Ramp jobs: Buffalo Airways vs Air Tindi

[C-GQNN]

I am trying to decide who to ramp for? Any thoughts?

[young grasshopper]

I'm sorta partial because I used to work for Tindi, but I'd say go with them. You ARE coming north to fly floats and ski's, right? I'm sure at either place it'll be around the year/1.5 year mark to start flying. As for working conditions, I think Tindi is a bit better, but it would be cool to fly those big radials...they probably won't be around forever. Both companies do some awesome flying. Good luck regardless!

[Rowdy]

Tindi.. Tindi.. tindi!

[C-GGGQ]

back when I talked to both, Tindi offered more.

[SkyWolfe]

Summit.

Otherwise Tindi - less abuse I hear.

[C-GQNN]

I was leaning towards Tindi as well, so I can fly the twotter on floats someday. DC-3s are pretty awesome too though. You’re right, Tindi offers more.

[fingersmac]

(Assuming GQNN is a recent grad or possible second year student at Confed)

Three grads from last year are working at Tindi. Last I heard one is on the King Air and the other two are holding out for the Twotter. Looks like the ramp time for the King Air is about a year and for the Twin Otter it's close to 1.5 years. All three seem to be enjoying life in YZF and working for Tindi.

[ScudRunner]

I think you should have them cage fight for your services.

[blueoval56]

Hey GQNN, have you made a decision/ started working yet?
If you're interested I can share some info on Buffalo. PM me if you're interested.

[farm_boy252]

BUFFALO FOR LIFE EH DUSTY RHODES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PistonPounder2800]

I work for Buffalo and am loving the machines. But thinking back I don't konw how I made it through the bull@$%#. You can't go wrong with Tindi but if you have a real love for old airplanes then try Buffalo.

[Ka8]

would I have a chance at Buffalo ...I finished my commercial this year at a flightschool in Whitehorse ....flying since 1974 ...I accumulated about 750 hrs .....did some flightseeing for tourist in germany ,but not for money...

[Hoov]

Ka8 you probably could get on with Buffalo, but with that time do you really want to work on the ramp for two years?

[PistonPounder2800]

Ka8, you could definitely get on with Buffalo. They're hiring right now. But I think with more than 250hours you could get a job flying right away somewhere else and not have to deal with 75 hour weeks for a year plus.

[scopiton]

what's the min hrs to NOT work on the ramp for buffalo and start straight as a pilot ?
same for Tindi....

[PistonPounder2800]

If you get hired with around 1500 hours then you'll definitely standout but you need the thousand plus hours on a round engine before you go left seat. You will be hated by the ground guys and most definitely called a scab.

[Hoov]

what's the min hrs to NOT work on the ramp for buffalo and start straight as a pilot ?
same for Tindi....

Probably about 3000 hours. Tindi likes to promote from within, so people start on the ground and end up with multi pic after a few years.

[Doc]

Hoov, you're actually saying a pilot needs 3000 hours to be considered as a "pilot"?

And the remarks made by PistonPounder2800 are the very reason I think pilots should not be hired for anything other than flying airplanes. It's just a cheap labor pool for companies who should be employing local talent for manual labor jobs. They get to treat people like crap, without bothering to follow any labor codes, or union BS.

fingersmac..."three GRADS are working at......" Grads from WHAT? Forklift school? I'd sure be damn proud to spend THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS of Daddy's money, so I could work on a ramp!

[ClevelandSteamer]

What a joke, Tindi. They promise you a right seat job after two years of working in the warehouse and ramp, oooh thanks. Screw that, yeah they have 4 on 4 off sched (better then buffalo at least) if you ask me thats putting pilots in the same boat as this big Voyageur "Lowager" fight that never seems to end.

I Fully respect a pilot that earned his keep, that spent a little time fixing a Herman Nelson into a cockpit or engine and enjoying little coffee breaks in between the fast pace river shuttles or mine runs. But there is a limit!

I worked up North for 7 months, had the time of my life but I needed to fly, I earned my wings in the first week at buffalo! Screw that I quit and got a flying job In Alberta, Left for the Dark continent a year later...NOW 23 MONTHS LATER!!!!! My friend at Tindi is JUST getting on the King Air.

WHAT A JOKE! I cant even finnish this it gets me soo worked up!



Cheers

[Hoov]

Hoov, you're actually saying a pilot needs 3000 hours to be considered as a "pilot"?

And the remarks made by PistonPounder2800 are the very reason I think pilots should not be hired for anything other than flying airplanes. It's just a cheap labor pool for companies who should be employing local talent for manual labor jobs. They get to treat people like crap, without bothering to follow any labor codes, or union BS.

fingersmac..."three GRADS are working at......" Grads from WHAT? Forklift school? I'd sure be damn proud to spend THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS of Daddy's money, so I could work on a ramp!

Haha, no I am not saying a pilot needs 3000 hours to be considered a "pilot". He asked how to avoid the ramp at Tindi, well thats what you need if you want to go into the left seat here. You will not go direct entry right seat here, and like I said most people are promoted from within.

[rex sterling]

Guys, I am with Hoov on this one. Buffalo and Air Tindi have given lots of pilots their start in this industry. Better to take a job working the ramp than to have no job at all. There are not many jobs out there for 250 hour wonders that will put you in the right seat of a multi turbine machine. Doc, have you guys hired many 250 hr guys lately? Most of us who work for these companies would have taken direct entry flying jobs if they were available. You know what, there were none. So we took what was available. We are getting some great flying experience in the north which will serve us well in the future. Everyone who accepts a job with them knows what they are signing up for, if they don't like it, don't accept the job. Don't slag the ones who do take the job!

[AUGER9]

fingersmac..."three GRADS are working at......" Grads from WHAT? Forklift school? I'd sure be damn proud to spend THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS of Daddy's money, so I could work on a ramp!

Take it easy Doc, he was just letting him know that there would be some familiar faces for him up there.

FYI, the kid's up at Tindi now.

[young grasshopper]

ClevelandSteamer wrote:

What a joke, Tindi. They promise you a right seat job after two years of working in the warehouse and ramp

First of all, like anything in this industry, NOTHING is promised to you when you start at Tindi. You are hired as a rampie (but lets not get into that debate).

if you ask me thats putting pilots in the same boat as this big Voyageur "Lowager" fight that never seems to end

I dunno...$2500/month for a good schedule (as you said - 4 on, 4 off), with $20/hr for overtime isn't that bad, is it?

[Bucker]

This is a great debate! I'm loving the read!

[RADIALRUNNER]

If you're interested in time off, overtime, clean/new machines and a variety of aircraft then head over to Tindi. If you don't mind working your ass off, getting covered in oil, constantly cleaning your machine, taking a little bit of flack every once in a while, and getting an opportunity to fly some of the most iconic and historic aircraft ever made before they all end up in museums... give Buffalo a call. You will work your ass off- but hard work put in there does get noticed by the big wigs. If the pilots like you, they'll take on flights all the time(as long as you have someone to do your job when you're gone). And in the end, if you're not a complete idiot and you put in the extra effort, the wait is highly likely to be less than Tindi(...highly). I think, if you can make it, Buffalo would be one of the best things to have on your resume. Not many people can lay claim to 29,000-48,000 lb twin, radial, taildragger time. Or, even more rare, 4-engine radial time in a cankerous old girl like the DC-4.