Career Advice

[Cherub77]

I would like some thoughts and views on my proposed move to Canada.
My wife is Canadian so obtaining the right to live and work shouldn't be a problem, she wants to move back home after a few years in the Uk.
I currently have 4000 hours on the Airbus 320 and am very near the left seat, life is good but we have decided to move to canada so i know career wise it's going to be a step backwards in all likeliness.
I plan to obtain a medical and a Canadian license whilst still working here in the uk then I can start applying to companies whilst still employed, would a job on a 320/737 be an unrealistic expectation?

Any thoughts and advice on the process would be much appreciated.

[leftoftrack]

With the right to live and work here there are many operators who would be interested in you.

[FL320]

Cherub77,
You will probably be able to find a job on an airliner here in Canada, but do you really want to leave your current position and great working conditions? As you said, it's gonna be a big step backward. If you compare the market that is open to you with your EASA license, here in Canada there are very few airlines and the salaries for the first years are pretty low. Even if you have a great flying experience, it will take years to get the equivalent of what you have at the moment. Plus the money you would save working here will be pretty bad once converted in your currency if YOU decide to go back to the UK later. This is just my opinion.
I used to work here in Canada on the 737 with some pilots from Thomson Airways, this might be an option for you? You could ask for a 6 month deployment here in Canada...

[Illya Kuryakin]

Keep your current job, and commute.
Illya

[Cherub77]

Thanks for the replies guys, unfortunately commuting is not really an option, as long as I can get work I'll just have to take a pay cut for a few years, you have given me hope. Any reccomendations on where or who to use to convert my license?

[ScudRunner]

Where are you moving to in Canada, or is that dependent on where you can land a gig?

Any major city would work for the larger carriers like AC WJ ,Rogue, Encore Jazz, Canadian North is hiring for 737 FO and I think would offer quicker upgrade times. If your willing to fly night cargo Cargojet just landed the Canada Post contract and are gearing up for that. Additionally Sunwing, Canjet, expand their fleet in the winter for tourists flights to warm destinations, with your time and the recent ruling on TFW you might just get left seat.

Additionally there are several larger charter operators out of Alberta that fly mostly up to the oil patch with larger aircraft, Flair and Enerjet with 737 and if your looking for a taste of home North Cariboo has some BAE146

[Cherub77]

Thanks for the reply .., some really good info thanks. Seems like there are a lot more 737 operators then Airbus, I'm going to miss that table!

I'd ideally like to based in Toronto but I'd take a job wherever it's going to start then try to work my way there, I've heard of a startup Low cost carrier in YVR called canada Jetlines that are rumoured to be acquiring buses??

What is TFW by the way?

[Rowdy]

I don't foresee canada jetliner starting up any time soon. Low cost carriers in canada don't seem to work out and most are no longer.

TFW = Temporary Foreign Worker

Good luck to you

[traveller1982]

Cherub77

Hi mate, as a fellow expat married to a Canadian, take it from me getting your right to live and work here is not that difficult but it TAKES FU&*ING FOREVER. I applied over 16 months ago and still no word yet. The immigration department went on strike last year for god knows how long and things backed up even worse than the joke it already was. My guess is it will take somewhere in the order of 2 years before I see my residency. I used a lawyer to make sure it was done all correctly and there is still no end in sight. The other big problem is your wife actually has to be living here before you can actually apply, this stupid rule held me up for many years! None of the big airlines will take you without a permanent residency card! I have managed to get around this for the last 5 years and have worked for a couple of companies here in Canada by getting a working holiday visa (dependant on your country of citizenship and your age).

So be very careful before you leave your job and come to Canada. Wages are a joke here by the way and the flight and duty hours are shocking compared to the rest of the world. Needless to say we are leaving Canada for better pay and conditions elsewhere. If you want more information PM me and best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

[timel]

Hey Traveller1982,

I am suprised to hear that from a UK pilot.
I though UK was the wonderland of low cost and crappy work conditions Ryanair style and that European globally were loosing work conditions in the favor of low costs and ultra low costs eating the whole market. Aren't they trying to change European dutys for more hours? Isn't the market saturated of 250hr ready to fly Airbus pilots?

Just curious

[traveller1982]

Hi timel
I am not a UK pilot. Actually Europe and Antarctica are the only 2 continents I have not worked on. So can't comment on wages there but I do know that their flight and duty regs follow ICAO standards. 900 hours per year max, 100 hours per 28 days and there are limits on duty times as well (its probably 90 hours max duty in any 14 day period, but don't quote me on that) unlike Canada. Anyway don't get me wrong I really enjoyed working in Canada but was very surprised by the flight and duty regs here, some of them are down right dangerous and some of the hours (specially smaller operators) have pilots work seems extreme.

However none of this was my main point. Best make sure you have your immigration is sorted before leaving a good job and being stuck on the side lines due to paperwork.

[timel]

Hi timel
I am not a UK pilot. Actually Europe and Antarctica are the only 2 continents I have not worked on. So can't comment on wages there but I do know that their flight and duty regs follow ICAO standards. 900 hours per year max, 100 hours per 28 days and there are limits on duty times as well (its probably 90 hours max duty in any 14 day period, but don't quote me on that) unlike Canada. Anyway don't get me wrong I really enjoyed working in Canada but was very surprised by the flight and duty regs here, some of them are down right dangerous and some of the hours (specially smaller operators) have pilots work seems extreme.

However none of this was my main point. Best make sure you have your immigration is sorted before leaving a good job and being stuck on the side lines due to paperwork.

Thanks for the infos!

Actually I did not know about those duty regs and ICAO standards, it is interresting, and I have to agree you get dutys with small operators of 15 hrs per days and sometimes with splits 17 hrs. Yes we think it is too long but Transport doesn't care.
Immigration is a tough process, I guess that countries who really have strong pilots needs will open doors more easly.

[Cherub77]

There are a lot of crappy jobs in Europe but everyone abides by flight time limitations. Ryanair are tough to work for but I have friends who got quick commands, earn a good wage and are based in nice places in Spain and Italy. They just don't get tea and coffee!

I read an article in the Toronto star about how bad the immigration process is for spouses, it predicts 11 months before you can work, and much longer before full residency
http://read.thestar.com/?origref=https% ... ip-backlog

It all seems like so much hassle but if I've got to work for another 30 years I think it will be worth it in the end.

Thanks for the replies guys, anyone else got any advice?

[B52]

First, Spousal immigrations can take time but as far as countries go,
Canada is relatively fast and the process relatively easy by comparison.

Second, Getting a licence here will be straight forward and while its some study
it is in the weeks of study not months.

Thirdly, if you are coming to Canada for a marriage, you are stark raving mad
and need to be warned that men have next to no legal rights in Canada,
which mirrors what is happening in the UK for example but not as bad I'm told.

If you intend having children, Canada is a legally corrupt country that practices gender superiority
and what is called Male Sharia law.

[Diadem]

Thirdly, if you are coming to Canada for a marriage, you are stark raving mad
and need to be warned that men have next to no legal rights in Canada,
which mirrors what is happening in the UK for example but not as bad I'm told.

If you intend having children, Canada is a legally corrupt country that practices gender superiority
and what is called Male Sharia law.

Oooookaaaaay...For anyone considering taking B52's advice, just remember that he believes Vladimir Putin used satellites to remotely hijack Malaysian Airlines flight 370 and fly it to a remote landing strip outside of radar coverage. He is, shall we say, a few litres short of a full tank.

[B52]

The comments by Diadem are entirely false and defamatory.
Hopefully the mod will deal with it.

Oooookaaaaay...For anyone considering taking B52's advice, just remember that he believes Vladimir Putin used satellites to remotely hijack Malaysian Airlines flight 370 and fly it to a remote landing strip outside of radar coverage. He is, shall we say, a few litres short of a full tank.[/quote]

[Bede]

Diadem,

c'mon man, play nice.