Floatplane pilots

[redlaser]

With the float plane season fast approaching I can see that there are a lot of companies still looking for pilots,

[piperdriver]

The talent pool for float pilots is shrinking every year. In my opinion float pilots are an endangered species on their way to extinction. Operators that are willing to open their check books and pay decent money will be able to find pilots. Cheap/stingy operators won't be able to find pilots and make excuses like, "No one wants to work."

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

We as float drivers are now in an excellent position to negotiate higher wages. Have a some self respect and dignity this season and don't accept low/mediocre wages.

Have a safe season.

[5x5]

The talent pool for float pilots is shrinking every year. In my opinion float pilots are an endangered species on their way to extinction. Operators that are willing to open their check books and pay decent money will be able to find pilots. Cheap/stingy operators won't be able to find pilots and make excuses like, "No one wants to work."

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

We as float drivers are now in an excellent position to negotiate higher wages. Have a some self respect and dignity this season and don't accept low/mediocre wages.

Have a safe season.

I'm not supporting the MNRF posted rate of $1,192.16 - $1,442.83 per week, and I'm not trying to argue, but I (and I assume others) would like to know what the minimum acceptable wage should be? I'm not familiar with float flying so I don't have any reference. It's easy to complain about wages as we'd all like more, but what should be minimum and who are the operators that offer them?

Please help people out with good advice, not just generalized complaining.

[propfeather]

I'm not supporting the MNRF posted rate of $1,192.16 - $1,442.83 per week, and I'm not trying to argue, but I (and I assume others) would like to know what the minimum acceptable wage should be? I'm not familiar with float flying so I don't have any reference. It's easy to complain about wages as we'd all like more, but what should be minimum and who are the operators that offer them?

Please help people out with good advice, not just generalized complaining.

It depends a bit on the rest of the working conditions but it should be at least double at a minimum.

[goldeneagle]

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

Just to clarify one detail that you seem unclear on. According to the posting, it's a union position therefore subject to a union contract which defines the wage for the position. That also means that the person taking the position outside the scope of that contract would be the one to be considered a 'scab', not the one taking the position as per the union contract terms.

[sunk]

I’m charging $550.00 per day with food and accommodations supplied. I’m working approximately 22 days per month.

[Pacqing]

I was charging $500 a day to fix airplanes 10 years ago.

[piperdriver]

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

Just to clarify one detail that you seem unclear on. According to the posting, it's a union position therefore subject to a union contract which defines the wage for the position. That also means that the person taking the position outside the scope of that contract would be the one to be considered a 'scab', not the one taking the position as per the union contract terms.

Fine replace the word scab with the words "a person with no dignity." And to call OPSEU a "union" is disingenuous in my opinion.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ ... -1.6715776

I would not consider OPSEU to be a legitimate "Union" and to call it as such does a disservice to actual unions that fight hard for their members. OPSEU more closely resembles a Ponzi Scheme than an actual union. In the last decade OPSEU has made little to no headway in terms of real wage gains for their members.

[pelmet]

Maybe they should try looking for float pilots that are not interested in spending the entire summer in the middle of nowhere for the entire summer.

Rotational schedule anybody? Training costs are not a lot for a floatplane so it is different than the expensive type ratings of airlines.

[enbt]

The talent pool for float pilots is shrinking every year. In my opinion float pilots are an endangered species on their way to extinction. Operators that are willing to open their check books and pay decent money will be able to find pilots. Cheap/stingy operators won't be able to find pilots and make excuses like, "No one wants to work."

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

We as float drivers are now in an excellent position to negotiate higher wages. Have a some self respect and dignity this season and don't accept low/mediocre wages.

Have a safe season.

You get what you pay for:

An amphibious Province of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources de Havilland DHC2 MK3 (C-FOEW) from Killarney, ON (CPT2) to North Bay, ON (CYYB) landed gear up on Runway 36 at 2201Z. Both Runway 18/36 and 08/26 closed for approximately 1 hours and 40 minutes. The aircraft taxied off under its own power at 2343Z.

[PilotDAR]

You get what you pay for:................. landed gear up

Perhaps an indirect relationship, but not a direct relationship. I certainly agree that pilots should be well paid, and clients should pay what it's worth to be flown by a well paid, experienced, and current pilot, but what a pilot is being paid is not a direct factor in configuration mistakes being made. I don't know the details of gear up, but wasn't it a training flight? Were there two pilots aboard? Is confirming landing configuration, or awareness during an abnormal event a factor of pay? I can honestly say that I've known some newbies who were paying more attention in the moment than the complacent [well paid?] pilot they were flying with.

Sure, a wealth of experience in a well paid pilot has benefits, but preventing a gear up is more good training and discipline than "getting what you pay for" in the pilot.

[futurebushpilot]

As I posted in the Salary section last month, offers received to fly a Beaver on floats this season ranged from $26/hr on the coast of BC, to $8500/month in NW Ont. Two other offers from NW Ont were $6000 and $6500/month. All of the above included accomodation.

That recent ad for a turbo Beaver position with the Ontario MNRF pays repulsively low. They'll need a few four-leaf clovers and rabbit's feet up their sleeves to get anyone worth his or her salt to take that measly pittance. A paper bag to hide their heads in shame might be in order, as well.

As for the operators who love to say that no one wants to work these days... Time to wake up to reality. Housing costs are through the roof, the COL ever increasing. Without much, much higher wages, why would anyone break their backs in the middle of mosquito heaven lifting outboards and propane tanks when they can get in with an airline, get their seniority started, and someday buy a floatplane of their own to fly when and where they want?

The days of pilots having to "pay their dues" are over. The operators who realize this might just stay afloat. For the others, it'll be a proud ride down aboard their sinking ships.

[PilotDAR]

why would anyone break their backs in the middle of mosquito heaven lifting outboards and propane tanks when they can get in with an airline,

That's a parallel question. Some pilots prefer single pilot, more adventure, than right seat scheduled operation, gate to gate. To each their own.....

[futurebushpilot]

why would anyone break their backs in the middle of mosquito heaven lifting outboards and propane tanks when they can get in with an airline,

That's a parallel question. Some pilots prefer single pilot, more adventure, than right seat scheduled operation, gate to gate. To each their own.....

My point being, to what end? At least with the airlines there is a chance for something much better in the future.

[PilotDAR]

At least with the airlines there is a chance for something much better in the future

"much better" is relative to your expectations. Sure, if you're aiming for right then left seat with the airlines, float flying may just be a stepping stone, and that is perfectly fine. And, I know life long floatplane pilots, for whom airline flying was never on their horizon. Both are very worthy, though different types of flying.

[GTFA]

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

Just to clarify one detail that you seem unclear on. According to the posting, it's a union position therefore subject to a union contract which defines the wage for the position. That also means that the person taking the position outside the scope of that contract would be the one to be considered a 'scab', not the one taking the position as per the union contract terms.

A SCAB is a non-management person who accepts work normally done by a unionized worker who is currently on strike. Still Collecting All Benefits.

[khedrei]

The talent pool for float pilots is shrinking every year. In my opinion float pilots are an endangered species on their way to extinction. Operators that are willing to open their check books and pay decent money will be able to find pilots. Cheap/stingy operators won't be able to find pilots and make excuses like, "No one wants to work."

PS. Speaking of cheap operators look at the job advertisement for the MNRF Turbo Beaver Pilot. Absolutely embarrassing!!! I really hope they don't find anyone that is willing to work for that kind of money in 2024. Any human being that accepts that job is scab and is fueling the poverty wages ever so prevalent in this country.

We as float drivers are now in an excellent position to negotiate higher wages. Have a some self respect and dignity this season and don't accept low/mediocre wages.

Have a safe season.

You get what you pay for:

An amphibious Province of Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources de Havilland DHC2 MK3 (C-FOEW) from Killarney, ON (CPT2) to North Bay, ON (CYYB) landed gear up on Runway 36 at 2201Z. Both Runway 18/36 and 08/26 closed for approximately 1 hours and 40 minutes. The aircraft taxied off under its own power at 2343Z.

Could have been worse. They could have landed in the water with the wheels down....