Bush Ops

[JungianJugular]

Hey guys,

I'm a CPL student looking to complete by March with an additional float rating. Currently a working professional in the education sector and seeking to get a great start to this career in the world of bush ops.

Questions:

1. What are usually the average durations for each season? When do they start and end?

2. When would be a great time to start handing out resumes?

3. Expected wages in the beginning if working the dock or any other part of the operation? Are some dockhands likely to get their feet wet with flying in the first season?

4. Average # of days off, if any?

5. Average number of hours of flying each season?

6. Any advice and tips for a beginner?

Cheers and great times.

[cdnpilot77]

JungianJugular, I am out of the float biz now but had some of the greatest and some of the worst times of my life in the float operations. It is really all that YOU make of it, but the surrounding cast can play a big part in your success, failure, enjoyment, or depression. Choose your company carefully. Dont just jump at the first opportunity that comes to you, unless you are sure that you know what you are getting into!

Questions:

1. What are usually the average durations for each season? When do they start and end? Northern Ontario - float season is May-October

2. When would be a great time to start handing out resumes? Now through March

3. Expected wages in the beginning if working the dock or any other part of the operation? Are some dockhands likely to get their feet wet with flying in the first season? Crappy on the dock, sometime a little crappier sometimes a little less crappy in other parts. Don't expect to eat brand name KD. You ideally would be flying revenue or even non revenue flights in your first season, but depends on the operator.

4. Average # of days off, if any? What are these things you speak of?

5. Average number of hours of flying each season? I did 55hrs in my first season as a dockhand then went into a flying position doing 80-90hrs/month

6. Any advice and tips for a beginner? BE SAFE!! Watch your ass because others won't always be there to bail you out of a sticky situation. Know your limits (weather, skill, comfort etc)

Cheers and great times. Flying floats is extremely fun and exhilarating, but also can kill you in a flash (like most other aspects of aviation) have respect for the water and the equipment. Treat them well and they will treat you well

[TheRealOtter]

Only logged on to say;
to what cdnpilot77 said;
+1

Also +1 to you cdnpilot77 for taking the time to write it out when 9/10ths of AvCanada would've told him to search for himself.
Good man, Sir.

edited:To follow cdn's example and actually provide some maybe useful information:

My answers to the same questions:
1. Territories - float season June-September (though can go earlier or later depending on demand and weather)

2. Now thru May, don't forget to follow up with updated resumes closer to the spring.

3. Like real-canadian superstore brand out of the bulk-bins KD. I can't remember exactly what it was now, but I seem to remember we worked at significantly less than minimum wage when you consider the hours. But its all "legal" because, you know, we were "contractors" or some bull. Its gotten better though I understand. First six months/season most people were deferring their gov. student loan payments

4. THE LEGAL MINIMUM AND NEVER ONE SINGLE MINUTE LESS EVER*twitch*(glances around nervously for people listening in the bushes), but no seriously if you like time off that is what the winter is for.

5. A couple the first season. A couple hundred the second.

6. Just remember when the customer is pressuring you, the boss is pressuring you, the other pilots are pressuring you, and you feel guilty that your even thinking about saying no; its your ass in the seat, and making national headlines the spectacular way helps absolutely no one.

Agree with Cdn, floats is great. Some real fun crazy times and some real scary fun times. Float is something that can "get away from you" fast. Stay ahead of the plane or you might end up upside down and wet before you know you've touched.

[dogger7]

Only logged on to say;
to what cdnpilot77 said;
+1

Also +1 to you cdnpilot77 for taking the time to write it out when 9/10ths of AvCanada would've told him to search for himself.
Good man, Sir.

Agreed.

Great reality check for guys like me. Thanks!

[frozen solid]

Cheers and great times. Flying floats is extremely fun and exhilarating, but also can kill you in a flash (like most other aspects of aviation) have respect for the water and the equipment. Treat them well and they will treat you well

I just have a comment to make here about the idea that an aeroplane will treat you well. I agree with cdnpilot77 and he obviously is correct about respecting equipment and the elements. But let's be clear: your aeroplane doesn't appreciate the attention. Unlike a horse, an aeroplane is just as happy rolled into a ball and sitting at the bottom of a lake as it is looking pretty at the dock. It doesn't like you and it is no less likely to murder you because you wash it and love it. It's like a wrench in your toolbox. Treat it well and it's less likely to break, that's it. You're all alone out there. That's the important thing to remember.

[cdnpilot77]

Frozen, that's a good point and mainly the intention of my point. However, the respect I meant goes well beyond the maintenance. If you respect the limitations, the performance, the ever changing conditions etc it is highly unlikely that it will just fall out of the sky or roll into a ball for no reason...not to say it doesn't happen though!

[frozen solid]

Yep, we're both saying the same thing, just that the respect you're talking about is ultimately about respect for yourself. Not to sound all up-on-a-soapbox-y, of course.

Sometimes you hear young and impassioned people talking about the "ol'girl" and how she never lets them down. It's easy to believe when you're flying a machine that's older than your Dad and you can feel yourself getting better at it as you go along. Especially a machine which, like a musical instrument, is something to which you can apply your passions and talents and see results. But it's not true. She's not the one "not letting you down". That's you.

[Beefitarian]

.... and maintenance.

At least I hope they're doing their job. Otherwise someone should report the company. I know that's easy to say from my lofty position here at Xanadu.

Point is don't be a dick, but make sure you have a good relationship with the guys fixing the 'ol girl. They want to look after her too otherwise she wouldn't have got so old.

[JungianJugular]

Thanks eveyrone for the replies and information. Safe flying.

[railroad]

I agree with pretty much everything stated above, except.....

Cdnpilot told you not to "just jump at the first opportunity". He is right. But, don't walk by too many opportunities either. Oh, and of course, have fun.

Edit to add: Maybe refrain from referring to yourself as a "working professional". Although good commercial pilots have a high level of professionalism, sometimes those words get taken the wrong way by someone who has been in the bush for a while. Likely the guy you are looking to work for has been in the bush for awhile.

[flyinthebug]

cdnpilot77 pretty much nailed it, but I just want to comment on question 2.

I would suggest that you refrain from sending out your resume to float ops until after the new year. You have to remember that these Ops have just shut down after a long season, and everyone has gone home for some much needed R&R after 4-5 months of 14-16 hour days, 7 days a week. The last thing they want to do is sift through resumes during this "recharge" time...and after only a few weeks of rest, they start preparing to attend the trade shows all over the USA and Canada.

If you send a resume now, the chances of it reaching the bottom of a garbage can are greatly increased. Give the operators a chance to get their bearings for what their needs will be next season. They don't start to get a picture until the new year. Often they don't know if a pilot is coming back or not...because he or she is trying to get a twin turbine job. Ive seen some operators actually wait as long as early April for an answer from their pilot whether he is returning or not before they decide who to hire and for what machine.

My point is simply that its too early to send resumes now. Give everyone a chance to unwind after a long summer, and get an idea of what their company needs are for next season. There are simply too many unknowns at this time of year for the operators, for them to start considering who`s flying what next season.

My 2 cents.
Best of luck with your job search JJ
Fly safe, FTB

Edit for addition...

Just an FYI for you JJ...I passed my CPL/Multi/IFR/Floats on April 8th. I sent out 30 resumes on April 9th. I then did a road trip the following week with a good friend who also just graduated with me. We drove through N. Ont and MB and stopped at almost all the float ops in those areas. We came home and I had 4 job offers within a week...and moved to YRL and started on a C206 (with dock duties I still logged over 300 hours that season). My point being that there were still many jobs available in early April, so that should indicate that very few if any ops are looking for drivers this time of year.
Cheers!

PPS...I should add that I started on the 206 on April 25th on wheels...then switched over to floats on May long...so I logged just over 300 TT that season but about 60 of it was on wheels.