Kenn Borek Air.
 

G'day everyone.
A few of questions in regard to Kenn Borek Air if anyone can help. I come across an advertisement where they are looking for DHC-6 pilots.

I have about 3000 hours PIC in Twin Otters, with "no" float experience. I am an Australian with an ATPL, most of my Twin Otter flying has been done in remote areas in the tropics.

Would they look at people like myself with no float time, but a lot of time on type ? I'm not looking for a float plane job, although I would consider it if a position was offered. I know they have aircraft operating around the Poles and in Canada additional to the Maldives. Where else in the world do they have Twin Otters based ?

Any information would be much appreciated.

Have a nice day.

Borek
 

Hey Duck Pilot.
Kenn Borek has planes (otters) in Canada, The Maldives, Panama, Cuba, Antarctica, and they lease a couple of twin otters and crew to CHC Heli in Cambodia. They also hava some DC-3's and King Airs. I think you have to be willing to rotate around the world (definitely a benefit). I know a few guys who fly with Borek and love every minute of it! I hope to be getting on in the next year or so. You definitely have enough time on type to get them interested.
Good Luck.

any advice you could pass on to some of the lower time guys without a ppc? alot of people say you need to bug bug bug them? any truth to this?

PPC
 

You don't need to have a PPC on the twotter to get on with borek. You only need the PPC and ICAO ATPL if you want to apply for their Captain positions in the Maldives. Most of their pilots are Canuks. They say they hire at 500 tt with 250PIC (multiIFR), but realistically... it's a little higher. My friend got on a couple months ago with 1400 hours (1200 PIC,multiIFR) and he was a flight instructor. I've seen on other threads that some posters say you "need" to have a float endorsement... not true! Borek has lots of King Airs and a couple of DC-3s. My friend for example, has no endorsement and he's flying the King Air up north. It's true that Borek has lots of applicants, but if they like you (helps to know someone, but not necessary), and you have a decent amount of hours (say around 1200-1700 with Multi IFR), you'll have a good chance at a right seat. Treat it like any other interview. It's such a diverse company and they fly to some really exotic places. If you have or get a float endorsement, that just mean chances are you'll be off to the Maldives. Check out this link for more info; it really explains a lot: http://borekair.com/index.php?cat=about#
Hope this helps.

As all KBAL aircraft are Canadian registered, apart from the ones working for Air Taxi in the Maldives, you would need to get your Canadian ATPL. They would like you to have off strip experince on the DHC6. The majority of the flying is on skis or tundra gear in the Arctic or Antarctic. If you were willing to get a float rating and sit right seat for 6 months or more in the Maldives that could be a way in.

DA42 has his geography mixed up, there are no KBAL aircraft flying in Cambodia or Panama, never was. But he was close, there was a short contract in the Caymans for less than a year a few years ago and the on going work in Burma, with just the one airplane.

my bad
 

Hey dataplate,
Thanks for correcting my error. I don't know why i had Cambodia in my head when it's definitely Burma. Any such, Maldives would be a sweet gig.

Thanks for the response guys/girls. Sounds like they are a good company to work for.

i also want to thank the guys/girls for their response.

Kenn Borek
 

Duck Pilot,


KB is not a sweet gig. Its a job! Nothing more nothing less.........I will give you the advice that I was given 10 + years ago from my yvr base captain after checking me out on the twatter.

"Get what you need out of this company and move on.......they don't give **** about you, your family or your needs! Get a thousand hours move on and don't look back"


I did just that! Although I look back with fond memories it is a far different company now then when I joined. So take my old base managers advice!

pitotman

PS Aussie guy the best gig they have by far is Male....I did four months there and it was good times!!

Kbal/mat
 

Hey,

I used to work for Borek in Canada and Antarctica. Your best bet is the Maldives. You must have a float rating. Apply directly to Maldivian Air Taxi. The website has a contact for the chief pilot last time I looked. I am almost certain you will have to sit right seat for a minimum of 500 hours(6 months) up to to 1000 hours until competency is displayed for float flying, more importantly...landing. I doubt you have a chance flying a "C" registered plane in Canada unless you have all the work permits in order yourself. It is also very unlikely that you could fly for Borek abroad. MAT under the 8Q reg is your best bet. I could be wrong but the chief pilot might be from Oz?

Hope that helps, good luck.

Thanks sefo, info much appreciated.

Float
 

Hey Sefo,

Do you still need to apply directly to MAT even if you were to live in Canada? Or can you apply in YYC? And about the float rating? Do you just need the regular endorsement or do you need a 50hour "pro" course?
Thanks

Air Taxi in the Maldives
 

All hiring is done by Sean in Canada. If you email the CP here in the Maldives he can recommend your CV to Sean if he likes it, but in the end the last word is with Sean. At the moment for captains, unless you have 2500TT 1000floats and 250 on type on floats your **** out of luck. Co pilots, well I know of many Canadians who meet the qualifications that are dying to get on with Borek in any capacity whether its at a northern base or the Maldives. There is also around 4-5 maldivian dockhands waiting to get into the right seat. Unless you know someone or have lots of float time (in hopes of a quick upgrade after 250 hours in the right seat) your best bet is to continue to send resumes to both Sean in Calgary and Dave in the Maldives.

thanks
 

Howdy Guards,

Thanks for the reply. Don't mean to be pushy, but regarding that float rating... will a normal rating do, or do you need that 50 hour course?
Thanks.

A little off the subject but.... Does anyone know or remember Ben Siemans. He was a Twotter Captain back in the 70's and 80's with this outfit. I think he was based in Fort St John?

How do upgrades work there? I heard they are upgrading guys/gals in Male from right seat to left seat fairly quick, is that true? What kind of time are we talking, I assume a lot more than 250 hours as Gard said?

Maldives
 

250 on type on floats is the minimum along with 1000 floats, 2500TT and an ATPL. Right now there is like 10 guys waiting for there upgrade shot.

Howdy Guards,

Thanks for the reply. Don't mean to be pushy, but regarding that float rating... will a normal rating do, or do you need that 50 hour course?
Thanks.
----------------------------------
Save your money, get the 7 hours float endorsement. Nobody cares about 43 hours of extra float time when what they're anyway looking for is 1000 :} .

They don't have planes in Panama or cuba.......... Contracts are Maldives, Antarctica and Burma with Cdn bases of Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Inuvik and Resolute Bay.

As others have stated you'll need a Cdn ATPL and 1000 hrs floats to be a cpt in the Maldives. Their wheel operations are mostly ski/off strip which would also involve a significant line indoctrination.

Just do the 7hr float rating as the rest can be had as part of line indoctrination.

Maldives captains rotate 2 months on, 1 month off with most coming from Vancouver and Calgary. Copilots do 6 month tours.

I don't know of any non-cdn citizens in the company but I could be wrong.

There are quite a few non Cdn citizens in the company, starting with the chief pilot !