Work For Float Plane Pilots?

[Biggles266]

Hello fellow PPRUNErs, Ive recently become fascinated with float planes and wondering what kind of work is out there for Pilots amongst float planes? Or where i would be best to look for such work?

Any info is much appreciated,

Thanks!

[Aussie Bob]

I have worked in the seaplane industry for the last 5 odd years. To get a start with the company I work for you will need at least 800 odd hours to be considered, 1100 would be preffered. If your timing coincides with a vacancy they will then give you the necessary endorsement if you need it, but if you already have it then you're ahead of someone who does not.

PM me if you need more info

[Wildpilot]

Its hard to get into as it requires a great deal more skill than most wheeled flying apart from ag and is quite easy to get it wrong. It requires good reading of situations such as wind direction and the ability to adapt and rise to situations. Not all pilots adapt to this kind of extremely practical flying and allot just are not good enough at flying correct attitudes etc.

Also on floats you tend to work harder in terms of cleaning and looking after equipment and once you land it is far from over, infact on some days its just starting.

To answer your questions now I have quite a bit of rough open water experience and I am not often out of work in Australia. I really enjoy it and have found the guys in the float world are often not driven by the same hankering for big shiny jets. Because of this they are more fun to be around as they generally are doing what they want not what they feel is correct for there career.


For me there is no regrets to becoming a float driver and infact I have found in other non float jobs it has helped me, allot of people in aviation recognise that if you have rough water float time you can fly!

[Piano Man]

Floats is all right place right time.

I consider myself very fortunate to have had all my commercial flying in the float industry. It is very rare for bare endos to get a job (but possible) however the water landings and some ICUS time are the key areas to focus on initially.

It is not easy work; 30 knot winds make things interesting in a beaver as does glassy water with a heavy 206! At the end of the day it is not an hour building exercise, it is doing it for the love of floats.

All the best!

[WannaBeBiggles]

As Piano Man mentioned, it is very much a case of right place, right time and most of all, the willingness to work hard.

Flying floats is great fun, but is not just a matter of showing up in the morning flying tourists around and then going home.

Continual washing of the aircraft is a must, especially in salt water and fuelling can be challenging with the majority of float ops being far far away from any bowsers and refuellers so climbing up on wings with a few jerry cans or filling the aircraft from a drum with a hand pump is something you will be doing a lot of as most float ops will run on min fuel for each flight.

Your best bet for a low timer would be the Gold Coast, Bill Lane in Port Macquarie or Strahan in Tas.

I'm pretty sure the guys in Kunners have all the guys they need.

Other float ops are;

Sydney Seaplanes (Beavers and Caravans) - do endo's but don't take on low timers AFAIK
Air Whitsunday - as above, though have heard of guys get lucky
Hamilton Island Air - Caravan, fairly high requirements from the last AFAP ad
Cairns Seaplanes - one Beaver, don't do endo's
Pasparley Pearls Darwin - Fly a Malard, high requirements
Horizontal Waterfalls Broome - Caravan, unsure of requirements but most operators won't let you on a van until you're around the 500-800 min

The others (unless I've missed one) are mostly one-man-bands and will be unlikely places to get a job, though ICUS might not be out of the question.

Floats is very much a career choice in of its self, as mentioned it's not good for building hours and won't give you the things you need for an ATPL if your end goal is the airlines as there is no night flying and your instrument rating will be pretty much useless.

But damn is it a lot of fun!

[zappalin]

I believe Bill Lane at Port Mac may be getting out of the game..

I'd love to know how you go from being float endorsed to getting a job flying floats, but it all seems to be put down to luck!!

[castrol]

Yep...Piano Man is on the money.

I've been trying for several years to crack a start but can't seem to be there at the right time...probably helps if you know someone as well, which I don't (anymore).

My 3000+ hrs, of which only 70 is floats has been no advantage over the "young fella's" with much less total time and a bare floats endo.

There's nothing wrong with the way it works I guess...just have to be there which is fair enough....

[Piano Man]

If someone has there heart truly set on floats then the best thing to do is make yourself known to the Cheif Pilots with the larger companies PERSONALLY.

Introduce yourself, show you are keen, build up relationships. Floats in Australia is very much a niche industry with very little movement so make yourself known.

It may seem a little strange to recommend getting the endo with very few jobs around, however it will teach you some fantastic stick and rudder skills, and a great respect of what your aircraft can (and can't) do!

[Wildpilot]

Castrol,

It depends on what your 3000hrs are and how you sell them, I had 1000hrs of bush flying not NT charter but hard bush flying in a land far away.

I then did a rating with Bill Lane and hung about for a couple of weeks to gain 20hrs extra. I then went back to help Bill out the next year for a few weeks until I had scrapped 100hrs on floats.

Then got employed on the Beaver in Oz and the rest is history. You have to sell your hours you have if they are relevant, obviously if they are instructing or scenic bashing it might be a bit harder.

But if you want it enough you will get in.

[Avid Aviator]

$$

Thanks for the above info.
Wondering if anyone is prepared to give an idea of pay rates going around (esp Sydney)??
Similar to instructing/bank running ex BK?
Mostly casual work, I assume?

Any info welcome (including PMs if you don't wish to post publicly). Thanks in advance.