Discovery Air Rescued

[Otto Ro Tate]

Nobody's said what's going on up north the last little while. Is there going to be any work there this year? Did Great Slave really lay off like 50 pilots and get rid of a couple dozen machines? I heard some top management quit? Are there any rays of sunshine in the business this year? All I hear is doom and gloom.

 

HH

What top management?

[Hiller Highwater]

Rob somebody? I'm not sure what he did there but a friend told me it wasn't a good sign he left as he was right involved with the top levels of the company. All rumour so far, but when I said doom and gloom I meant everywhere, not just up north. I need to be cheered up.

[AH1]

 

 

He could be your new boss. Probably never a dull day at work....

[Freewheel]

Anyone who thinks it would be a shame to see Discovery Air/Great Slave go under should consider this:They have recently bid A-Star B2's on Drill Jobs at $1150.00 per hour. This certainly doesn't seem to be the way to pay back debt. Our company rate is 1765.00/hr and we'd like to see it higher. Granted there is room for negotiation with volume flying but we don't like seeing longrangers going out at that price. For too many years aircrew have been underpaid and companies like GSHL are exactly why. With all due respect to the good employees at GSHL, anyone who thinks their demise would be bad for the Canadian industry should give their head a shake. It is lowball tactics like this that got them into this mess. This kind of nonsense is also what drives pilot/AME's wages into the toilet and forces ligitimate operators who are trying to improve the industry to cut corners, wages as well as downsize. My opinion is that if they were to close their doors, other reputable operators would pick up there aircraft and work for rates that could all make us a little better off. It is unfortunate that it has come to this, because just a few years ago I would have picked them as one of the best operations around.

 

[Three_Per]

Consider this... maybe the reason that the bid is so low is to ensure the work, too keep the employees working, too keep the machines in the air in these hard economic times. I hardly think that when certain govt contracts req. the operator to rent a generator to power aircraft when they are parked 20 ft from the tanker base with plug ins. and when B3 are going for the same price as those B2's you just mentioned, the operator can be entirely to blame. the customers and maybe the govt. needs to take some responsibility too. also GSHL has not been one to low ball in the past. Just a thought.

[Deep Throat the third]

GSHL=Lowball.....not a chance . As for them being the reason for low aircrew wages...I think not they are one of the best I have ever worked for in pay and the way they treat the employees...I don't think that much has changed since I have left....times are tough and it's a dog eat dog world out there if you think the mining companies are going to be able to pay the rates they have for the last few years...well I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in....

[happyfeet]

GSHL=Lowball.....not a chance . As for them being the reason for low aircrew wages...I think not they are one of the best I have ever worked for in pay and the way they treat the employees...I don't think that much has changed since I have left....times are tough and it's a dog eat dog world out there if you think the mining companies are going to be able to pay the rates they have for the last few years...well I have a bridge in Brooklyn you might be interested in....

 

 

Tend to agree! It's all about in these day of eating cake,working for the man with the biggest peice of cheese! If you are leveraged to the hilt as a company you are bound by the rules of economics to keep afloat. Most of the lowball rate that came out in the fall alberta bids where companies that had to meet payments or pay out leases. That just business. The Companies really don't give a crap about the pilot wages as they know that pilots are a desperate lot that feel it a great priveldge to fly the Ac and get a pittance wage. " How lucky we are". This is part of the "ora" that the company management feeds off to find crews who are youg and dumb and watched to may repeats of TOP GUN!

 

This situation could change in the very long distant future ( maybe with an act of god) Mostly due the the very low intelligence quotient of participants who really are incapable of seeing the picture in a macro scale or are incapable of letteing those who can, take the lead. The failure of HEPAC so far is evidence enough of this.

 

Anyhow, carry on............

 

 

HF

[Freewheel]

I think maybe things have changed significantly at GSHL since the DA merger; as I stated not that long ago I would have considered them one of the best operators around. As for Lowball = GSHl not a chance. Take it how you want but AS 350 B2's @ 1150.00 is a fact. To me that is a Lowball rate. Perhaps they are still paying well, and maybe that bodes well for other operators because they'll just sink further into debt and inevitably go under (even with government help). With an AME and Pilot costing them around $1000.00 per day the'll have to pad alot of hours. Low rates over the short term to keep crews flying is one thing, but if it continues for an extended period of time it will bite them in the ***. I am guessing that the people that are making these decisions are no longer the good "helicopter" people that they once had running the show.There is know doubt other operators are doing the same (or worse) but at some point you might as well sit the machines in the yard.

[Freewheel]

Let's not forget the Cost of Operating continues to go up, despite the down turn in the economy. Bell helicopters have recently announced significan price increases on parts for 2009 and insurance rates continue to climb. Also, I'm pretty sure GSHL was in economic trouble before the downturn in the economy last fall. I know for a fact they aggressively targeted the Ontario MNR this past fire season, which also happens to be Hicks and Lawrence's bread and butter. If anyone was paying attention, it was one of the wettest seasons on record with very few fires in Ontario. As for continuing to pay well through tough times ask the CAW and GM how that worked out. Anyway enough chatting time to get back to work...(for a profit)

[Freewheel]

Tend to agree! It's all about in these day of eating cake,working for the man with the biggest peice of cheese! If you are leveraged to the hilt as a company you are bound by the rules of economics to keep afloat. Most of the lowball rate that came out in the fall alberta bids where companies that had to meet payments or pay out leases. That just business. The Companies really don't give a crap about the pilot wages as they know that pilots are a desperate lot that feel it a great priveldge to fly the Ac and get a pittance wage. " How lucky we are". This is part of the "ora" that the company management feeds off to find crews who are youg and dumb and watched to may repeats of TOP GUN!

 

This situation could change in the very long distant future ( maybe with an act of god) Mostly due the the very low intelligence quotient of participants who really are incapable of seeing the picture in a macro scale or are incapable of letteing those who can, take the lead. The failure of HEPAC so far is evidence enough of this.

 

Anyhow, carry on............

 

 

HF

It's worth noting that companies have control over whether or not they are "leveraged to the hilt"; these rules of economics you refer to should say something about that. Maybe those who choose to be in this situation don't deserve to be in business.

This might surprise you, but some companies realize that "crews who are young and dumb and watched to many repeats of TOP Gun" don't have the skills or experience to provide the service that many customers expect. It is actually possible to get work by marketing a company as a service provider who will get the job done safe and efficiently without dropping your rate into the toilet. Experienced customers often realize that the company with the lowest hourly rate, isn't always the company that cost them the least at the end of the job. I've seen many large operators pushed off jobs because customers wise up to this fact. The same thing often happens to those who pad hours. It's definately not good for repeat business either. It's also worth noting there are also still a few companies that are run by pilots who do "give a crap about pilot wages"