Canada Helicopter Industry 2021 season

[PitchLink]

Hey how’s everyone doing in 2021? Looks like 2020 with a bad attitude so far. Lots of C registered choppers for sale, hope everyone is hanging in and or possibly picking up some work. From what I’m hearing through little birds lots of cancellations and red tape to get through this year. A few companies quietly opened shop in the USA and cross training aircrew for FAA licenses and work visa’d up... here’s hoping we get a good burn this summer!

Just checking in with Canada’s roto market, how’s everyone making out? Things are heating up in Saskatchewan and Alberta the coming week. She’s still wet and needs to dry off but I think late July will be good if there can be some ignition. Hope everyone else is hired on!

[The Mole]

I think most are hoping for a government bailout. Fire fighting is changing though, the days of just go bucket for 8hrs are getting fewer. Explorations was looking promising, but that so fickle who knows what could happen. Virus isn't going away in the next 6 months, I expect travel restriction to stay in place until at least fall. No politician is going to risk killing grandma by opening things early, and we've already gone this far. The economy hasn't collapsed and house prices are going to the moon.

[MOAB]

Hopefully it'll be a good fire season. I know alot of guys who are planning the transition to Air Ambulance but most jobs got filled up by guys laid off by Cougar and International offshore stuff.

[The Mole]

I know the companies in BC that got the new medevac contracts have been looking for crew, but you have to live in PG. Could be hard pill for someone coming form the offshore world. The usual suspect are always hiring. Could be tough for those without well rounded experience though. If you can drive a longline work is usually available. Might not be the greatest work condition, but it's a pay cheque.

[PitchLink]

So given the above it’s as bleak as I’m hearing. Agree about bucketing those days are gone. Exploration has been a dead stick since at least 2010. All that’s left is government flying and hydro electric work which is all spoken for. This is not a good omen for the vfr vtol industry in Canada. As for the lockdown, 6 months?!? Add another 24 to that minimum with the rate these vaccines are rolling out!! Heli skiing is going to be dead for that duration as well. What’s left?

[The Mole]

The industry will contract, unfortunately the good companies are getting picked off, leaving the mom and pops with low overhead. I expect many companies will be doing more pilots/AME on daily + hourly "no guarantees", or if you want full time be prepared to move.
Tourisms fucked for the summer, but who knows come December for skiing. Lodges seem to be backed by rich assholes, maybe will fewer heli's around the rates will go up.....oh wait this Canada, rates will go down.
There is some power line transmission construction is happening but those projects are slowly coming to an end, electrical maintenances is hard to break into though.

We have three political parties that are against just about all resource development. Thats not great for day VFR work.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

This industry is screwed

[Heliian]

This industry is screwed

As said before, every year from 1980 to the present.

The industry is ever changing to the needs of the customers and only those who can adapt will survive. This year has been rougher than most but I think the market will pick back up, just like every other business when things open up again.

Exploration is slowly coming back to life, fires are fires. Just leaves tourism.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

This industry is screwed

As said before, every year from 1980 to the present.

The industry is ever changing to the needs of the customers and only those who can adapt will survive. This year has been rougher than most but I think the market will pick back up, just like every other business when things open up again.

Exploration is slowly coming back to life, fires are fires. Just leaves tourism.

It’s shrinking, commodities have been in the toilet nearing ten years. I haven’t seen much for exploration but drills have been dead for well over ten years by now. Tourism depending on region will go nuts if restrictions are relaxed for sure lots of anxious cabin fevers ready to let loose. Idk I can’t predict the future but I can trend monitor. Best of luck to us all this spring.

[PitchLink]

This industry is screwed

As said before, every year from 1980 to the present.

The industry is ever changing to the needs of the customers and only those who can adapt will survive. This year has been rougher than most but I think the market will pick back up, just like every other business when things open up again.

Exploration is slowly coming back to life, fires are fires. Just leaves tourism.

It’s shrinking, commodities have been in the toilet nearing ten years. I haven’t seen much for exploration but drills have been dead for well over ten years by now. Tourism depending on region will go nuts if restrictions are relaxed for sure lots of anxious cabin fevers ready to let loose. Idk I can’t predict the future but I can trend monitor. Best of luck to us all this spring.

I agree, don’t think the tourism thing will be back at all this year or next for that matter, too many problems with vaccine rollout and everyone still needs a second shot don’t they? My aunt had her vaccine last month and has no idea when the second shot to complete treatment is coming.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

As said before, every year from 1980 to the present.

The industry is ever changing to the needs of the customers and only those who can adapt will survive. This year has been rougher than most but I think the market will pick back up, just like every other business when things open up again.

Exploration is slowly coming back to life, fires are fires. Just leaves tourism.

It’s shrinking, commodities have been in the toilet nearing ten years. I haven’t seen much for exploration but drills have been dead for well over ten years by now. Tourism depending on region will go nuts if restrictions are relaxed for sure lots of anxious cabin fevers ready to let loose. Idk I can’t predict the future but I can trend monitor. Best of luck to us all this spring.

I agree, don’t think the tourism thing will be back at all this year or next for that matter, too many problems with vaccine rollout and everyone still needs a second shot don’t they? My aunt had her vaccine last month and has no idea when the second shot to complete treatment is coming.

There’s several other compromised cogs in this pandemic. People not trusting the vaccine and all these antieverything protestors spreading the virus as well as our out of control debt. I’m not sure what the future holds for Canada’s flying game but it’s going to be more than 2021 to sort out the can of worms we can see at this point...

[Heliian]

Hiring in the industry begins in the early spring . Already several jobs opened up for pilots and ames.

I am still cautiously optimistic about the industry, tourism be damned.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Hiring in the industry begins in the early spring . Already several jobs opened up for pilots and ames.

I am still cautiously optimistic about the industry, tourism be damned.

Yes you are optimistic. Tourism seems to be all that’s left short of the forestry scene and flight training. There’s supposed to be some bird towing and drill work starting this year but that’s just rumours, no equipment up on deck for that yet and it’s getting to be go time.

[PitchLink]

It’s shrinking, commodities have been in the toilet nearing ten years. I haven’t seen much for exploration but drills have been dead for well over ten years by now. Tourism depending on region will go nuts if restrictions are relaxed for sure lots of anxious cabin fevers ready to let loose. Idk I can’t predict the future but I can trend monitor. Best of luck to us all this spring.

I agree, don’t think the tourism thing will be back at all this year or next for that matter, too many problems with vaccine rollout and everyone still needs a second shot don’t they? My aunt had her vaccine last month and has no idea when the second shot to complete treatment is coming.

There’s several other compromised cogs in this pandemic. People not trusting the vaccine and all these antieverything protestors spreading the virus as well as our out of control debt. I’m not sure what the future holds for Canada’s flying game but it’s going to be more than 2021 to sort out the can of worms we can see at this point...

I know....

[PitchLink]

Hiring in the industry begins in the early spring . Already several jobs opened up for pilots and ames.

I am still cautiously optimistic about the industry, tourism be damned.

I’ve seen that too, one “operator” had a job ad up offering $200/day for a 350 AME with multiple variant and engine courses as prerequisites.... i talked to a few about rates they were higher than that but wow, I think I’ll stick the states

[daedalusx]

So I was having an AME friend over for dinner and it came up that apparently there's quite a bit of a shortage of pilots

So how much of a stretch would it be to go back to rotary after 10+ years of airline/703 fixed-wing ? Are most places still looking for something like 1000 hrs on type?

[PitchLink]

So I was having an AME friend over for dinner and it came up that apparently there's quite a bit of a shortage of pilots

So how much of a stretch would it be to go back to rotary after 10+ years of airline/703 fixed-wing ? Are most places still looking for something like 1000 hrs on type?

Don’t waste your time or money. There’s a flood of TFW’s working for peanuts right now flying whatever they can get for hours.
There’s no shortage of drivers, just a shortage available for the current rates that keep driving down. I think if you’ve been out of it for over 10 years you’ll be grossly disappointed coming back now. The good days are long gone and I don’t think they’re ever coming back.

[MOAB]

In general I do see ads for guys with 1000hrs. No real idea how many applicants there are fighting for those spots.

[PitchLink]

In general I do see ads for guys with 1000hrs. No real idea how many applicants there are fighting for those spots.

I did get drafted for fire season this year being the sucker I am. There’s lots of drivers available but some notorious operators are abusing whatever loopholes they can to keep their rates down. Namely using cheaper low time and tfw pilots. Lots of high time guys out there just not the long line and precision driving demand so much. Majority of work is air cab which anyone can do, operators don’t want to pay a precision longline guy’s rate for that work. The bucket and tank work is pretty slim with the experience out there readily available. Other than a few power line projects which are well manned for the foreseeable future I don’t see a lack of pilots at all…

[Bug_Stomper_01]

In general I do see ads for guys with 1000hrs. No real idea how many applicants there are fighting for those spots.

I did get drafted for fire season this year being the sucker I am. There’s lots of drivers available but some notorious operators are abusing whatever loopholes they can to keep their rates down. Namely using cheaper low time and tfw pilots. Lots of high time guys out there just not the long line and precision driving demand so much. Majority of work is air cab which anyone can do, operators don’t want to pay a precision longline guy’s rate for that work. The bucket and tank work is pretty slim with the experience out there readily available. Other than a few power line projects which are well manned for the foreseeable future I don’t see a lack of pilots at all…

There were a lot of tfws wrenching too, I ran into a few this summer, wonder if they were even licensed or even here legally. Same usual suspects of course.

[Choppermech1986]

I've never heard of a TFW wrenching in Canada. What kind of nationality and who were they working for? Are you sure they were a TFW and not a Permanent Resident.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

I've never heard of a TFW wrenching in Canada. What kind of nationality and who were they working for? Are you sure they were a TFW and not a Permanent Resident.

Definitely tfw (just there for the season) and I’m not going to single out the employers. They were from a couple southern continents, both of them, not sure how they got Aca or even if they had it for that matter

[Choppermech1986]

Well, you've just claimed that there were a lot of TFW's working this season, and even insinuated that there may have also been foreigners here working illegally. I think you should either put up, and allow a company to defend your claims, or shut up. Better yet, call the CBSA and tell them that you think people are working illegally in Canada. We don't need that here.

With the Covid requirements earlier this year, it was only essential workers who would have been permitted to travel for most of the season. The bottom line is that you weren't getting into Canada on a tourist visa (and then turning wrenches as you suspect) before about August.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Well, you've just claimed that there were a lot of TFW's working this season, and even insinuated that there may have also been foreigners here working illegally. I think you should either put up, and allow a company to defend your claims, or shut up. Better yet, call the CBSA and tell them that you think people are working illegally in Canada. We don't need that here.

With the Covid requirements earlier this year, it was only essential workers who would have been permitted to travel for most of the season. The bottom line is that you weren't getting into Canada on a tourist visa (and then turning wrenches as you suspect) before about August.

It’s what THEY told me and that is a fact (they aren’t from Canada or reside here and only working here for the season).
Yes essential workers could only work cross border at that point in time (myself included as I still do legally with visas) as aircraft maintenance is deemed essential. I mentioned no names of companies as there’s no reason to, but it is something that happened (legal or not I don’t know but definitely not Canadian residents as the two I met told me).

I insinuated no such thing, I said I WONDER if they were here legally and had the appropriate licenses, anyone born and raised in Canada would question that in these circumstances, and no I won’t shut up thank you, I happen to know a thing or two about this subject.

Pilots and ames flying and fixing here for the fire season as TFW’s are probably condoned due to fires being essential emergency services. I don’t know what the caveats are to those circumstances, what I do know is you need some sort of visa to work here in Canada or in the USA if you’re going to be generating an income, to that fact I am well versed, wether it’s a Canadian registered machine or not. I’ve worked in several countries in my career and each had its own unique set of circumstances and hoops to jump through to do so properly (some several months in advance of the job).

Calling CBSA regarding something I don’t know the exact particulars to is ridiculous, unless I had cogent reasons to do so, which I certainly did not.
There was a rush mid - late summer with fires that were out
of hand, the tail end of which is when I met these guys (August - September). I too had never seen foreign (TFW) technicians in Canada before short of tech reps from the USA.

Either way aviation is considered an essential service, that’s how I was allowed cross border for work during the thick of COVID19 lockdowns in 2020-21. I have no idea why a tourism visa would have any kind of bearing on this situation as it is probably not what would be issued for these “seasonal international workers” as one person put it. Under these circumstances a Employer-specific work permit would likely be issued (I’ve dealt with this as a manager many moons ago).

There was no suspicion to them working on aircraft as I physically saw them doing so. How do you find working in other countries these days? If anything COVID19 has made things easier going through airports and flying (less people). The NAAT tests are annoying, but overall I’ve found it easier.

[Choppermech1986]