Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

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Uncle Mac
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Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Uncle Mac »

Would it be worth it for a M1/M2 to pay for a Dash 8 100/200/300 endorsement course personally in hopes of getting a job or maybe some contract work. The cost of the course at Flight Safety is $6000. Any info or opinions would be welcomed.

Thanks
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Pat Richard
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Pat Richard »

Ask yourself how long it will take you to pay off the total cost of the course.

Do you have any solid agreement or indication from a company that you will see a increase in wages or steady employment, if you take this course? There's not that many operators of the type in Canada, and the ones that are out there are all over the place.

Do you have any previous experience on the type that would qualify you for an ACA once you complete the course?


My experience is that you will be lucky if you see even a couple of bucks an hour more, and at least one agency pays nothing more for aca on that type verses anybody else they send out, including apprentices.

I would not recommend it.
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casey
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by casey »

Check with Pyl at Flightline might be alot less expensive( and more fun ) if you would like to take a D8 course
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dashx
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by dashx »

Yes.

Flight Safety is good because they've got their simulator to play with. Oh and the barbeque....

Flightline is good because they need a "live" airplane to play with (ok ok so they can't start the engines.....) and yes because they are cheaper.

I would also consider the 400 course. There will be more and more for that airplane as it ages.

If you look in the jobs ads Dash 8 work pops up regularly. And some of those operators also have M1 machines so an M1/M2 AME will always be more desirable.
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Pat Richard
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Pat Richard »

If you look in the jobs ads Dash 8 work pops up regularly

Besides voyageuer(even they have been dormant for some time), which ads have been popping up regularly??

How about giving some links?
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brownbear
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by brownbear »

If you have a background of experience on them already, might be worth it. But if you have not worked on them before it makes you no more valuable. In fact taking a course doesn't make you know the plane and if you don't use it right away you lose it quickly.

The best scenario is the company paying for a course after you have worked with them for about a year. Actual experience makes the learning process all gel together.

The question of would it get you a job? If an employer was looking for a D8 guy the criteria would be two fold; course and experience.
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Pat Richard
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Pat Richard »

exactly,
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dashx
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by dashx »

My apologies.

I checked the AvCanada jobs and there has not been anything specifically for Dash 8 work recently.

I never asked Uncle Mac if had any Dash 8 experience and maybe I should have.

But then again someone with an M1 and an M2 should be able to transition to a -8 without too much difficulty.

Or am I wrong here too?

-x
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Pat Richard
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Pat Richard »

The question isn't whether or not he can transition to a D8, the question is whether or not it's worth it for him to spend a total of $10g+, for the course.

Going that much into the hole on a "maybe" is not a good choice, and even with the aca you are not looking at a gold mine of opportunities.

Here's my list of operators in canada, add to it if I missed one, and then ask around to see what guys are making at these places.
I know of only one on the list who pays decently, but one must have an appetite for the exreme north.

Hawkair/CMA
North Cariboo
Canadian North
not really worth mentioning, but avmax.
Jazz
Arctic sunwest Charters
Perimeter
Provincial
Porter(Q400)
Voyageur
I think maybe air inuit also, but im not sure.

Almost all of those mentioned have been very quiet for more than a year.

Finally, if you are going to take the course, do flightsafety. I have yet to talk with one person who has taken the flightline route who has been happy with them. They were doing the "full course" for avmax in a two week period, and the quality really showed with the graduates. I did get the flight safety course, and it was knocked down to 3 weeks, from 4, because flightline popped up and started offering "the same" in three. The course was originally just over a month.

I hope you like black and white diagrams also, 'cause flight line dont do color.
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hella_bright
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by hella_bright »

Pat Richard wrote: Finally, if you are going to take the course, do flightsafety. I have yet to talk with one person who has taken the flightline route who has been happy with them. They were doing the "full course" for avmax in a two week period, and the quality really showed with the graduates. I did get the flight safety course, and it was knocked down to 3 weeks, from 4, because flightline popped up and started offering "the same" in three. The course was originally just over a month.

I hope you like black and white diagrams also, 'cause flight line dont do color.
I can vouch for this. I've taken a Flightline course and the books were crap. Photocopied from the maintenance manual and reduced down in size. Unreadable. The only saving grace for that course was the contractor Flightline had instructing was extremely knowledgeable. He previously worked for Flight Safety for over 20 years and designed their type course/training manuals. He was embarrassed by the books Flightline supplied for him to teach with.
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motox415
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by motox415 »

I must agree with the two previous posts. Stay away from Flightline. Flightsafety would be a good choice but another option might be Jazz.
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by bombardierfixer »

Avmax, They are one of the biggest DHC 8 operators in Canada. Good guys to work WITH for the most part. You're gonna learn lots. Apparently they are quite busy again. There is a good opportunity to go places too if you like "adventure".

Flight lines course was pretty good although I think I should have gotten the herc and -7 endorsement as well.
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by bombardierfixer »

That 2 week course was another guy. Bare minimum for a transport #. The flight line books have pretty color. The PCU pages look like a clown puked on em.
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by motox415 »

AVMAX...stay away. One of the worst MRO's out there!
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Pat Richard
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Pat Richard »

+1

My bad about about the training. I was told by several people, from avmax, that it was flightline doing it.

As for a great place to learn...is there anyone left there to teach the newbs? When I was there I could count them on one hand, and that was several years ago.

Are they still using skydrol as engine oil?? :lol:

Jazz would be a much better choice than avmax, and they are supposed to be getting q400's. You just have to be able to deal with nightshifts and mediocre pay. Flight bennys would be a nice perk though.
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motox415
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by motox415 »

Yes, Avmax is still using Skydrol as engine oil. :smt075
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Vickers vanguard
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Vickers vanguard »

Air Inuit and Air Creebec both operate the DHC8....and both pay peanuts, voila.
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by bombardierfixer »

Thats when they use engine oil, or at least decide to install the cap. What about the fuel bowser fuel up. There are still the hold outs there. And the boomerang/black hole effect still has some of the guys going back once in a while.
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twnotter
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by twnotter »

Vickers vanguard wrote:Air Inuit and Air Creebec both operate the DHC8....and both pay peanuts, voila.
I cannot speak for AirCreebec, but know Air Inuit quite well, Air Inuit operates 10 -8's now I believe mixed 100 and 300's.

Air Inuit may not be the highest paid company out there, but they do offer job security, benefits, good vacation, good rotation and from what I hear an excellent bonus. At a time where alot of companies are going bankrupt/laying off, Air Inuit, in the last 2 years has bought 5 aircraft, 1 737, 4 -8 300's, they continue to expand/upgrade their fleet while everyone else is downsizing. So, would you take a job that may pay 2/hr more with the possibility of getting laid off in a couple of months? By the way, I think Air Inuit may be the second largest operator of -8's.

I believe starting pay for Jazz, with ACA, is less than Air Inuit and Aircreebec and no job security.
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dashx
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by dashx »

twnotter...

wow ......

long time no hear.......
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Propjock
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Propjock »

I took a course with Flightline and it was good the books were B/W but good. Are tehy now doing a 2 week course? that course that Avmax did wasn't Flightline course, I think it was that company from Montreal.
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PutGearUp
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by PutGearUp »

You're right. The "so called" ATO that is offering the 2 week course in based out of Montreal. The price and course length looks good until you take the course - total waste of time and money.
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Fatuga
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Re: Dash 8 100/200/300 Endorsement Course

Post by Fatuga »

Hello,

Anybody knows how to get Dash-8 endorsement course via EI/Second career program? Thanks.
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