Now is the time for float drivers to ask for a raise!

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

Hey Glorified....here's the deal. I'll swap you my multi turbine job for your float gig. We can both make around 60K, and be challenged for a while! You try to keep it right side up in the "soup", and I'll try not to drown doing the walk around! Deal??
And, I'll get the winters off!!!!

If only that were the case! No, my friend, its year round, trying to keep it right side up in the soup all winter on the coast.

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

Hey Glorified....here's the deal. I'll swap you my multi turbine job for your float gig. We can both make around 60K, and be challenged for a while! You try to keep it right side up in the "soup", and I'll try not to drown doing the walk around! Deal??
And, I'll get the winters off!!!!

If only that were the case! No, my friend, its year round, trying to keep it right side up in the soup all winter on the coast.

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

Hey Glorified....here's the deal. I'll swap you my multi turbine job for your float gig. We can both make around 60K, and be challenged for a while! You try to keep it right side up in the "soup", and I'll try not to drown doing the walk around! Deal??
And, I'll get the winters off!!!!

If only that were the case! No, my friend, its year round, trying to keep it right side up in the soup all winter on the coast.

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

Hey Glorified....here's the deal. I'll swap you my multi turbine job for your float gig. We can both make around 60K, and be challenged for a while! You try to keep it right side up in the "soup", and I'll try not to drown doing the walk around! Deal??
And, I'll get the winters off!!!!

If only that were the case! No, its year round, trying to keep it right side up in the soup all winter on the coast with 2weeks vacation.

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

oops. stuttering again

[180]

quote="phillyfan"]We've got an open pilot clause on all our float machines. Including the 208. So I guess if the high timers price themselves outta the market we could just take a 200hour pilot and throw him in it.[/quote]

Ya, that would be smart...

$400 a day to fly the 208 or a DHC-3T in civilization is not an astronomical wage. (Camp guys deserve $500 a day.)
$300 a day to fly the Beaver in civilization is not an astronomical wage. (Camp guys deserve $400.)
$150 a day to fly a 185/206 is not an astronomical wage, anywhere.

Fixed wing pilots have been paid so poorly for so long that we've lost all perspective! We're professionals, it's time we were paid accordingly. Especially in the float side of things when there aren't as many experienced drivers floating about. (No pun intended.)

It's interesting Philly that you say you make more than $400 a day, yet if a fellow experienced pilot wanted the same salary, they'd be pricing themselves out of the market. How does that work?

[180]

triple post

[180]

triple post

[phillyfan]

It's interesting Philly that you say you make more than $400 a day, yet if a fellow experienced pilot wanted the same salary, they'd be pricing themselves out of the market. How does that work?

Because I am the CP/OPS MAN and a pilot. The pilot is the easy part.

[zero]

In the word's of my old boss. "Low time pilots bend airplanes. High time pilots kill passengers" He also said "if your not bending airplanes, your not taking enough risks" and he's on that list of operators looking for pilots

Thanks again Philly, I'll keep that in mind this spring. Is 'H' coming up to keep you company, heard he might be heading north.

[Anonymous1]

Is this for real? $500 a day for a Beaver pilot? Maybe I'm just a little slow here but why is flying a Beaver so difficult that only a few have the "right stuff"? There are airline Captains out there making less than that flying international long haul who probably have more float time than half of you. I think some egos need a little beating or maybe just watch from the dock as the 300 hour kid takes your Beaver for an entire summer season accident free for $90 a day.

[shimmydampner]

what do you guys think a 185/206 driver should make?

Depending on experience, $2500-$3000/month. Depending on location, lodging should be provided.

And Philly, I just threw out the 1000 hours on floats number because that seems to be a nice round number for Beaver drivers and insurance companies. You know most companies want way more time than that to fly a turbine.

No offense but seriously dude, give your head a shake. First, the numbers you are throwing out there are a little wack. Let's not forget that air services, especially small float ops are working on a much smaller profit margin than just about any other type of business. Second, it doesn't take 1000 hours on floats to get on a Beaver unless you're on the coast. Third, I have to take issue with saying that companies want "way more" time than that to fly a turbine. My dog could fly a turbine, the hardest part is starting it and that's not very hard. It takes WAY more care and expertise and good engine management technique to fly a round engine and not abuse the shit out of it.

I'm all for demanding a fair wage and not letting yourself get taken advantage of, but remove your head from the clouds first. By all means, negotiate yourself right out of a job if you want, but I'm set for the summer and happy with the normal salary I'll be making.

As for the guys working in the oil patch, there's alot more to the secret of their high pay than just supply and demand. Throw bone-numbing cold, 84 hour work weeks, intense physical labour and shit living conditions into that mix too.

[Paciflyer]

By all means, negotiate yourself right out of a job if you want, but I'm set for the summer and happy with the normal salary I'll be making.

Sends all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings up my spine - fully agree shimmy! I've always found it's best to get in the door first and establish by merit what you're worth...the monetary soon follows by the appreciative

[glorifiedtaxidriver]

Is this for real? $500 a day for a Beaver pilot? Maybe I'm just a little slow here but why is flying a Beaver so difficult that only a few have the "right stuff"? There are airline Captains out there making less than that flying international long haul who probably have more float time than half of you. I think some egos need a little beating or maybe just watch from the dock as the 300 hour kid takes your Beaver for an entire summer season accident free for $90 a day.

I don't disagree that 500 a day is asking a lot for flying a beaver, but there is an art to landing that thing cross wind in 25-30 kts in a swell and a mile vis or less, flying all day in vis that most guys spend only a few minutes in during approach and landing. And I guarantee you that the 300 hr float driver doing what is routinely done where I work will kill himself within a month. I don't tell you that you make too much money and I would expect that you have some respect for a difficult job that you have obviously never done.

[Cat Driver]

Come on guys get real.

Using a Beaver as the benchmark for difficult airplanes to fly is just plain stupid, the Beaver is probably the easiest bush plane to fly ever designed.

There is however a big difference in difficulty of the job between Orillia and Prince Rupert when it comes to bush flying.

[flyinthebug]

Philly.. Our stories arent that diffrent, other then ive only been at it for 11 years now. I too went to a private flying school in YQT and fueled the generator at -25 that kept the lights on in the school! I have made a very good living being in the "north" most of my years in this industry. Your old boss is VERY accurate with his words. That said, I would still lean towards experience over none or limited.

400$ a day to fly a DHC2 is ridiculous. Philly may make that as a CP, but do many/most of you understand the extra STRESSES involved with holding this position? Now that job IS worth 400$ a day in ANY operation with more then 2 planes. I know, ive done it.

$250 a day on a DHC2 anywhere is FAIR and im gonna sit back and let the young fellas do what Philly says and watch them "demand" themselves right out of the market and i`ll be there to take a GOOD position with FAIR pay.

BTW, 4100 TT, 2100 Floats, 1100 DHC2. Looking for a SECURE position for this season. PM me if intrested.

Fly safe all.
Cheers

[zero]

Check your PM's 'flyinthebug'.

[180]

Is this for real? $500 a day for a Beaver pilot? Maybe I'm just a little slow here

Obviously you are a little slow there Anonymous, $300 a day was what I suggested a Beaver driver in civilization should be making.

[180]

$250 a day on a DHC2 anywhere is FAIR and im gonna sit back and let the young fellas do what Philly says and watch them "demand" themselves right out of the market and i`ll be there to take a GOOD position with FAIR pay.

BTW, 4100 TT, 2100 Floats, 1100 DHC2. Looking for a SECURE position for this season. PM me if intrested.

Fly safe all.
Cheers

You deserve $300 a day flyinthebug! I was making $300 a day ($25 an hour, 12 hour duty day, 5 on, 2 off) flying the Beaver 2 years ago. It is not an outrageous sum and you are not pricing yourself right out of the market.

Don't sell yourself short!

[B18rules]

You mean to tell me with the average of one day off a week during the summer a beaver driver should make 300 dollars a day? which works out to 7500 a month. Give your head a shake man with your attitude the only thing you will be flying is a wheel barrow in the patch.

[180]

Like I just said B18rules, our Beaver drivers have been making $300 a day for the last 2 years, on the schedule I just said on the last post.

And no, we're not in the patch and we're not digging outhouses. Our boss values quality employees and treats us well so we come back year after year.

Our Beaver drivers earn $6000 a month, we work 20-something days a month and we have lives too!

[B18rules]

where?

[180]

Because I am the CP/OPS MAN and a pilot. The pilot is the easy part.

That explains it. I wore all the hats at one time too, CP, Ops man, MCM, pilot. It's true, life is much more straight forward when you can concentrate on flying and fishing rather than answering the phone at all hours of the day while buried in paperwork.

Sounds like you deserve that company car.

[180]

it doesn't take 1000 hours on floats to get on a Beaver unless you're on the coast. Third, I have to take issue with saying that companies want "way more" time than that to fly a turbine. My dog could fly a turbine, the hardest part is starting it and that's not very hard. It takes WAY more care and expertise and good engine management technique to fly a round engine and not abuse the shit out of it.

This is true Shimmy. The Beaver is a wonderfully stable plane to fly, so is the Otter once you figure out how to start it, and the 185 is probably the trickiest of all. Now if only the insurance companies would listen to the owners and chief pilots...

[180]

where?

ha ha...ya right. Next you'll want to know where my secret surf break is...