We all have to pay our dues as sorry as I am to say it, in any career, whether you are a doctor, lawyer, pilot or other.
You know who invented this 'paying your dues' concept, don't you?
Him... literally...
Borek Sucks!
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
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Kelowna Pilot
- Rank 6
- Posts: 481
- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:48 am
Having worked at a few companies before Borek I can say with all honesty it's a great gig, best time I had in this industry actually. It really is like a swimming pool - here's the deep end jump in and have at it, sink or swim, they don't care. Some sink, most have a blast.
It's not for everyone though.
That being said let me make a few remarks about what has been said:
First the pay - as an FO, it's not bad, as a captain it's great!!!!
As for eating - I ate like a king in YEV off $15 a day because we pooled our money and did costco runs before comming up for rotation. Medevacs to YEG also help the food money go further.
The schedule - can be very stable or a complete nightmare depending on what machine(s) you fly, what base you get, and more importantly how the staffing levels are.
Right now there is high turnover so I dare say people are working lots. But you are there to make money and build time so that's not too bad.
It will be hard on relationships, make no mistake about this point.
Most importantly it's the people your rotating with. That can make or break your experience there. I was fortunate to have worked with the group I did. Most could only be so lucky.
It's all about attitude and perspective. Where you are in your life, might not jive with what Borek or other companys demand. If your that unappy go find a better (different) gig. You'll be amazed what the same job with a different perspective will do for you...or what color the tail is
It's not for everyone though.
That being said let me make a few remarks about what has been said:
First the pay - as an FO, it's not bad, as a captain it's great!!!!
As for eating - I ate like a king in YEV off $15 a day because we pooled our money and did costco runs before comming up for rotation. Medevacs to YEG also help the food money go further.
The schedule - can be very stable or a complete nightmare depending on what machine(s) you fly, what base you get, and more importantly how the staffing levels are.
Right now there is high turnover so I dare say people are working lots. But you are there to make money and build time so that's not too bad.
It will be hard on relationships, make no mistake about this point.
Most importantly it's the people your rotating with. That can make or break your experience there. I was fortunate to have worked with the group I did. Most could only be so lucky.
It's all about attitude and perspective. Where you are in your life, might not jive with what Borek or other companys demand. If your that unappy go find a better (different) gig. You'll be amazed what the same job with a different perspective will do for you...or what color the tail is
The feet you step on today might be attached to the ass you're kissing tomorrow.
Chase lifestyle not metal.
Chase lifestyle not metal.
26k to start as FO, 300 hrs/yr on king air, max on dhc6, washing planes cause they're too cheap to get the locals to do it (how else are they to afford to sniff gas?) Some capts there are incompetant, they know who they are, over all borek was a good experience, but when the pay and life style are better else where for the same equipment and they jerk guys around, they end up loosing a lot of good guys
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TheEvilTwin
- Rank 1
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 9:02 am
If you think Borek sucks, talk to a Perimeter pilot!
Countless months on the ramp, pays less then a Mickey D's employee even once your flying. I hear the pilots there have been without a contract coming 7 months now.. managment keeps altering flight blocks as they deem fit.. rumor is there's ALOT of disgruntled employees at that place that have had it... and managment there wonders why so many guys and gals are leaving (sometimes in sideways steps).
Countless months on the ramp, pays less then a Mickey D's employee even once your flying. I hear the pilots there have been without a contract coming 7 months now.. managment keeps altering flight blocks as they deem fit.. rumor is there's ALOT of disgruntled employees at that place that have had it... and managment there wonders why so many guys and gals are leaving (sometimes in sideways steps).
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GroundSpeed
- Rank 1
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:06 pm
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Rudder Bug
- Rank 10
- Posts: 2735
- Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2005 11:09 pm
- Location: Right seat but I own the seat
Must be an error on the person, it's not me, but can you find my head phones? They had a stain of chewing gum on one side, and a flexible mike. I last seen them in ZDV in AugustTindi sitting next to you in dispatch
Flying an aircraft and building a guitar are two things that are easy to do bad and difficult to do right
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yd_QppdGks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yd_QppdGks
Borek Sucks
I worked at Borek for a year back in 2004-05. I don't have anything bad to say about the place. I was treated great on my days on in YFB and met some fantastic people while working there. If someone were to ask me if it were a good idea to take a job there i'd say go for it. The only reason I left was because i wasn't from Alberta and was offered a job closer to home. You weren't able to rotate anywhere in Canada when i worked there. if that was available i'm sure i'd have stayed much longer.
The 18 bucks a day while on rotation is pretty sweet. I worked for the competition in YFB before joining Borek and there was no help paying for the groceries and i also had to foot the bill for rent. 2200 bucks a month for an appartment at "white row" (for those familiar with YFB). It sure was nice not to have to pay that once joining Borek.
I don't regret working at KBAL one bit and its disappointing to see people on here bashing both the company itself as well as those who work there. Take that attitude elsewhere.
Cheers
ALT SEL
The 18 bucks a day while on rotation is pretty sweet. I worked for the competition in YFB before joining Borek and there was no help paying for the groceries and i also had to foot the bill for rent. 2200 bucks a month for an appartment at "white row" (for those familiar with YFB). It sure was nice not to have to pay that once joining Borek.
I don't regret working at KBAL one bit and its disappointing to see people on here bashing both the company itself as well as those who work there. Take that attitude elsewhere.
Cheers
ALT SEL
I also had the incredable opportunity to work for Borek from 1999 to 2004. I have to say that it was the most fun I've had in aviation since I began this endeavor. You sure can learn a lot from flying up in YFB. I look back upon it with my fondest memories. There isn't a drink that goes by without a story from my times there. Truly an awesome place to work. Please enjoy!
My last year as an FO I got over 1000h and made $40000! This is by far the best place I have ever worked. Don't be such a fag. I now make much much more than that and work less than 600hours a year. This place make people into good pilots. That fact has been shown time and time again when you look at our guys moving on to bigger and better things. Lets not froget that this is the 3rd largest airline in the country (fleet size) and sets you up for the rest of your career. The people that run it are some of the best and the staff working for them are also the best. Give your head a shake and be thankful that we let you work for us and learn. And also pray that you never find yourself in my cockpit someday... I can promise that you will regret it!
The FCU is a BFM
nightguy wrote:My last year as an FO I got over 1000h and made $40000! This is by far the best place I have ever worked. Don't be such a fag. I now make much much more than that and work less than 600hours a year. This place make people into good pilots. That fact has been shown time and time again when you look at our guys moving on to bigger and better things. Lets not froget that this is the 3rd largest airline in the country (fleet size) and sets you up for the rest of your career. The people that run it are some of the best and the staff working for them are also the best. Give your head a shake and be thankful that we let you work for us and learn. And also pray that you never find yourself in my cockpit someday... I can promise that you will regret it!
What I find funny, most on here who are bashing Borek probibly know very little about the company and/or never worked there. Typical aviation bandwagon sh!t.
To those that didn't like it, thats a shame. As mentioned before it's not for everyone.
To those that didn't like it, thats a shame. As mentioned before it's not for everyone.
The feet you step on today might be attached to the ass you're kissing tomorrow.
Chase lifestyle not metal.
Chase lifestyle not metal.
Just take it to the basics:
As a newly minted FO, making a low wage while living for extended periods in YRB/YFB/YEV, the j-o-b is gonna s-u-c-k after awhile. However it would seem that all first steps in a career require sacrifice in the pay department.
What seperates the bad companies from the average companies (IMO) are the issues of crew sched/pushing weather/maint.
A good company allows the employees to both eat and pay down their student loans. Every month.
As a newly minted FO, making a low wage while living for extended periods in YRB/YFB/YEV, the j-o-b is gonna s-u-c-k after awhile. However it would seem that all first steps in a career require sacrifice in the pay department.
What seperates the bad companies from the average companies (IMO) are the issues of crew sched/pushing weather/maint.
A good company allows the employees to both eat and pay down their student loans. Every month.
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arcticbeaches
- Rank 1
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2007 10:13 pm
Pay Update
To those that questioned my earlier statement of making 32k as an FO.
I just got my YTD value to the end of Sep and it's at 27k, divide by 0.75 and you get 35k as what I'm on pace to make this year, as my first full calender year at Borek as an FO. I admit I worked some extra shifts in there (which now earns you an OT rate as does working in excess of half the year).
I think the recurring theme here is that if rotating/being up north isn't your thing don't come.
Otherwise, it's a great job, great people, amazing flying and the pay certainly isn't amongst the worst in the country.
Voyageur is paying about the same for captains as far as I know. CMA is at 24k for year 1.
I just got my YTD value to the end of Sep and it's at 27k, divide by 0.75 and you get 35k as what I'm on pace to make this year, as my first full calender year at Borek as an FO. I admit I worked some extra shifts in there (which now earns you an OT rate as does working in excess of half the year).
I think the recurring theme here is that if rotating/being up north isn't your thing don't come.
Otherwise, it's a great job, great people, amazing flying and the pay certainly isn't amongst the worst in the country.
Voyageur is paying about the same for captains as far as I know. CMA is at 24k for year 1.
I hope your eighteen.nightguy wrote:My last year as an FO I got over 1000h and made $40000! This is by far the best place I have ever worked. Don't be such a fag. I now make much much more than that and work less than 600hours a year. This place make people into good pilots. That fact has been shown time and time again when you look at our guys moving on to bigger and better things. Lets not froget that this is the 3rd largest airline in the country (fleet size) and sets you up for the rest of your career. The people that run it are some of the best and the staff working for them are also the best. Give your head a shake and be thankful that we let you work for us and learn. And also pray that you never find yourself in my cockpit someday... I can promise that you will regret it!
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GroundSpeed
- Rank 1
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 1:06 pm
[quote="nightguy"]My last year as an FO I got over 1000h and made $40000! This is by far the best place I have ever worked. Don't be such a fag. I now make much much more than that and work less than 600hours a year. This place make people into good pilots. That fact has been shown time and time again when you look at our guys moving on to bigger and better things. Lets not froget that this is the 3rd largest airline in the country (fleet size) and sets you up for the rest of your career. The people that run it are some of the best and the staff working for them are also the best. Give your head a shake and be thankful that we let you work for us and learn. And also pray that you never find yourself in my cockpit someday... I can promise that you will regret it![/quote]
Sounds like you would be a great captain to fly with. Thank you so much for letting me work for YOU. I didn't know teaching ground schools made you managment you clown.
Sounds like you would be a great captain to fly with. Thank you so much for letting me work for YOU. I didn't know teaching ground schools made you managment you clown.
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Cat Driver
- Top Poster
- Posts: 18921
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:31 pm
It's called CRM.Sounds like you would be a great captain to fly with. Thank you so much for letting me work for YOU. I didn't know teaching ground schools made you managment you clown.
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
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'effin hippie
- Rank 5
- Posts: 308
- Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2004 6:44 pm
- Location: Further..further...ok, too far...
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futboler14
- Rank 3
- Posts: 164
- Joined: Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:34 pm
- Location: northish
