Caribbean Airlines
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Jamaica
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Still waiting..
I am a Caricom national and applied to their online ad two months ago. The closing date was September 4. The only real drawback I suppose is conversion to the TT CPL with having to do the 9 exams required. I really hope to get a foot in the door but with all the restructuring that's going on and with newly appointed CEO doing some 'streamling', I suppose I may be 'waiting in line' for sometime yet. 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: trinidad
Age: 33
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how much do caribbean pilots earn on a monthly and yearly basis
how much do caribbean pilots earn on a monthly and yearly basis, both first officer and captain
help anyone
help anyone
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Whether you are local or foreign to any English-speaking island or country in the Caribbean, regardless of your dreams or yens, I suggest you forget about aviation as a career.
Being a pilot is no longer a glorified or glamorous job - and maybe it never was. You bust your chops for very little money, possibly sometimes working all night, and the bean-counters around the world have made sure that what pilots lost they gained (airline CEOs and CFOs make millions now while their companies struggle) and they are still working on breaking pilots down further.
McIdiot O'Deary in Ireland's RyanAir wants to be able to fly all passenger jets with one pilot - and cram in more of his paying self-loading cargo (pasxsengers) by making them stand up for the entire flight!!!
Think about it - and I'm not joking.
Caribbean pilot salaries have historically been about half of the "developed" world, and BWIA's pilots used to make less than LIAT's. When BWIA became CAL, all the employees, including pilots, were fired and hired back without unions at even lower salaries.
TTALPA only just got recognised again after 5 years and has NO power.
So CAL pilots will make even less than BWIA pilots used to... take my stupid advice... if your family has the money, look for a different profession to get trained in - accountant, lawyer, doctor, dentist, whatever. Do something ELSE that you like to do, and you and your wife/children will have a far happier - and more prosperous - future. You may even be able to afford to buy your own home...
Forget this pilot thing, there are currently over a hundred experienced Caribbean pilots forced to find a different way to earn a living. If and when vacancies occur, the rich Daddies of some of them have already pulled the necessary strings to make sure their little darlings are high up in the line.
When you get rich at some other profession you can rent an airplane and get a pilot licence, then buy your own airplane and fly yourself around where YOU want to go. Or travel First Class on CAL, beg a visit to the cockpit and see how the other rich peoples children get their kicks - while they rent their domiciles because they can't afford to buy.
Sorry to sound so sour, but reality is reality, and today's reality in the Caribbean is pretty damned sour.
The hard reality is that you would be far better off finding a profession where you can make a good living without being kicked around for just a few bucks by rich people and politicians - most of whom seriously do not have a clue what it is they are doing with other peoples lives.
Being a pilot is no longer a glorified or glamorous job - and maybe it never was. You bust your chops for very little money, possibly sometimes working all night, and the bean-counters around the world have made sure that what pilots lost they gained (airline CEOs and CFOs make millions now while their companies struggle) and they are still working on breaking pilots down further.
McIdiot O'Deary in Ireland's RyanAir wants to be able to fly all passenger jets with one pilot - and cram in more of his paying self-loading cargo (pasxsengers) by making them stand up for the entire flight!!!
Think about it - and I'm not joking.
Caribbean pilot salaries have historically been about half of the "developed" world, and BWIA's pilots used to make less than LIAT's. When BWIA became CAL, all the employees, including pilots, were fired and hired back without unions at even lower salaries.
TTALPA only just got recognised again after 5 years and has NO power.
So CAL pilots will make even less than BWIA pilots used to... take my stupid advice... if your family has the money, look for a different profession to get trained in - accountant, lawyer, doctor, dentist, whatever. Do something ELSE that you like to do, and you and your wife/children will have a far happier - and more prosperous - future. You may even be able to afford to buy your own home...
Forget this pilot thing, there are currently over a hundred experienced Caribbean pilots forced to find a different way to earn a living. If and when vacancies occur, the rich Daddies of some of them have already pulled the necessary strings to make sure their little darlings are high up in the line.
When you get rich at some other profession you can rent an airplane and get a pilot licence, then buy your own airplane and fly yourself around where YOU want to go. Or travel First Class on CAL, beg a visit to the cockpit and see how the other rich peoples children get their kicks - while they rent their domiciles because they can't afford to buy.
Sorry to sound so sour, but reality is reality, and today's reality in the Caribbean is pretty damned sour.
The hard reality is that you would be far better off finding a profession where you can make a good living without being kicked around for just a few bucks by rich people and politicians - most of whom seriously do not have a clue what it is they are doing with other peoples lives.
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Wow BimJim, you sound like a bitter old man!
Your information is at best outdated and at worst deliberately misleading. Some of what you said is true, about flying as not being as glamorous as it once was, but the days of the low worked/high paid airline pilot are well and truly done. But you'll find that's the case worldwide.
There was an old joke about a BWIA pilot not being able to see a Liat aircraft because 'it's too small'. 'Like your salary!' came the reply. But as I said, it's an OLD joke. CAL's salaries were about the same as BWIA's were when it was closed down at the start of 2007. Since then they've been supplemented with various raises and bonuses and are now well in excess of anything Liat pays.
TALPA has been recognized as the pilot's bargaining body by CAL for years now and may not have the power that it once did, but many positive changes have been made and continue to be made.
I've been in the game for over 20 years now and have seen scant evidence of 'daddies pulling strings' however I'm not saying it doesn't happen. But once again, I think you'll find that worldwide.
Flying is still a great way to earn a living however you have to start early and have something to fall back on. To shoot down someone's dream just because things didn't work out for you comes off as sour grapes.
To answer some questions asked here, CAL's HR department is like the secret service. Nobody knows when vacancies will come up until they do. However with a wash of ATR72-600's due starting in October and 2 767-300's that need crewing this year, it's a safe bet that they'll be hiring sooner rather than later.
Your information is at best outdated and at worst deliberately misleading. Some of what you said is true, about flying as not being as glamorous as it once was, but the days of the low worked/high paid airline pilot are well and truly done. But you'll find that's the case worldwide.
There was an old joke about a BWIA pilot not being able to see a Liat aircraft because 'it's too small'. 'Like your salary!' came the reply. But as I said, it's an OLD joke. CAL's salaries were about the same as BWIA's were when it was closed down at the start of 2007. Since then they've been supplemented with various raises and bonuses and are now well in excess of anything Liat pays.
TALPA has been recognized as the pilot's bargaining body by CAL for years now and may not have the power that it once did, but many positive changes have been made and continue to be made.
I've been in the game for over 20 years now and have seen scant evidence of 'daddies pulling strings' however I'm not saying it doesn't happen. But once again, I think you'll find that worldwide.
Flying is still a great way to earn a living however you have to start early and have something to fall back on. To shoot down someone's dream just because things didn't work out for you comes off as sour grapes.
To answer some questions asked here, CAL's HR department is like the secret service. Nobody knows when vacancies will come up until they do. However with a wash of ATR72-600's due starting in October and 2 767-300's that need crewing this year, it's a safe bet that they'll be hiring sooner rather than later.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Caribbean
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Quite alot of negativity here and I respect the views of all.. It is indeed a fact that flying isnt the glamor career but for every one who hates it or is let down, there is always one who loves it and will make it, just like most other career paths. To tell someone to go in another career and forget flying, there is just too much of that on these forums, which we can all do without. Indeed, alot of the folks who fly do get their own children and they are the ones with the connections and it is indeed about " Who you know" and the folks with the money who get their high flying kids through and in the right seat but thats not to say you can get there with hard work. My folks arent wealthy nor are in the top brass connections but I am determined to make it ..
Zig, very well said.. CAL Hr is indeed a secret box ad they advertise both internally and externally at the spurt of the moment. I do feel the hiring wave is coming soon , as you said, with these ATR's and 767's on the way. I see a lot of fresh commercial pilots from the neighboring islands in a haste to get their conversions done locally !
Zig, very well said.. CAL Hr is indeed a secret box ad they advertise both internally and externally at the spurt of the moment. I do feel the hiring wave is coming soon , as you said, with these ATR's and 767's on the way. I see a lot of fresh commercial pilots from the neighboring islands in a haste to get their conversions done locally !
Join Date: Sep 2010
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CAL expansion??
Just curious, with the two 767's; are there going to be wet lease or the Trini boyz will get some widebody action again? Is CAL going to keep the North American wet lease they have now with the 757?
NightWolf
NightWolf
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The news filtering through now is that the 767 deal is off. Rumor has it that the deal was all set up with LAN at good terms for the a/c but due to delays at government level, they were sold to another buyer.
This apparently is the reason that the Chairman tendered his resignation. The political red tape wasn't allowing him to run the company as he wanted.
The will is there, however, to return to London. Just how and when are unknown, at least to me.
As for the wet-leased 757, CAL needs more capacity to JFK and the proposed 767's would have supplemented that nicely. I wouldn't be surprised if the 757 stays longer than expected.
This apparently is the reason that the Chairman tendered his resignation. The political red tape wasn't allowing him to run the company as he wanted.
The will is there, however, to return to London. Just how and when are unknown, at least to me.
As for the wet-leased 757, CAL needs more capacity to JFK and the proposed 767's would have supplemented that nicely. I wouldn't be surprised if the 757 stays longer than expected.
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Caribbean Airlines
Hi guys, I'm a JAA B737 First Officer for an European charter Airline, I've about 1100 hours on B737.
I'd like to know some details about Caribbean Airlines, such as: type of licence required (FAA or also JAA is ok?), roster, bases, salary, benefits ecc.
Thank you very much for your attention,
JET
Hi guys, I'm a JAA B737 First Officer for an European charter Airline, I've about 1100 hours on B737.
I'd like to know some details about Caribbean Airlines, such as: type of licence required (FAA or also JAA is ok?), roster, bases, salary, benefits ecc.
Thank you very much for your attention,
JET
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RWY_31R
It's a 28 day roster, thereby 13 control periods per year.
Usually 55-65 Hrs per control period. Minimum of 9 OFF days per roster, each single day OFF must have 2 local nights rest (10 PM to 8 AM).
There are no more 'Reserve Lines', reserves are interspersed throughout the roster, usually 5 days of reserve on each line.
There is a bidding system, lines are built by the rostering department, put out for bidding and are awarded in order of seniority. Contract pilots are allowed to bid but they're at the bottom of the list so alot of times it doesn't make much sense.
Another bidding system is being looked out, something like the Pref-Bid we used to have. There's also talk of adopting the system that WestJet uses, yet to be seen.
Lots of swapping goes on between crew members, Rostering just has to OK it.
Hope this helps.............
Zig
It's a 28 day roster, thereby 13 control periods per year.
Usually 55-65 Hrs per control period. Minimum of 9 OFF days per roster, each single day OFF must have 2 local nights rest (10 PM to 8 AM).
There are no more 'Reserve Lines', reserves are interspersed throughout the roster, usually 5 days of reserve on each line.
There is a bidding system, lines are built by the rostering department, put out for bidding and are awarded in order of seniority. Contract pilots are allowed to bid but they're at the bottom of the list so alot of times it doesn't make much sense.
Another bidding system is being looked out, something like the Pref-Bid we used to have. There's also talk of adopting the system that WestJet uses, yet to be seen.
Lots of swapping goes on between crew members, Rostering just has to OK it.
Hope this helps.............
Zig
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Hey RedEyeDriver,
In general, how did the roster work at CAL (e.g standby duty)? And was there a bidding system or facility to trade trips with other crew members?
In general, how did the roster work at CAL (e.g standby duty)? And was there a bidding system or facility to trade trips with other crew members?
Around 1 or 2 days off, combined with reserves, usually 6hr´s each. They have a bidding system, but I never used it, the only time when I really needed to change my flights, I just substituted them with other pilots, with approval from rostering department first.
The duty times per day would rarely exceed 8hrs, I found CAL´s flying programe to be fairly easy, compared to what I experienced in other companies in middle east and africa with max duty and minimum rest.
I brought my wife over to Trinidad which allowed me to stay there without commuting back half around the globe.
Join Date: Sep 2011
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REDEYEDRIVER,
im guessin thats the monthly salary right and also im 19 year old,how long will it take me (approx) to become a pilot if i start at this age.thanks
im guessin thats the monthly salary right and also im 19 year old,how long will it take me (approx) to become a pilot if i start at this age.thanks
Pilot trainings varies a lot, it also depends on what type of license you want to hold, if your aim is CPL+fATPL and perhaps a TR for B737 then maybe 2 years, depending on how well you progress. Trinidad has nice VFR conditions most of the time, so many parts of your initial training should go reasonable quick. Consult with the local flying school in Piarco, I´m sure they will provide you with better answers.
Join Date: Aug 2011
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hey what are some of the benefits for being a pilot with CAL ??
The fact that you have a job and are contributing to your family
whats the salary of a starting first officer on the dash 8 ?
I suspect somewhat more than you are earning now, sitting in front of a computer in mummy's house
The fact that you have a job and are contributing to your family
whats the salary of a starting first officer on the dash 8 ?
I suspect somewhat more than you are earning now, sitting in front of a computer in mummy's house