It's a Captains market!!!

[Oscar]

The floodgates have opened, ads for turboprop captains on a daily basis, sometimes 2-3 in a day! Supply and demand people, supply and demand. The supply of experienced captain pool is drying up thanks to the likes of Air Canada, Jazz, WJ etc and the demand is increasing!! Do yourself a favour (and the rest of your brothers and sisters in the industry) and don't accept subpar work and wage conditions!! In fact, insist on an increase!! Avoid bonds. Rumours of certain king air ops like NAC paying 80k for a 200 driver are proof that it is possible to demand better!! You are in the drivers seat now, aim high!

[Oscar]

just off the top of my head, over the last few weeks, these companies have been looking for crew (mostly captains)

borek
caribou
northern air
westwind
fast air
storm aviation
nomad air
summit air
air partners
kal tire
nc services
voyageur
ornge
saskair
northwest company
tindi
keewatin
nt air
transwest
wasaya
etc. etc. etc.

now who wants to put them in order of who pays the most to who pays the least??

[Cat Driver]

You have my support!

[RVR6000]

This is the time to demand a proper salary, don't undercut or sell yourself short. Turboprop Captain $55K min, set the bar.

[Hawkerflyer]

Oh yeah! Movin on up to brand name KD!

[Dilbert Pickles]

Air Canada- 38000 thousand bucks and industry setting standards!

[daedalusx]

Tindi's also looking for Capts. Dash-7, BE20, DHC-6. And they pay DECs really really well....

[Wacko]

I'll take a pay cut to be in the left seat of a turb-in aircraft! Where do I sign!

NCA (and other Alberta opers) might not be quite in the same pool as the rest of those companies because they don't have the ability to hire whoever they want (ie. Contrails and the like) so they require higher time guys who go there more for lifestyle then the machine type.

Having said that, one company I can think of to avoid if you're looking for 55K is Carson Air. Unfortunately, almost every captain there looks at the company as a stepping stone and are willing to bend over! The whole stepping stone mentality on lower time guys has to start changing!

[Oscar]

Turboprop Captain $55K min, set the bar

With all due respect RVR, this is 5+ years out of date.

Air Canada- 38000 thousand bucks and industry setting standards!

Dilbert, AC is possibly the best thing to happen for 703/704 salaries because they are primarily responsible for taking all the current drivers, and ultimately will result in higher salaries for those who want to stay in 703/704. I in no way condone the starting salary, but the way to look at this is not a short term situation where there might be a temporary spike in compansation for all drivers. It's the drivers that actually want to be at this level that will hopefully benefit.

Someone on this board said it in the past and it's 100% true. The real money in aviation is with smaller 703/704 companies that value their employees and want to keep them around!

Another day, another ad. 65-80k for a King Air 350 This is where you should be aiming people!!!

[Oscar]

I'll take a pay cut to be in the left seat of a turb-in aircraft!

Wacko, good on you brah, whatever you do, you're one of the few who "gets it". Thank you for keeping the bar high.

[iflyforpie]

Yes, most people don't realize that $80K is the new $50K.... a completely unexceptional middle-class wage.

[Wacko]

I'll take a pay cut to be in the left seat of a turb-in aircraft!

Wacko, good on you brah, whatever you do, you're one of the few who "gets it". Thank you for keeping the bar high.

[Flybabe]

Is it REALLY a Captain's market? I think it's a bit superficial.

Maybe so if those that are qualified are still able to accept moving for work, lack of job security, and substandard wages.

I think people like me are stuck. Once you have a home, a mortgage, and family responsibilities, opportunities are not so good.

[just curious]

Well, Skybabe, A) we'd take you, and B) allow you to live in AB.
Everyone else, they're stuck. Excellent time to be a Kingair captain though

[Flybabe]

Well at least I know I'd be working with people I already know, JC

[Doc]

I've worked with JC, you could do FAR worse!

[Cat Driver]

I never flew with J.C.......but his father and I learned to fly at Central Airways together.

[RudderWhat]

There is a lot of truth in this thread.

[just curious]

While many companies expect a migration from their level to the 705 level, I do not believe that these companies expected the migration to be at these levels, at this point in the economic recovery.

We had no problem recruiting the 30 people we added in the last month. Many of our hires were lateral moves. Same plane, better schedule, more money.

Companies with similar aircraft and operations were unpleasantly surprised. I expect this will be the norm for the next little bit.

JC

[Doc]

Many of our hires were lateral moves. Same plane, better schedule, more money.

JC

I hope some companies are paying attention here. I said "Boy, pay attention...."

For some of us, it's the life style.....Better schedule, more money.....

Hope the "trickle down" this type of lesson teaches will open some eyes and perhaps, "force" companies to treat their crews better.

[Redneck_pilot86]

This is the time to demand a proper salary, don't undercut or sell yourself short. Turboprop Captain $55K min, set the bar.

Not even close, I've made better than that on piston singles at no less than 3 separate companies.

[RVR6000]

Its meant to be a 1st year starting salary for a captain. 55K is a lot higher than what most operators are offering, just to list a few that pay less for a 1st year captain: Georgian, Carson, Keewatin, CMA, Wasaya, Pascan, FlightExec, Transwest, SkyLink, the list goes on.

[BverLuver]

Its meant to be a 1st year starting salary for a captain. 55K is a lot higher than what most operators are offering, just to list a few that pay less for a 1st year captain: Georgian, Carson, Keewatin, CMA, Wasaya, Pascan, FlightExec, Transwest, SkyLink, the list goes on.

How many of these also have any sort bond on top of that? Take care of your people and they will take care of you. This is not a concept unique to aviation.

Come on people do not accept substandard wages and working conditions, if you do, YOU are the problem, not the solution.

BL

[snoopy]

Its meant to be a 1st year starting salary for a captain. 55K is a lot higher than what most operators are offering, just to list a few that pay less for a 1st year captain: Georgian, Carson, Keewatin, CMA, Wasaya, Pascan, FlightExec, Transwest, SkyLink, the list goes on.

That may be a good starting salary for the type of company that puts 1000 hour pilots in the left seat of a turbo prop, but $55K is by no means "setting the bar high" for most 703/704 Captains with any real experience. Typically the companies that pay that low both expect and accept high turnover because they are counting on the carrot factor for those looking for the fast track to the "big iron".

For what it's worth.

Cheers,
Kirsten B.