Otter Pilot Salaries

[cloudrunner]

What is the going rate for Otter drivers these days? Standard, PZL, Turbo

Thanks

[CF-RYE]

$4000 - $5000

[ttx15]

for that money I will kept flying a beaver for the same price and It took half the time to load it

[what do I put here???]

ttx15 where do you work that Beaver drivers get 4-5 k so that we can tell floatingbeaver about the job. If you looked at his tread he was getting raped for 2 k after flying the dam thing for a few years. Unfortunally 4-5 k is about all you will get maybe top out at 6 k. Sorry

[dash2/3]

at current employer,

1st year(year-round employment)= 3600/month+bonuses+tips(summers)flying steam beaver

2nd year(year-round as well)= 4300/month+same as above only difference is flying the otter(turbine) part-time.

3rd year, steam beaver and otter 50-50 or throw turbo beaver in the mix just notified of upcoming raise(i'll let you know soon).

all above is floats in summer, wheel-skis in winter.

[floatingbeaver]

Holy crap fellas I like that kind of cash and year round to bout how far north do you have to go to get that kind of money? I am flying on wheel skis partime in the winter months !

[dash2/3]

floating beaver PM me. we may soon be looking for another pilot.
send hours breakdown, types, locations, nature of your time etc.

[Dog]

Last time I was flying the turbo oyster it was for HA in Vancouver: worked out to 52k a year working a four on three off ( I think it was about $21 an hour) good benifits.

[Driving Rain]

at current employer,

1st year(year-round employment)= 3600/month+bonuses+tips(summers)flying steam beaver

2nd year(year-round as well)= 4300/month+same as above only difference is flying the otter(turbine) part-time.

3rd year, steam beaver and otter 50-50 or throw turbo beaver in the mix just notified of upcoming raise(i'll let you know soon).

all above is floats in summer, wheel-skis in winter.

It's sad to see that $4300/month is top money. 25 years ago I was flying similar aircraft (D18s) and pulling in $3900/month mileage and base. That represents a less than 10% increase in the last 1/4 century. The work was seasonal though.
24 years ago I entered full time year round employment flying DHC 2 MIII's and DHC3's looking at a pay stub from then I see I was pulling in 3340/ month as well as having a full benefit pkg. and pension.
I feel I've been lucky because my wages have barely kept up to the cost of living in the intervening years. That means the basket of goods I could buy then is the same basket today. I haven't had to eliminate any goods from the basket. In the 11 years between 91 and 03 the index climbed 21%

If one examines this to reflect the cost of living increase, wages have gone in the toilet for the aviation community. Why, when other sectors of the economy have kept up or surpassed it?
DR

[. ._]

Supply and command...

[185_guy]

"If one examines this to reflect the cost of living increase, wages have gone in the toilet for the aviation community. Why, when other sectors of the economy have kept up or surpassed it? "

Americans will only pay so much to come fishing, so our boss's cant afford to pay us to much more than 4G a month. After all, the camp owners need to go someplace warm for the winter, and drive a big SUV around, and that isent cheap!!

[Driving Rain]

Americans will only pay so much to come fishing, so our boss's cant afford to pay us to much more than 4G a month. After all, the camp owners need to go someplace warm for the winter, and drive a big SUV around, and that isent cheap!!

They had Caddies and Lincolns in my day and went south so some things never change.

Supply and demand and pilots selling themselves out too cheap has a lot to due with it. Certainly fuel and oil prices play an ever increasing part. Insurance takes a bigger piece of the pie than they deserve, taxes never seem to go down unless you are lucky enough to live in AB.
One thing I've noticed since my days in the business is the amout of families taking part . That was almost unheard of a few years ago. We would take men and women in but I never thought they were husband and wife The camps are palaces compared to what guys used to put up with. That change in clientele alone means more stability in the business and staility is good for the bottom line.
Knowing what I know now, I'd have stopped at my PPL and gone into the minnow business with a PA18 and made a small fortune.

[Cat Driver]

Hey Pete, I was going to do the same thing when I was water bombing in Northern Ont. back in the seventies. So the wife and I started looking for a Super Cub and the best I could find cost $22,000 so we decided that it would be to expensive to get started and I did not go ahead with it.

By the way if you can find me a Super Cub today for $22.000 I will buy it and start a minnow buisness.....

Cat

[Walter]

What should a chief pilot make flying a turbin otter in a float /ski operation?

Any opinions appreciated.

[just curious]

60K plus Tylenol

[180]

Minimum 60K...plus moving expenses, medical, dental, life, per diems, 2 days off a week and 8 weeks paid vacation, an annual raise evaluation and options for profit sharing on new business you generate.
Plus a truck, a signing bonus and an annual Christmas 'card'.

OK, Maybe the truck and signing bonus are wishful thinking...

But the rest should be instituted as industry norm.

[just curious]

What? You lucky bastards on the Single get a Card at Christmas?

Dammit, wait'll I talk to HQ.

[180]

The card should have a brown bill inside.

[lowandslow]

$5500 /month, one day off a week, rampies to load and clean, just have to unload at destination.. turbo otter

[Walter]

Thanks for the replies