What is happening to this company and its constant ads for crew, high turnover or just extremely busy? Do these guys still have a bond?

Carson was awarded the BC medevac contract within the past year which opened up a few new bases for them and it doesn't seem like they've had much luck staffing those bases. Or the others for that matter. When I think of Carson I can't help but think of that Metro that flew into the North Shore mountains in 2015, seemed to largely be one faulty employee fro the report but still a tough read. Not sure what work conditions are like there nowadays but their ads still mention a bond unless you're typed and current

I seem to remember a higher than permitted blood alcohol level in that accident.

shamrock104 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 4:02 pm I seem to remember a higher than permitted blood alcohol level in that accident.

Yup I believe thats right. Still doesn't reflect well on the company

shamrock104 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:34 pm What is happening to this company and its constant ads for crew, high turnover or just extremely busy? Do these guys still have a bond?

Yes.

shamrock104 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:34 pm What is happening to this company and its constant ads for crew, high turnover or just extremely busy? Do these guys still have a bond?

Ex-employee here. (left to go on to bigger/bettter things)

Carson, backed by EIC, just signed a ?10? year contract with the BC Ambulance Service. It took effect in NOvember '23. The contract provides for 4 bases: YVR, YLW (HQ), YXS, and YXJ. Factory new King Air 360s with a large medevac door, and interior medevac kit.

Some of the hiring will be due to ramping up staffing for the newer bases (XS and XJ), and some will be due to attrition.
Why is there attrition? Well, 1.)it's 703/4, and people do want to advance their careers. 2.) They don't fly that much - perhaps 400h/yr out of YVR - and if you don't have an ATPL, or need the time to meet the upgrade qualifications, you might be sitting for a while. (IIRC, the company would work with you to get you the PIC that you might need..) and 3.) Medevac is tough work - odd hours, pressure to fly, and largely unsupported (especially after hours in the winter)

Pay is as published in the ads. That's probably decent for XJ and XS, adequate for LW, but a little on the skinny side for VR, given the outrageous cost of housing there. [As a sidebar, I had an interest in taking another, corporate, gig during my time at Carson. They wanted me to move within 2 hours of YVR. A rough calculation revealed that they would have had to pay me an extra $50k after tax on top of my salary for me not to take a lifestyle cut in taking their job, and 'getting ahead'.] There is a pension plan. It isn't defined benefit, but does provide a decent foundation for the future, as long as you are on top of the rest yourself. Other benefits are pretty standard Canada Life plans. It would have been nice for EIC to see if they could use their size to negotiate a better short-term injury plan than the EI that they currently rely on.

Yes, there is a bond. A pro-rated promissory note only. Sign, do the training, pass the ride, and work off your time, and it's a nothingburger. Leave early, and you're on the hook for the balance. The only time that I felt that it was a little unfair was in the case of a guy who was coming back from a few year absence from flying; he couldn't pass the ride, and got stuck with the full amount. I feel bad, as I think that things could have been organised a little differently for him. Lots of pros/cons elsewhere on the board about bonds, so I'll just leave it to that.

MX was good. I'd imagine that it would be better now, given that they've got new planes.

People were great. I had some great times flying, and some good laughs in the crewroom (thanks, guys and gals - you know who you are!) lots of good networking - in my time there, people left to go to all of the major 705s.

Management were tough, sometimes. But then, that's their job - make decisions that benefit the company. Chief pilot is a great guy - I used to really look forward to his visits to the YVR base.

I'd definitely go back if I had to, and if they had space.

That's the short and brief..

Mmm...bacon, I just wanted to commend you on your thoughtful and insightful input; I've never worked for Carson Air, but I think your well-written post illustrates lots of the company culture and working conditions and it will help your fellow aviator brothers and sisters determine if it's a good fit. Thank you!

Yes indeed Sulako, had a great chat with the very same chap today and I totally agree with your comment.

Can anybody give some information on the Citation side of things.
-What the schedule is like on the citation out of YVR
-What the current upgrade times are on the citation
Thank you:)

The jets are leaving. There is no more jet flying under the current contract. They departed a very sustainable medevac model with prospects of becoming world class with PC24 purpose built platform to outdated, obsolete kingair. you'll fly propellor planes day and night for sub-par pay. You will never carry a mortgage, let alone barely cover rent at any of the bases. forget the hype and bs they sell about "lifestyle and competitive compensation" averaging about 25 to 40 flying hours max per month the rest sitting playing video games and doom scrolling in a hangar. The "new planes" are poorly engineered, cheap build (Temu / Alibaba specials?). Very small cabin with no viable egress routes with a patient loaded. cannot perform continuous CPR in 3.5 feet cabin height and less than 10 cm aisle width. you will climb into and out on a ladder now - no airstair. it went from medics loading and taking the physical burden to pilots taking the physical burden with a questionable loading system - all with no extra pay.

They have lied to their pilots for over a year with promises and rumors of compensation adjustments "coming soon" but reality tells a different tale.

This is a DESPERARTE LAST RESORT job If you can't get hired ANYWHERE else. They have traditionally hired TFWs, almost exclusively for periods of time however the permits expired and they are now scrambling to fill the gaps. VERY high turnover last two years.

For some reason they still carry the old name (with pride) despite the multi decade parody joke that name has long established itself as in Canadian aviation. would of thought new ownership would of made this a #1 priority to protect the long term viability of the brand.

Rumors are ALPA is at the backdoor.. maybe for the best

AA123456 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 10:09 am The jets are leaving. There is no more jet flying under the current contract. They departed a very sustainable medevac model with prospects of becoming world class with PC24 purpose built platform to outdated, obsolete kingair. you'll fly propellor planes day and night for sub-par pay. You will never carry a mortgage, let alone barely cover rent at any of the bases. forget the hype and bs they sell about "lifestyle and competitive compensation" averaging about 25 to 40 flying hours max per month the rest sitting playing video games and doom scrolling in a hangar. The "new planes" are poorly engineered, cheap build (Temu / Alibaba specials?). Very small cabin with no viable egress routes with a patient loaded. cannot perform continuous CPR in 3.5 feet cabin height and less than 10 cm aisle width. you will climb into and out on a ladder now - no airstair. it went from medics loading and taking the physical burden to pilots taking the physical burden with a questionable loading system - all with no extra pay.

They have lied to their pilots for over a year with promises and rumors of compensation adjustments "coming soon" but reality tells a different tale.

This is a DESPERARTE LAST RESORT job If you can't get hired ANYWHERE else. They have traditionally hired TFWs, almost exclusively for periods of time however the permits expired and they are now scrambling to fill the gaps. VERY high turnover last two years.

For some reason they still carry the old name (with pride) despite the multi decade parody joke that name has long established itself as in Canadian aviation. would of thought new ownership would of made this a #1 priority to protect the long term viability of the brand.

Rumors are ALPA is at the backdoor.. maybe for the best

"The "new planes" are poorly engineered, cheap build"
What are you specifically talking about? A brand new King Air 360 with the latest Pro Line and 67A engines is obsolete technology and poorly engineered !?

skybluetrek wrote: ↑Thu Jun 12, 2025 11:12 am

AA123456 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 10:09 am The jets are leaving. There is no more jet flying under the current contract. They departed a very sustainable medevac model with prospects of becoming world class with PC24 purpose built platform to outdated, obsolete kingair. you'll fly propellor planes day and night for sub-par pay. You will never carry a mortgage, let alone barely cover rent at any of the bases. forget the hype and bs they sell about "lifestyle and competitive compensation" averaging about 25 to 40 flying hours max per month the rest sitting playing video games and doom scrolling in a hangar. The "new planes" are poorly engineered, cheap build (Temu / Alibaba specials?). Very small cabin with no viable egress routes with a patient loaded. cannot perform continuous CPR in 3.5 feet cabin height and less than 10 cm aisle width. you will climb into and out on a ladder now - no airstair. it went from medics loading and taking the physical burden to pilots taking the physical burden with a questionable loading system - all with no extra pay.

They have lied to their pilots for over a year with promises and rumors of compensation adjustments "coming soon" but reality tells a different tale.

This is a DESPERARTE LAST RESORT job If you can't get hired ANYWHERE else. They have traditionally hired TFWs, almost exclusively for periods of time however the permits expired and they are now scrambling to fill the gaps. VERY high turnover last two years.

For some reason they still carry the old name (with pride) despite the multi decade parody joke that name has long established itself as in Canadian aviation. would of thought new ownership would of made this a #1 priority to protect the long term viability of the brand.

Rumors are ALPA is at the backdoor.. maybe for the best

"The "new planes" are poorly engineered, cheap build"
What are you specifically talking about? A brand new King Air 360 with the latest Pro Line and 67A engines is obsolete technology and poorly engineered !?

Maybe Carson pulled a RCAF with their C-295's, needing 5 years of adjustments to finally make it SAR viable and for SARTechs being able to do their job. It's not about avionics and how good the airplane is for the pilots to fly.

It’s a medevac job. What do you expect?

And jets suck in BC. Terrain is too steep and unless you’re going to Dease Lake or Fort Nelson from YVR or YLW the block times are barely different for slow jets like the Citation and PC-24 after they’ve done full procedure fuckery.

I do hear the jet guys aren’t happy about no more jets but where are they going? Anderson Air or Air Sprint where they will make the same money but work twice as hard? Air Canada or Westjet where they will work more and get paid less plus a soul-crushing commute to boot? (Back to) expat flying with the rewards but the risks as well? Cargojet? Maybe some holy grail of a private 604 only department that pays well and survives economic uncertainties.

One thing is for sure, they have always had some of the most miserable and incompetent pilots, a product of the sociopath that used to run the company.

But I imagine they are miserable and incompetent wherever they wind up. It do be like that.