Job Availability for foreigners
 

Just A quick question to all you floaties! I am an Aussie working in Aussieland with approx 500 tt with 300 twin, currently working as a B58 Baron driver on casual charter.
But would really love to fly floats and can get endorsement easily enough over here, but you seem to need at least 200 hrs on floats to use it in a job because of insurance reasons!! Now your country seems to have the biggest floatplane population in the world so thought it might be better over there.
I can get working permit for two years or so.

Any comments will be greatly appreciated and/or an email that I can send to with a list of possible companies..

Cheers

I don't know specifically about current hiring minimums, but I have heard that float operators are in demand. Figures I've heard tossed around are 100 hrs of float time, but likely your twin experience could compensate. As far as a list of contacts goes, check out the following links. They contain fairly extensive listings of the aircraft operators throughout Canada, so you can call them up and ask them what they're looking for.
http://www.aviatorselect.com/index.stm
http://www.canadian-aviation.com/

Good luck! And if you find out anything interesting be sure and let us know.

SpiralDive

Thanks Spiraldive, Although on both these sites there is only about four jobs combined!! Surely there is more than that available in canada at this time, and to think that none of these were for a floatie!.

Anyone elses comments would greatly be appreciated!
Cheers

BC, G'day...Im a Baron driver in Oz too and not knowing where abouts you reside..have you thought of the possibilities in the Whitsundays in Nth Qld...Im around that neck of the woods & I know if you hand around for a while you may crack something there??...Just a thought anyway mate if you wanted to remain here...Good Luck anyway.

BC, G'day...Im a Baron driver in Oz too and not knowing where abouts you reside..have you thought of the possibilities in the Whitsundays in Nth Qld...Im around that neck of the woods & I know if you hand around for a while you may crack something there??...Just a thought anyway mate if you wanted to remain here...Good Luck anyway.

Baron Captain?, at the moment bush operators (ones that use floats) are getting ready for the winter. Most hibernate and open up shop around April so you won't see any jobs open up til then. Also, bush operators do not usually advertise for pilots. Pilots up here looking for a bush flying job take a road trip and visit the various operators to chat and hand in their CVs. Some pilots start out as dockhands for a little while then get a job flying. There are some that operate year round as they have skis, fly from big lakes up north that don't freeze, or use chainsaws to carve out a runway on the frozen lake.
As for the amount of float time, your total time seems ok and I've heard quite a few of them require as little as 25 hours on floats and some, like SpiralDive has said require 100 hours.
You can also try: http://www.harvair.mb.ca/forum/ http://www.aviationspot.com/bbs/

Good luck!
Cheers

Right, Baron Captain I meant for you to get the operators contact info from those sites, not any job listings. Basically, you won't find many jobs advertised, most of them go to someone who has contacted the operator. If the pilots come to them, why should they bother advertising?

KingAir, what time of year is usually a good time to start looking for jobs or do a roadtrip? I guess if you go too early the operators aren't likely to know how many guys they're gonna need for the summer.

It isn't really pertinent right now, as I don't have my commercial yet, but its good to know so I get all the hours and ratings in time for 2001.

Thx

[This message has been edited by SpiralDive (edited 15 October 1999).]

You have a good realtion between total and multi-time... I 'd just stay where you are for the time being.
But if you really want to get a full-time job, and are willing to relocate anywhere in the world there are several companies that are hiring F/O's for their 19 seaters.
I am sure that they would appreciate your experience.

There are a lot of pilots still looking for jobs . So if it takes you 6 months or so to get a job , you can consider yourself to be really lucky. Especially as you are flying right now.
Don't ever be discouraged, try again.
A good pointer is to apply to apply to companies you know that are hiring and most important , you think or know that you meet their minimum requirments.

I had about 400h or so when i got my commercial ... I had flow quite a bit as a PPL for fun ( about half of my time ).
I got hired on the spot to ferry airplanes around the world. Since that I have flown anything between Piper Archer and a Boeing 737.
It took me about 2 years to get where I am now.
Lots of very very long days working on less than minimum pay.
Eating unhealthy food in the middle of night. About 60000 USD for the training and living expenses during trainig.
And practically no life outside aviation.
Finally about 3 weeks ago I think I struck gold... I was Finally offered a REAL job flying BIG jets, perhaps not the retirement company , but certainly good enough to stick with for quite a while.
Would I do it all again, was it worth it.
YES and YES.

If you have any questions Email me .

JJ


[This message has been edited by JJflyer (edited 15 October 1999).]

SpiralDive, the best time of the year to do a road trip would be around the middle of April til the end of May. Best tip is to never give up. Some operators would probably wouldn't even give you the time of day but there are many that are pretty friendly. Good luck on getting your licences!

Slight correction king air. If a canadian operator hasn't found a guy to fly his floatplane by the end of march, he starts to panic. The BEST time to do a road trip up north is sometime soon after the new year and before the end of february...
cheers.

Hello and Happy New Year.
I was curious, where is the best place for the road trip? I'm in NS and there is no float operations here at all so I am planning to fly to Winnipeg in February, rent a car and drive down to T'Bay hitting Kenore, Red Lake, Pickle Lake, Sioux Lookout, etc. ... along the way and then backtrack.
Is Yellowknife and further north worth another trip? Any suggestions at all would be appreciated.
Thanks

I think you might want to try Alberta and Sask as well there not doing to well in BC and the Yukon. The NWT is doing OK but the jobs can be hard to get into they will not hire you unless they have seen your face :)

BC, try this link for your immigration questions.
http://www.cisr.gc.ca/
I have flown with several Aussies and Kiwis who have made there way to the great white north. With your experience you should find something without to much difficulty, however you won't be offered a job while you're still in OZ, you need to be face to face with the boss. Good Luck

Just wondering how hard it would be for a pilot with 3500 hours,with over 800 hours in Twin Otters most of which is command in Papua New Guinea,to get a job in Canada(Land plane jobs).Any info would be great!
Plugga. :)

[This message has been edited by Capt Plugga (edited 08 January 2000).]

Try Kenn Borek in Calgary, Alberta. They should be on the net. Maybe www.kennborek.ca
but I am not sure. If you would like to phone them 1-403-291-3300, F:1-403-250-6908.
The guy you would like to speak with is called Sean Loutitt. But watch out. He is a bit of a titt. His nickname is Seanthetitt.
He fu**ed a couple of guys around. Promised them jobs and changed his mind in the last minute.
It might also happen that they would want to send you to the Maldives, on floats. Beware of any promises from Loutitt since they are often empty.

Sounds really good JJflyer.

I would not mind a work on a 19 seater
soon.
I started on 97 to fly, got my CPL IR in
California and from there flew to Africa
to find a job with my 250 hours.
It took me 8 month and in ended up in Zambia
doing great flying and building some hours.
But the season is short and today i got
1000 and 200 on Baron, i wish i could catch
up with a REAL JOB where i couopld fly all
year round and earn money from it, as for
Africa i was pay at a Km rate, so it is
great if you fly and **** if you don't.
Anyway i was just puzzled by those 19 seaters
job you were talking about ?

I'd appreciate any stable pilot job with
regular flying. The ferry must have been
great experience !

Cheers

Baron captain as well on BE55, any clues
on Baron job where you can fly all year
round ? 1000- 200 baron.
Cheers and good luck for Canada , haven't
been there can't help. Sounds cold !

Why would anyone employ someone who says they are an "Aussie from Aussieland"? (must be a queenslander)
If you are serious about your aviation career I would stay in Australia, the oportunities and hiring are better than they have ever been. As an Australian working in Canada I can tell you its a great place to live but its much harder to get aviation work.

With all this talk of fixed wings and floaties... Would anyone know of any reputable rotary companies that would employ, for a few months at a time, someone to work those beautiful mountains.

I am Brit Army helicopter pilot with various degrees of experience on the Gazelle. Or what is required, 'civy-licence-wise'?

Otherwise, please let me know where the places are that I can visit to get some face/beer time with Canadian Aviators - both fixed and rotary. (Pubs/Bars I mean!)