AVCANADA

Or you could apply now. The ramp manager doesn't care if you have an IATRA

Or you could apply now. The ramp manager doesn't care if you have an IATRA

I will throw my opinion in the ring, but the others have pretty much touched on the issues I wanted to.

-As a Class 4 you won't get a job Multi-IFR instructing. Working full time ramp and part time instructing will get old pretty fast too. The flight schools around YAV won't even hire a part timer last time I checked. Even trying to get a full time job with them would be hard, most of them hire their own grads anyways.

-Apply tomorrow for any job at Perimeter.
a) You'll make more money on the ground then you will instructing.
b) If you write you IATRA you're marketable on not only the metro 2/beech 99, but also the metro 3.
c) The experience you will gain just being around the planes, crews and operation will be invaluable.

-You have a choice to either take the instructing route or the Perimeter route. I would say take the P route.
If you instruct while climbing the ladder of hours and poverty, you will eventually get hired as a F/O on a twin turbine in some random place you've only heard about on avcanada. That's the best case scenario, you might end up on a single or a single turbine if you are desperate. All the while you'll be making next to no money living somewhere you probably hate working two weeks on, one week off.
Or you could:
Work the ground at Perimeter in one of a variety of different departments. Yes Winnipeg winters are cold and the ramp can be miserable when it's -30c outside, but you will be making a decent wage and a means to an end. You will work the ground for a MAX of two years. Having the IATRA will help things move quicker, because they will go down the "ground" seniority list until they hit someone who has their IATRA for the metro 3 spots. Lots of guys do not have the hours or exam completed, so this will work in your benefit.

This is just my opinion. I'm not trashing instructors, in fact I have a lot of respect for them. All I am saying is take a look at your options. It always surprises me how many people are so quick to dismiss Perimeter as a starting place. I have yet to find a better starting option then Perimeter.

just sent my stuff in, if there's no job posted is there still a chance they'd give me a call?

Not if you're a leafs fan

I have yet to find a better starting option then Perimeter.

I don't think there is a better place to start a career to be honest.

While I can appreciate the positivity, how do you know there isn't a better place to start? How many 703/04 companies have you worked for? How do you know Air Sprint, Sunwest, Pacific Coastal, Georgian, Cariboo etc aren't better?

I wouldn't go around making the statement that Perimeter is the best place to start, because that's as bold a statement as I've ever seen and it's frankly a matter of personal opinion. I'm pretty sure an Ontarian would believe Georgian is the best place to start or a British Columbian would say CMA.

I don't mean to torpedo the thread, I'm happy to see some positivity here. Just bugs me when people make these statements when they know nothing (but MAYBE word of mouth) about other companies and their benefits to peoples careers.

Carry on

New pilots get lots of hours in their first month due to line-indoc. All working days are scheduled blocks to get through the line-indoc syllabus in a timely manner.





While I can see how you think I am biased and have no other real world knowledge, I assure you I do. Before I made my move to Winnipeg/Perimeter many years ago I did a lot of research. I looked at everything: bonds, health of company, salary (pilot and ramp), location, benefits, working contract, management, maintenance and quality of training. Perimeter came out on top. Even if you JUST compare salaries at all levels (F/O, Capt., Medevac), the green takes the cake. Add to that no bond at all, a EIC stock that keeps gaining, a comprehensive health and extended benefits plan, an air tight contract, A++ training and a management team that actually cares about you.

Researching other companies at the time was pretty easy. Salaries and benefits are pretty much aired out to dry on these boards, so gathering your knowledge base isn't hard.

I have college friends who fly for some of the others you mentioned. They all agree that Perimeter is all around the best bet. We have a lot of people from both Ontario and BC working for us. I guess they must be wrong too.

I'm not forcing you to do anything. Just research it if you don't believe me. The decisions early on in your career can change the course of your life.

I'm not trying to insult other companies either. Just comparisons.

Hey guys thanks for all the help. Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting that I would get a ramp position at Perimeter and try to instruct elsewhere on the side. Whichever path I take I intend to give it my full commitment. I thought I had read somewhere that some instructors at Perimeter also did shifts on the ramp so that is what I was asking about, but I can tell that is not the case. So I think I will take everyone's advice and apply now at perimeter for the ramp and keep looking for instructing jobs in the meantime. Then if I do get chosen I suppose where I end up will depend on my experience at the time, if i am still relatively low time then ramp or reservations it will be but if its a year or two down the road and I have 1000TT+ with some ifr instructing under my belt then maybe I can qualify as an instructor. This is what I am thinking anyway.

Is it really next to impossible to get an interview without reccommend though, because I don't know anybody there.

Thanks everyone
cheers