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Recomended route to float 135 flying

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Recomended route to float 135 flying

Old 02-21-2011, 04:32 PM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by jbizon View Post
"captd2000" - Please go back to the "Regionals" forum and talk smack to the hopeful pilots over there.

I agree with the person who recommended going to a company who has both wheels and floats.

Start on the wheels, work your way to the floats. Start looking in AK. It's a lot of fun flying up there. Nothing I have experienced in the lower 48 will ever compare. Look up "Renfros Alaskan Adventures" out of Bethel, might be a good place to start. I know he is short of pilots. Here are some links, start clicking and searching. Good luck to you! 135 =

Renfro's Alaskan Adventures - Alaska's Foremost Guide and Outfitter
Alaska Air Taxis, Bush Pilots and Charter Services
Directory of Alaska Flight Operations
My don't we we have some big kahuna's.

When you grow up, and fly some thing bigger than a twin otter, then maybe I could take you out for a beer!
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Old 02-21-2011, 04:45 PM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by captd2000 View Post
My don't we we have some big kahuna's.

When you grow up, and fly some thing bigger than a twin otter, then maybe I could take you out for a beer!
Thanks for the offer but I don't drink And I have no aspiration to fly something bigger and get paid less. Also I don't like the idea of watching a computer do my job. On the stick and rudder is where my limbs belong.

-Cheers-
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Old 03-07-2011, 02:21 PM
  #23  
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Originally Posted by Frozen Ronin View Post
LOL! This is great! I love reading the various attitudes about flying small vs large, 121 vs 135! Especially those that think they have what everyone else wants!

As for me, I flew 121 left seat (but it was little, so where does that put me?), and yet I came back to Alaska. I only came up here for one season in the first place. That was in 2004.

I have flown floats. What a blast! Promech was a great place to break in, and go broke! Love the job, but they have taken a page from the regional play book and will offer you peanuts to pursue your dream. Many there are now retired w/pensions (military and airline pilots working on their 'bucket lists'). They can afford it. There are a few that have made it into a career, by choosing wisely their operator, staying with them for a few years, not bending any metal, and working up to that elusive 300/day. A carrot not many realize.

I would still be doing it if I could afford it. Awesome experience that I would never trade for anything. To step back into time, spend your days delivering mail, medical supplies, pax and freight to villages living off their own resources was magical. The people you can make freindships with will last a lifetime. The attitudes of the 'survivor/entrepenuer' are cool to discover. If these things spark a fire for you, then you might have to go to the rainforest to quench it (SE Alaska is, by definition, a rain forest).

St. Croix was a close second. If you're right outta school, might be a great place to work up. VERY few places that you can fly MES aircraft. They are one. Maldives is through Ken Borek. Better get your licenses in Canukland before you talk to them. Be aware the locals are hostile, with both jobs. During my visit, there were few pilots I had talked with that weren't mugged or their apts cleaned out during their first two years.

Taquan is a great option, as well. I've heard good things from their guys.

The A number 1 thing is having a float rating, going there and shaking hands in March and April. That's when the seasonal hiring starts. Notice I said SEASONAL. That's what you're into here, so have a winter back up plan. I thought my experience was abnormal; very little float time and got a job. I found out that this happens more than you might think. At least that was the case a few years ago.

Good luck! Have fun! Get paid to get the Beaver Wet! LOLOLOL!

Ronin
Informative post, thanks for your input. Would you think that any of the operators out there would look at a furloughed guy? What's the protocol for getting the job? Showing up at their doorstep? Suit and tie, or khakis and hiking boots?

ZP
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Old 03-07-2011, 06:25 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by Z_Pilot View Post
Informative post, thanks for your input. Would you think that any of the operators out there would look at a furloughed guy? What's the protocol for getting the job? Showing up at their doorstep? Suit and tie, or khakis and hiking boots?

ZP
Depends on what kind of recent time you have and/or experience in "type of flying" or "type of aircraft" they are looking for. And as always, making the first impression is important. But also depends on if they are looking for a pilot that shows up in a suit and tie, or Carhartt's and Xtra tuffs. Carhartt's and Xtra tuffs wearing a flannel with a lot of float time and a decent amount of Alaska time is probably the way to go.
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Old 12-03-2011, 09:03 AM
  #25  
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Awesome thread! Great fun for me to read!

Soon will be the time to start phone calls and visits (it's December now). A face to face is worth a thousand hours of requested time, you'd be suprised how many calls and letters promising facetime never happen... show up! That's step one.

Step Two: Don't give up, leave with a smile and call back in a few weeks. Then wait a month and call again. I was hired by an operator that turned me down at the start of the hiring season. They washed out several (more experienced) pilots in groundschool, and I happened to call as the CP was looking at the ceiling, trying to decide how to fill his open seats.

Step Three: Keep an open mind and leave your ego at the door. You will only be able to pick up the tricks and skills necessary of the new kind of flying (or new area you'll be flying) if you keep your mouth closed and ears open. Grampa said there's a reason we have two ears and one mouth. Use accordingly.

Step Four: Have fun! This is mostly a seasonal job, so know where you'll be going after the season ends. Perfect time to do some IFR flying! Ferry some planes, do something totally different! If you're like me, it's when you open up the toolbox and start working on the airplanes you've flown all summer long, ready them for next season. Made more as an A&P than an ATP.

Good luck,

Ronin
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Old 12-04-2011, 03:51 AM
  #26  
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Seaborne has been mentioned a couple of times here. I spoke with a new Seaborne FO the other day down in St. Croix. He was just out of ground school and said that they needed someone for the STX - STT float run so they were going to send him to Florida to get a MES rating.
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Old 12-04-2011, 07:18 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by 29singlespeed View Post
Greetings -

I am not interested in becoming an airline pilot, so that being said I would like some recommendations on the best route to landing a float 135 positions.

Currently working on my CFII / MEI which will be done end of March and will add on my float and tailwheel in April/May. I am indeed lowtime career changer getting back in the game.

Kenmore - are they hiring CFI's? Likely to get much time?

Any others to consider? Caribean, Alaska, Hawaii, whereever is not out of the question.

Please respond if you have worked/flown in this arena. I know its low pay/etc.

Thanks!
Travis
Single Speed,

This form has some people who offer advice with no knowledge, so take it all with a grain of salt. I was like you and wanted to fly floats, so I got the rating and pestered the school to let me teach (fla). I was able to log about 800 hours float instructing in a years time. And yes, you need to stay alert, quite a novel concept. With that 800 hours float time and about 1800 hours total time I got a single engine sea ATP. That helps the potential 135 operators see that your serious about floats, that is what I did and was able to get an interview and job with an operator in the North East flying out of the East River of New York City. As for people saying it does not pay much, when I was out of a long term jet job, I called that previous employer and was hired as summer contract pilot flying the Caravan for 7K a month, pretty good living when you turn it into a full time job if you want to. Another plus is that QUALIFIED float drivers are harder to find than your run of the mill pilot. I am just about to give up chasing the shiny jet and go back to the little single engine turbine float plane and have a life again!!!

One word of advice for when you get your dream, check your gear at least 3 times on EVERY landing!
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Old 12-05-2011, 02:38 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by jcrews View Post
Seaborne has been mentioned a couple of times here. I spoke with a new Seaborne FO the other day down in St. Croix. He was just out of ground school and said that they needed someone for the STX - STT float run so they were going to send him to Florida to get a MES rating.
I should also mention that he had low multi time and a SES already with limited float time as well. Probably the exception, but it's possible.
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Old 12-05-2011, 03:03 AM
  #29  
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I was in St Thomas 2 years ago on a cruise boat and watched Twin Otters on floats come and go all day. Is that Seabourne planes? Thought it would be a cool way to finish up a career.
On with another question, another poster said something about the locals being hostile and pilots apartments getting cleaned out. Was that directed towards the Seabourne operation?
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Old 12-05-2011, 03:16 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by SkyHigh View Post
Most of the guys who I flew with all had to buy a plane or get extremely lucky. Floats are cool and all but mostly useless when it comes to making a living. The guys I know who still fly floats want to get out but can't. It really is useless time unless you want to live in the bush. Even then you still don't make that much. I was offered a job flying floats in southeast AK a few summers ago. The pay was hardly more that what a two bedroom apartment would have cost me.

You could spend the next two summers working the ramp for nothing. Not worth it.

Oh yea, and you also could get yourself killed.

Skyhigh
Yep!
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