Looking for somebody to fly DHC-2 Beaver(floats) and Cessna 206(amphibs) in Cairns, Australia. I need somebody who has not reached there 31st birthday so they can get a Working Travel Visa, they must also have an Australian Licence already. I need somebody who can be online for Feb 10. At this time I can't afford to sponser anybody or wait for somebody to convert ther licence due to the time restrictions.

I figure it's a shot in the dark, but if anyone fits the description and would be interested in spending some time in the Tropics this winter send me a resume.


operationsmanager@cairnsseaplanes.com

No-one in Oz to fit the bill? Or just no-one with float experience?

Not many float guys here. It's not like Canada where anybody with a commercial and 50 hours float can do an endorsement for somebody. We had a couple guys lined up but one took a job on a Dash-8 and the other just could'nt be trained to our standard quick enough. We do numerous short trips, all out to open water on the Great Barrier Reef. So swell, tides, winds and coral which may have been 12 feet under the water yesterday, might be just a few inchs below today. It all adds up to make it a fairly challenging environment. Common sense is the most important prerequisite.

phillyfan wrote:Common sense is the most important prerequisite.

Good luck finding that in someone under 31 years old. Most of the young guys are pre-programmed robots that need someone to think for them.

Times are " a changing" !!

medi-whacked wrote:Times are " a changing" !!

No they are not! Old people have always talked down younger generations. Its a way for them to deal with the ever-growing shortcomings of age.

Same old!

What do you mean by shortcomings of age?

Do you mean that the younger people still have not had time to mature therefore are less able to make well thought out decisions due to lack of experience compared to older people?

There is plenty of pilots in Aus wanting to do this but it is just an operator not wanting to train someone.

They also need you under 31 for a working holiday Visa.

I have time on beavers, 208's and 206's just not on floats, Aus and Canadian ATPL with over 2000TT. Can I have the job, scared I might crash the boat?

What do you mean by shortcomings of age?

Do you mean that the younger people still have not had time to mature therefore are less able to make well thought out decisions due to lack of experience compared to older people?

Easy Cat Driver. I'm in my late 50's and I can still make bad decisions!

I have time on beavers, 208's and 206's just not on floats, Aus and Canadian ATPL with over 2000TT. Can I have the job, scared I might crash the boat?

Sure they're scared you'll crash the boat. Don't think for a second that you can fly safely in that float environment without a reasonable amount of float experience.

This is my biggest problem with float guys... I do not by any means think that I would be safe without training

but what is the problem with training someone up?

Some people fly a thousand hours and some people fly their first hour a thousand time

could it be the same with floats?

The simple answer is flying floats in an environment like that is not simple and requires a lot of float flying experience to be safe.

So are....

Tail draggers

Single pilot jets

Aerobatics

Fire bombing

....Can anyone see my point? I am willing to learn just need the chance

Well for a start you will need to learn in a less challenging environment than the one in that add for a float plane pilot.

50 hours flying freight and empty legs with a senior guy if in the ocean, then 2-300 hours min. in 'safe' conditions like Saskatchewan, then maybe you're ready to try the open ocean, maybe. That works out to at least 2 years in Canada, if you can find someone willing to train you on the coast, not in the right seat of a TO, which is NOT likely. You should not have any trouble with the prairie/northern Ontario part.

I know this sounds harsh and there are many who think I'm just an old fart but I've seen it - just think of that crash at Lyall Harbour a month or two ago.

He's correct to ask for open water experience. The 31-part is going to be harder.

The reason I am looking in Canada is because that is where the best float pilots in the world come from. I need a person fast because we are coming up to the Chinese New Year on Feb 11th.
I resent the insinuation that we are "just an operator not wanting to train someone". I have hired and trained a shitload of new pilots in my float flying career.
The real fact of the matter is that I don't have the time over the next few months to nurse somebody into this position. We currently own 2 Beavers and are forced to lease a C-206 because the Beavers are too busy. I'm also in the process of trying to get a Turbo Otter over here ASAP.
I'm sorry if we are not meeting all of you flight training needs, but that's not the business we are in. We are a charter air service.

Whats involved with an Aus cpl conversion?

phillyfan wrote:I'm sorry if we are not meeting all of you flight training needs, but that's not the business we are in. We are a charter air service.

Bang on!

The way it worked in the past was pilots were given a flight test on the equipment that they were applying for.

If they could not fly it to your standards they were sent back home for more training.

Cat Driver wrote:
....pilots were given a flight test..

If they could not fly it to your standards they were sent back home for more training.

That makes so much sense... it seems we make things so complicated sometimes.

I wish I had the experience to go for this job.

Come to think of it, I wish I was under 31 again, too.

What are the wages and conditions? Is the reason you only want under thirties because they will work for nothing or even pay for some expirence? If you have had so many pilots through your organisation surely that must tell you something, why won't they stay? Money not enough to live on? Cost of living on the Queensland coast is VERY expensive, most of the low wages recieved will go to paying rent and eating noodles.
This is crap, we have the pilots in this country.