ROAD TRIP

[macestar]

I am a pilot with 220 hrs 100 PIC. I was planning a road trip across Canada (ONT-BC). Can anyone offer some advice for my voyage??

[Sulako]

My first bit of advice would be to use the 'search' function on the board, near the top right of the forum

Type in "road trip" and you'll get all sorts of good stuff, like this:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=62963&start=0&hilit=road+trip

Good luck on your job hunt!

[Doc]

And take a camera! You'll meet all kinds of interesting folks. Knock on every door, and be prepared to buy the odd beer! Enjoy yourself.....there are jobs for those who "just show up"....all about being at the right place, at the right time.

[Flygal]

My advice. Don't waste your time on a road trip. Move to Winnipeg, and get ANY job you can at Perimeter Aviation (ramp, training, reservations, check in, stores, cargo). Write your IATRA too. The wait may be 1.5-2years, but I promise you, this will be the best career you will ever make. They have excellent training, a great working environment, and haven't laid off a pilot in all my time there. You will also make a decent living while working on the ground....and not $8/hr (or whatever min wage is in MB these days).

There may be people who reply to this who will tell you differently. I can only tell you to take my word for it. You won't regret it. Just remember how many trolls there are on this forum.

[HORUNNER]

Just remember how many trolls there are on this forum.

This from the poster with 5 posts to the guy with 2 posts . . .

Not saying your info is anything but the best just pointing out the irony

[North Shore]

MAybe he wants to fly floats - how would Perimeter help?

Sound advice, in general; it doesn't necessarily have to be Perimeter, though - I'd tend to go a little more off the beaten path.

[Tiny Voices]

Not many fans of dry sarcastic humour here. I thought it was funny Flygal.

[Doc]

Flygal...he's looking for a job as a pilot. You know.....Pilot..noun, guy who flies airplanes....not forklifts?

[Flygal]

HORUNNER and Doc. Once again proving my point with the negativity.

There is a reason why I only have 6 posts on this forum, it's because of people like you. I choose not to post or respond to much at all because all threads turn into bashing/arguments. It's childish and immature. I don't see either of you offering up any worth while advice.

Did you ever stop to think I am legitimately trying to guide someone down a good path?

Macestar- If you want a multi-turbine job, that pays respectably and allows you to live in civilization I think you should consider my advice. If floats or a single turbine are what you want, disregard.

[SuperchargedRS]

You boasting a multi turbine to a guy with 200ish hours?

Hmm, so your company would put that into writing on a contract, that he would be flying that bird right?

Because I know you wouldn't be so cliche as do dangle a carrot in front of a green horn just get someone with 50k worth of education to do b!tch work, no that wouldn't be right lol

[Doc]

Wow. That got off topic in record time. Flygal, the third post on the thread was encouragement....from ME.
Poor Horunner was just pointing out a fact. We've enjoyed your 6 posts, and look forward to 2 or 3 more over the next year?
It not a bad idea (in fact a very good one) to drop in on Perimeter. But they are not the answer if you want a "flying" job. You could drop in on Wasaya as well, if you're looking to spend a year or two loading airplanes. But, there are always jobs flying....you just have to look for them. Leave no stone unturned.
While, it's true there are way more pilots than jobs, the same situation exists on ramps and docks. To leave a ramp, one of the pilots has to pack his bags and go. Right now, there's no place to "go". That ramp could be a long term investment in your time, with NO guarantee of a cockpit at the end of the rainbow.
Now is a good time (providing the road trip is unsuccessful) to use another skill set, and do something else for a while. Keep "fishing", but keep in mind, the guys working the ramp for 2 years still have 250 hours.......just like you.

[iflyforpie]

My advice. Don't waste your time on a road trip. Move to Winnipeg, and get ANY job you can at Perimeter Aviation (ramp, training, reservations, check in, stores, cargo). Write your IATRA too. The wait may be 1.5-2years, but I promise you, this will be the best career you will ever make. They have excellent training, a great working environment, and haven't laid off a pilot in all my time there. You will also make a decent living while working on the ground....and not $8/hr (or whatever min wage is in MB these days).

There may be people who reply to this who will tell you differently. I can only tell you to take my word for it. You won't regret it. Just remember how many trolls there are on this forum.

It's funny how people try to use inductive reasoning to show people the one true way of starting a pilot career; all from their own small experiences in an extremely volatile industry.

This is why people go on road trips. Different places, different opportunities, maximum exposure to all potential avenues of employment, and valuable networking and advice to be gained.

Perimeter might have had a ton of movement a few years ago (either you have experienced the wonderful career path you've described, or you only hope to), but today isn't 1.5 to 2 years ago. Pilots aren't moving, pilots are getting laid off (maybe not at Perimeter, but at places you want to go after Perimeter) and everybody and their dog wants to have a flying job in a city.

This means years on the ramp making minimum wage, an expired IFR, and the same 250 hours TT you had to start with. A net loss in my books. Eventually you need to decide whether you are going to stick it out and hope somebody dies so you can get a seat, or do the road trip you thought about doing three or four years ago with a fresh hands and feet....

[lowleveljet]

you might want to check out page 2 and 3 of this forum where someone posted the exact same topic and got lots of good advice from people.

[sheephunter]

The best thing about a road trip is that there is the slightest of chances that you show up at the lake one Friday morning dressed to go to work and with a couple of coffee in hand only to find the dispatcher running around like a chicken with it's head cut off because the companies only pilot had to pack up and go home late Thurs. evening for a week or so (yet to be determined) to deal with an unexpected family emergency and at that moment you are the only licensed pilot with a current medical standing on the dock with the plane already loaded with anxious tourists waiting to make a trip that was scheduled for 1 hours ago. Never know until you start knocking on doors and I think more so than ever, operators are only hiring when and if they need someone... not because they think it is going to get busier. At the other end, you may stumble onto something else that looks interesting and pays better. Good luck, be safe and have fun this summer.