Sandy Lake Seaplanes

[Colibri]

Hey Guys,

Just wondering what the scoop is on Sandy Lake? How much can you expect to fly (winter and floats), and what is there to do with your spare time way up there?

Thanks

[North Shore]

Back around the turn of the Century, I flew a short contract for them over the fall (Moose season), and did 120h in the month that I was there. I'm sure that the Ski flying would be a lot slower.. as for what to do in Sandy Lake? XBox, TV, I'm sure there's a kick-ass local hockey team, teachers etc..

[Meatservo]

Here's a tip: A pleasing beverage can be made if you take five or six cans of concentrated orange juice, pour them into a five-gallon plastic bucket, add some yeast, and push it under your bed for a week or so. When it's ready (don't worry, you can tell by the smell) make sure to drink it all at once. There's something you can do. Finding the yeast before hand and visiting the nursing station afterwards will afford you opportunities to meet new people around the community. It's win-win!

[North Shore]

But be careful..IIRC, your plane can develop leaky floats after a night of that stuff!

Not so funny at the time, but great memories!

[Rowdy]

Ahhhh the delicious super juice...

[Launch Pad]

Not a bad first job if you are looking to build some time. You will build time, even in the winter, and the summer months are busy. Don't be surprised however when your 'spare' time is taken up selling pop and chips in the little store. Overall if you're a newby with no time, it beats spending two years on the ramp down south.

[SlumpBust]

I agree with Launch Pad. You will find that you dont have a lot of spare time, especially during float season. Some guys played hockey in the winter which is great if you can find the time. Do your job, stay positive and work hard. It will pay off. The CP is a great guy and is probably the best boss aviation or otherwise I've ever had. Like the ad says, its a year round position and you can expect to fly about 700+ hrs/year easy. All of their equipment is in good shape and is kept that way. You'll never be forced to do something you are uncomfortable with like you might be at other small operators. Some of the most fun flying you'll do. All in all this is a good opportunity for someone to get their foot in the door and build some time. Any questions, feel free to PM

[MAD DOGGY]

SlumpBust... Toooo funny ! LMAO

[206bushboy]

im currently flying for sandy lake seaplanes, im based in island lake, you will get alot of time close to 450hrs and its all excellent flying without a doubt i will look back on these days as some of the best flying i will have ever done in my career.

Tim and Tom are both Great to work for, they take real good care of their aircraft and dont push weather. my first season on floats they give great advice about.... float flying stuff.

on saturdays during the summer are very busy and any other day 2 or 3 trips a day,

hunting in the fall, about 4 or 5 trips a day and on moose hunting week you''l be up to your elbows in moose blood and up to your eyeballs in aviation.

enjoy...

[Adanac]

I flew for T&T back in the Air Sandy days. They picked me up just at the right time and I owe them a lot! You will learn a lot about flying floats from those two! They know their stuff. Up front, honest, and they make sure you are well taken care of. I would not have issues working for them again. Well, not sure if I could manage another winter in Sandy again! But over all, great guys!

Plus TB makes an amazing Seafood crape! OMG!

Enjoy!

Adanac

[RHDZ]

did anyone get a reply or are they waiting for the closing date

[BushPilot]

Hey Guys,

On the 23rd of october i got a call for an interview and i got the offer later that day. I am now moving up there on the 29th to fly the 206 and 207. Ive heard lots of good things about past experiences there. With a couple of my pilot buddies have flown for Sandy Lake Seaplanes before. Its a 1 year training bond with flying all year round.

BushPilot.

[push_to_start]

tim and tom will look after you up there, dont forget to listen to them,they have been doing it a lot longer than most of us have been alive, and yes the super juice is great! as well as the teachers and nurses...

[Adam Oke]

Its a 1 year training bond with flying all year round.

BushPilot.

It's a 1 year training bond ... for $4000.00.

[buckle-up!]

Does Big T still Yell at little T all the time? How many Pilots have gone through that palce in the last few years?
Are they still the bootleg? How many house's and Cars got burnt down last year? Does little T still get drunk and beat his family? Do they still pay you a $1000.00 a month for 16hr days, 30 days a month?

CAN ANYONE SAY GONG SHOW!!!!! STAY AWAY UNLESS YOU LIKE HELL AND PEOPLE FROM IT!!

[Rubberbiscuit]

I worked there as well and really enjoyed it. Work hard, don't complain and they will take good care of you. For many the isolation part gets the better of them, but with the right (positive attitude) you will enjoy it and build some great experience.

Does Big T still Yell at little T all the time? How many Pilots have gone through that palce in the last few years?
Are they still the bootleg? How many house's and Cars got burnt down last year? Does little T still get drunk and beat his family? Do they still pay you a $1000.00 a month for 16hr days, 30 days a month?

CAN ANYONE SAY GONG SHOW!!!!! STAY AWAY UNLESS YOU LIKE HELL AND PEOPLE FROM IT!!

I have spent about a decade in the bush and concluded this: The only ones I ever ran into that badmouthed good employers that gave many a pilot a start to their career, were either a: lazy and or b: could not hack the isolation of living on a reserve but was not man enough to admit as much. buckle-up... I suspect you fall under one or both of the above categories. I know about a dozen guys that worked there at one point or another.. neither have anything negative to say. Hey, lets face it it is not for everyone being up there and I do not look down upon anyone that will admit it. I always found it amusing how the ones that could not hack that type of a work environment or got fired always resorted to bashing their employer, citing poor working conditions bla bla bla....

Coming on here and blaming someone without an opportunity to fend for themselves of domestic abuse is however a whole new low. I LIVED and worked with both while up there and assure you none of the above was going on.

Bushpilot: Sounds like you have a great attitude and that is all it takes up there as I said earlier. Good luck, and you will have a blast!

RB

[Adam Oke]

Do they still pay you a $1000.00 a month for 16hr days, 30 days a month?

Well ... I can't comment on your rant but pay is $1500/month during the winter, and $2500/month during the summer (Then tax those numbers). Free accommodations, pay for food, and split the phone bill. When you’re not flying, you are working the store. $4000 bond for a one year commitment. No money exchanged unless you leave before your term.

Tim sounded like a good guy. I was only looking for a winter gig so I was going to turn it down (That and pay would have to be negotiated). Tim even called me back to let me know the position was filled and he'll keep my resume on file. That tells me at least something good about his character to give me a call back.

[buckle-up!]

RB tell me how many planes they have crashed in the last 10 years or so? Tell me how many Pilots they have gone through?

Tell me they are giving low time Pilots there big break or are they taking advantage of them paying them sweatshop wages.

If you think this is a good Company to work for, good luck my friend. Ha Ha Haaaaa!!!!

[buckle-up!]

RB tell me how many planes they have crashed in the last 10 years or so? Tell me how many Pilots they have gone through?

Tell me they are giving low time Pilots there big break or are they taking advantage of them paying them sweatshop wages.

If you think this is a good Company to work for, good luck my friend. Ha Ha Haaaaa!!!!

[Rubberbiscuit]

RB tell me how many planes they have crashed in the last 10 years or so? Tell me how many Pilots they have gone through?

Tell me they are giving low time Pilots there big break or are they taking advantage of them paying them sweatshop wages.

If you think this is a good Company to work for, good luck my friend. Ha Ha Haaaaa!!!!

Since the midair with Bearskin I cannot remember hearing of any fatalities so it can't be all that bad. They operate in a harsh environment and hire alot of 200hr guys so there will inevitably be some incidents over time.

I was making $2200 back in the day. Single, no vehicle, lived for free, was fed (very well) 90% of the time. Most money I ever had, without mortgage, car loan, insurance etc.

As the majority of pilots don't set out to retire as a 206 pilot living on an isolated reserve in the north....yes, there will be a lot of pilots passing through. Some can stand it up there, some can't. Say what you want, but it is great experience if you can hack it. As mentioned in my previous post, I know alot of guys that worked there over the years and they all share my views. Most of the pilots that go up there with a positive attitude and work hard walk away with some great experience. All these same guys have moved on to have successful careers, and the guys I knew are either at the airline level or wherever their goal was to end up.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

Tell me how many Pilots they have gone through?

Were you one, if so why?

[Rowdy]

Have met a bunch of folk who have worked for Them. They all had good things to say about the experience and their time flying in the area. I know a couple are board members and have gone on to bigger and better things now. I saw the guys in island lake occasionally, looked to be a pretty clean bird on floats and the wheeled machine looked in good shape too.

I know someone will say that I've worked for shitty operators.. maybe they're right.. but I also worked for a couple stand up and class act guys and know the difference. I've never met either of the T's, only talked to em on the phone. But they were straightforward, upfront and honest with me.. so I'll give them that much. I honestly can't say anything about it.. However..

If you're going to badmouth.. I'd hope youd post your name, when and how long you worked for them and what exact reasons for your leaving? Thats not too much to ask for someone thats trying to slander anothers means of making a living. Its unfortunate that this is anonymous and the other supposedly horrible person is not here to share their side either. Maybe you were out of your element there?

Regardless.. give us a little more insight.

[buckle-up!]

First off Rowdy if you have not walk in the shoes of another than you have no reason to Judge the other!

Its not Slander its fact, call the NAPS office in Sandy and ask if they have ever had a domestic abuse call to a certain persons house! Also ask about the Alcohol that was sold to a couple local Sandy residents, who then took it to a house party on the res and proceeded to Rape a girl and burn her and her boyfriends house down with them in it! and ask where they got the Booze from?

Ask about the kid who needed a police escort from the waterbase to the airport because the owner was threating to shoot him!

Or the Pilot who draged his bag from the waterbase to the airport, about 4km of dirt road because the Ops manager forced him to leave the Pilots house because the pilot had scheduled his departure flight from Sandy a couple days earlier than, the Ops thought, then the Pilot had to go sleep on one of the locals coach for the night.

These are not stories and there are many more than this to tell, if you do not beleive me go up to Sandy and do your own research!

I only started this because I could not stomach, all this they are such great guys stuff. Anyway they really don't deserve any of my time.

Good Luck with the research!

[Rubberbiscuit]

Buckle-up:

Just because the police shows up at someones house does not automatically mean domestic abuse. Argue loud enough and your neighbours can call... Tim and Tom became personal friends of mine, same goes for their families...why? As a result of being great employers, respecting me, my hard work and always going the extra step to make sure I enjoyed my stay there. As a matter of fact I worked there twice. The first time for a longer period, but later gave a job for a couple of months when they could have got by without me, to simply help out when I unexpectedly got laid off from a different job. How many employers would go that far? I know many a pilot that got stuck there in bad weather or with a mechanical breakdown. Call Tim and Tom and they would certainly give you whatever it took to get you out of there, and you could count on a hot meal and a warm bed to sleep in. How do I know? Cause it happened to me while working for someone else.

I also know some of the stories you are referring too. You are leaving out the other 2 sides of the stories.... The kid walking to the airport DID PROMISE TO STAY until a certain date and ended up costing them a lot of grief as the replacements arrival was based on when this guy was leaving. Good lesson if you ask me. Not like the airport is far away! The kid escorted by police... pretty sure you are referring to the guy(kid) that came to their office drunk or high for reasons I will leave out, and uttered death threats when he did not get what he wanted.

Lets for a moment pretend your one sided stories are true? What the f*ck does that have to do with working there anyway? I started out when times where tough and spent 2+years living on Northern Ontario reserves. They are rough places. I have watched 5 year olds that sniffed themselves to death get barried through my back window where I was staying... one reserve I lived on had semi regular shootouts with the cops for a while. The police suburban was riddled with bullet holes.I had kids break into my house while flying looking for anything with alcohol in it, hairspray, clearners, whatever. What is my point? These reserves are different places and it can get rough. That is why I said it is not for everyone. One pilot not to long ago from toronto with a wife and kids was begging them for a job, would give up and they finally hired him... decided to give him a chance although the odds were he had no idea of what he was getting himself into, and would not last. He turned around and flew out at the first flight available after getting there. Was that you perhaps?



Say what you want but I worked there twice and have worked for enough shady operators over the years to tell a good job from a bad one. The job is fine, the place itself?...... I let everyone be their own judge.

[buckle-up!]

RB How did you know it was me?

Read your last post it says it all my friend!

Good luck with that!