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Keewatin

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 5:10 pm
by faculties11
Any info on hiring at Keewatin? Wages, conditions, sked and accomodation?

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 11:56 am
by FICU
It's very possible that wages are the same as they were 20 years ago.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:42 pm
by dogfood
Yeah it’s still 50k a year for a king air 200 capt pretty sad...

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 10:03 pm
by Northcapt1020
Still 50k for captains on the 200, not a place with very high employee moral, PM for more info

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 10:45 pm
by greygoose
dogfood wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:42 pm Yeah it’s still 50k a year for a king air 200 capt pretty sad...
That’s pretty pathetic, another operator on the field just posted an ad saying some of their King Air capts are making 120-140k per year! And on a better schedule too in my opinion.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 11:32 pm
by FICU
dogfood wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:42 pm Yeah it’s still 50k a year for a king air 200 capt pretty sad...
Close! Captains were starting at 45K 20 years ago so 5 grand bump over a period of 20 years. :roll:

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:31 am
by dogfood
People are still taking the jobs so guess we can't really blame them for the terrible pay hopefully it catches up to them

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:46 am
by goingnowherefast
I bet there are a few odd 703 FOs making more than 50 grand....

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:54 am
by MrAviator19
Rotational schedule for all employees that aren't working at the headquarters in YWG, which is pilots/flight nurses/flight coordinators: 2 weeks on 2 weeks off.
All accommodation is provided by company at all the bases: CYFB, CYRT, CYZF, CYCB, CYYQ and most recently added CYGT. The new Manitoba Govt. contract has also added CYWG and CYTH bases for pilots.

As of now: 1 PC12, 1 King Air, 1 Learjet (to be replaced with citation soon) & 1 citation based out of CYFB, 1 KA at CYGT. The rest of the King Airs are divided into other bases, not sure of exact numbers for each.

Lots of flying on the KA, roughly 60-80 hrs each rotation. About 40-60 hrs on the PC12 which serves as both medevac and charter. Not sure about the jets.

Pay scale:
PC12 FO: $28,500
PC-12 Captain: $63,500 (min. 2000 hrs for upgrade)

KA FO: $30,000
KA Captain: $50,000 (min. 1500 hrs for upgrade)

Only the PC12 (STOL performance) goes to places like CYLC & CYGZ, 1600 ft & 1800 ft runways respectively, which is why upgrade requirements are higher than KA.

Not sure about jets figures.

Per diems are $50 a day for pilots while on rotation which comes up to $800 a month paid separately from the paycheck. As for conditions, medevac is a 24/7 on call operation. Once started, duty day is 14 hrs and then 10 hrs of rest. A full duty day during busy months with min rest is not uncommon, that's roughly 3-4 medevacs. But there are good days with just 1-2 short medevacs and you could be done in 6 hrs then go to rest. Both day and night flying but it's the Arctic after all, with the sun out at 2 am in the summer or not out at all in some places in the winter.

Hope that helps!

MrA

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:56 am
by MrAviator19
goingnowherefast wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:46 am I bet there are a few odd 703 FOs making more than 50 grand....
I don't think so :!:

MrA

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:57 am
by digits_
Thanks for sharing, but holy crap that's low. Especially for a medevac operator. Wow.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:13 am
by MrAviator19
digits_ wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 7:57 am Thanks for sharing, but holy crap that's low. Especially for a medevac operator. Wow.
There are yearly increments, not sure about the numbers.
Once you add the per diems, $28K + $9600 (yearly), roughly $38K for instance, it pretty much comes up to industry standards for FOs. I know carriers in Northern Ontario that pay their PC12 FOs less than that, make them commute on their own dime and pay for their own housing!

Even some regionals pay their dash FOs either less or the same. So really, Keewatin isn't a bad choice if you like the schedule :)

Also forgot to mention, company pays for flights back & forth from rotation and excess baggage fees on carriers like AC or WJ.

MrA

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:36 am
by digits_
50k for captains though?

Perimeter makes just shy of double that on base salary, short of triple that if you add the bonuses.
Vanguard is around 70k nowadays I believe?

I'm honestly surprised they can still find captains meeting the medevac minimums for that salary. But hey, their perogative of course. Just surprised.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:17 am
by MrAviator19
digits_ wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:36 am 50k for captains though?

Perimeter makes just shy of double that on base salary, short of triple that if you add the bonuses.
Vanguard is around 70k nowadays I believe?

I'm honestly surprised they can still find captains meeting the medevac minimums for that salary. But hey, their perogative of course. Just surprised.
Agreed on Captain's pay.

MrA

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 9:20 am
by LifeAt90Kts
I’m making the same as their king air captains as a year one Navajo driver in NWO, and I know other companies around here paying more than mine. That’s pretty brutal. :?

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:22 am
by fish4life
Why would anyone go work for keweetin as an FO when a 250 hour pilot can work for Calm Air and make 60k as a year 1 FO?

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:29 pm
by Yycjetdriver
fish4life wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:22 am Why would anyone go work for keweetin as an FO when a 250 hour pilot can work for Calm Air and make 60k as a year 1 FO?
(Not defending Keewatin or their subpar pay at all) Perhaps the opportunity for a quick upgrade, in turn the chance to quickly build the ATPL required hours and then in a few short years work at a better 705. Saves those 250 hour folks from turning into a sad regional FO having to rent a single piston on their own dime.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:09 pm
by digits_
fish4life wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:22 am Why would anyone go work for keweetin as an FO when a 250 hour pilot can work for Calm Air and make 60k as a year 1 FO?
There are still way more 250 hour pilots out there than there are 250 hour pilot jobs... It's a good time to be a pilot, but still hard to start out, albeit significantly easier than 5 years ago.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:04 pm
by goingnowherefast
For any 250hr person accepting the job, my sympathies that's the best option you could find. No doubt you'll upgrade super quick. After that, get your ATPL signed off ASAP, and once your year is done, leave on the day your bond is done. 2000hrs and an ATPL, you could find a job nearing 100 grand. Keewatin clearly loves being a training academy because it's obvious they don't want to retain pilots with that salary.

Unless second year captain pay is like 95 grand, and in that case disregard.

Re: Keewatin

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:19 pm
by yhz41
goingnowherefast wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:04 pm For any 250hr person accepting the job, my sympathies that's the best option you could find. No doubt you'll upgrade super quick. After that, get your ATPL signed off ASAP, and once your year is done, leave on the day your bond is done. 2000hrs and an ATPL, you could find a job nearing 100 grand. Keewatin clearly loves being a training academy because it's obvious they don't want to retain pilots with that salary.

Unless second year captain pay is like 95 grand, and in that case disregard.
It's a 2 year bond. And no, 2nd year captain on the 200 is 55k. And a 6 hour duty day is rare..I dont think I ever had one of those. You are almost always running max duty min rest.