Yellowknife
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
Yellowknife
I was just wondering if anyone living in yellowknife could give me an idea of what to expect in the way of rent. Ive heard low end in the 500 range. Also what are the avliability of the non aviation jobs in the area? If i were to go up now what would the odds being of hooking on somewhere by the spring. Thanks
I'm paying 500 plus bills so in the summer about 625 winter with car its about 700. You can get 6 non aviation jobs the day before you get here. Might not be a job you'd write home about but pay is pretty good. If you came now I think you would have a shot at getting on before fall for sure. Companies you should look at are Air Tindi, Arctic Sunwest and I think Northwestern. I'll leave opinions of these places up to others......
Like I've said time and time before stay away from Arctic Sunwest. Bad news. Yellowknife is ok in the summer if you can handle bugs, but the winter is mighty cold. Tindi is where ist's at. Just a side note on Arctic Sunwest, the rampies are bitter and underpaid and the management is mean and greedy.
- flynfiddle
- Rank 3
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:29 am
- Location: YZF
A job is a job is a job, and these days if you have an entry level job in the biz you're in the game instead of watching from the cheap seats .. ok, maybe more like you're keeping the bench warm but you get my point.
The biggest asset one can have these days is thick skin because there's no lack of sh*t and abuse rained down on rampys by power tripping a-holes. Arctic Sunwest is no exception but it sure as hell isn't alone. Alot of companies come to mind that are not paradise.
Just a word of advise .. if Arctic Sunwest offered you a job, take it!
The biggest asset one can have these days is thick skin because there's no lack of sh*t and abuse rained down on rampys by power tripping a-holes. Arctic Sunwest is no exception but it sure as hell isn't alone. Alot of companies come to mind that are not paradise.
Just a word of advise .. if Arctic Sunwest offered you a job, take it!
Just wondering as I soon hope to make the quest northbound, just what is it like on the ramp? I know that is an ambiguos question, but what I mean is, do ths captains treat you like dirt? Do you work 7 days a week, 12 hours a day? Just because you have to start at the bottom, will I be treated like a bottomfeeder?
- flynfiddle
- Rank 3
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:29 am
- Location: YZF
Just the opposite in fact, you will quickly discover that most captains and f/o's treat the rampies well (they've been in your shoes before and know what it's like), for the most part it's the middle management types that relish sh*t rolling downhill. They're not all bad just some let it go to their head, not sure if it's a jealousy thing or not.
Aside from the occasional flogging, ramp jobs aren't bad. Depending on who you ask you will get extreme opposite views, for some kids fresh out of flight schools it's their first real job experience so being yelled at isn't what they expected of being "pilots", other just shrug and say it beats cutting trees or working the farm.
I think most will agree with me when I say it is harder to look busy than being busy... not to worry though, just look up the hill, there will be a guy up there waiting to roll some sh*t down to you!
Aside from the occasional flogging, ramp jobs aren't bad. Depending on who you ask you will get extreme opposite views, for some kids fresh out of flight schools it's their first real job experience so being yelled at isn't what they expected of being "pilots", other just shrug and say it beats cutting trees or working the farm.
I think most will agree with me when I say it is harder to look busy than being busy... not to worry though, just look up the hill, there will be a guy up there waiting to roll some sh*t down to you!
Tindi your looking at 2 years and Arctic Sunwest about 1 and a half years. Let me tell you it's damn cold there in the winter and slow so you always have to look busy. In the summer the bugs eat you alive. It's not worth it man. No girls, nothing to do. The f/o's are good guys, some captians are too. But ask me about the managerment? Arctic Sunwest be prepared to be verbally absued. Look in Manitoba or Ontario, it's a better lifestyle an won't change you as a person.
You're saying that there is more to do in Norhtern Ontario and Manitoba then in Yellowknife? I dont know anything about the demographics in Yellowknife, but cant imagine that there are any more girls in Pickle Lake or Thompson. I figured it was just another perk on begining an aviation career that you take a vow of celibacy for about 3-4 years, unless you have a very understanding girlfriend. As for bugs in the summer dont care, live in N. ont and they are terrible here. Ill give you the cold. No entirely sure what is meant by Yellowknife will change you, if you could clarify for me. Just a question for anyone doing medivac in N. Ont. Whats the average flight hours/month.
-
- Rank Moderator
- Posts: 3592
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:29 am
- Location: The Frozen North
- Contact:
Yellowknife has all the amenities of Winnipeg or Thunder, and takes less time to get to them,
Women are both available & employed, and not too hard on the eyes. Generally, they can read and write, and likely earn more money that local pilots. This cannot, to the same extent be said of most places with the last name Lake, or the first name Fort.
Starting over, I'd go for the 'Knife first.
Women are both available & employed, and not too hard on the eyes. Generally, they can read and write, and likely earn more money that local pilots. This cannot, to the same extent be said of most places with the last name Lake, or the first name Fort.
Starting over, I'd go for the 'Knife first.
While I've never been to Yellowknife, I have been to other towns like Thompson, Red Lake, and Laronge looking for work. Nothing against these places, but Yellowknife definetly cannot be worse than them. Dad used to spend the odd day there while he was a geologist and loved it there. Once I've got enough money saved to buy a reliable set of wheels I'm on my way, hopefully it'll work out for me.
- flynfiddle
- Rank 3
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2004 10:29 am
- Location: YZF
- corn-shoot
- Rank 7
- Posts: 527
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:06 am
- Location: Entrails, SK
Save your money and take one of those vacation packages to Aruba, come back and reconsider you career. Either way I think you can mortgage your dignity in a nicer place, if you really must stay in aviation.flynfiddle wrote:Forget the wheels, buy a sled! You'll have way more fun.