Seabourne Airlines

[beachbumflyer]

Does anybody know something about working conditions for pilots at Seabourne and about living in St. Croix?
Thanks.

[alibabaskid]

st. croix

my bro works for seaborne, made capt in 6 months. st. croix is expensive unless you compare it to L.A. $1000 / mo for a crappy apt. the natives are idiots, unmotivated, theiving. All in all, hes happy

[beachbumflyer]

Thanks, Alibaba
How's the pay?

[SherpaDriver]

To alibabaskid

my bro works for seaborne, made capt in 6 months. st. croix is expensive unless you compare it to L.A. $1000 / mo for a crappy apt. the natives are idiots, unmotivated, theiving. All in all, hes happy

Wow..it's good to know that one doesn't have to look too far to get "objective" commentary about aviation in St. Croix. Your racist commentary really shines through in your post. I don't know if the views you've expressed are those of your brother or you but it never ceases to amaze me how individuals who have so much contempt for their living conditions and surroundings do nothing to change their situation but criticize at any opportunity.

Your generalizations do nothing more than flaunt your ignorance. I fly in that region regularly and with the exception of the high cost of living there, nothing else you've said even remotely rings true. St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John are part of the U.S. Virgin Islands and hundreds of thousands of tourists flock there from all over the world every year. It is an American territory with a very diverse and multi-cultural population. If you have so much contempt for the local population (not "natives") and aviation in that region then GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! St. Croix, like everywhere else in the world, has its positives and negatives but to paint the entire island with one broad brush...you come across as a bigot and a racist.

Seaborne is a well-established airline in the region and is the lifeline for connecting the three islands with their ability to takeoff and land in the ocean. There is a flight school near Lakeland, Florida where you can get a Single/Multiengine Seaplane endorsement on your license real fast. If you've got a beef with St. Croix, I'm sure you can bring your point across intelligently without flaunting your ingorant commentary for the rest of the world to read!

[Pilot135pd]

Good Reply !

I was just about to put him in place but you did it a nicer way than I was going to. Very true reply, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are mentioned in the way he did by people who've never been there or get info from newbie pilots that are starting at the bottom of the barrel and are just scraping by.

[HSInop]

Twin Otter. Any questions? Think not.

NIce tounge lashing. it twas a nice one. Is there anyone out there have a good idea as to what the pilots make as FOs and Captains? Been trying to find out and no one seems to know that answer. Would like to know per month and year before packing the wife and kids.

[clknodl]

In 2003 the pay was for a FO 26k, co captain 44k, and first year captain 52k second year captain 60k. I think they don't pay the co captain that much anymore but I also heard that they actually got an increase in pay.

Living is expensive, crime is high, and on St. Croix there are hardly any tourists. They are all in St thomas or St john.

It is a great job to get your feet wet. Seaborne is a good local comapany with its normal ups and downs.

I did it for amost 3 years and had a great time.

Good luck

[beachbumflyer]

Thanks, clknodl

[contrabando]

St. Thomas - St. Croix: The Real Truth!

This is to the sanctimonious island idiot know-it-all who says he "flies there regularly" to St. Croix & St. Thomas. Well, I LIVED THERE (both islands) for 3 years in the early 80s & the place was an overcrowded, polluted, over-run by tourists, bastion of local punks & Rastas looking to give whitey a hard time.

I had to rescue a pilot friend of mine from being beaten by two local punks one night at 2am. When they saw the fight was going to be even they ran their coward punk asses off.

Another local loud mouth at an airport bar was running his mouth off one night about how "the white people needed to get off HIS island." He never shut up & I had just put in a 14 hour day for Virgin Air. I stepped right in his FACE & told him to shut the hell up & didn't want to hear anymore of his CRAP. Again, with no crowd backing him up he slowly walked on down the beach. Yes, your local PALS are very brave until they find a WHITE GUY with no intention of putting up with your island pal's crap.

AND AM I A RACIST? I'm currently flying for the UN WORLD FOOD PROGRAM IN DARFUR, AFRICA providing FOOD to the world's most miserably starving people.

YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE SPEWING OUT YOUR CAKE HOLES. Just because people state what they REALLY MEAN & REALLY EXPERIENCED is no reason to say they are arrogant or racist or bigots.

You need to GROW UP & realize the world is no Cheery place anymore. That blacks are just as racist as whites. That there are RATHOLES WHERE RATS LIVE AND TWO OF THOSE PLACES ARE ST. THOMAS AND ST. CROIX!

My real name is Bill Catalina & my real address is [email protected]. Write me & I'll give you more than you can chew on with your sanctimonious attitude. I'm sick of you people, blacks & the white ass kissers who agree with you on everything because they don't have the balls to stand up or think for themselves. You want to DO SOMETHING for your people besides run that mouth of yours>....COME TO DARFUR WISE ASS. You can work in this 120+ degree heat, fly Twin Otters, smell the smells, watch the suffering, the bleeding, the starving, feel the abject misery at the hands of your fellow blacks killing & maiming other blacks. I'm waiting...You people make me sick, especially the whites who put up with this know-it-all.

[Check 6]

I lived on St. Thomas in the 90s for about 1.2 years. There was crime there (like everywhere else in the world) but if you avoided the "projects" there were no problems. My wife drove around by herself without any problems.

[dannyjet]

Originally Posted by SherpaDriver

I don't know if the views you've expressed are those of your brother or you

Well now we have the views from both brothers, there you go.

[VictoryAviation]

Racism

He who calls one a racist usually is the racist.

[SherpaDriver]

To Contrabando

This is to the sanctimonious island idiot know-it-all who says he "flies there regularly" to St. Croix & St. Thomas. Well, I LIVED THERE (both islands) for 3 years in the early 80s & the place was an overcrowded, polluted, over-run by tourists, bastion of local punks & Rastas looking to give whitey a hard time.

First of all Bill, as tempting as it might be to stoop to your level with the insults I will resist that urge because you aren't worth the effort. I guess you figured why come up with a coherent argument when an insult will work just as well. You say you lived on both islands 20+ years ago yet you consider yourself a current authority on life in the Virgin Islands. The world has changed quite a bit since you were there but I suspect with all your pent-up rage you wouldn't notice that. I guess you're feeling pretty brave to give the forum your real name and email address...well good for you. I hope you don't mind but I will pass on your invitation to write you personally...maybe others on the forum may want to hear what you have to say.

I have served in the Armed Forces for over two decades and currently serve in the National Guard where my pilot duties have me flying military aircraft in and around the U.S. Virgin Islands EVERY MONTH so my observations about the people and life over there are fairly current and, I believe, accurate. Over the years I have served in combat and several major military operations around the world and would hold my resume up against yours any day of the week. I take nothing away from what you are doing in Africa...those type of flying services are needed over there and I commend anyone who does work in that part of the world. However, you don't have a monopoly on flying experience into Africa..as a member of the U.S. armed forces I have flown humanitarian missions over there as well as five of the seven continents in the world so get off your high horse because you are preaching to the choir.

If there was anything about my previous post that got you so angry then why don't you address that and stop your childish tirade. I took someone to task for making derogatory comments and broad generalizations about the people who live in the USVI and provided a little insight about the islands and their place in the world. I never claimed to be a "know-it-all" and was strictly expressing my opinion..which others on the forum obviously agreed with. So if that makes me "sanctimonious" then I am guilty as charged!

I had to rescue a pilot friend of mine from being beaten by two local punks one night at 2am. When they saw the fight was going to be even they ran their coward punk asses off.

If you had a bad experience over there does that now mean every Virgin Islander is bad? Do you mean that for the 3 years you lived there no single person made a positive impression on you? You had no friends who were Virgin Islanders and were you completely miserable for the entire time there because everyone around you didn't conform to how you wanted them to exist. If you answered "yes" to any of those questions then you might want to hold a mirror up to your face and take a good look at yourself. You might actually be the problem..because if the USVI is as bad as you claim it is then tourism would have died on that island a long time ago. But with the number of cruise ships docking there daily, and flights from the U.S. and other countries packed with tourists, someone (besides you) obviously thinks making a trip to USVI equals having a nice vacation and a good time. If life was so bad for you then you should have pulled chocks and moved after the first few months living there...we all make choices in life so you obviously made the decision to stay.

YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE SPEWING OUT YOUR CAKE HOLES. Just because people state what they REALLY MEAN & REALLY EXPERIENCED is no reason to say they are arrogant or racist or bigots.

You need to GROW UP & realize the world is no Cheery place anymore. That blacks are just as racist as whites. That there are RATHOLES WHERE RATS LIVE AND TWO OF THOSE PLACES ARE ST. THOMAS AND ST. CROIX!

Go back and read your words again and see how ridiculous you sound. The USVI population are now reduced to rats and people are supposed to take your post seriously. I don't know you but you seem really judgemental and quite full of yourself. I don't know if you are looking for some kind of medal or award because you fly airplanes in a developing country. But I sense a lot of contempt in your words for people of color and anyone reading your post, Black or White, might have a suspicion or draw the conclusion that you do what you do in that region of the world because you have to, and not because you want to. Whether you realize it or not, there is a lot of contempt in your words when talking about Black people so I question your desire to be in that part of the world because you are trying to make a difference for someone less fortunate than yourself. This forum started as a fact-finding mission about Seabourne Airlines and I still stand by my claim that its a good company to work for and flying in and around the USVI and Caribbean can be a career or a fun and exciting stepping-stone to move on to other flying jobs in the future.

Anyway my man, fly safe and keep doing what you are doing...

[perceval]

he still doesn't know how much he'll be making . Sounds like a fun job . Nothing wrong with those places and I think the 'packed' wife and kids shouldn't mind life in the caribbeans too much .
Have fun

[Goffel]

Go tiger

Vok Broer.

U yanks certainly know how to chirp each other....and there we thought us okes from Africa were the only ones being called racists.

Since I am not interested in your fight, my question is...what aircraft do they fly on the islands, and are there jobs available for 5000 hr multi engine turbine pilots.

Mr Bill....are you flying for ET in Sudan...if so...who has bought the twotters as ET are not renewing the twotter contract next year?.

Goffel..

[chongololo]

Lyk 'it Goffel.

They fly twin otters on floats at Seaborne.
Not sure about hiring but remember it is the USVI and green card will be required for employment.
Good luck.

[B Sousa]

Your racist commentary really shines through in your post. I don't know if the views you've expressed are those of your brother or you but it never ceases to amaze me how individuals who have so much contempt for their living conditions and surroundings do nothing to change their situation but criticize at any opportunity.

I will take a piece of that pie. Lived and worked there for a few years.
The Virgin islanders and the majority of those who think that is their roots are probably some of the most corrupt people for which the U.S. taxpayer gets hosed. Police are useless and usually involved in most of the activity. Anything to do with getting government workers to function is a total loss. Major cases handled by the local FBI Office: Political Corruption.
As to "do nothing with changing their situations" you must be asleep in that Sherpa. The Government pours tons of money into those islands all they get is useless government agencies that piss money away and nothing gets done. Shall we talk about the "Bridge to Nowhere" on the east side of St Thomas. One that was paid for by the taxpayers when one of the local crooked senators got funding. The dam bridge sits there for what twenty years with no road on either end. Just one of many from those dope smoking idiots. Maybe empty out all the Turnbull bank accounts and then cap him on the beach like they do in liberia...

So easy for some shmoe to label people racists when the root of the problem is one race. Go vote for a democrat. The majority who live in the projects are a bunch of ungrateful losers. So much so they have to build new projects as these folks destroyed the first one on St thomas.
Sherpadriver is getting a bit touchy sitting over there in St Croix drawing all the big bucks, probably does not have to deal with everyday life at least on St Thomas.
Of the three islands the only livable one is St John. Prices keep out most of the trash. St Croix is a little rural and as long as you dont wander out at night in the cities or try walking around, your odds are better. Do that at night near Smith bay and if you only get robbed your lucky.
St Croix as I remember got so bad the cruise ships refused to dock for a while.
As for a lot of the white trash that hit that place, most are seeking the good life after wasting most of theirs in other places. Dead end jobs for dead heads.
Lots of tourisim there, most are disappointed if they venture off the ships as to rip off prices, urine soaked beaches and trash all over the place. Most tourist who stay on the islands stay in "compounds" or areas that are off limits to any other than guests. Wonder why that is......

As to Seaborne who are no longer doing tours, all I have known who work for them are satisfied. Its a place to get twin turbine MES time and they seem to be happy with the latest pay. I think the routes would bore me to tears, but thats just me.

So now I can sit back and let Sherpa driver tell me why I want to live in french town. Check 6 and I both had the same backrounds in other lives, so dont call us racist, call us realists. The difference between a racist and a tourist on St Thomas is usually about an hour.
Celebrities?? Yep have a few down that way. In fact Kelsey Grammer was born there. Lovely place, his father was murdered there. Tim Duncan, big basketball star, St Croix. The Government actually had to cut a deal with him so he would call that place home..... (Its called tax incentives) Most all of the other celebs live in the BVI, probably safer.
Hows my bud in the Panther Navajo, he retire yet??

Hows this one....Yes there are many GOOD Honest Virgin islanders......

Goffel, come visit the islands, you would even become Gatvol in no time.

[SherpaDriver]

To B Sousa

You are entitled to your opinion about life in the Virgin Islands as do I so don't hold your breath if you're waiting for me to counter everything you've just written. If you weren't such an intellectual lightweight you would see that I have never tried to paint a picture of utopia or paradise in the USVI; I just have a problem with folks who like to generalize about people or places when the realities on the ground don't reflect the truth. If you think the USVI has a monopoly on corruption or funds mismanagement then you are sadly mistaken (Russia, Ukraine, and Venezuela, are countries that come to mind).

At the end of the day, anyone choosing to work for Seabourne (that's what this original post was about in the first place) will make their own decisions and come to their own conclusions about life in the Virgin Islands when they come down to work and fly for the company. I wish them "good luck"...

[NZ X man]

Pc Ville

WHEW!! Glad that is over with, wonder if it is going to rain today?

[B Sousa]

If its in the VI it will rain today.........

If you think the USVI has a monopoly on corruption

Stick to the VI, as its in the U.S., nobody cares about Russia or other places those are a given.
Just want those who want to work for Seaborne what they may be in for in that "Tourist Attraction" of the Carribean.

I just have a problem with folks who like to generalize about people or places when the realities on the ground don't reflect the truth

Au Contrare, from the intellectual lightweight, it is the truth. I dont expect you to counter anything, just want those who may be heading that way to get a heads up as life will be different. Sort of like living in Washington D.C. but with better weather.