Now may be the time to jump in

http://www.adn.com/alaska-news/aviation ... concerned/

Don,

From 1974 to present I have trained many more pilots interested in contact flying in small airplanes than instrument flying in large airplanes. But I started them in practical techniques applicable to low altitude work rather than insist they prepare for corporate or airline work first.

I expect the same is true in the preparation of bush pilots in Alaska. If true, doesn't this help retain them in bush work?

Getting students involved in Ag as loader or in patrol work as observer is helpful.

"A person shows up at church today. If he does not have a friend in six weeks and a job in six months, that church will lose him." John Maxwell. At the low end of aviation, he needs to start early tomorrow.

It's too bad the pay isn't better - I'd load up the wife and kid and go.

Pay is good.
Yes we can find pilots up here but............

Trick is to find a pilot that:
#1 Has experience
#3 Can listen to what you tell them. (Experienced pilots don't like to be told what to do... But each place you fly has it's own "Special Deal" guys that fly there regularly can be a valuable information resource!!!)
#2 Can work seasonally.
#4 Can get the job done without hurting or killing someone!
#5 Doesn't whine!

What is good pay, hourly/salary? Specifically flying 180/185 type plane on floats or wheels, say the pilot has 3500 hours tailwheel and has zero issue being told what to do.

Skalywag wrote:What is good pay, hourly/salary? Specifically flying 180/185 type plane on floats or wheels, say the pilot has 3500 hours tailwheel and has zero issue being told what to do.

Good questions. For seasonal work flying retardant the pay is really good. For ferrying around aerial observers in SE aircraft it's about double, in some places triple the current Federal minimum wage. And generally there's no guarantee of minimum hours in pay status. But, if you've got other income (read that retired) it's a pretty good gig.

TangoFox wrote:Pay is good.
Yes we can find pilots up here but............

Trick is to find a pilot that:
#1 Has experience
#3 Can listen to what you tell them. (Experienced pilots don't like to be told what to do... But each place you fly has it's own "Special Deal" guys that fly there regularly can be a valuable information resource!!!)
#2 Can work seasonally.
#4 Can get the job done without hurting or killing someone!
#5 Doesn't whine!

Trent think all those attributes are getting harder to find..... If u can get most of those and train them to your standards with 100% supervision u got a 50/50 chance of getting a good driver. I hired a wheel pilot I worked with up north. I left to run a Floatplane operation on lake Hood where I started. He came down with me, zero float time. Told him I would hire him if he did everything I told every time...he agreed. I drew maps for all pilots, new or old on how to land or takeoff wherever they were going. He turned out to be a very good float pilot and moved up to better paying Fishing Lodge jobs. Opportunities are still there...for the people willing to take a chance If float flying is what u are looking for it is seasonal except for Southeast Alaska. Wheel plane is whole different deal year around but less $$ and harsher conditions.

Gump could tell u more about the year round jobs and what it takes to get into that type operation.

It's worthy of note that these jobs can be a lot of work, particularly in Alaska. If you don't think the PIC should have to load/unload his airplane at each stop......Alaska may not be for you. Eight hour flying days..... How many pilots have actually flown eight hours in a day as PIC, single pilot before working air taxi? Not many, I'd guess, and less yet doing it day after day. Then sitting on your ass for three weather days. Or five.

Great jobs are out there, but it also takes a great attitude, and a love of flying. If you've got those, jump on it.

MTV

I'm an instrument rated commercial pilot with single and multi engine land ratings, and will have my A&P in December. Also have a Bachelors degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. 400hrs TT. Would love to fly in AK. Flew my airplane up and back two years ago while building time for my commercial. Fell in love. Any body have a job or know of a job for a guy with my qualifications?

bushpilot490 wrote:I'm an instrument rated commercial pilot with single and multi engine land ratings, and will have my A&P in December. Also have a Bachelors degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. 400hrs TT. Would love to fly in AK. Flew my airplane up and back two years ago while building time for my commercial. Fell in love. Any body have a job or know of a job for a guy with my qualifications?

I'd say with those qualifications Google up some air taxis in locations that interest you and show up there with your tool box expecting to go to work.

bushpilot490 wrote:I'm an instrument rated commercial pilot with single and multi engine land ratings, and will have my A&P in December. Also have a Bachelors degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. 400hrs TT. Would love to fly in AK. Flew my airplane up and back two years ago while building time for my commercial. Fell in love. Any body have a job or know of a job for a guy with my qualifications?

I would be packing for a spring departure...go early get a float rating and beat the doors down looking for work. I got to Alaska in a PU camper in March with a wife and yr old baby, $500 and my last entry in log book was commercial check ride......But that was forty yrs ago I would be looking at a Fish and Game job if I were U. Better job security, more $$ year round, and benefits. Not likely to get those in entry level flying jobs. Mike( MTV) could help with that approach.

I was fortunate to be able to network with a few southwest Alaska air taxi and lodge folks early on and as a result was hired with just above 500 hrs. But then again it was the early nineties and it really helped that I grew up in Dillingham. In fact the lodge I worked at hired a plane/pilot during our busy time to help out. We finished the day guiding anglers at the Agulukpak River and there was no room for me on the first plane so I waited for the hired plane/pilot to pick me up. The 206 landed and as we were getting ready to go the pilot jumped in the copilot seat and barked at me to get in and get this show on the road. I really appreciated that as a young up and coming flyer. After nearly 20,000 hrs I still remember that day vividly. It was a DonC from Alaska Air Guides.
Just knock on lots of doors and network away! Eventually it will pay off

Thank you all for the advice, I really do appreciate it. I know the 135 vfr mins are 500TT. Right now I'm 100 short (plan to have CFI by December as well so that will help). Hoping that the A&P will help get my foot in the door initially, maybe allowing me to instruct as well as bend wrenches while building time. And yes, I'm definitely looking at the Fish and Wildlife Service route. That would be my number 1 as good as it gets, but realistically that is probably a few years out at best. MTV has graciously offered up his advice and experience in that department, so I will have a better gouge on that when I talk to him this afternoon.

Bottom line, I love Alaska, flying, flying in Alaska, wrenching on airplanes and aviation in general. It's been a long road, but I can definitely see the light at this point. Really excited to get up there and start working.

TVATIVAK71,

Good for Don C and you. That is the attitude both ways that makes low altitude aviation more desirable than high. We who have lots of experience need not always handle the controls. Trust is built both ways by working with pilots.

Contact

contactflying wrote:TVATIVAK71,

Good for Don C and you. That is the attitude both ways that makes low altitude aviation more desirable than high. We who have lots of experience need not always handle the controls. Trust is built both ways by working with pilots.

Contact

I can remember when Mark Air Airline (Alaska) got into flying Cessna 208's on amphibious floats out in the villages.
Thier airline types had lots of trouble transitioning to contact flying float planes and wrecked many of them in short order. Mark air eventually went to float experienced pilots and tried to turn them into airline types.
That worked a lot better

Gosh I wish I was 30 or 40 years younger!

Cary

DonC wrote:

contactflying wrote:TVATIVAK71,

Good for Don C and you. That is the attitude both ways that makes low altitude aviation more desirable than high. We who have lots of experience need not always handle the controls. Trust is built both ways by working with pilots.

Contact

I can remember when Mark Air Airline (Alaska) got into flying Cessna 208's on amphibious floats out in the villages.
Thier airline types had lots of trouble transitioning to contact flying float planes and wrecked many of them in short order. Mark air eventually went to float experienced pilots and tried to turn them into airline types.
That worked a lot better

I had the opportunity to observe some of those hi jinks in Kodiak....

MTV

Most confusing thread title of the week, and that's saying a lot because 8GCBC posted like 3 new threads.

No confusion. We're just trying to get the fence sitters to forget more engines, more altitude, more stewardi, and more money.

contactflying wrote:No confusion. We're just trying to get the fence sitters to forget more engines, more altitude, more stewardi, and more money.

Maybe Z didn't read the news article about pilot shortage Sounds like a few were thinking about jumping on the opportunity.