Boo-hoo, Wah, Sniff, Sniff...

[49 Merc]

I make over $200 a day, plus lodging paid for as a 100 hour pilot working a ground position. Sure the hours are long, the work is hard, and the breaks are few and far between, but I'm taken care of, and treated with about as much respect as you can expect as the newbie on the base. It isn't all bad out there. So yeah, there are some 100 hour wonders that can at least pay the interest on their loans while working towards that distant check ride. Or perhaps I am just the lucky one? You guys tell me.

 

If your getting 200$ a day WOW,you are definetly getting paid very well,,I know guys with 3500hrs that make 225 a day,,so ya you are one of the exceptions.For a 100 hr pilot

Good on ya

Cheers

 

 

[Phil Croucher]

 

"do you think, after two years of minimum wage, no overtime, super long hours , being treated like a retard, and no flying, you would feel like you owed your company ANYTHING when they finally did put you behind the glass? 7-11 in calgary pays $15 an hour with a signing bonus. never heard of groundcrew making that"

 

 

"there is no reason you can't pay a guy while your learning to trust him. Sure theres the old excuse of 'toughening them up for the job', but an employee will work better if he actually enjoys working there"

 

 

Both excellent points!

 

Phil

[Cole]

Maxtorqe, again, down to a science wasn't intended to mean you would see me setting drills or in any production role for that matter, it just meant that I could grasp the basic principal and complete all the tasks I was given safely. I never called myself an expert and certainly know at 6 weeks into my first flying job that word would be the farthest one from my mind.

I trained with someone I view as an expert longline pilot, but he feels that there's always room for improvement and doesn't see himself in nearly the same respect I do at all.

Believe me when I say that after my instructor saw the 'down to a science' comments I had some of the most valuable lessons one could learn drilled into me, most of them nowhere near a helicopter.

 

That being said, I do think, after some practice, seing how it's been a few months since I've flown at all, I would be able to put fuel drums into a lease site efficiently enough to keep the customer happy and, more importantly, with a good amount of saftey.

 

You can't help but wonder which school gave some poor guy the idea that if he bought 50 hours in a jetranger, the lowest on type Skids Up's company took in for an interview this year, they would be able to walk into a 2/2 rotation. With that in mind, you would think that before someone lay down the cash for at least 50 hours in a jetbox and the rest in another machine, they would try to know what they were getting themselves into.

 

As for the whimpering low time guys, life is simply what you make of it. I know a few companies like to dangle the carrot in front of you, so to speak, but for the most part the majority of operators seem to lay it out in an otherwise straight forward mannor.

 

My company was absolutely direct about what to expect and seems to be very true to their word. They basically gave me a worst case scenario, provided I hold up my end, and I feel anything better than what they described is basically a bonus.

Let me put it this way, would you rather be told you were going to be on the ground for a long time and end up flying sooner or being told you would fly shortly and then spending what feels like an eternity waiting in line?

 

I have a lot of friends at different companies and have heard some very disturbing stories of what some other lowtime guys feel they should be getting, though the 2/2 tops the rest (I'll bet he would be pulling for a company truck and fuel card aswell). The no overtime, no time off, low paying jobs are nothing new at all, it definately shows which schools are out to get your money when a lowtimer is shocked to find out he wont have any time off in the summer though, you would think that would come up in conversation at some point.

 

Cheers-

One happy low time pilot.

[Amphibious]

for all of 18 and brand new to the industry, you sure have a lot of sage advice to give out

[Cole]

Not quite sure if that was sarcasm?

I never count on anything I say influencing anything anyone else does, it's just my take on the situation.

 

Have to make the best of what you've got.

 

See you in the field.

Cole

[gwk]

Personnally, I think Cole has a very good grasp on the reality of a low timer, and any low timer out there should pay attention to what he has to say.

That,s the second retraction Cole has made about that statement, and it sounds like it cost him dearly, and it sounds like he has learned from it.

I don,t know Cole, but from the sounds like he is pretty level headed to me.

 

Enjoy your summer Cole, and keep your comments coming, as I for one enjoy them!

 

GWK

[the pup]

Well who ever it was that was talking about getting treated poorley as a ground crew guy and having no loyelty is totally right, the place that gave me my first job worked me hard for 1.5 years, and wonce i had my hr up i put that place in my rear view mirror, and now 4 years later i'm still pissed at them for what they did to me, paid me noth'en and i was getting mabie 3 days off a mounth.

now i don't think i could ever pull myself to work there again, well unless i got some serious back pay

[Rosco]

like any other career.......do your due diligence, dont prostitue yourself, work hard, smile and make your boss look good...that's ultimately your job.

 

you get out what you put into it.

 

the choice is always yours, whether it be to come or to go........if your not willing to make the change then dont ***** about it as it's your decision to make it happen.

[RotoNutz]

Heres a little something for those who are giving out their sad stories and think that life is so tough and everyone else is doing so much better. I think you'll get the message.

 

 

Sorry I couldnt help myself

[transquebecniece]

Not directed at anyone on this thread, just at the video.

 

:up: