Alaska Jobs
08-14-2006, 09:22 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Sitting down and facing front. Why would you want to know that?
Posts: 536
Just curious, do many people make Alaska flying a career? What kind of money is involved long term?
08-14-2006, 09:23 PM
#12
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
Airline
Originally Posted by lzakplt
SkyHigh is wrong. See the old thread "Alaska 135".
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/showthread.php?t=2639
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/showthread.php?t=2639
Last month I lost an old friend and former co-worker to a crash in Cook Inlet. I considered working for them this summer. Had I done it I would most likely have been on that flight. It still is the wild west up there.
SkyHigh
08-14-2006, 09:32 PM
#13
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
ALaska
Originally Posted by Shaun
Just curious, do many people make Alaska flying a career? What kind of money is involved long term?
Lower 48 employers don't like Alaska bush pilots and have a bad impression of them. It took years for me to be able to loose my Alaska Bush Pilot Stench. I was stuck there for a few years longer than I wished. I finally got hired by a Wyoming company that flew contract planes in Fairbanks for the forest service. The WY on my resume was enough to break the spell.
SkyHigh
08-14-2006, 09:58 PM
#14
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Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Master and Commander of Pipers and Cessnas
Posts: 126
Originally Posted by Shaun
Ya know, I am not really sure that I want to go fly the big shinny jets anyways. I think that I would much rather fly around mountains into short strips in a Super Cub. Flying IFR between two airports for the rest of my life sounds a little dull. I am trying to decide if I should fly for a living in AK, where it would be more "fun" flying, I think, or fly a big shinny jet and make enough money that I could have my own little airplane that I could have fun with on my days off.
I have seen the old Alaska 135 thread. I have talked to a few people about it, and have come to the conclusion that some airlines like it, some don't like it as much as other things I could do. A CFI that I work with has a Dad who is a high up guy at Alaska Airlines, and he says that he really likes to see Alaska bush time on a resume when he hires someone. I doubt every airline is like that, but really, if I wanted to go to a big airline someday, don't you think that Alaska Airlines would be a good choice?
That being said, I have contacts that will walk resumes into SkyWest, Express Jet, Big Sky, and Great Lakes. I don't have the hours to be spreading resumes around yet, so I have about a year to really make up my mind. I am just thinking that I would be happier in AK. I could possible die anywhere I fly out of. You have to take responsibility where ever you fly and don't kill yourself. If that means I loose a job at some time, I find a better and safer place to work.
I have seen the old Alaska 135 thread. I have talked to a few people about it, and have come to the conclusion that some airlines like it, some don't like it as much as other things I could do. A CFI that I work with has a Dad who is a high up guy at Alaska Airlines, and he says that he really likes to see Alaska bush time on a resume when he hires someone. I doubt every airline is like that, but really, if I wanted to go to a big airline someday, don't you think that Alaska Airlines would be a good choice?
That being said, I have contacts that will walk resumes into SkyWest, Express Jet, Big Sky, and Great Lakes. I don't have the hours to be spreading resumes around yet, so I have about a year to really make up my mind. I am just thinking that I would be happier in AK. I could possible die anywhere I fly out of. You have to take responsibility where ever you fly and don't kill yourself. If that means I loose a job at some time, I find a better and safer place to work.
Having said that, I find the quality of life in my current job very satisfying. I'm home with my family every night. I know the other employees I work with, I know the passengers, and I provide an essential service which people appreciate.
If being hirable asap by a major airline is your top priority, getting on with a lower 48 regional is probably the way to go. Working for the right company up here is a good way to get on with Alaska or others. One thing about flying in Alaska, 121 pic time can take longer to get here than elsewhere. (Our company requires about 5000 tt, I think.) One reason for that is some of the 121 destinations can be challenging. That, however, is one reason I think Alaska Airlines does hire in state pilots.
Depending on who you fly for here, its not unusual for 10 year pilots to be at six figures. There are plenty of people who make flying here a career, probably not the majority though.
08-17-2006, 08:31 PM
#15
New Hire
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Posts: 6
The director of Ops for L.A.B. was just down in PDX yesterday and said he was looking for 10-15 pilots for a September class. Requirements were 700TT, aircraft were Archer, Lance, Cherokee 6, w/ upgrades to Chieftan & Seneca. Based in Juneau hauling mail / passenger(s). I have contact info if interested.
08-17-2006, 09:37 PM
#16
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Thread Starter
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Position: Sitting down and facing front. Why would you want to know that?
Posts: 536
I will be interested when I get a few more hours. Still a little short of the 700TT. Sounds promising for next spring/summer maybe. Thanks for the heads-up TyFoo.
08-18-2006, 01:50 AM
#17
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Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: MD
Posts: 237
Originally Posted by SkyHigh
Money is better in the short term but far worse in the long view. Many make a career out of it but end up living like loner hermit bush geeks. In order to maintain sanity most get out after a few years at best. Alaska is a tempting and fun place to fly but if your dream is a normal life and the airlines I would avoid it if I were you.
Lower 48 employers don't like Alaska bush pilots and have a bad impression of them. It took years for me to be able to loose my Alaska Bush Pilot Stench. I was stuck there for a few years longer than I wished. I finally got hired by a Wyoming company that flew contract planes in Fairbanks for the forest service. The WY on my resume was enough to break the spell.
SkyHigh
Lower 48 employers don't like Alaska bush pilots and have a bad impression of them. It took years for me to be able to loose my Alaska Bush Pilot Stench. I was stuck there for a few years longer than I wished. I finally got hired by a Wyoming company that flew contract planes in Fairbanks for the forest service. The WY on my resume was enough to break the spell.
SkyHigh
I have about 2000 Alaska bush hours, for better or worse, flying for a couple of the companies named earlier in this thread, and a few that aren't. I now fly for Fedex, and interestingly enough, my Alaska time was the most commented on aspect of my resume during the interview. The comment was, of course, "Now that's real flying. Wish I had done that." Coincidentally, my new hire training partner at Fedex was also from Alaska, and had almost literally flown nothing but Navajos and Beech 1900's, entirely within the state of Alaska. I know of a few other guys, just from my Alaska bush outfits, who now fly for Southwest, United, and Delta, as well as others who have lucrative corporate gigs. None of them had any issues because of their Alaska time. The Southwest guy in particular is convinced that he got hired because of the Alaska bush flying pictures that he brought to the interview.
Skyhigh, I am familiar with your agenda, and I can respect it to some extent, but your Alaska bush pilot to airline pilot correlation is inaccurate. I'm sure it's colored by your personal experience, and that's OK, however, it is just incorrect.
I would expect you to call my attention to any faulty information I might provide to new guys in this industry; I am doing the same for you.
Cheers,
SC
08-18-2006, 05:39 AM
#18
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
Others
Originally Posted by SC-7
Skyhigh, thanks for reminding me. I meant to mention this as an aside in our previous discussion, but I got distracted and forgot.
I have about 2000 Alaska bush hours, for better or worse, flying for a couple of the companies named earlier in this thread, and a few that aren't. I now fly for Fedex, and interestingly enough, my Alaska time was the most commented on aspect of my resume during the interview. The comment was, of course, "Now that's real flying. Wish I had done that." Coincidentally, my new hire training partner at Fedex was also from Alaska, and had almost literally flown nothing but Navajos and Beech 1900's, entirely within the state of Alaska. I know of a few other guys, just from my Alaska bush outfits, who now fly for Southwest, United, and Delta, as well as others who have lucrative corporate gigs. None of them had any issues because of their Alaska time. The Southwest guy in particular is convinced that he got hired because of the Alaska bush flying pictures that he brought to the interview.
Skyhigh, I am familiar with your agenda, and I can respect it to some extent, but your Alaska bush pilot to airline pilot correlation is inaccurate. I'm sure it's colored by your personal experience, and that's OK, however, it is just incorrect.
I would expect you to call my attention to any faulty information I might provide to new guys in this industry; I am doing the same for you.
Cheers,
SC
I have about 2000 Alaska bush hours, for better or worse, flying for a couple of the companies named earlier in this thread, and a few that aren't. I now fly for Fedex, and interestingly enough, my Alaska time was the most commented on aspect of my resume during the interview. The comment was, of course, "Now that's real flying. Wish I had done that." Coincidentally, my new hire training partner at Fedex was also from Alaska, and had almost literally flown nothing but Navajos and Beech 1900's, entirely within the state of Alaska. I know of a few other guys, just from my Alaska bush outfits, who now fly for Southwest, United, and Delta, as well as others who have lucrative corporate gigs. None of them had any issues because of their Alaska time. The Southwest guy in particular is convinced that he got hired because of the Alaska bush flying pictures that he brought to the interview.
Skyhigh, I am familiar with your agenda, and I can respect it to some extent, but your Alaska bush pilot to airline pilot correlation is inaccurate. I'm sure it's colored by your personal experience, and that's OK, however, it is just incorrect.
I would expect you to call my attention to any faulty information I might provide to new guys in this industry; I am doing the same for you.
Cheers,
SC
Like others have mentioned before it is all in how Alaska time is received by the interviewer. When I interviewed with Alaska Airlines ironically enough the human resources person had a problem with my Alaska employment history. She couldn't understand why I would only work for a place seasonally or would move on after a year or two. She also couldn't understand that some of the jobs were dangerous and located in a miserable remote village that offered a low quality of life and how that would motivate someone to leave as quickly as possible.
Other employers at the charter level thought that Alaska Pilots were all "mavericks" and saw it as a liability. Perhaps I had a bad run however I haven't seen any of my Alaska pilot peers who have fared any better. Perhaps if you were to get a job immediately for ERA or in the right seat at Penair things would have been different. Back in my time those guys were all sponsored by their Alaska Airlines fathers who dropped a dime to get them a job there. In my case however I was stuck in piston planes and moved my way up the ladder company to company.
In any case we all mostly advance through friends and contacts that we make along the way. Alaska is an isolated place the contacts that I made there could only get me dried fish or beer. It was difficult to move on after that state.
SkyHigh
08-18-2006, 05:47 AM
#19
Self Employed.
Joined APC: May 2005
Position: Corporate Pilot
Posts: 7,119
Times have changed
Originally Posted by TyFoo
The director of Ops for L.A.B. was just down in PDX yesterday and said he was looking for 10-15 pilots for a September class. Requirements were 700TT, aircraft were Archer, Lance, Cherokee 6, w/ upgrades to Chieftan & Seneca. Based in Juneau hauling mail / passenger(s). I have contact info if interested.
SkyHigh
08-18-2006, 10:52 AM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Groundlooped and liking it
Posts: 266
Personally, I've heard Alaska experience going both ways. I worry about the stigma sometimes, but most people seem to view it as great experience. But there are those that view bush flying operations as unsafe and irresponsible, and carry that onto the pilots doing the flying. Most people I work with aren't worried about it. FWIW.
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