Help I'm cursed

[RWC]

I've always wanted to be a bush Pilot. I've tried to ignore this curse but it won't go away damnit. I'm 32 and currently I have a steady, stable, salary job that pays well and keeps me happy but all I can do is dream about flying floats, fishing and the bugs. I have my PPL, I've done the CPL written test and I have all the requirements to get the CPL flight test over with. I'm planning on getting into the business spring of 2013, until then I plan on finishing my CPL, getting my floats rating and hopefully building some time on floats or ski's. My goal is to start on the dock for a summer, get some time on a 180, 185 whatever, move into a beaver, etc. I don't just want to fly airplanes, I'd like to be a guide, carpenter, grunt whatever. What I'm looking for is numbers. What can I expect to be paid? I've actually been in the aviation business for a couple years now and I know the pay is low and jobs aren't stable. I'd like to hear what others have been paid, where they've been or anything else you'd like to share. Thanks.

[zed]

There's lots of stuff already written on the subject. Try the search function to find what you need. Here's one on pay.

http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=54011

Good luck.

[Castorero]

RWC...

Sound like you love to fly and love the outdoors, and a good way to cure yourself of that is to turn that feeling into a job and a means to support yourself.

I humbly suggest that you keep your good paying job and get yourself any floatplane you can afford.

Fix it, fly it, upgrade it and enjoy the outdoors on your terms, for the rest of your flying days.

JMHO

[Bushav8er]

RWC...

Sound like you love to fly and love the outdoors, and a good way to cure yourself of that is to turn that feeling into a job and a means to support yourself.

I humbly suggest that you keep your good paying job and get yourself any floatplane you can afford.

Fix it, fly it, upgrade it and enjoy the outdoors on your terms, for the rest of your flying days.

JMHO

+1! Fly on your terms, not some elses. Although I've had some great times flying for a living, the most fun was when I did it privately.

[RWC]

My dream would be to have a remote cabin on some Lake only accessible by float plane, but unfortunately I don't have the cash for that. Owning and operating a small float plane would be another dream but I don't have the extra funds for the purchase or the maintainence. So you see the curse is still with me.

[iflyforpie]

My dream would be to have a remote cabin on some Lake only accessible by float plane, but unfortunately I don't have the cash for that. Owning and operating a small float plane would be another dream but I don't have the extra funds for the purchase or the maintainence. So you see the curse is still with me.

You said in your first post that you have a well paying and stable job, yet you are willing to take a substantial cut in pay and spend a lot of money on a commercial license. You are then going to be competing with individuals ten years your junior who will do anything for anything to get a chance at a seat, in a job market that is over saturated with applicants.

Why not do it this way instead? Adjust your living style with your current salary to what you would be making working a dock, then use your surplus to purchase an aircraft. After you have the plane payed off, then look at a cabin. I'm willing to bet that by 40 or 45, you'd have a pretty sweet setup. Even if it is just a retirement thing, better than lots of us will wind up with.


A decently capable float plane can be had for around $50K (two place rag wing). That's the price of a new 4x4 truck, except it doesn't depreciate. Maintenance is a bit more, but not unmanageable if you do your homework before buying and fix things as they break.

[SkySailor]

^ Excellent advice!

[Castorero]

RWC...

One more thing...

Forget about the cabin in the woods, unless you want to spend every week-end fixing and renovating the damn thing for the rest of your life!

The problem with having a cabin is that's where you will end up every week end.

The beauty of having the use of a floatplane is the ability to go to places that are inaccessible and to explore the wilderness in a way that very few people are able to do.

So get a big tent and explore to your heart's delight, a different lake every weekend, and no leaky roof to fix, no water lines to repair and so on ad nauseam. Unless of course you like that sort of thing.

I have been flying for over thirty years and I still would not maintain a cabin in a single location.

That is not to say that I do not like staying in a nice cabin, because I do, I just don't like being tied down to one place in particular.

I don't own a time share either.

Food for thought...