lowtimepilot

Anyone know anything about Eagle Sky Patrol. Couldn't find anything on the forum on them. Looks like they are out of SD and fly 172's. Good/bad place to work? Pay, any info would be great!

MusDg

When my wife got transferred to Ellsworth I tried to get on with them. Good luck! They didn't seem to take to kindly to an outsider wanting in. Almost have to network your way in with a client, local, or someone all ready there.

Outlaw2097

Worked out of the office in the DFW area a few years back. Great people. Met John a couple of times.

Pipeline patrol isnt for everyone. Take a ridealong and then see if you can deal with doing that kind of flying for 6+ hours a day.

Natca

And the engine fires

BeardedFlyer

Talked to the owner on the phone a couple months ago. Said pay was $22 a flight hour. Didn't say how many hours a pilot could expect to fly in a month though... I'm assuming 30-60.

Htex3333

I flew with Eagle Sky Patrol for 5 months & let me tell you a bit about them.
1st off, they've killed 5 pilots in 6 years. You must ask yourself how a company like this stays in business?
Secondly, they have NO training program what-so-ever. They give you an airplane & an IPAD & basically say here you go.
Third, the software package they use for you to fly a line is called Earthmate. It only shows you a line. It does not show airspace.
So you must use another application like Foreflight. I had to argue with the manager - Sean for him to pay for the Foreflight subscription. His reasoning was he could provide paper charts(which he hadn't). So let me get this straight. You want me to fly 100' off the ground in Class Bravo airspace, look at a pipeline, take pictures of that pipeline, text those pictures to a client, all while looking at a paper chart? Any questions why they've killed 5 pilots.
STAY AWAY FROM THESE PEOPLE.
They pay .22/mile which means you will literally fly your ass off for no money.

alloverus

Yes, I 100% agree with "Htex". I had the unfortunate experience of working for this Slime bag outfit. This is the worst of the worst in the Pipeline industry. No standards, no maintenance and pathetic pay. The owner of ESP is not an honest man. I experienced that on several occasions. He will lie about the pay, the hours, the conditions and the quality of the fleet. He says on his website that he has a scheduled maintenance program? Not even close! He truly only fixes things after they break. And Yes like mentioned in the reply above I have watched about 6 pilots die the in last 6 years. This company should be outlawed by the way they operate. As for Payday? Expect to receive your measly chump change about 4 to 8 days late each payday. They use backwoods mom and pop mechanics who will sign off anything. The so called manager "Sean"! Nothing but a back stabbing little weasel who has absolutely no aviation knowledge and limited experience as a Pilot. Here's a guy who has no respect for employees and no people skills. Sadly there is a lot of employee, employer conflict in the company. No body gets along with management. If you truly want to work for a good pipeline patrol company....and there are a few out there, here are some suggestions. Only chose companies that pay you a Salary and a good one. I'm talking starting pay of $40K and benefits. Take a look at the aircraft you will be flying before you join. Ask and get good feedback about the type of Maintenance schedule the aircraft are on. I am a CFII/ATP myself and I have turned down several corporate jobs because Pipeline flying does off some good benefits over other flying. First, you can set your own work schedule every week. You have freedom to fly the hours and days you want as long as you get your lines flown. Second, with the right companies you can be making 50K to 75K a year after only 2 or 3 years. Having a work schedule you control and weekends off and home every night is what I really enjoy most. I only fly about 20 - 25 hours a week. I have a good reliable airplane that is on a 50 hour oil change schedule and a 100 hour maintenance schedule. The company is well managed and has a good support network of managers. Do your homework before you choose a Pipeline company and get some feedback from other Pilots who work there. Hope this was helpful.

Walkman

Do you think the OP was still curious?

dbdevkc

It's good confirmation of info for others who might be curious about that area of the industry.

HighWingingIt

If you love flying & need flight time this is a good job to have. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to build about 1,000 hours. Getting 100-180 hours a month compared to the 25-40 a month I was getting while instructing. The more you fly, the more you get paid. Who would’ve thought? I can’t complain one bit about the paychecks other than it being monthly paychecks. As far as maintenance goes, I’ve had no problems. If I do, I let the boss know and I get it fixed with a local mechanic. Not once have I felt unsafe on the job. They’ve never pressured me to fly in any situation I feel uncomfortable in. I’ve been treated exceptionally well from management. The job requires you to be situationally aware at all times. Pipeline Patrol definitely isn’t meant for everybody that’s for sure.


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