Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

Hey Flyagain, I've sent you a long letter that I wrote to all my buddies when I was on a tuna boat, out of Guam. You will here all kinds of stories form people who have done that job! I was with Hansen Heli for about 9 months. Nothing wrong with the company and the aircraft should be ok. Just make sure you have some familiarity with the aircraft type BEFORE you go. And I mean PROPER traing, not just a quick look at one at the local airfield. If you don't like being on your own, don't go, if you can't manage without all your usual amenities, don't go.... in fact if you have any worries about not being able to do it, or think, "I'll give it a go" don't go!
That said It was a great experience and I'm glad I did it. Talk to as many people as you can, there are loads of Aussies/Kiwis who've done that job.

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

I went to Guam in the hope of going around the companies there to hand out my CV/ resume and see if I could get an interview at the same time. Working on the principle that being able to put a face to a CV is always better.

Anyway, I got pulled at immigration for a full 3rd degree interview and also got all my baggage searched top to bottom as well. Nothing left unturned. I told them that I planned to go around these companies and told them exactly what I was trying for and that I would be there for 12 days before returning to Bangkok. I also had a valid return ticket.

Anyway, in their wisdom they decided that I was there to work illegally and deported me on the same plane that I had arrived by 3 hours earlier. I was told that by the officials that this would not affect me if I wanted to go back to the contiguous mainland US if I wanted to do any further training ( I have an FAA CPC(H) + IR ) as I departed. I was unhappy as I headed back to Bangkok but there was nothing I could do about it.

In Bangkok I applied for a visa to go to the US to do some more training and was refused because of this incident in Guam which now means that I am effectively banned from the US. All this for being up front and honest with them. And it has cost me a small fortune.

I am a Brit by birth and a Brit passport holder and a Brit resident and I thought that we were all on the same side! So much for the "special relationship"!

If you go to Guam on spec. do not utter one word with regard to work or you just might end up in the same situation as myself. Take care and good luck.:ok:

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

I agree, be VERY careful with immigration, I had a visa to go there and was still held in immigration for 5 hours! I was really close to being deported too.

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

G'day flyagain,
If you have any further questions after reading fishboy's stuff, feel free to PM me with specifics, I may be able to help with info on the other company(s). If they want you over there, they will organise a letter to assist with the visa application. The advice from Bell47Boy is very valid. DO NOT mention working around Guam or any of the island republics out there or you may find yourself turned around (or having to buy a visa at the going rate).
Cheers,
MPT

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

How many hour did you have to get the job?

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

Had a few guys join us over the years from Tuna spotting. Most of them were great pilots and loved the money they made on the boats.

I rembember most of them saying around the $7000 USD per month tax free.
Was told that this money is no longer the going rate as KIWI's are now doing it for around $4500 USD a month.
Looks like the channel jumbers screwed another good thing for the Helicopter indstury. Same thing in PNG where Pacific payed well now pay peanuts.

Banger

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

Thanks for your replies. fishboy, check your PM's.

I migh take you up on that later MPT, thanks.

Bummer about the under-cutters hey... The world as we (helicopter pilots) know it).

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

Yeah around 1000 hours is enough, don't worry about turbine time, but definitely get some time in the type you are to fly before going. My experience was to get shown my helicopter(which was parked on the helideck of the boat) from about half a mile away. the first time I flew it was was from a moving heli deck!
As far as I'm aware, they are still using C18 engines and OH6 airframes (too many people crash em to use new cool equipment). The C18 is ok for that job, you never really have more than one person aboard. The pay on your first tour won't be much more than about $4000 US/mo.
As for what you are expected to do if the heli breaks...
I had three MR chip lights in two weeks, the third one accompanied by a MR Temp light. It stayed on the deck for two weeks till we could get a replacement. The bottom line is, YOU are in command of the aircraft. The guy in the captains chair doesn't give a F^(£ about you or your helicopter, if he wants you to fly he will expect you to fly, if you don't want to, for whatever reason, then you have to be strong enough to tell him where to go.
My captain never expected me to do anything that I wasn't comfortable with so no probs. The captains are supposed to know the rules and a lot have been doing the job for a long time so they should be aware of what you can do. That said, I know that some of them will try to get you to do ridiculous stuff, it's up to you.

Re: Tuna spotting in Guam
 

7k a month, wow that must have been in the 80's

First off, you should do a search on fishspotting on this fourm. You will find a bunch of really good inforamtion.
2) be weary of the advice Fish boy has given you. Just from his posts, I doubt he spent much time on the boats in the Western Pacific.

Be very very careful of the mentioned operator in Guam. Talk to anyone who has spent some time on the boats and you will learn why. There is another operator in Guam who I would talk to if you are really interested.

Most of the tuna fleet in the western pacific are using the 500c (not OH6a) and c-20's. Hansen may have one or two OH6's.

Any boat out of Guam will be an Asian boat, Korean of Taiwanese. Expect to loose 20+ pounds. Food will be rough, make your employer give you some cash , buy a rubbermaid roughtote with a padlock and get some peanutbuttter, steaks and frozen chicken. It will keep you sane. MOney will be flat rate of 3500-4000 a month, with a year contract. If you dont last a year, dont expect to get your ticket home or your last paycheck. Hansen will give you a months pay if you stay for the entire time.

I wouldnt bother going to Guam,it is an expensive place to be. Call bug the operators, have your passport ready , the proabilit is that the boat will be be somewhere other than Guam when the pilot walk off.

read the perivous thread and then come back with questions.. I suggest you do this before posting in the future.

Good luck. I proably would never do a trip again, but looking back on it it was an amazing life experience. I got to places most people have never heard of or can spell. I would not be in the position I am in today if I had nver gone out on the boats.

RB

Re: Tuna Boat Ops (Guam)
 

Thanks for all your help, I did do a search before posting, just not the right words i guess...

I'm now going away with some good info, cheers!

Tuna spotting situation in guam?
 

Does anybody know about the tuna spotting situation in guam/samoa? Is there special training required? hawe only 200h, 180 on the HU300 and 20 on the 500C.will i need a "C1D visa" to enter Guam? And do i ned a FAA CPL-H? i have a JAA CPL-H.

i know nothing about tuna spotting but at least you won't have to compete with the female pilot mechanics as they are all lining up to find sunken treasure in peru

Hi ya
 

I dont no much about the situation at the moment but,I new a guy who did two years on the boats out of Guam a few years back,they like you to have over 500hrs total at min,money wasn't to bad about U.S $52,000 ,pretty ****ty work though,and you don't want any engine failure....(Or your in trouble)...great way to build turbine time though,seems to be a area where you need to no someone to get your foot in the door though...Good luck in finding work though just keep sending emails and looking for replys..:D

AJM81, excellent comment!

Don't know about Guam, but here's a job ad.

Helicopter pilot needed with past experience in offshore fishing industry.
R44 experience preferred. Excellent pay. 8-10 months per year.
Please email or fax resume attn to Ben Fouts

Mauna Loa Helicopters (808) 334 0234
[email protected]

Tuna Boats
 

Anyone out there know anything about flying out of Guam on Tuna boats.

No, but I did search and found http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=189413








.

There are two companies in Guam Tropic and Hansen Helicopters. These two companies contract out to Korean and Taiwan ships. You get alot of flying, it's a good way to get turbine hours. With the flying side of things, when looking for fish you go out for 2 hours with an observer about 50-60nm away from the ship. If you come across logs, old drums etc you hover over it as your observer connects a radio bouy to it. When you have found fish, the observer will give the gps position to the ship. Once the ship gets there you use the helicopter to work the open area of the net as the ship sets it. You kind of muster the fish keeping them in place. Tuna is caught while they are feeding and are at the surface so you can work with them. Working the net and landing on the ship is fun. Your out at sea most of the time for 3-4 weeks depending on the tuna. You get paid $3500 USD a month as a pilot, and $7000 USD as a pilot/mech.
Its a good adventure.

Tuna
 

Are you the famous, Girv from NZ? PM me

I've heard that they'll take lower hour pilots out in Guam - does anyone know if this is the case?