Grant Aviation
08-20-2017, 03:54 PM
#72
VW Bus Driver
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: ERJ145XR
Posts: 140
Originally Posted by MadmanX2
What is company housing like?
Are the beds shared? Hot beds?
Would I have to take everything out on days off?
Are the beds shared? Hot beds?
Would I have to take everything out on days off?
08-23-2017, 09:29 AM
#78
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2011
Posts: 277
How would a Pilot who is use to 3000ft+ runways, FBO's, line-service, and mostly day VFR flying do at Grant? Is the lifestyle hard for someone coming from NJ-NYC area suburbs? I come from an Aerial Survey background which is mostly good weather flying. I am 300 hours away from IFR 135 minimums.
08-23-2017, 12:00 PM
#79
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2017
Posts: 120
Originally Posted by El Pilot
How would a Pilot who is use to 3000ft+ runways, FBO's, line-service, and mostly day VFR flying do at Grant? Is the lifestyle hard for someone coming from NJ-NYC area suburbs? I come from an Aerial Survey background which is mostly good weather flying. I am 300 hours away from IFR 135 minimums.
As for flying, I went from flight instructing to bush flying. Another culture shock. I used to teach people to not fly under a 3000 agl ceiling (mountainous area) to flying in 500 and a mile. Weather checking was pretty much non existent when I started in Alaska. Now just get on the computer and check weather at the villages by looking at weather cameras.
You will be expected to fuel your plane, clean it (when someone barfs), call passengers, check weather, do W&B (easy on a 207) and load/unload baggage/freight. If I remember right I could get 23 triple mailers on a 207. Pepsi was the favored soft drink in most of the villages.
Uniforms are... sorry, that part makes me laugh. You will wear boots and Carhartts. In the winter you will fly wearing a parka and bunny boots. You will get used to flying with insulated gloves. After a week you and your clothes will smell like Muktuk. You will become accustomed to the smells of the natives, seal oil and dried fish. In fact the time will come when you will know where a person is from by the smell.
Company housing is usually sub standard. Unless you and possibly another procure your own housing. Everyone fries their food and no one cleans. Beds will be shared, that is when you leave for days off someone else takes over your bed. I wore flip flops in the shower. I had better living conditions in the army.
As for flying, you will learn to fly with 3 miles or less visibility. Also with minimum fuel so you can carry more revenue. Light ice happens at times. You will fly more special VFR in one year than most everyone does in a lifetime. And Bethel SVFR can be a real dog fight at times. But man, when the skies are clear the flying is awesome..!!!
Other than that, unless you are a total princess you will do fine.
Man I miss bush flying....
08-23-2017, 12:46 PM
#80
In a land of unicorns
Joined APC: Apr 2014
Position: Whale FO
Posts: 6,468
Originally Posted by MadmanX2
Culture shock is very real. The quicker you can accept the native life style the better.
As for flying, I went from flight instructing to bush flying. Another culture shock. I used to teach people to not fly under a 3000 agl ceiling (mountainous area) to flying in 500 and a mile. Weather checking was pretty much non existent when I started in Alaska. Now just get on the computer and check weather at the villages by looking at weather cameras.
You will be expected to fuel your plane, clean it (when someone barfs), call passengers, check weather, do W&B (easy on a 207) and load/unload baggage/freight. If I remember right I could get 23 triple mailers on a 207. Pepsi was the favored soft drink in most of the villages.
Uniforms are... sorry, that part makes me laugh. You will wear boots and Carhartts. In the winter you will fly wearing a parka and bunny boots. You will get used to flying with insulated gloves. After a week you and your clothes will smell like Muktuk. You will become accustomed to the smells of the natives, seal oil and dried fish. In fact the time will come when you will know where a person is from by the smell.
Company housing is usually sub standard. Unless you and possibly another procure your own housing. Everyone fries their food and no one cleans. Beds will be shared, that is when you leave for days off someone else takes over your bed. I wore flip flops in the shower. I had better living conditions in the army.
As for flying, you will learn to fly with 3 miles or less visibility. Also with minimum fuel so you can carry more revenue. Light ice happens at times. You will fly more special VFR in one year than most everyone does in a lifetime. And Bethel SVFR can be a real dog fight at times. But man, when the skies are clear the flying is awesome..!!!
Other than that, unless you are a total princess you will do fine.
Man I miss bush flying....
As for flying, I went from flight instructing to bush flying. Another culture shock. I used to teach people to not fly under a 3000 agl ceiling (mountainous area) to flying in 500 and a mile. Weather checking was pretty much non existent when I started in Alaska. Now just get on the computer and check weather at the villages by looking at weather cameras.
You will be expected to fuel your plane, clean it (when someone barfs), call passengers, check weather, do W&B (easy on a 207) and load/unload baggage/freight. If I remember right I could get 23 triple mailers on a 207. Pepsi was the favored soft drink in most of the villages.
Uniforms are... sorry, that part makes me laugh. You will wear boots and Carhartts. In the winter you will fly wearing a parka and bunny boots. You will get used to flying with insulated gloves. After a week you and your clothes will smell like Muktuk. You will become accustomed to the smells of the natives, seal oil and dried fish. In fact the time will come when you will know where a person is from by the smell.
Company housing is usually sub standard. Unless you and possibly another procure your own housing. Everyone fries their food and no one cleans. Beds will be shared, that is when you leave for days off someone else takes over your bed. I wore flip flops in the shower. I had better living conditions in the army.
As for flying, you will learn to fly with 3 miles or less visibility. Also with minimum fuel so you can carry more revenue. Light ice happens at times. You will fly more special VFR in one year than most everyone does in a lifetime. And Bethel SVFR can be a real dog fight at times. But man, when the skies are clear the flying is awesome..!!!
Other than that, unless you are a total princess you will do fine.
Man I miss bush flying....
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