Salary for Experienced Bush Pilots on the Rise

[snowbird87]

skilled and experienced Bush Pilots are getting scarce
The work day is Long and hard but a Beaver Pilot can earn 9000$ per a month
and a Good Single Otter Pilot can now earn $5000-plus per week all expenses and transportation to and from paid.
but be prepared to work 14 hours a day 7-days per week. Good Twin Otter Skippers is worth much more than that.

[DHCdriver]

Hate to be a party pooper, but when is this happening? I left the bush scene for the regionals because of the low pay and long hours. I will never go back, but I sure hope this happens for the rest of you float flyers. DHC

[Road Trip]

I saw this a bit last year and lot more this year. It's definately going up as experienced bush pilots are becoming harder to come by.

[letsfly]

Should never post something as rediculous as this unless you provide where the jobs are. No sign of anything that close in CDN.

[Rudy]

Hate to be a party pooper, but when is this happening? I left the bush scene for the regionals because of the low pay and long hours. I will never go back, but I sure hope this happens for the rest of you float flyers. DHC

Most Otter pilots I know today just laugh at the salaries at the regionals.

[DHCdriver]

Well I guess the Otter guys you know are lucky, back in my Otter days it didn't come close.

[Bobby868]

I've noticed the number of low time resumes has been very consistent, 50-100 per season. However the number of high time experienced resumes has definitely dropped. This year we didn't get a single unsolicited high time resume, usually we would get 5-10. We didn't need to hire anyone this year but based on the drop in experienced resumes I think it's safe to say we would have to pay more compensation in one form or another to attract them.

Friends in the industry are saying they are asking for higher wages and more perks like paid accommodations, more time off and travel expenses and the initial employer response is no but those who have held out say they eventually got what they asked for.

That said it takes years to build any sort of significant float time. There are many float pilots who log only 50-200hrs per season. To get to 1000hrs at that rate can take 5 years and to get to 2000-3000 can take 10 or more years. Of course the time comes faster once a pilot is in a full-time year round float position but usually means a West Coast position and they want those pilots to be experienced prior to coming to the coast.
So yes wages are getting better in the bush, but it’s still hard work in nasty bug infested territory away from every sort of civil amenity that people are accustomed to and the time comes ever so slow. So don’t expect experienced pilots to come flocking into the bush chasing these better wages.

[CLguy]

So that must mean the wages are finally getting back to the 1980's level. No doubt high time float drivers are getting rarer which can be both good and bad.

[round pounder]

I guess I'm one of the guys who held out. I'm not working for free anymore. I chose the bush as it's a life style I truely enjoy. If you don't like being in the bush your not going to enjoy the job. Instead of sitting in a cabin at the end of a day bitching because there's no satellite Internet or my all time favorite Netflix is not working, try and pick up a fishing pole go for a swim read a book clean your gear and prep for the next days adventures. Yes I held out I get $400 a day plus perks regardless of if I fly or not schedule sucks but try and understand the logistics of trying to rotate someone in and out of no where is ridiculous and that's less coin in my pocket bush flying, is an art that is disappearing faster than radial engines, to each there own I guess. For some young pups the bush is great for some it's there first time away from home, for some it's a living nightmare. Hard on relationships you bet? So it's up to the individual if you would rather fly over herds of Omingmak or Tuktu or big city lights I prefer the northern lights so will stick with the bush until the next road gets punched north. Is $400 a day great I don't know but it's better than the $1500 per month I was making 15 years ago

[snowbird87]

I guess I'm one of the guys who held out. I'm not working for free anymore. I chose the bush as it's a life style I truely enjoy. If you don't like being in the bush your not going to enjoy the job. Instead of sitting in a cabin at the end of a day bitching because there's no satellite Internet or my all time favorite Netflix is not working, try and pick up a fishing pole go for a swim read a book clean your gear and prep for the next days adventures. Yes I held out I get $400 a day plus perks regardless of if I fly or not schedule sucks but try and understand the logistics of trying to rotate someone in and out of no where is ridiculous and that's less coin in my pocket bush flying, is an art that is disappearing faster than radial engines, to each there own I guess. For some young pups the bush is great for some it's there first time away from home, for some it's a living nightmare. Hard on relationships you bet? So it's up to the individual if you would rather fly over herds of Omingmak or Tuktu or big city lights I prefer the northern lights so will stick with the bush until the next road gets punched north. Is $400 a day great I don't know but it's better than the $1500 per month I was making 15 years ago

Well put, I'm being Paid $400. per day and all expecces paid as a otter driver and Love it, not too Long ago $2500 per Month was the going rate and find your own way there.

[Rowdy]

Are you on the coast or what?

There were some lucrative offers for me to fly a beav this season in ON and MB.. Up to 6500/month! But I'm tired of being mosquito food.. and am thusly staying on the coast!

[round pounder]

I'm flying northern sask and manitoba private lodges. 6500 to fly a Beaver is not a bad deal if room and board are part of the fare also a little gas coin goes along way and I don't mean a free tank of 100LL for the truck. I've noticed the weird way Canada is for wages the worst being Ontario I was offered two CP positions one paid $5000 the other $5500. You got your ass to Ontario on your own dime partial accommodations maybe one day off every two weeks it just did not make sence considering I make more flying a BE20 in the winter months. Saskatchewan really only has two players one pays well one doesn't Manitoba not many big players except for one so your looking at private lodges which can be great or a nightmare depending on your duties are. I'm not a carpenter and I don't dig shitters or pull honey bags that's my line in the sand. BC your looking for a life style so I'm told, so wages are not so so hot. I love being a floater but it's dying so fast. Get it while you can, enjoy the ride. If the bugs are killing you put more bug dope on the hat and keep on truckin reminds me of the little black fly song. And yes there's been more than one day flying in a full bug suit but hell that's part of the adventure. Never flown a twin otter but am told its nice in the Maldives not as many bugs also. It truely is up to the individual on where you set the bar if your a low time pilot lets put a hypothetical number of 1500 or less yup your gonna pay your dues it's the nature of the beast if your a higher time pilot lets put a hypothetical number of 3000 hours plus well you've probably done those dues and dont under value yourself. A seasoned pilot is going to make you more money than a junior pilot not to take away from the young driver enough of my rant I've got way to much time if I'm posting on Avcanada cannot squeak satalite Internet is working good today feeling pretty good, only need one Mossi coil right now planes clean no scheduled flights it's time to go fishing. Float safe

[snowbird87]

Yes and In Alaska a skilled Otter Driver can earn upto $20,000 per month during the summer months, but it's not for every-one!

[GUMPS]

Out of curiosity where are you pulling these number from? Who are you flying a -3T for on the wet coasts?
Experienced float drivers are slowly becoming harder to find but not extinct yet.

[snowbird87]

Nope $400-per day plus .35 for every mile flown, Free Transportation and Accommodations, 20,000 miles is an average month during summer no days off, Garrett powered Otter.

[180]

No days off hey...

Sounds safe, legal, AND fun!

(Now where is that sarcastic smiley face?)

[snowbird87]

might be better off with Jazz hey

[ross1]

'morning...sorry , not an insider but I couldn't help overhearing...

Limited float operations these days.

...from Lostlake in a different thread

I love being a floater but it's dying so fast

No doubt high time float drivers are getting rarer which can be both good and bad.

as experienced bush pilots are becoming harder to come by.

.....any opinions as to what's up with this trend.

cheers
Ross

[DHCdriver]

No days off hey...

Sounds safe, legal, AND fun!

(Now where is that sarcastic smiley face?)

I think the deeper we dig here, there will be more to the story. I know wages are up and down( mostly down) in this industry, BUT! this seems a little odd. Sorry I'm just skeptical. DHC

[Just another canuck]

Mind sharing the name of the company, as we are all very curious...

[flyinthebug]

Got a call from an operator yesterday afternoon. He was an old business friend and hadnt heard about my crash and was calling to offer me a job on a -3T. $8500 a month plus accomodations provided ($9500 if I was willing to take the CP duties plus per diems). I wish I still had my medical, id have jumped all over it. Wages are finally starting to come into line with what they should be. Have a safe season all!

[snowbird87]

from my personal experience and the people i talk to Alaska pay the best salary and Newfoundland Labrador has the worst pay scale for experienced Bush Pilots and there is some Company's in-between who pay very well too especially northern Quebec and the high Arctic.

[1000 HP]

I quit full time work in 2009 at the end of the season. Oilfield work was paying much better. I miss the fun, adventure, people, back breaking lifting, excess Advil consumption, and scenery. Might come back someday. But at least I still fly part time. I put in 42 hours in June.
Good to see the wages on the rise, hopefully the rates can come up also, or those highly paid guys will be flying under-maintained aircraft

[SarahLovesSeaplanes]

This season I went from $6000/month on the Beaver to $7500 on the Caravan. Rent included.

[angry inch]

Pretty good upgrade Sarah. Hope it keeps going up for you. I made 10 0000 a month on the 'Van a couple seasons ago. Now I'm a 704 F/O & make much less