All you Voyageur bashers...

conehead · Post by **conehead** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:22 pm

This doesn't look too shabby...

http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=32728

log sheet · Post by **log sheet** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 5:45 am

Ya, pretty good wage if you don't want to live at home with your family and spend you life travelling.
Now if they paid that in canada I'ed probally be impressed!
Cheers!

blacksmokeoutofthebox · Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:57 am

Loosing 6 of there endorsed engineers couldnt be the reason they are looking?????????????? that must say something in itself!

Kandoo · Post by **Kandoo** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:50 am

Look at where you'll be to earn that wage. Assuming you'd be at or near top rate.
"Our current base locations are: Sudan, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and East Timor."
I'd do my homework.

conehead · Post by **conehead** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 10:03 am

Adventure!

blacksmokeoutofthebox · Sat Jul 07, 2007 11:14 am

I wouldnt call it an adventure until you have been there and done it!

Blakey · Post by **Blakey** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 12:21 pm

It has been my sad experience in life that the only reason anyone will offer you $100,000. to do a job is because they couldn't find anyone who would do it for $99,000!

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 2:04 pm

Sudan, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia,

What is wrong with the above places, those names sound romantic and exotic.

tellyourkidstogetarealjob · Sat Jul 07, 2007 5:24 pm

romantic . . .

. . . in an all-male prison kind of way!

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:21 pm

There is also the thrill of being subjcted to getting neat diseases such as Cholera, Filariasis, Leishmaniasis, Sleeping Sickness, Dysentery, Giardiasis, Hepatitis of all types, Meningococcal Meningitis, Typhoid, Dengue Fever, Schistosomiasis, Ebola and of course Malaria in all its forms.

Never let an African Doctor inject you unless it is with your own sterile needles...

....never go to Africa without medical coverage that covers flying you to Europe on a medical evacuation jet if you get sick.

log sheet · Post by **log sheet** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:07 pm

So there you have it! Always on the road, a chance to get all kinds of diseases, employees quitting all over ,and that money doesn't make it worth it!

YA, NOT TOO SHABBY!

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:14 pm

log sheet:

I have come home from Africa so fu.kin sick a higher form of life would have died.....

...I got sick from the water and food when I was stuck in the desert for weeks and had to eat and drink the same as the locals.....it is serious stuff and not to be taken lightly....

...been on thirteen African contracts and have one more to do this year before I will quit for ever.

Having said that the experiences were priceless.

And the pay M U S T be very good or don't go.

log sheet · Post by **log sheet** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:33 pm

Cat Driver:
I'm sure the experience was great. For a young mechanic with no responsibilities except to himself, giver! Have fun!
Would you consider 127k good compensation for 8wks in 8weeks out rotation? Consider the Sh**y family life and as you have mentioned all the health risks! I'ed pass! Just my opinion!

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:41 pm

It is not the job for anyone with a family.

Fox 3 · Post by **Fox 3** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 8:43 pm

I'm curious what you need to get the $127k, my bet is they hardly ever hand that out.

ad81 · Post by **ad81** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 9:27 pm

A smart individual would work the oil patch to make that kind of money. Risking spending your 8 weeks back on the can isn't worth 100K

jsmetalbashers · Post by **jsmetalbashers** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:24 pm

Alberia or Liberia, toss up?

erik87 · Post by **erik87** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:16 pm

im currently attending a maintenance school here in canada and was considering doing some/all of my apprenticeship with them. Of course being 20 i am young(and dumb). The whole flying out to somewhere else instead of back home is appealing, id like to travel...that is assuming im not on the can for the 2 months off.

2024 · Post by **2024** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 8:01 pm

VAL Sucks.

itismedd · Post by **itismedd** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:09 am

Logsheet wrote:

Would you consider 127k good compensation for 8wks in 8weeks out rotation? Consider the Sh**y family life and as you have mentioned all the health risks! I'ed pass! Just my opinion!

Its hard to say what would be better from a family point of view. I am currently doing 6 and 6 in Africa and I find that quality time with the wife and kids hasnt been better. Before on 4 days on 4 days off myself and the wife used to pass each other in the door because she was working on my days off to avoid aputating our arms and legs to pay for day care for 3 kids. And on my days off I was always trying to work on the house stuff.Now we can go do things we want with the kids, we got 6 weeks at a time to go wherever, instead of having 2 of your 4 days screwed up because you are trying to sleep which is bad for the health too. Health risks I have shots for typhiod, yellow fever, Hep A&B, Tetnis, and take pills for malaria (which has more than one form though).

So the quality time is more when you look at it that way but try explaining that to children who only see Dad for 6 weeks not 4 days even those 4 days arent quality. Its like I said hard, but 8 weeks is too long a time to be away.

erik87 · Post by **erik87** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:47 am

itismedd, while in africa do you witness first hand alot of the political instability(fighting) that is going on there?

blacksmokeoutofthebox · Tue Jul 10, 2007 8:15 pm

I have to agree with itismedd, but they arent offering 127000 for 8 in 8 out you'll have to look into it further. I know from personal experience that money isnt everything. In my opinion AIDS costs too much more on the bank account than worrying about making all that money. I have witnessed first hand how fast political instability and how easy the local population can turn on you. Its not good. Now this is my own opinion and it is not like that in every country or in every situation. I have travelled to numerous countries in africa and seen some ups and downs. Its a beautiful continent and there is amazing things to see and do there. So my advice would be to do your homework, research everything, everywhere, anything that pertains to what you are interested in, prepare yourself mentally and physically and then make your decision on that. Cheers

itismedd · Post by **itismedd** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:04 am

I havent first hand, During elections we stayed in our rooms though and like 200 people were killed in the city. The poverty is bad sometimes you will see peope on the road with #@$% up arms and legs. You tend to appreciate the good things we have back home. I did however meet one guy who is working for the same company in a different location and while on his way back to their house they drove right into a gunfight between 2 tribes. I certainly dont want to be down there.

L382Medman · Post by **L382Medman** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:36 am

i ran into a voyageur engineer couple years back in Bukavu in the drc sounded like they were treated ok. as long as you get a decent base to work out of like entebbe you will be ok, but if you get the shit places like kindu, bunia and so on in the drc look out your going to be in for a treat.

I left one years ago after 3 1/2 years of contracts mainly in the drc for transafik and nac and 2 bouts of malaria later i am still kicking but i would never do it again. I am in botswana now and thats the only decent country in this continent. not saying to anyone not to do it but be prepared to see shit that is hard to take.

erik87 · Post by **erik87** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:41 pm

well i graduate from NLC this coming feb. so im def going to be doing my research over the 5 months of classes remaining. I have looked into voyageur aswell. Hopefully these forums will help me find out which bases to avoid.

Cheers