Question for the float/bush pilots!

[sasky71]

Hello all! I hope that everything is staying healthy! Id like to point out first that I am using my phone, so I apologize for the poor grammar and structure.

As the title states, I have a few questions regarding float flying and/or seasonal flying. I am really interested in a career flying floats/bush. Just a little info about me. 27 years old with my PPL and around 200 hours. I have taken a long time to build up hours and have overcome some personal hurdles to be where I am now. I am going to format my questions in a number order incase someone feels so inclined to rapid fire some answers.
1) How long is the float season?(NWT, Yukon, Northern Ontario)
2) I know the days are long, but is there any schedule? Ability to plan days off or no?
3) What do float pilot do during the off season? Can you make enough yo survive on for the rest of the year?
4) Family life and float/bush flying... How does it hold up nowadays?
6) I have to ask... How much do seasonal float pilots make?
7) Are there many seasonal float pilot? Or do people generally fly year round up north?
Do operators fly you in and out of the North or is it up you to get up there and back?

I think thats all I have to ask as of right now. Please feel free to pm me if thats easier! I am finding out that I want more adventure and challenge as my life moves on as well as really wanting to see the beauty of the North!! Thanks for your time!!

[enbt]

Hi there, I’ll take a stab at answering your questions.

1) 4-5 months max for seasonal operations. Mid May at the earliest to mid October at the latest - in Ontario this would be an operator where you got on at the start of the year and stayed till the end of hunting season. I’d imagine the season would be shorter up north. If you’re out on the west coast float season is all year, although they will want some experience before flying out there. Some operations have wheeled machines that you could maybe fly in winter.

2) depends on the operator. Bigger companies will often have a schedule with regular days off. Smaller operators tend to be more sporadic with days off and sort of expect you to be available pretty much all season. If you get a weather day, that’s your day off. Harder to plan around.

3) Lots go on EI. If you are a student or want to travel then the time off is nice. If you have an opposite season seasonal job (like at a ski hill) that works. Some go to the Maldives and fly there. Or do something unrelated entirely like construction or carpentry or truck driving. Unless you live really cheap you won’t make enough to get through the rest of the year.

4) First few years are gonna be tough. Floats tends to be a stepping stone for most and there is usually lots of moving involved to out of the way places. Not spots that your wife is going to get too excited about. If you eventually got on at a bigger operation that attracts the career bush pilot type then there’s more opportunity to settle in to a family friendly place.

6) since there is no question 5. A beaver pilot could expect $6000 or so a month. I’m sure someone will correct me if this is out of line. More for a turbo otter, likely closer to $10k. Ranges vary widely. If you’re starting out as dockhand or flying a cub or 180 if you’re real lucky, $3000 or less for the first year or two. Depending on where you are there may be overtime, benefits, or per diems as well, but don’t expect any of that at a small operation. Although tips can add up if you are flying tourists.

7) For some the seasonal life works well. Others do it for a while and then move on to the IFR world. For others it’s just one aspect of their flying life that may also include wheels, IFR, consulting, instructing, helicopters, maintenance, overseas, administration, whatever.

Hope that helps. These responses are based on my past experience and are by no means meant to reflect the situation everywhere, or even the current situation. Maybe others can chime in on what it’s like in different parts of the country.

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

Just chiming in because the question interests me as well; it is my hope to become a career bush pilot in some capacity. Flying tourists/adventurers/hunters, firebombing, pipeline patrol, medevac, all of these are on the table as career options for me currently.

There is a sticky I think, written in FAQ format by an aerial suppression pilot, somewhere on this site. I can't find it right now. It may be relevant. Can someone else link it?

[Bede]

6) since there is no question 5. A beaver pilot could expect $6000 or so a month. I’m sure someone will correct me if this is out of line. More for a turbo otter, likely closer to $10k. Ranges vary widely. If you’re starting out as dockhand or flying a cub or 180 if you’re real lucky, $3000 or less for the first year or two. Depending on where you are there may be overtime, benefits, or per diems as well, but don’t expect any of that at a small operation. Although tips can add up if you are flying tourists.

This is heavily dependent on where you are based. If you want to work anywhere near a decent size city, perhaps flying tourists around, the pay is probably half of what it is if you're living in a tent somewhere in the middle of nowhere for a summer hauling fuel drums.

[valleyboy]

I think the bottom line is, given the present situation, seasonal float jobs will be very scarce. There is a core group of seasonal pilots who have settled into this life style and come back every season and take the best paying jobs. There will be very few direct entry jobs unless you have previous experience and more than one season under your belt. Even if you venture to YK and Whitehorse the best you can expect is a ramp rat position.

Days off will be as to CARs but operators abuse this by calling any day you are not in the saddle (wx day or even a slow day) as a CARs day. Commuting and family are not a concern of the operator, experienced pilots can work out a deal for a block of days off but all this stuff is demand driven.

In my opinion "bush pilots" don't exist any more and have not really been around since prior to the 1960's, Since then we have had support and were not expected to do it all on our own, but I am drifting,

There might be jobs but either expect to be on a northern reserve or on the dock. Tourism will still likely be close to non existent. Where I live a cpl operators had some canadian customers but aircraft did remain out of the water and minimal staff and pilots being laid off.

There are also people falling back to jobs where they were prior to their white shirt/3/4bar jobs. It's a dramatic trough in an industry that has been been riding an unusual crest for some time that had a vertical drop to the bottom. It's going to be a tough few years and very difficult to break into a profession where getting the first job has always been a challenge no matter what the state of the industry is.

Best of luck in your search

[DHC driver]

I would agree with these posts, all very good info, and accurate. Wages have lately finally gone up but now they may end up being lower again as demand for experienced pilots decreases. Who knows anymore.

Partner or family might be a better word to use instead of wife...lots of fantastic ladies out there flying floats.

During my time on floats in Ontario we pilots were normally employed for a full 6 months, there was always a lot of work to do pre ice-out and tons of wrap up work as well in the fall to do during the hunts. A few people might leave early for jobs or school, leaving those who needed the work to stay and finish.

[piperdriver]

^Cannot disagree with what has been said so far.

The bad news is things look pretty grim right now. But me being an optimist, we still have 6.5 months before the ice melts and a new float season begins, alot could change between now and then. If the border remains closed next summer it is going to be another brutal season. However if the border opens I believe it could be a very busy season with a few job opportunities. I talked to some outfitters and I believe every single guest that couldn't make it this season (because of the border being closed not their choice to stay home) has rebooked for the 2021 season. Many of the tourists were not worried about traveling this summer, and had the border been open they would have come to Canada.

Anyway just my 0.02 cents.

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

I spent a few weeks around Armstrong this past summer and talked to the operators up there. They were estimating at the time that 95% of their business was gone. I would agree it depends entirely on the state of the border next spring, at least in Ontario.

[sasky71]

Hi there, I’ll take a stab at answering your questions.

1) 4-5 months max for seasonal operations. Mid May at the earliest to mid October at the latest - in Ontario this would be an operator where you got on at the start of the year and stayed till the end of hunting season. I’d imagine the season would be shorter up north. If you’re out on the west coast float season is all year, although they will want some experience before flying out there. Some operations have wheeled machines that you could maybe fly in winter.

2) depends on the operator. Bigger companies will often have a schedule with regular days off. Smaller operators tend to be more sporadic with days off and sort of expect you to be available pretty much all season. If you get a weather day, that’s your day off. Harder to plan around.

3) Lots go on EI. If you are a student or want to travel then the time off is nice. If you have an opposite season seasonal job (like at a ski hill) that works. Some go to the Maldives and fly there. Or do something unrelated entirely like construction or carpentry or truck driving. Unless you live really cheap you won’t make enough to get through the rest of the year.

4) First few years are gonna be tough. Floats tends to be a stepping stone for most and there is usually lots of moving involved to out of the way places. Not spots that your wife is going to get too excited about. If you eventually got on at a bigger operation that attracts the career bush pilot type then there’s more opportunity to settle in to a family friendly place.

6) since there is no question 5. A beaver pilot could expect $6000 or so a month. I’m sure someone will correct me if this is out of line. More for a turbo otter, likely closer to $10k. Ranges vary widely. If you’re starting out as dockhand or flying a cub or 180 if you’re real lucky, $3000 or less for the first year or two. Depending on where you are there may be overtime, benefits, or per diems as well, but don’t expect any of that at a small operation. Although tips can add up if you are flying tourists.

7) For some the seasonal life works well. Others do it for a while and then move on to the IFR world. For others it’s just one aspect of their flying life that may also include wheels, IFR, consulting, instructing, helicopters, maintenance, overseas, administration, whatever.

Hope that helps. These responses are based on my past experience and are by no means meant to reflect the situation everywhere, or even the current situation. Maybe others can chime in on what it’s like in different parts of the country.

This is exactly what I was looking for, and thanks to everyone else that was able to add to it. Looks like covid-19 has really thrown a curveball into an industry that seems to be already so full of highs and lows. I hope that it can bounce back quickly and everyone can get back to flying as soon as possible. As for me, I think I will be spending the next while just observing. I also have been kicking around the idea of obtaining a degree in the meantime as sort of a backup plan, although I would love nothing more than to dive right in and start bush flying. Once again, thanks everyone for the honest opinions and experience working in the bush and up north!

[beaverpuq]

I know I was the luckiest bush pilot in Canada last season. Lost my job due to covid, was in southern Ontario the first week of June thinking I was back in construction for the year and got a call to go fly an Otter. Unbelievable really. Point I will make is even if the border does not open fully this summer, I think they may have a rapid test program in place to allow some travel. The fact that by nature, the fishing and hunting trips are in isolation may help. It did play in to the hunt in Yukon last fall for Canadian residents. Also more importantly, a lot of the senior bush pilots are in fact, seniors. That in itself, will cause some turnover in the next few years. I myself am closer to the end of my career than the beginning. The props will turn again!!

[gswartz]

That's awesome beaverpuq!
I'm really hoping the bush operators get in a good year in 2021. As tough as it was somedays, looking back, I wouldn't trade my time in NW Ontario for anything different. Best years of my career, learned more in 2 years than I would have in 10 had I not gone that route. All the best in 2021