Talent Pool CL-415

[Tanker299]

Let’s give prospects a bit of insight. 5 people quit this year….

First off as a pilot group we should avoid this employer until they increase wages. Search “ pilot” on the salary disclosure website. You will make about 85-90 as an FO and you will just crack 100 as a captain with overtime until you are very senior. But still not much over 100k.

https://www.ontario.ca/public-sector-sa ... employees/

You can also look up the collective agreement. If you are permanent you do get a salary all year. This may seem great but as a yearly salary it’s still rather low. First officers at the OPP on a PC-12 transport aircraft out earn Captains on a water bomber with 100 times more risk and responsibilities. Also you shift at the MNR is 9-9. Again you don’t do that very often but you are to be fit to fly in those hours. This makes overtime all but impossible to earn. You are not “working” less hours, you are doing a compressed work year. So it’s not really year round pay… they are paying you what they owe you for your hours worked. Most days are only 12-19 if you go into the office for an alert. Yes there are blue days where if you live within the response time you can stay home. But you are essentially on reserve 9-9 10 days on and 4 off. It’s very hard to get extra days off as the managers are terrible.

Work life balance. You can only have this if you live at your base. Your base will be Dryden. There are 2 other bases but they are very small with limited positions. So if you don’t intend to move to Dryden you won’t see home. You have no passes and the major airports are 3-4 hours drive. Bearskin incase anyone does not know is very expensive and you don’t earn enough. As for winters off… If you have a partner who works or a family and don’t live in an area where you can find a small air operator that will take you on for a limited period you will not be flying. If you like trucking or have another ticket you will be much better off. If not or something like covid happens again it will be tough on most. Because of this winters off as mentioned above you will not be getting much time off during the season. 4 days ain’t a lot.

No seniority and no real union protection. You have to do a pop quiz interview just like you are a new hire for every position or base change. If a manager does not like you they will score you low and you will not get what you requested. The union is not a pilot union so they are useless and managers know this. You can be number 1 one year and next year you can be number 10. Seniority is not applied nor is experience or type rating. A guy who was a firefighter in college can beat a guy who is a current employee. A contract employee can be more qualified then a permanent pilot with multiple seasons on type for the exact same job just at a different base. Eg a contract Twin otter pilot can be more qualified the a permanent tanker FO for a tanker FO position. A guy who was an acting captain for 2 years gets beat by the guy who was his FO, Guys with 705 PIC passed by guys with nothing but light aircraft time… (no shame on the guys who took the job, it’s not their fault and no one will turn down a better position to be “honourable” to the others.)
There have also been informal job postings done to switch Fixed wing Pilots and give them Helicopter training in house and get a permanent helicopter pilot job. So sometimes they do the interview process and sometimes they don’t. Again contractors were given jobs over permanent employees with no justification and no official selection process even though the current re interview process is a joke. The contractor had never gotten his MIFR, or tried to be permanent staff and only flew the beaver, but now the government will pay to give him a CPL-H. Plenty of more deserving permanent candidates…

Lack of flying and boredom. You will be lucky to ever do over 100h of flying. While that may be great in some ways, it’s also rather dangerous with the type of flying that is done. Also it’s cool to fly the 415 but you don’t really fly it…. You look at it a lot, your private pilot buddy will probably fly more then you… If you are older and retired this may be perfect for you. But if you also don’t fly in the winter your skills will deteriorate, especially IFR and night. There is also no autopilot nor is there an IFR GPS. They say there is no need for the autopilot but during night and IFR or after very long day it would increase safety. The IFR GPS will be coming in the new cockpit, but that’s years away. Dead reds, yellows still require you to be in the day room. This can really wear on a person. The only things you can really do is watch TV, bullshit, read or walk the yard. Technically you can nap but there are office staff and managers who don’t really like that. If you are at an out base you are really trading couches. Bunkhouse to alert room to bunkhouse… office staff see you as lazy or lucky you get to sit around. Pilots are honestly hated by Fire.

In summation, if you want to move to Dryden for low pay (especially post covid and high interest). If you have all the toys and really love to fish or boat around or tinker on blue alerts and you are ok with not flying much or you can go to another part of the world to fly in the winter… then this job might be for you. It used to be a good job…. That’s no longer the case especially under the current management team.

[flyingcanuck]

I really though waterbomber skipper made at least 150k.. wild to me. Canada is burning, they won't find any candidates with that pay or career

[TeePeeCreeper]

I really though waterbomber skipper made at least 150k.. wild to me. Canada is burning, they won't find any candidates with that pay or career

You are correct.

Although I work for another 415 org, I sincerely hope that this facet of aviation will eventually pay us what should be deserved.

Let’s face it. This ain’t no ILS to ILS flying while being served salmon canapés by a stew.

Nothing has changed. We are still cranking 60 degree banks at 50 RA from the tops while having to sleep in accommodations that make any Hilton or Marriott property seem like a luxury!

Times have changed and I fully support Tanker 299’s thoughts on the matter.

TPC

[CL-Skadoo!]

Aviation in Canada needs a serious kick in the ass across the board. I am appalled and a little disappointed in myself for having no clue it was this bad for some of the toughest flying around.

When are we going to wake up?

[tsgarp]

I was looking at applying to this, but stopped when I saw the pay cut involved.

[mmm...bacon]

I was wondering if this was going to get any comments!
Even if one were to live in Dryden, you’re still missing the best part of the year - all of those Saturday afternoons that your friends are fishing, or playing on their beer league softball team, or whatever, you’re stuck at the base until 7,8,9pm, and arrive after all of the fun is over..

Also…an ‘eligibility list’…unless there’s a slowdown, it would seem that the industry is moving pretty quickly. Why would anyone put their career on hold to see if the Gov’t deigns to hire you? If you’ve got a job, post it; if not, then don’t.

[Tanker299]

You can put up with a lot of shit for the right money. If you could make $180,000 plus might be able to take it. Captains can make all of 10-15 grand more then an FO. Sure some senior captains make 120-130 but they are in the training dept and take the overtime, overtime for what is usually your days off…. So 10 and 2 or 20 and 4….

You miss a lot doing the 12-7,8,9. You are never home for lunch or dinner, if your at your base. You have to get your shopping in first thing in the morning. Going to Beer Store or LCBO at 10am… looking like the drunks. You give up a lot of the best time in Canada. Our amazing summers. Pickle lake or G town…. Not the place to be especially when it’s dead reds.

There are at least 6 open positions, they like this pool game. Make it look like they are not hurting. The job won’t start until March for ground school. With the official start of April 1st.