Flight Crew Positions Voyageur

[seniorpumpkin]

Great info here, thank you to all the posters who have taken the time to write about such an interesting sounding job!
This sounds pretty awesome, the only hesitation I have is my wife....
Can she come on rotations? She is dying to do some serious traveling, she's got a degree in international studies and a masters in government administration (policy writing). Are there jobs there that she could possibly get even teaching english or something?
Once you're rotated in, do you move around a lot or do you typically stay in the same spot for the rotation?
I know that probably she will have to stay at home, but two months sounds like a long time to be apart.

[KK7]

You're right, getting the wife/family on board when they aren't already used to rotation work can be a challenge. For me, it sucks for them when I'm working: I'm having a good time doing what I love to do, and they are at home without me. But the pay off is when you come home, you're home 100% without work on the back of your mind, and no concern of going back to work tomorrow, in a few days or whatever, until the end of your time off. I will warn you though that the first few days always are an adjustment period for the routine, and the last few days at home you get somewhat distracting going through mental lists of what you need to get and bring with you.

Although nothing is stopping your wife from buying her own ticket and coincidentally ending up in the same location that you're working in, not all bases are friendly to members of the public. Some bases are on military bases or in various types of personnel camps. Getting your wife in there would be next to impossible unless she is also working for Voyageur on the same crew. Lately there have also been a lot of bases changing locations (the UN sometimes needs the aircraft in a different location), and sometimes a crew member will have to switch bases due to some staff being shuffled around. It would suck for your wife to show up only to find you just had to leave to the other side of the continent.

What I would suggest though, something I used to do before I had kids, was in my time off instead of going home, I'd have my significant other come and meet me somewhere. I'd sometimes pay the cost of the airfare or whatever, small price to pay for some great company on a little backpacking trip through some hard to reach places. Either through Europe, Asia or Africa or wherever you want to meet up. In your time off you'll have 2 solid months to go explore anything you guys like without having to worry about work. The only caveat on that is with 6 month sim recurrents, you do have to make yourself available for a couple of days around when you're due to renew.

[seniorpumpkin]

You're a saint KK7, thank you! Definitely some food for thought.

[LesterLester]

This is the biggest thread on VAR and of course it's for flight crews, too bad there doesn't seem to be one for maintenance. I'd like to find out what I would be in for

[flyhigh-dude]

Great thread!

Just wondering on the interview process though; last post was based on 2009 experiences. Any info on that??

Thanks

[frickencold]

I know a couple people working for VAL, they have filled me in on a lot and this thread backs up everything I was told, great advice KK7 and others! Sounds like an amazing adventure and I hope to be a part of it soon. Any openings in the foreseeable future? I'm current on the -7 somewhere else and can't come over fast enough. One issue I could not find much info on, I understand revenue Canada is starting to pull out on the UN tax benefits. It's 80% right now, next year is 60%, the year after is 40% and so on until its all gone. Not sure if my info is accurate or not, but if this is the case, will VAL be upping salaries to compensate? I can see this as being a huge issue for those who have come to rely on it every year come tax time.

[Chaxterium]

will VAL be upping salaries to compensate? I can see this as being a huge issue for those who have come to rely on it every year come tax time.

That is a question we are all VERY interested in. My gut feeling tells me that it's a pipe dream to think VAL will up their salaries to compensate which means a lot of people will be leaving. Having said that though for now we're not affected. The reduction in the tax benefit only applies to contracts which were agreed to in writing after March 29th, 2012. Currently all of our contracts were agreed to before that date so we get the full amount until 2016.

Here's the direct quote from the government website:

Q2. My employer has already committed to a contract before March 29, 2012. Am I still affected by the phase-out of the OETC?

A2. Until 2016, this phase-out will not apply to the QFEI earned by you in connection with a contract that your employer committed to in writing before March 29, 2012 (referred to as protected QFEI). The OETC will be eliminated in all cases for 2016 and subsequent years.

Cheers,
Chax

[chipmunk]

Any openings in the foreseeable future?

I ran into the Chief Pilot a couple of days ago and he mentioned they're losing a lot of guys to Air Canada, Jazz, etc these days....

[raven54]

Lots of hiring as of late. Cheers.

[seniorpumpkin]

This spring, to my knowledge, they've hired at least ten pilots, maybe more.
One of those pilots is me, and again, I want to thank KK7 and Chaxterium for the solid intel on life as a Val pilot, it's been a GREAT ride so far!

[Engineer M2]

No entry's from the Engineers with VA? never seen any feed back? They must be happy?

[Chaxterium]

Well obviously I can't speak for them but from what I can tell the line guys are typically happy with their jobs. Most of our contracts aren't all that busy so there's usually lots of time to keep up with the routine stuff and any snags that come up along the way.

Cheers,
Chax

[Rickyb]

Plenty of good info, glad I found this thread.

Two questions if anyone can help:

No chance of being hired as Capt without 500 on type? how bout non UN overseas work (if there is any)?

What kind of salaries can one expect in Afghanistan?

How about a 3rd just for the hell of it, what's the Afghanistan experience like?

[Chaxterium]

Hello,

Currently we have two non-UN overseas contracts and there is no 500 hour PIC on type requirement for either of them.

As far as the Afghanistan experience goes, it's friggin awesome. Coolest flying I have ever done. I'm back in Africa now but I miss it a lot.

Cheers,
Troy

[Rickyb]

Where in world is the non-UN work? What a/c type?

Thanks again
Rick

[Chaxterium]

It's in Afghanistan. One Dash 7 and two Dash 8s.

Cheers,
Chax

[Rickyb]

Chax man, thanks for the scoop.

I noticed in an earlier post you had converted to an FAA PL, this a requirement for the Afhgan work or no?

Obvs a CAN company, just thinking if the contract is with US military maybe they need a US license. Not that you can talk about customers I'm sure, just curious if it's req'd

[Chaxterium]

Hello Ricky,

Nope it's not a requirement at all. Getting my FAA CPL was completely unrelated.

Cheers,
Chax

[nortont]

Any movement in Voyageur these days ?

[Chaxterium]

Well I'm not 100% certain if there's currently movement but with this line of airline work there tends to be a constant trickle of new people. Not a lot of people like the rotational work. It gets old quickly. Having said that though they've been shuffling a number of people around internally. I think they're trying to avoid hiring from outside if they can fill the positions from within but who knows. I did hear a rumour of new hires coming down the pipe.

Cheers,
Chax

[matt84dc]

Hi, I fly in Africa for UN, same operations and same countries,but on a Let410.
I d like to move to Voyageur and I was wondering if they accept application from non-Canadian pilots.
I m close to get my JAR ATPL "unfrozen" and I m planning to convert it into Canadian one;
assuming that I meet the hours requirement, will my application be considered?
thanks

[Chaxterium]

Hello,

It's my understanding that you must have the right to work in Canada for Voyageur to be able to employ you. I'm sure your hours are acceptable but without the right to work in Canada there's unfortunately nothing they can do.

Sorry I don't have better news for you.

Cheers,
Chax

[Lost Lake]

Canadian company, Canadian registered aircraft, Canadian license. Nothing else to say.

[JTF01]

Chax man, thanks for the scoop.

I noticed in an earlier post you had converted to an FAA PL, this a requirement for the Afhgan work or no?

Obvs a CAN company, just thinking if the contract is with US military maybe they need a US license. Not that you can talk about customers I'm sure, just curious if it's req'd

Contract is not with the US military.

[Lost Lake]

I also don't think that an FAA PL is sufficient to fly anything commercial anywhere. Unless of coure an FAA Pl is classed as equivalent to Cdn CPL. After all they don't have to do spins for their license.