Under 31 years old with an Australian Licence

[ragbagflyer]

What are the wages and conditions? Is the reason you only want under thirties because they will work for nothing or even pay for some expirence? If you have had so many pilots through your organisation surely that must tell you something, why won't they stay? Money not enough to live on? Cost of living on the Queensland coast is VERY expensive, most of the low wages recieved will go to paying rent and eating noodles.
This is crap, we have the pilots in this country.

You sure jump to conclusions! Perhaps it's easier to get a work permit if you're under 31. Also, where did Philly say he had a lot of pilots pass through this organization? All he said was he's trained a lot of pilots in his time. Chill out!

[Oldfartus]

You sure jump to conclusions! Perhaps it's easier to get a work permit if you're under 31. Also, where did Philly say he had a lot of pilots pass through this organization? All he said was he's trained a lot of pilots in his time. Chill out!

How many of your good, well set up operators go into the season still looking for quailified staff less than a month from the busy time? Why do you think they can't find pilots in this country with some float operators (Not as many as your country but quite a few) here with a fair turn over? They can't seem to get people to stay in the game because of wages and conditions is why. Did the "Oh you Canadians are the best pilots in the world" comment swell your head just a little bit?
Any oganisation who pays well and looks after the crew has no trouble retaining pilots, same in your country? I don't need to chill out, apart from a couple of days this summer has been quite cool.

[phillyfan]

Nobody here right now is hurting for money. Pay is above industry standard. If you know of any Australian pilots who want to work for us, tell them to send a resume or drop by the office.
The 31 year old restriction is simply because a Working Travel Visa can be obtained in 24hours. Other visas could take months or even years.
A conversion involves a flight test, medical and an Air Law written. They do have a "Certificate of Validation" which allows somebody to fly on there ICAO licence and medical for up to 6 months. The shitty part is that it takes a month to get.
We have plenty of Australian helicopter pilots flying in Canada so I have no moral hangup about using a few Canadians to fly floats over here.

[hugh_jorgan]

Why not advertise on the Aussie AFAP website...its free and you will no doubt get some interest from Australian float pilots who already have a licence and float time. I know of a few beaver drivers in country with rough water experience.

Conditions in the area can be challenging if landing out at the reef or islands. The majority of the work they do is takeoff from the inlet and land back in the inlet...especially for the chinese new year work. They could have easily had a person trained up by now as the last pilot to leave left the company at the start of Dec. Why leave it till now to try and find someone? The company bus driver has been there well over 12 months and is still waiting for his opportunity to get in the air. (5 pilots have started with the company in the time he has been there)

To give you an idea of how difficult operations in that area can be. Last CP checked a guy with 1000TT and a little over 400 on floats, did about 5-6hrs ICUS with him in the Beaver and sent him out in 30kts for a landing at Green Is. Challenging environment but not impossible. The old CPs motto was this "I wont send anyone solo until they are at a stage where I would be comfortable sending my wife and kids up with them". You do need some experience but as philly said

Common sense is the most important prerequisite.

[phillyfan]

Like I said we had a couple guys lined up. One is doing something else, the other did not meet the standard. I really don't care about what happened before I got here.
If you think that this is the full extent of my search efforts, then you are mistaken. I'm just doing what any employer should do. Find the best person for the job. Something they have not always done.

[beechnut]

Philly
It sounds to me like Old Fart Dust is the one who didn't meet your standard of employment. Maybe he should come to Cat for a" little or a lot" of recurrent training.Most of the swelled heads you will find in Canada are from the school of hard knocks. Thanks for giving us a shot at your job i'm quite sure you will find someone who will meet your experience requirements.
Beechnut

[Oldfartus]

Philly
It sounds to me like Old Fart Dust is the one who didn't meet your standard of employment.
Beechnut

I have never been in the aviation tourist industry, aviation yes. I have however had plenty of friends who were employed flying floats, unless things have changed in the last six months it's a mugs game. With heaps of just quailified CPL's out there prepared to pay for employment so they can get a few hours. Sound familiar?

Pay is above industry standard.

"Industry standard", nice expression there. You mean work 13 hour days, 7 days a week for maybe half of what they are getting stacking shelves at the supermarket? That is "Industry standard". For such a you beut job why aren't here old fella's still flying tourists? Won't put up with the sh!t that's why, the older blokes get sick of working 12 hour days every day then when they question it they get told they have an "Attitude problem". You still haven't commented on the cost of living on the tourist coast, as I said on "Above industry standard" wages you would be living in a hovel eating noodles and rice but that's OK because your "Living the dream"

[phillyfan]

Schedule is 5on 3off then 4on 2off. Nobody even comes close to hitting CASA limits.
Pay range is from $50,000 to $80,000 a year + company car with fuel. Since we are all non residents we get our Superannuation back when we leave the country.
I pay $125 a week for a utilities included fully furnished room at a place with a pool. As for food I don't know, it's a whole lot cheaper then what I paid in the NWT. I can get a full meal and a beer at half a dozen places in town for $10. If you chose to shop for your food it's no different then Canada.
No pilot here is asked to do anything other then fly there airplane and put it away at the end of the day. If thats the horror story your friend told you about life as a float driver you and him are gonna have a tough time selling your sob story to any float pilots in Canada.

[Oldfartus]

May I suggest you advertise those positions and wages in OZ and see how many applicants you get?

[North Shore]

*Shakes Head* Sometimes I wonder about this place... Guys, all Philly has done is come on here and offer a job to someone, hoping to find 'the best' candidate for his company, and all we've done is give him sh!t about it...

[beechnut]

Old Fart Dust

Why are ragging on Phillyfan ? You with no experience in the float flying industry . Float flying is an absolute wonderful way to earn a living. Are you afraid of working 12 hours a day? Most of your friends that were float pilots were probably not destined to be career float pilots . It truly is a lifestyle choice . It sure looks like Phillyfan is trying to entice the right candidate which you so obviously are not. Good luck to the person who does take the job. When I go on days off I usually go flying wait a minute flying is a day off work.
Phillyfan I think that you are doing just fine on your quest to find a pilot . Good Luck
Beechnut

[beechnut]

Northshore
I am 100 percent behind Phillyfan . I believe there is a little bit of sour grapes that is making a great Whine

[Cat Driver]

I also am supporting Phily and wish him the best of luck finding someone who can do the job safely.

[Oldfartus]

OK fella's you've made your point, the thing is what is being quoted here is not the real world. For the money quoted there would be blokes lined up for miles, very expirenced pilots. If it smells like sh!t, looks like sh!t people don't want to try the taste to see if it is. How many of you know what the operation of float aircraft has been like over the last twenty years in this area? Any been employed there?

[beechnut]

Oldfartus
Truce
Beechnut

[phillyfan]

I may not have been clear in earlier posts but I have also reached out to Australian pilots. I have sent e-mails to Chief Pilots at several operators running Beavers in Australia asking if they have anyone who they may have had to layoff for the season. An e-mail was also sent to the AFAP site. I gather however that they only post jobs every Friday, so this offer will not appear for a few more days yet.
I have received a few offers from very qualified Canadian pilots who may not be usable at this time but will almost certainly be very valuable to our operation in the near future.

Anyways Thanks guys for your support and now lets hope I can find a "good driver" on short notice.

[Oldfartus]

If the conditions are as you state Philly you won't have any trouble getting people. I can think of a few current AG blokes with plenty of Beaver time who would be keen for a stable job.

[cdnpilot77]

I have received a few offers from very qualified Canadian pilots who may not be usable at this time but will almost certainly be very valuable to our operation in the near future.

I tell you what fellas say what you want, think of your conspiracy theories and be upset that people have stopped listening to your constant complaining, but I can only hope and pray that I am one of these lucky few! Unfortunately 32yrs old

[stew]

Just last week I was reading a post about how Canadian jobs were being taken away by German pilots working for Canjet. Looks to me that all Oldfartus wants is for someone in his country to get the job. Makes sense to me.

[Oldfartus]

If there truely was a shortage there would be no problem, if that is the actual wage then as I said there would be a long line up of very quailified people. There are also Canadian pilots coming out here for the summer firebombing when there are more than a few highly quailified Australians looking for work.

If Philly is telling the truth that would be the best paid job in GA in Australia but as I said the cost of living is horrendous on the tourist coast (If he can get a room with a pool for $125 a week he must be tuning tricks after dark to get that price ) so you would need the way better than average wages quoted to survive.

This is not an anti Canadian bash, pilots wages and conditions are being eroded by operators employing or getting less expirenced pilots to PAY to work for them. This is going right up the line with companies doing bank runs getting people to pay to crew the Aircraft. Feeder Airlines are getting people to pay big money to crew their RPT runs. Cut price airlines are getting people to pay for their own endorsments on the likes of Dash 8's and 737's and then employ them for half of what the expirenced crew get. It's getting worse, I'm sure it's the same in your country. If Philly is really paying what he said, then more power to him, he won't have trouble getting very expirenced (Australian) crew to do the job. That's why I'm cynical about employing young overseas crew.
AF