostly Harmless already said, there is no quick way to move south of the border. There are pilots making the move, but they tend to either have a connection to the US already or they are what is considered "exceptional talent" - think 15,000 hours 737 command time with a college degree type people. So if the is your goal, you might be better making the move from where you are.
Now, if you're coming over for the lifestyle that living in certain parts of Canada can bring, cool. But you don't have nearly enough experience to come over for any sort of Direct Entry Captain spot, so you'd be moving back to the bottom of the seniority list at whatever airline you are hired onto. I'd suggest that if lifestyle is your primary driver, get a few years of command flying under your belt, and then make the move. Then you're in a spot to maybe obtain a DEC spot with someone like Flair or Lynx. No such luck with the likes of AC or WJ though, so you may as well come sooner if those are the companies you're looking at as only seniority drives upgrades there.
As Mostly Harmless already said, there is no quick way to move south of the border. There are pilots making the move, but they tend to either have a connection to the US already or they are what is considered "exceptional talent" - think 15,000 hours 737 command time with a college degree type people. So if the is your goal, you might be better making the move from where you are.
