Are float pilots a dying breed?

skywagon · Post by **skywagon** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:57 am

With every reserve, mining claim, and small town in nortern Canada getting some form of runway; does that reduce the need for charter companies to have float planes? Will it be soon only lodges that use them? It seems high insurance and the building of strips might spell the end to large scale float flying in Canada. Now operators are slowly switching to amphibious birds. How long before float flying is very limited and only a handful of skilled pilots are left? Just curious to other peoples opinions.

shimmydampner · Post by **shimmydampner** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 5:50 pm

Call me crazy, but I think the beginning of the end started a while ago. I'm sure it will never be totally gone, fly-in fishing and all, but I think you're right. I was unfortunate enough to work for a company that had a couple float planes in addition to their IFR fleet and they ended up laying me off early this summer and pulling the floatplanes because they couldn't justify the cost anymore.

Visual Sensations · Post by **Visual Sensations** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:26 pm

You must work for NDA in Stony. Twa ran there machines out of town this summer. Their one beaver pilot said he had to scrape 2 inches of algae off the bottoms of the floats before he took it south, it had sat so long !!!

shimmydampner · Post by **shimmydampner** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:25 pm

Nope sorry. Wrong place, wrong company. Wish I could say I'm glad I'm not the only one but I'm not. It's not good for any float jocks. Same thing happened to a buddy of mine too this summer. It's a shitty way to lose your job, do everything right and they sell the airplane out from under you anyway. Oh well, I'm sure it's happened to countless before and will continue to happen.

I_Drive_Planes · Post by **I_Drive_Planes** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 11:56 pm

I was talking to a friend who has a one airplane, one pilot company (a 210 on wheels) and he said that to insure your average float-equipped Beaver for a four month season (commercially of course) is about 45-50000, on top of all the other operating costs. That plane had better be flying an aweful lot in order to justify that, and to keep a low enough hourly rate to be competitive.

bush pilot · Post by **bush pilot** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:50 am

Borken wing,
Its easy to run somebody out of town when you drastically under bid everything. I don't know why they sent up as many beavers as they did when they knew there was no work for them all. I think they were hoping for more of a fire season, however serm wouldn't touch a fire unless it was within 15km of a town. And even then they wouldn't do to much. besides after they sent down two of them the last beaver flew alot.

Northern Flyer · Post by **Northern Flyer** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:02 pm

Float pilots are definately a dying breed, the main reason is because the last few years there have been very little fresh blood. Float jobs were the jobs new pilots flocked to, now with all the insurance crap, it is almost impossible for the average guy or gal to land there first job flying in off the water,

pilotbc69 · Post by **pilotbc69** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 2:04 pm

Definitely insurance companies are setting the standards at which companies can hire. I can't count the number of guys for the past few years that said I would like to hire you but you need more time.

W. M. in MB has told the insurance companies to shove it and shut his air service down. Sort of a strike of some sort I guess. I know he has given alot of guys thier first start and refuses to let these insurance companies tell him who he can and can't hire. Hopefully more owners will take this stand but I truly can't see it. Sort of like a pilot saying he should be paid more because he is truly worth it...well in theory...but who has the balls to do it?

cougarhunter · Post by **cougarhunter** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 2:06 pm

Insurance companies exist for one reason and one reason only and that is for profit. Those bean counters in those Bay Streeet office towers are only concerned about the bottom line. A lot of aviation insurance brokers are completely ignorant about aviation. One agent my boss talked with did not know what a PPC was and in addition wanted our new hire to have 100 hours on our 185 on wheels before getting insurance on our 206. The last time I checked, flying a 185 on wheels was a lot more squirrely than a stol-equipped, tricycle gear 206. Insurance companies have got to realize that any sane owner (if there are any left) would not put an incompitent pilot behind the controls of his a/c. The owner has way too much to loose should something happen. Think about the future loss of revenue and reputation (read: Keystone).