CHC Presentation & Offshore future in Europe
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CHC Presentation & Offshore future in Europe
I saw this post elsewhere and I thought it would be good to share it on this page as well.
Here it is:
Hey!
We had an interesting presentation from CHC the other day. I took a couple of notes, let me share them here. All of it is based on CHCs information so be careful with it. It my be a slightly distorted view since they just lost 2 contracts to Bond in GB. Maybe you shouldn't transfer this 1:1 to the rest of this industry but I'm sure it looks more or less the same everywhere right now. Here we go:
Their presentation started with "Gentlemen, this presentation is going to dissappoint you." So go figure how the rest of this went on...
It looks like right now the only growing markets (for them!) are in Australia, Brazil and Norway. Their demand for pilots for the next period till 2012 shows some openings in Norway, none in DK, none in the UK (layoffs), perhaps some in Ireland and 0-4 pilots anually for their Den Helder base to keep their amount of staff stable until 2012. Currently there is an 11 month waiting list with no ad-hoc positions available and - actual quote - it's "Looking bad".
For their Den Helder base they currently support 7 oil companies / 2 contracts. Flights are 12-28 minute average flight times between landings. No equal time roster in NL, 9 working days, 5 days off (with at least a consecutive 2-day off period). 4 week schedules, 1 month in advance. Operating times 7:00-22:00 in 3 different 9hr shifts around the day.
Their experience requirements are dictated by their customers (Oil and Gas Producer Recommendations for Pilots).
- Captain: 3000hr, 1500 PIC, 100hr on Type
- Co-Pilot: 1000hr, 500hr Turbine, 100hr PIC, 50hrs on Type (anybody else wondering about 100hr PIC?
)
However, CHC can get waivers for Co-Pilot positions to start with ~250hrs TT if they give you extensive line training and make constant progress reports to their customers. That means you could start at around +-200hrs TT and due to the training etc. you'll have 250hrs by the time you start working.
The Minimum requirements before you are even eligble to knock on their venerable doors are:
- ATPL(H) frozen
- CPL practical done
- JAA IR done
- JAA 1st class medical
- the more hours the better (obviously a 3000hr pilot is prefered over a 220hr applicant...)
Their Interview is done in 3 phases:
1. Interview
2. Psychometric testing
3. Grading
The Interview is about your ability to work in a team and is done with their human ressource and crew training managers. Fail this and the doors are closed.
The Psychometric testing consists of intellectual tests, sensomotoric tests, personality tests and the obligatory interview with their shrink
It's aiming to test your manual ability, multitasking, hand/eye/feet coordination and stress tolerance. Pretty much like the DLR test (--> Hesse / Schrader "Der Pilotentest" might help, the demand seems very similar to me)
Lastly the grading is basically simulator flying. This is done in an FNPT simulator in NL or any other simulator that CHC can use. This is done to judge your level of IFR flying skills, multicrew ability, workload and learning ability and multitasking again.
Should you screw #2 and #3 the doors are closed for 5 years (after that time they assume you might have advanced in your personality and / or skill...)
The current pass rates for the phases:
Phase.....Done.....Passed
-----------------------------
#1..........74..........48
#2..........48..........36
#3..........36..........27
IF you should get a job, then you get two 1 year contracts and when you're doing fine a fixed contract. This includes the type rating + training for CHC. You are on a 5 year bond, if you leave early you have to pay back the T/R and training.
You have to relocate within 60km around Den Helder (for reserve duty you have to be there within 15 minutes call time)
To put it in a nutshell: the prospects look grim right now.
What they recommend to get hired in the future is:
- Do your SE IR (that's enough for them, afaik Bond & Bristow want a ME IR)
- Shop around for your Instrument Rating and keep flying somewhere (ha.ha.)
...to be ready, when THEY hire again Remember: They only give you 2hrs for grading with no 2nd chance. Well, it might be true: If there is a sudden demand you are definitely in a superior position if you already have the IR in your pocket.
But, and this is just my personal 2cents, on the other hand it is a somewhat crooked logic: you spend $90.000 for your IR and facing the industry right now you probably end up siting and waiting for perhaps the next 2 years hoping to find a job where you can fly IR (WHERE in EU if not off shore?). By the time you apply they expect you to be still current, up to date, proficient and knowledgeable in IFR flying for your interview because you only have one chance to pull off a decent IFR flight in their simulator. I'm not sure if I could do that after such a long time without IFR experience / training.
Honestly: If you have a decent job in your A109 stick with it and enjoy a hopefully safe job for the next couple of years until the situation gets better. By then you should be able to jump right into IFR flying and get a job with +3k hours without a problem.
If you don't care about the nice office view and IFR flying in particular I would try operators like ADAC, DRF, Air Rescue Luxemburg, etc. Not many, but some of them fly IFR for transfer flights. That should be much easier and safer with 1600h TT + 500hr ME.
Here it is:
Hey!
We had an interesting presentation from CHC the other day. I took a couple of notes, let me share them here. All of it is based on CHCs information so be careful with it. It my be a slightly distorted view since they just lost 2 contracts to Bond in GB. Maybe you shouldn't transfer this 1:1 to the rest of this industry but I'm sure it looks more or less the same everywhere right now. Here we go:
Their presentation started with "Gentlemen, this presentation is going to dissappoint you." So go figure how the rest of this went on...
It looks like right now the only growing markets (for them!) are in Australia, Brazil and Norway. Their demand for pilots for the next period till 2012 shows some openings in Norway, none in DK, none in the UK (layoffs), perhaps some in Ireland and 0-4 pilots anually for their Den Helder base to keep their amount of staff stable until 2012. Currently there is an 11 month waiting list with no ad-hoc positions available and - actual quote - it's "Looking bad".
For their Den Helder base they currently support 7 oil companies / 2 contracts. Flights are 12-28 minute average flight times between landings. No equal time roster in NL, 9 working days, 5 days off (with at least a consecutive 2-day off period). 4 week schedules, 1 month in advance. Operating times 7:00-22:00 in 3 different 9hr shifts around the day.
Their experience requirements are dictated by their customers (Oil and Gas Producer Recommendations for Pilots).
- Captain: 3000hr, 1500 PIC, 100hr on Type
- Co-Pilot: 1000hr, 500hr Turbine, 100hr PIC, 50hrs on Type (anybody else wondering about 100hr PIC?
)However, CHC can get waivers for Co-Pilot positions to start with ~250hrs TT if they give you extensive line training and make constant progress reports to their customers. That means you could start at around +-200hrs TT and due to the training etc. you'll have 250hrs by the time you start working.
The Minimum requirements before you are even eligble to knock on their venerable doors are:
- ATPL(H) frozen
- CPL practical done
- JAA IR done
- JAA 1st class medical
- the more hours the better (obviously a 3000hr pilot is prefered over a 220hr applicant...)
Their Interview is done in 3 phases:
1. Interview
2. Psychometric testing
3. Grading
The Interview is about your ability to work in a team and is done with their human ressource and crew training managers. Fail this and the doors are closed.
The Psychometric testing consists of intellectual tests, sensomotoric tests, personality tests and the obligatory interview with their shrink
It's aiming to test your manual ability, multitasking, hand/eye/feet coordination and stress tolerance. Pretty much like the DLR test (--> Hesse / Schrader "Der Pilotentest" might help, the demand seems very similar to me)
Lastly the grading is basically simulator flying. This is done in an FNPT simulator in NL or any other simulator that CHC can use. This is done to judge your level of IFR flying skills, multicrew ability, workload and learning ability and multitasking again.
Should you screw #2 and #3 the doors are closed for 5 years (after that time they assume you might have advanced in your personality and / or skill...)
The current pass rates for the phases:
Phase.....Done.....Passed
-----------------------------
#1..........74..........48
#2..........48..........36
#3..........36..........27
IF you should get a job, then you get two 1 year contracts and when you're doing fine a fixed contract. This includes the type rating + training for CHC. You are on a 5 year bond, if you leave early you have to pay back the T/R and training.
You have to relocate within 60km around Den Helder (for reserve duty you have to be there within 15 minutes call time)
To put it in a nutshell: the prospects look grim right now.
What they recommend to get hired in the future is:
- Do your SE IR (that's enough for them, afaik Bond & Bristow want a ME IR)
- Shop around for your Instrument Rating and keep flying somewhere (ha.ha.)
...to be ready, when THEY hire again
Remember: They only give you 2hrs for grading with no 2nd chance. Well, it might be true: If there is a sudden demand you are definitely in a superior position if you already have the IR in your pocket.But, and this is just my personal 2cents, on the other hand it is a somewhat crooked logic: you spend $90.000 for your IR and facing the industry right now you probably end up siting and waiting for perhaps the next 2 years hoping to find a job where you can fly IR (WHERE in EU if not off shore?). By the time you apply they expect you to be still current, up to date, proficient and knowledgeable in IFR flying for your interview because you only have one chance to pull off a decent IFR flight in their simulator. I'm not sure if I could do that after such a long time without IFR experience / training.
Honestly: If you have a decent job in your A109 stick with it and enjoy a hopefully safe job for the next couple of years until the situation gets better. By then you should be able to jump right into IFR flying and get a job with +3k hours without a problem.
If you don't care about the nice office view and IFR flying in particular I would try operators like ADAC, DRF, Air Rescue Luxemburg, etc. Not many, but some of them fly IFR for transfer flights. That should be much easier and safer with 1600h TT + 500hr ME.
Interesting? When was this meeting?
Did they mention the unhappy workforce in Den Helder and the lack of a CLA! And no permanent contract, which in Holland I believe means a lot in respect to your financial status with regards to house purchase etc.
And the fact that our Dutch friends work the most amount of days in CHC Europe for the least amount of pay!
Try all the other companies first unless you live in Norway because there workforce have their **** in one pile with a strong union.
"Cash is King"
Did they mention the unhappy workforce in Den Helder and the lack of a CLA! And no permanent contract, which in Holland I believe means a lot in respect to your financial status with regards to house purchase etc.
And the fact that our Dutch friends work the most amount of days in CHC Europe for the least amount of pay!
Try all the other companies first unless you live in Norway because there workforce have their **** in one pile with a strong union.
"Cash is King"
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I guess a few of the pilots in CHC Norway also works about 206 days, or even more, but then any day>179days will be voluntary workover, compensated with €1400 pr day for captains, + overtime + per diem.. and at Bristow Norway it's exactly the same deal. 
So how come Norway have such excellent salaries/terms/conditions etc? Is it down to strong union? workforce?
If it's the union, why can't the UK be similar instead of the whole pile of crap we're presently going through.???
Bring on those ballot papers!
If it's the union, why can't the UK be similar instead of the whole pile of crap we're presently going through.???
Bring on those ballot papers!
206 working days............. that's an ish thou not 100% sure give or take a day.
AH Norway the holy of holy's for an offshore pilot........... Good pay and respect.
As for Scotia
AH Norway the holy of holy's for an offshore pilot........... Good pay and respect.
As for Scotia
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@TTT
What I posted is not from me and I don't know nothing about flying offshore in Europa.
I would like to one day but first of all, I need to convert my FAA ATP to JAA ATPL(H)...but thats 2-3 years down the road.
Falko
What I posted is not from me and I don't know nothing about flying offshore in Europa.
I would like to one day but first of all, I need to convert my FAA ATP to JAA ATPL(H)...but thats 2-3 years down the road.
Falko
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TTT: Hey, I posted this on "elsewhere" 
Just some notes I took during a recent presentation from CHC I attended.
Unfortunately the combined number of workdays is the only figure I didn't write down, but recalling it from memory it was something in the low-mid 200 days / year range.
During the off-periods you don't have to do any training (sim, etc.), so those 5 off days in 2 weeks are really "off". From what I understood any additional time for training, meetings, etc. comes on top of that. Plus your normal vacation, but I don't know how much that is.
As far as I know there are a couple of CHC guys from Den Helder around here, so they should have more specific answers. So far that's really all I got in my notes.
Just some notes I took during a recent presentation from CHC I attended.Unfortunately the combined number of workdays is the only figure I didn't write down, but recalling it from memory it was something in the low-mid 200 days / year range.
During the off-periods you don't have to do any training (sim, etc.), so those 5 off days in 2 weeks are really "off". From what I understood any additional time for training, meetings, etc. comes on top of that. Plus your normal vacation, but I don't know how much that is.
As far as I know there are a couple of CHC guys from Den Helder around here, so they should have more specific answers. So far that's really all I got in my notes.
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Strong union!
Yes, the pilots in CHC Norway have a strong union. But more importantly, a national law that makes all the agreements in the CLA legally binding for both parties. So once its in the CLA, its a done deal. Any changes in the CLA must be through negociations.
Other than that, decent pay, 182 workdays a year 5-2-5-9 or 7-7 or 14-14, + 2 admin days for none typespecific training/courses. Extra days pay cpt EUR 1300-Taxes. I believe terms in Bristows Norway are nearly identical.
Other than that, decent pay, 182 workdays a year 5-2-5-9 or 7-7 or 14-14, + 2 admin days for none typespecific training/courses. Extra days pay cpt EUR 1300-Taxes. I believe terms in Bristows Norway are nearly identical.
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Because a pint costs you about £8 in Norway...its all relative 
I'm still puzzled why so many rotorpilots are willing to work on a crappy roster with poor pay and pension, as long as they can have their cheap beer...
But how's your loss of licence insurance if your liver no longer can handle the lifestyle? Do you get €435 000 tax free like the norwegian Bristow and CHC pilots?
So how come Norway have such excellent salaries/terms/conditions etc? Is it down to strong union? workforce?
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It's probably something to do with having a population under 5 million - thereby giving one of the highest per-capita figures in the world!
Now, many of you will state the fact that airliners have larger aircraft and more passangers, therefore better pay for the pilots. Then this might come as a shock to you, but in Norway, a cab driver probably makes twice as much money as a bus driver, even though the bus is larger and can take more passengers than the taxi! How weird is that.....!?
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Yea that is it. Norway has a population of only 5 mill and a whole lot of oil which then gives good T's&C's.
Unlike Scotland with its 5.1 mill people and the largest oil reserves in the EU where we get treated like.
The simple fact is that the unions in the Scandi countries are real unions, who have power to negotiate and not only consult like this Mickey Mouse BALPA union that we have here in the UK, who legally is powerless to make any real changes in then industry.
If you are used to work in the UK or other places where unions are with out power then CHC Scotia/Holland is probably ok. If you are used to strong unions the you are in for a big shock.
In the end if you have 200 hrs CPL+IR+ € 110 000 in dept then you will go and work for CHC or anyone else anyway, because you need hrs and £$€
Unlike Scotland with its 5.1 mill people and the largest oil reserves in the EU where we get treated like
.The simple fact is that the unions in the Scandi countries are real unions, who have power to negotiate and not only consult like this Mickey Mouse BALPA union that we have here in the UK, who legally is powerless to make any real changes in then industry.
If you are used to work in the UK or other places where unions are with out power then CHC Scotia/Holland is probably ok. If you are used to strong unions the you are in for a big shock.
In the end if you have 200 hrs CPL+IR+ € 110 000 in dept then you will go and work for CHC or anyone else anyway, because you need hrs and £$€
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The simple fact is that the unions in the Scandi countries are real unions, who have power to negotiate and not only consult like this Mickey Mouse BALPA union that we have here in the UK, who legally is powerless to make any real changes in then industry.
Here we go again, cursing the few who at least try to make an effort... Only you can give BALPA more power, by changing your attitude!
Remember; A war can't be won without fighting the battles!
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Fully agree, I would like nothing more that BALPA to be great. I am a member and will until the end. It is not BALPA that I am blaming, BUT the UK system that does not allow a union to do its work properly.
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206 working days............. that's an ish thou not 100% sure give or take a day.
pls correct me if I m wrong