Guidance about Bush flying prospects...?
Posted: Fri Mar 24, 2017 12:10 pm
Hello everyone… I’m just looking for some guidance /advise about the prospect of becoming a Bush Pilot in BC… My situation is (I think) rather unusual, so allow me to give a bit of background. Bear with me (and apologies for this very long post):
I'm a Canadian citizen living in Vancouver for over 20 years. I became a Private Pilot when I was 16 years old. That was flying a Piper J3 in small-town southern Brazil, where I was living back in 1982. My original idea was to join the Air Force (in my home country, elsewhere in South America). Yet, after finishing High School, just before I committed to joining the military, I realized that a third-world Air Force with a reputation for corruption and abuse of power wasn’t for me (again, that was NOT in Brazil), so the “natural” option would be becoming a Commercial Pilot. Yet, the idea of flying for an airline, flying set routes and set schedules, following approach procedures and ATC instructions like a robot, didn’t quite appealed to me. On top of that, the job market for pilots at the time was “saturated” (apparently, there were like 3 commercial pilots for every commercial airplane in the country…) As I half-heartedly started my commercial pilot training, my instructor told me that unless I had a really good “connection” in the industry I’d probably never find a job as a pilot (if you wonder why I never considered working in “other countries” at the time, just remember that NO country “welcomes” people from third-world countries, like me… even countries with some sort of immigration program like Canada or Australia, where there are requirements demanding solid work experience and in-demand skills… but let’s not get sidetracked…) My instructor suggested that I perhaps should take some “computer course” since that might help, considering how airplanes were increasingly becoming “computerized” in those days (late 1980s). I know that, looking back, it’s sounds a bit ridiculous, but it sort of made sense at the time. I did get into computers, enjoying it so much that I ended up graduating with a BSc. in Information Technology. That became my career and (oddly) since it was a career “in demand” in Canada in the 1990s, it allowed me to become Landed Immigrant and eventually Canadian Citizen. I’ve been living the Vancouver area since 1996. I divorced more than 15 years ago and my only daughter just started college. I live alone and, being in my early 50s, it feels like it may be the right time to think about myself and do something I really like to do, now that my mortgage is almost paid for, etc.
It goes without saying that, all these years, I could never just “forget” about flying/aviation. It’s an essential part of me. The first time anyone asked me “what are you going to be when you grow up” I instantly replied “Pilot” (even as no one in my family was remotely associated with aviation). When I came to Canada I was hoping to use my computer skills and experience in some sort of aviation environment (working for an aviation-related company or something). Yet, not having “family and friends” in Canada (complicating my job search), I couldn’t afford being picky and I ended up working in non-aviation-related jobs. Luckily, I worked for good companies, with great people, no complaints there. However, due to merges and re-structures I found myself “self-employed” since a couple of years ago. It hasn’t been too bad and I’ve been able to get by. Yet the aviation bug doesn’t let go… Again, I’ve tried working in something “aviation related”, unsuccessfully (turns out that computers and aviation are in many ways “worlds apart”, at least when it comes to what I ended up doing: database management, computer programming, things like that).
Since forever (that would be late 1990s), I’ve somehow managed to quench a bit of my thirst for aviation (and trying not to forget what I had learned in flight school) by playing MS Flight Simulator, from it’s early 1990s versions to the more realistic FS2004 version. Don’t laugh please. I know it’s “just a game”, not the real thing. However, I do find it’s quite realistic in many respects, particularly when it comes to navigation (both regarding Navaids behaviour and landmarks on the ground, wind drifts, using “real world weather” such as cloud cover etc.). The thing is, the more I play it, the more I miss flying, the more I crave “being a pilot”. I had to quit playing MS Flight Simulator for a couple of years due to compatibility issues with my new computer (long story) but I eventually sorted that out and lately, for several months I’ve been “flying” / playing several times a week. Typically, I’d look at a map of BC and aim to fly to airfields in the “middle of nowhere”. Then I’ll take my VNC charts (Vancouver / Kitimat / Prince George / Calgary) and make full flight plans (CR-1 computer calculations and all) and the give it a try (typically on a CE-206 or a CE-182). No GPS (ever), no cheating. It’s just me trying to see if I still know what I’m doing, if I haven’t forgotten stuff, if the “theory” of my flight plans holds up, at least in a simulated environment. I usually play in the evenings so there’s lots of “VFR night flying” (I usually set the game to the actual time of the day etc.), leaving the daylight, longer flights (2-3 hours to forsaken airfields with no runway lightning) for the weekends… (I’m currently “parked” at Prince Rupert and tomorrow I’ll probably go from CYPR to Anahim Lake, or Hudson’s Hope / CYNH… I just like to go to “new” places I’ve never been before, although I’m running out of such “new” airfields)
Apologies for digressing. It’s hard for me to stop myself when I start talking about flying, even if it’s just computer “flight simulation”. I just wanted of give a sense of what I “enjoy” in aviation: random flying to odd spots, flying with basic or non-existing navaids. The challenge of having to resort to basic VFR flight, and perhaps some NDB/VOR triangulation, to find my way and make approaches among mountains and such. It’s my kind of flying. For much that I love big airliners (who doesn’t?) if it came to “work as a pilot” I’d much prefer bush flying, going from remote location to remote location (I’m also a big fan of floats, although I’ve never flown a real floatplane)
I know very well that I cannot become a bush pilot “just like that”, with my very limited experience in real flying (about 100 hours, over 25 years ago). If I ever can afford it, I’d just go “back to flying school”, start it all over again from scratch.
But back to the title of this post… If (say) a few years from now I manage to save the money for flying school (I reckon $10,000 just to re-do the Private Pilot course), which path should I take, aiming to become a Bush Pilot? I know that 50+ years old is “super old” to get started. But I wouldn’t be aiming for the “big bucks”, just aiming to pay my bills. Is it realistic? Is it work available for a (say) Cessna 206 pilot (land or floats) who just got his Commercial license (I intend getting IFR and Float rating too, certainly, and perhaps also multi-engine). I just want to figure out if this “dream” of becoming a Bush Pilot (even if it’s for a few years before I become too old to pass the medical checks) is in the realm of “maybe possible”, or is rather a “not a chance” proposition. And if it’s “maybe possible”, what’s your advise? What should be my priorities? (e.g., should I get the float rating right away, or rather wait to build up land experience before I venture with floats? Is Beaver certification a must-have for bush flying, or is there a job market for pilots of smaller types such as CE-206 or even CE-182? etc.)
Many thanks in advance for your feedback. Sincerity is appreciated: don’t fear “raining on my parade” if you think I’m being delusional (hey I’m 51, so I’m used to the concept of “dreams not coming true” anyway…) I really look forward to read your opinions, advise and perspective!
I'm a Canadian citizen living in Vancouver for over 20 years. I became a Private Pilot when I was 16 years old. That was flying a Piper J3 in small-town southern Brazil, where I was living back in 1982. My original idea was to join the Air Force (in my home country, elsewhere in South America). Yet, after finishing High School, just before I committed to joining the military, I realized that a third-world Air Force with a reputation for corruption and abuse of power wasn’t for me (again, that was NOT in Brazil), so the “natural” option would be becoming a Commercial Pilot. Yet, the idea of flying for an airline, flying set routes and set schedules, following approach procedures and ATC instructions like a robot, didn’t quite appealed to me. On top of that, the job market for pilots at the time was “saturated” (apparently, there were like 3 commercial pilots for every commercial airplane in the country…) As I half-heartedly started my commercial pilot training, my instructor told me that unless I had a really good “connection” in the industry I’d probably never find a job as a pilot (if you wonder why I never considered working in “other countries” at the time, just remember that NO country “welcomes” people from third-world countries, like me… even countries with some sort of immigration program like Canada or Australia, where there are requirements demanding solid work experience and in-demand skills… but let’s not get sidetracked…) My instructor suggested that I perhaps should take some “computer course” since that might help, considering how airplanes were increasingly becoming “computerized” in those days (late 1980s). I know that, looking back, it’s sounds a bit ridiculous, but it sort of made sense at the time. I did get into computers, enjoying it so much that I ended up graduating with a BSc. in Information Technology. That became my career and (oddly) since it was a career “in demand” in Canada in the 1990s, it allowed me to become Landed Immigrant and eventually Canadian Citizen. I’ve been living the Vancouver area since 1996. I divorced more than 15 years ago and my only daughter just started college. I live alone and, being in my early 50s, it feels like it may be the right time to think about myself and do something I really like to do, now that my mortgage is almost paid for, etc.
It goes without saying that, all these years, I could never just “forget” about flying/aviation. It’s an essential part of me. The first time anyone asked me “what are you going to be when you grow up” I instantly replied “Pilot” (even as no one in my family was remotely associated with aviation). When I came to Canada I was hoping to use my computer skills and experience in some sort of aviation environment (working for an aviation-related company or something). Yet, not having “family and friends” in Canada (complicating my job search), I couldn’t afford being picky and I ended up working in non-aviation-related jobs. Luckily, I worked for good companies, with great people, no complaints there. However, due to merges and re-structures I found myself “self-employed” since a couple of years ago. It hasn’t been too bad and I’ve been able to get by. Yet the aviation bug doesn’t let go… Again, I’ve tried working in something “aviation related”, unsuccessfully (turns out that computers and aviation are in many ways “worlds apart”, at least when it comes to what I ended up doing: database management, computer programming, things like that).
Since forever (that would be late 1990s), I’ve somehow managed to quench a bit of my thirst for aviation (and trying not to forget what I had learned in flight school) by playing MS Flight Simulator, from it’s early 1990s versions to the more realistic FS2004 version. Don’t laugh please. I know it’s “just a game”, not the real thing. However, I do find it’s quite realistic in many respects, particularly when it comes to navigation (both regarding Navaids behaviour and landmarks on the ground, wind drifts, using “real world weather” such as cloud cover etc.). The thing is, the more I play it, the more I miss flying, the more I crave “being a pilot”. I had to quit playing MS Flight Simulator for a couple of years due to compatibility issues with my new computer (long story) but I eventually sorted that out and lately, for several months I’ve been “flying” / playing several times a week. Typically, I’d look at a map of BC and aim to fly to airfields in the “middle of nowhere”. Then I’ll take my VNC charts (Vancouver / Kitimat / Prince George / Calgary) and make full flight plans (CR-1 computer calculations and all) and the give it a try (typically on a CE-206 or a CE-182). No GPS (ever), no cheating. It’s just me trying to see if I still know what I’m doing, if I haven’t forgotten stuff, if the “theory” of my flight plans holds up, at least in a simulated environment. I usually play in the evenings so there’s lots of “VFR night flying” (I usually set the game to the actual time of the day etc.), leaving the daylight, longer flights (2-3 hours to forsaken airfields with no runway lightning) for the weekends… (I’m currently “parked” at Prince Rupert and tomorrow I’ll probably go from CYPR to Anahim Lake, or Hudson’s Hope / CYNH… I just like to go to “new” places I’ve never been before, although I’m running out of such “new” airfields)
Apologies for digressing. It’s hard for me to stop myself when I start talking about flying, even if it’s just computer “flight simulation”. I just wanted of give a sense of what I “enjoy” in aviation: random flying to odd spots, flying with basic or non-existing navaids. The challenge of having to resort to basic VFR flight, and perhaps some NDB/VOR triangulation, to find my way and make approaches among mountains and such. It’s my kind of flying. For much that I love big airliners (who doesn’t?) if it came to “work as a pilot” I’d much prefer bush flying, going from remote location to remote location (I’m also a big fan of floats, although I’ve never flown a real floatplane)
I know very well that I cannot become a bush pilot “just like that”, with my very limited experience in real flying (about 100 hours, over 25 years ago). If I ever can afford it, I’d just go “back to flying school”, start it all over again from scratch.
But back to the title of this post… If (say) a few years from now I manage to save the money for flying school (I reckon $10,000 just to re-do the Private Pilot course), which path should I take, aiming to become a Bush Pilot? I know that 50+ years old is “super old” to get started. But I wouldn’t be aiming for the “big bucks”, just aiming to pay my bills. Is it realistic? Is it work available for a (say) Cessna 206 pilot (land or floats) who just got his Commercial license (I intend getting IFR and Float rating too, certainly, and perhaps also multi-engine). I just want to figure out if this “dream” of becoming a Bush Pilot (even if it’s for a few years before I become too old to pass the medical checks) is in the realm of “maybe possible”, or is rather a “not a chance” proposition. And if it’s “maybe possible”, what’s your advise? What should be my priorities? (e.g., should I get the float rating right away, or rather wait to build up land experience before I venture with floats? Is Beaver certification a must-have for bush flying, or is there a job market for pilots of smaller types such as CE-206 or even CE-182? etc.)
Many thanks in advance for your feedback. Sincerity is appreciated: don’t fear “raining on my parade” if you think I’m being delusional (hey I’m 51, so I’m used to the concept of “dreams not coming true” anyway…) I really look forward to read your opinions, advise and perspective!