2023 Season

[Bug_Stomper_01]

How’s everyone doing this year? Seems to be a shortage of Pilots and ames from what I’m hearing?

[luke510]

One less after this fire season. BinCat out. 25 great years but not one more.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

One less after this fire season. BinCat out. 25 great years but not one more.

Congratulations on your freedom lol

[Bug_Stomper_01]

One less after this fire season. BinCat out. 25 great years but not one more.

I did a quick stint for a couple days for a friend and pretty shocking what’s left out there. Glad I left Canada

[SeptRepair]

We have been flat out since May on fires. Lots of Snowmen days. Done about 400hrs. I know of quite a few machines by various operators having been parked for 5 days due to pilots having to reset. Definite shortage of qualified pilots. We have managed to stay crewed maintenance wise.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

We have been flat out since May on fires. Lots of Snowmen days. Done about 400hrs. I know of quite a few machines by various operators having been parked for 5 days due to pilots having to reset. Definite shortage of qualified pilots. We have managed to stay crewed maintenance wise.

Ya I just did a quick stint and from what I saw MX side of things is very lean

[SeptRepair]

Yes lean is a good descriptor, We are fortunate we have a couple guys in our company who are coin operated and willing do longer shifts. I myself did a couple shifts of 3 weeks just to align with family commitments this spring/summer, but the standard 2 and 2 is pretty much written in stone. If we were too lose one guy for whatever reason we would feel it.

[MOAB]

Sept if you did happen to lose anyone, is the pay looking good enough to attract someone new?

I spoke with another pilot a couple days ago who said their company is constantly increasing pay in order to attract more pilots. Intermediates paying 160k+ is fantastic news, I hope the maint side is seeing the same!

[SeptRepair]

Yes the pay is attractive enough, that we have guys asking if we are hiring in the maintenance side. We are very selective on who we hire mind you. They must be a good fit. We would rather work short handed, then take on a guy with attitude, chip on his shoulder, or just a plain ass complainer. Nothing worse than a toxic work environment.
Cant speak for pilot side much, but I do know we had a pilot that was about to come on board, but his current employer put 20k in his bank account and asked him not to leave. He didnt come over.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Yes lean is a good descriptor, We are fortunate we have a couple guys in our company who are coin operated and willing do longer shifts. I myself did a couple shifts of 3 weeks just to align with family commitments this spring/summer, but the standard 2 and 2 is pretty much written in stone. If we were too lose one guy for whatever reason we would feel it.

As with anyone it seems, good to see big blue 4x2 is extinct for the most part

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Sept if you did happen to lose anyone, is the pay looking good enough to attract someone new?

I spoke with another pilot a couple days ago who said their company is constantly increasing pay in order to attract more pilots. Intermediates paying 160k+ is fantastic news, I hope the maint side is seeing the same!

Intermediates paid more than that 15 years ago

[Bug_Stomper_01]

Yes the pay is attractive enough, that we have guys asking if we are hiring in the maintenance side. We are very selective on who we hire mind you. They must be a good fit. We would rather work short handed, than take on a guy with attitude, chip on his shoulder, or just a plain ass complainer. Nothing worse than a toxic work environment.

The “good fit” is a very loose and dangerous term coming from a prospective employer. The complaints may be valid and a chipped shoulder/attitude problem is relative to management/ownership expectations (which should be extremely clear in the interview process).
If you expect guys to be on call 24/7 and/or on a split shift etc. & have a broken schedule as you previously indicated (3&3 in lieu of 2&2) there would be complaints from any AME worth his experience and self respect. That crap is why barely anyone wants to do this anymore in Canada.
I could be wrong but……..the way I perceive that statement is the candidate has to do what he’s told without discussion and if he/she/they/them indicates otherwise is shown the door. Canada is terrible for that high handed management style, “FI or FO”….. this sounds very BCish and I think by that rhetoric I know the company

[SeptRepair]

The “good fit” is a very loose and dangerous term coming from a prospective employer. The complaints may be valid and a chipped shoulder/attitude problem is relative to management/ownership expectations (which should be extremely clear in the interview process).
If you expect guys to be on call 24/7 and/or on a split shift etc. & have a broken schedule as you previously indicated (3&3 in lieu of 2&2) there would be complaints from any AME worth his experience and self respect. That crap is why barely anyone wants to do this anymore in Canada.

Actually management/ownership has nothing to do with what we expect out of a coworker. We have a good bunch of guys who all get along and have each others back. The 3 and 3 was decided between me and my cross shift. We set it up and management just okayed it. They have never asked for more than a 2 and 2. We can do 4 and 4 if we choose. The key being OUR choice. I have been asked to extended for a couple days to help with a Twin Pac, but if I had plans for my time off no worries, they get someone else. No pressure to accept. No fear of fall out either. Not all companies are out to get you.

Guys with the chip on their shoulders are the ones thinking they should be paid more then they really are worth. They want to do the least amount of work. Usually they are the ones to bring up the topic of pooling hours on flight pay. They leave the lions share of the work for their cross shift. When we figure out their bullshit, they become victims as its everyone else's fault. They will quit and find another company to try. When they run out of companies in Canada, they head south or overseas. A good vetting before they are hired eliminates that.

I could be wrong but……..the way I perceive that statement is the candidate has to do what he’s told without discussion and if he/she/they/them indicates otherwise is shown the door. Canada is terrible for that high handed management style, “FI or FO”….. this sounds very BCish and I think by that rhetoric I know the company

You are wrong. We are not told what to do. We know what to do and what needs to be done. There is no need for discussion. The aircraft is to be fit and safe for flight everyday. If the aircraft is sitting because maintenance is not being done and some guy has his feelings hurt because he doesn't get his own way, then the aircraft is not making revenue. No revenue, then no sense in having maintenance staff, and the doors close. That should not have to be spelled out.
Its not high handed to be expected to do your job. So yes, the motto of Fit in or @#$! off is very prevalent.

[Bug_Stomper_01]

The “good fit” is a very loose and dangerous term coming from a prospective employer. The complaints may be valid and a chipped shoulder/attitude problem is relative to management/ownership expectations (which should be extremely clear in the interview process).
If you expect guys to be on call 24/7 and/or on a split shift etc. & have a broken schedule as you previously indicated (3&3 in lieu of 2&2) there would be complaints from any AME worth his experience and self respect. That crap is why barely anyone wants to do this anymore in Canada.

Actually management/ownership has nothing to do with what we expect out of a coworker. We have a good bunch of guys who all get along and have each others back. The 3 and 3 was decided between me and my cross shift. We set it up and management just okayed it. They have never asked for more than a 2 and 2. We can do 4 and 4 if we choose. The key being OUR choice. I have been asked to extended for a couple days to help with a Twin Pac, but if I had plans for my time off no worries, they get someone else. No pressure to accept. No fear of fall out either. Not all companies are out to get you.

Guys with the chip on their shoulders are the ones thinking they should be paid more then they really are worth. They want to do the least amount of work. Usually they are the ones to bring up the topic of pooling hours on flight pay. They leave the lions share of the work for their cross shift. When we figure out their bullshit, they become victims as its everyone else's fault. They will quit and find another company to try. When they run out of companies in Canada, they head south or overseas. A good vetting before they are hired eliminates that.

I could be wrong but……..the way I perceive that statement is the candidate has to do what he’s told without discussion and if he/she/they/them indicates otherwise is shown the door. Canada is terrible for that high handed management style, “FI or FO”….. this sounds very BCish and I think by that rhetoric I know the company

You are wrong. We are not told what to do. We know what to do and what needs to be done. There is no need for discussion. The aircraft is to be fit and safe for flight everyday. If the aircraft is sitting because maintenance is not being done and some guy has his feelings hurt because he doesn't get his own way, then the aircraft is not making revenue. No revenue, then no sense in having maintenance staff, and the doors close. That should not have to be spelled out.
Its not high handed to be expected to do your job. So yes, the motto of Fit in or @#$! off is very prevalent.

What you’re describing is a gross negligent employee, that’s not really aligned with a chipped shoulder/bad attitude the way I perceived the way you wrote it.
Yes do your job and pull your weight, in that regard I do agree with FI or FO. We don’t do flight pay in Canada or the USA we bill out hourly, I don’t agree with flight pay for the exact reasons you described above. Someone else always gets hosed on a flaming bag of dog $hit of an aircraft someone else just sat around on and DI’d for a few weeks prior.
It also breeds a “push it” attitude for maintenance (penning and letting things go) to keep flight pay up. All that is a Canada specific culture you won’t find anywhere else in the world. I digress, go out, do your job (with pride in work and to the best of your ability) and go home to live your life is all any competent/credible AME should want.