Hawaii and USVI
03-31-2006, 10:48 AM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Posts: 117
Hawaii and USVI
Does anyone know what the pay scale is like for Cape Air based in USVI/Puerto Rico? Also, any corporate or charter gigs near Papaaloa, Hawaii, which is on the big island (Hawaii.) I am qualified to do most anything in avaition.
I am willing to get crap pay to live in paradise.
I am willing to get crap pay to live in paradise.
03-31-2006, 07:05 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: CR7 Capt
Posts: 1,621
I would suggest www.seaborneairlines.com I have trying to get hired there. Hope you like Twin Otters on floats. Sounds like a good gig if you like a St Thomas base.
First Officer Qualifications
Experience: Minimum of 1500 hours total pilot time in fixed wing aircraft with at least 500 hours multi-engine time. DHC-6 experience beneficial.
Licenses and Certificates: FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Instrument rating and current second class medical, Valid Radio Operators Permit
First Officer Qualifications
Experience: Minimum of 1500 hours total pilot time in fixed wing aircraft with at least 500 hours multi-engine time. DHC-6 experience beneficial.
Licenses and Certificates: FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with an Instrument rating and current second class medical, Valid Radio Operators Permit
04-01-2006, 07:40 AM
#3
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Posts: 117
I have more like a bunch of jet time and a few types. I don't have a float plane cert, but getting the single-sea in a Caravan in May. I am under contract for a while and won't be seriously looking until next year early. What are the pay scales like? I meet the reqs. for captain except the multi-sea. I think I would be a fast upgrade, but who knows.
Thanks for the input!
Thanks for the input!
04-01-2006, 02:35 PM
#4
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: CR7 Capt
Posts: 1,621
Originally Posted by FuelJetA
I am willing to get crap pay to live in paradise.
04-03-2006, 03:43 AM
#5
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Joined APC: Aug 2005
Position: HS-125 SIC
Posts: 28
Paradise is right on
It's been a year or so since I was there last, but if it's paradise you want, go for the St. Croix base. The guy that ran the FBO on St. Croix hooked us up on a military (C-12, BE200) trip down there from Ft. Lewis. He gave us the royal treatment of the whole island and its resorts, and we also got a quick tour of the Seaborne facility. Looked like a very professional operation, but we weren't exactly hunting for a job. The guy that ran the FBO spoke highly of their operation, and he had actually worked for them before buying into the FBO. He'd done what you're talking about, quitting the real world back here to work for peanuts and a cage.
BTW, he indicated that during his hiring interview they were most interested in someone looking to live there in St. Croix. Specifically, the type that is looking to move to paradise and escape the rat race.
John
BTW, he indicated that during his hiring interview they were most interested in someone looking to live there in St. Croix. Specifically, the type that is looking to move to paradise and escape the rat race.
John
04-16-2006, 12:39 PM
#6
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Posts: n/a
Fly-BVI (www.fly-bvi.com) is looking. Located in San Juan but flies to the BVI's and elsewhere. Pay is 2200/mo with a $20/hr flight rate. Just turned down the CP position as I don't want to live in PR...now Tortula might be an entirely different deal! 
Eric
Eric
04-18-2006, 09:48 AM
#7
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Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: Heavy FO
Posts: 49
There are alot of little companies at the two San Juan airports, especially at the smaller Isla Grande. There are many low paying jobs there! But it's not a quiet, peaceful airport like St.Croix.
Anyone know anything about Caribbean Sun? What are their pay, QOL, and upgrades like?
Anyone know anything about Caribbean Sun? What are their pay, QOL, and upgrades like?
04-24-2006, 10:18 PM
#8
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Joined APC: Apr 2006
Posts: 27
As a Hawaii born and raised pilot settling for crappy pay to live in paradise myself, here's what I can tell you: on Hawaii (the island, not the state) Mokulele Airlines operates some Chieftains out of Kona, which is a long ways away from Papaaloa (well, long for Hawaii anyways). Other than that, from what I see everytime I fly in there, Hilo and Kona offers very little for fixed wing pilots. However, if you don't mind commuting, Oahu and even Maui's got some cool gigs.
I live on Oahu so I'm not an expert with Hilo and Kona, but I fly in to either one every day so I see who's flying and who's folding. Let me know if you care to hear about jobs on Oahu, I'll be able to help you more there. Aloha.
I live on Oahu so I'm not an expert with Hilo and Kona, but I fly in to either one every day so I see who's flying and who's folding. Let me know if you care to hear about jobs on Oahu, I'll be able to help you more there. Aloha.
04-25-2006, 08:00 AM
#9
New Hire
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: 135 charter
Posts: 4
Lets here what you've got to say! I'm specificly interested in seasonal/part-time work in Hawaii. I fly 135 charter in central Idaho, lots of backcountry and mountain flying, but it's only a 6 month a year job. I'd love to go somewhere warm and fly for another 6 months. Ever hear of anyone hiring for short-term? My wife and I were in Kona last month and loved it. We both grew up in SE Asia, and have found that we miss the tropical lifestyle.
Thanks for any help/leads...
canyonflyer
Thanks for any help/leads...
canyonflyer
04-26-2006, 01:28 AM
#10
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Joined APC: Apr 2006
Posts: 27
The majority of the small carriers here are for one of two types of pilots: the extremely desperate low-timers who are willing to live in their cars to build a couple extra flight hours, OR, the retired 747 captain that's gotten bored of the constant sunshine and monotony of living on an island.
For the desperate low-timers, there's Pacific Wings, Alpine Air Express, Kamaka Air, George's Aviation, and Trans Air just to name a few. Pacific Wings, aka Pathetic Wings by many, offers an SIC program flying the Cessna Caravan. From what I've heard, the new pilots are throwing bags 90% of the time for $8 an hour and flying most of the time for free! Alpine Air Express with their fleet of BE99s and 1900s were once buzzing around here like fly on crap. Unfortunately, after they lost their contract with USPS, they're a dying breed. Kamaka Air offers a "part 135 turned 91 when convenient" SIC program where pilots would VOLUNTEER (not employed, no pay, not on the company's insurance policy, etc.) to load and unload cargo to fly the empty legs on a DC-3 or Beech E18S. The impression I have with this company is that if you're going to stay in HI the rest of your flying career, the flight hours you build are legit. But if you decide to take those flight hours and go to the mainland like my friend tried to do, good luck trying to explain to the interview panel the legality of those flight hours. George's aviation offers a pay-for-training to fly a chieftain. The last time I heard, it was around $7000... for a chieftain... enough said. Trans Air, also offers a pay-for-training program to fly their Shorts 360, mainly cargo but also some pax charters. The last class was $12,000. As you can see, life here on the islands absolutely sucks for low-time pilots. It also doesn't help that insurance minimums to fly light twins are outrageously high here, which is why not too many FBOs here have MEIs (because when they meet their school's insurance minimums, they're long gone to Mesa or Am. Eagle.)
Now for the 747 Captain who can't stand staying home all the time after retirement, it's a bit more promising. All the previously mentioned companies would most likely make you chief pilot in a heartbeat if you applied. Aside from that, there's Corporate Air, AirMed, Hawaii Air Ambulance, and Molokai Shuttle just to name a few. Corporate Air is an awesome gig. They fly Caravans and Shorts 330s cargo. Believe it or not, the mins for the Caravan is much higher than the Shorts. The caravan guys fly 5 days a week between the hours of 10ish to 3ish, most of the time just one round trip, and a starting salary of about $35,000 a year. AirMed, who is a newcomer to the islands will be flying 2 C90s shortly, but for now they got a Hawker 800. Heard they're hiring but don't know anything more. Hawaii Air Ambulance, was the only private Air Ambulance in the state of Hawaii until a fatal accident a couple months ago on Maui. They're still struggling to get back on it's feet with all the investigations and nervous pilots and nurses. Finally Molokai Air Shuttle flies chieftains, mainly to Molokai as it's name implies, and some other small airports in the state. Don't know much about them but they look like they're growing. All of these companies are for the high-timer pilot as I mentioned, and almost all of them have a couple furloughed Hawaiian Airlines pilots waiting for their call back.
There are other small carriers that I can't think of right now but there's definitely a trend here: ridiculously low pay. For many, the price you pay to live in paradise is just too much. For example, my relatives rent a 400 sq. ft. studio in the ghetto part of Honolulu for $1100, and they never have problems keeping it occupied. I fly 90+ hour every month, 14 hour shifts, and only pocket $1500 every month. Is it worth it? Hell yeah, but thats because I grew up here and the 4 years I spent away for college on the mainland was unbearable. So please think very carefully before you decide to move here.
-Canyonflyer, glad you liked Kona. I don't know anyone advertising for a short-term employment but who needs to know that you're leaving in 6 months when you apply? Pilots here are constantly moving around, mostly to the mainland. 6 months is a long time for many mainlanders here.
Sorry this turned out to be such a long post. I should probably mention that this post is strictly my opinion from what I've heard, seen, or experienced flying here in Hawaii. I don't mean to offend anyone nor do I try to imply that I know everything that's going on here in Hawaii. Correct me if anything I've said is wrong, I'm always open to learn. Aloha.
For the desperate low-timers, there's Pacific Wings, Alpine Air Express, Kamaka Air, George's Aviation, and Trans Air just to name a few. Pacific Wings, aka Pathetic Wings by many, offers an SIC program flying the Cessna Caravan. From what I've heard, the new pilots are throwing bags 90% of the time for $8 an hour and flying most of the time for free! Alpine Air Express with their fleet of BE99s and 1900s were once buzzing around here like fly on crap. Unfortunately, after they lost their contract with USPS, they're a dying breed. Kamaka Air offers a "part 135 turned 91 when convenient" SIC program where pilots would VOLUNTEER (not employed, no pay, not on the company's insurance policy, etc.) to load and unload cargo to fly the empty legs on a DC-3 or Beech E18S. The impression I have with this company is that if you're going to stay in HI the rest of your flying career, the flight hours you build are legit. But if you decide to take those flight hours and go to the mainland like my friend tried to do, good luck trying to explain to the interview panel the legality of those flight hours. George's aviation offers a pay-for-training to fly a chieftain. The last time I heard, it was around $7000... for a chieftain... enough said. Trans Air, also offers a pay-for-training program to fly their Shorts 360, mainly cargo but also some pax charters. The last class was $12,000. As you can see, life here on the islands absolutely sucks for low-time pilots. It also doesn't help that insurance minimums to fly light twins are outrageously high here, which is why not too many FBOs here have MEIs (because when they meet their school's insurance minimums, they're long gone to Mesa or Am. Eagle.)
Now for the 747 Captain who can't stand staying home all the time after retirement, it's a bit more promising. All the previously mentioned companies would most likely make you chief pilot in a heartbeat if you applied. Aside from that, there's Corporate Air, AirMed, Hawaii Air Ambulance, and Molokai Shuttle just to name a few. Corporate Air is an awesome gig. They fly Caravans and Shorts 330s cargo. Believe it or not, the mins for the Caravan is much higher than the Shorts. The caravan guys fly 5 days a week between the hours of 10ish to 3ish, most of the time just one round trip, and a starting salary of about $35,000 a year. AirMed, who is a newcomer to the islands will be flying 2 C90s shortly, but for now they got a Hawker 800. Heard they're hiring but don't know anything more. Hawaii Air Ambulance, was the only private Air Ambulance in the state of Hawaii until a fatal accident a couple months ago on Maui. They're still struggling to get back on it's feet with all the investigations and nervous pilots and nurses. Finally Molokai Air Shuttle flies chieftains, mainly to Molokai as it's name implies, and some other small airports in the state. Don't know much about them but they look like they're growing. All of these companies are for the high-timer pilot as I mentioned, and almost all of them have a couple furloughed Hawaiian Airlines pilots waiting for their call back.
There are other small carriers that I can't think of right now but there's definitely a trend here: ridiculously low pay. For many, the price you pay to live in paradise is just too much. For example, my relatives rent a 400 sq. ft. studio in the ghetto part of Honolulu for $1100, and they never have problems keeping it occupied. I fly 90+ hour every month, 14 hour shifts, and only pocket $1500 every month. Is it worth it? Hell yeah, but thats because I grew up here and the 4 years I spent away for college on the mainland was unbearable. So please think very carefully before you decide to move here.
-Canyonflyer, glad you liked Kona. I don't know anyone advertising for a short-term employment but who needs to know that you're leaving in 6 months when you apply? Pilots here are constantly moving around, mostly to the mainland. 6 months is a long time for many mainlanders here.
Sorry this turned out to be such a long post. I should probably mention that this post is strictly my opinion from what I've heard, seen, or experienced flying here in Hawaii. I don't mean to offend anyone nor do I try to imply that I know everything that's going on here in Hawaii. Correct me if anything I've said is wrong, I'm always open to learn. Aloha.
