East Coast Wages

[skullcap]

Hey Graunch are you a fixed wing or rotary wing AME?

 

In rotary wing there is little or no spread to my knowledge, I know a base manager who made less then two of the Base Engineers he worked with. He had 10 years under his belt. There is a definate need of experienced, qualified rotary wing AME's.

 

The one difference I have noticed is the lack of decent pay for beginning apprentices. How does an occupation attract new people when the beginning pay is sometimes as low as 1500 a month? Been a burr in my side for a long time. As new pilots is not much better at 1750 a month?

 

But as mentioned we may have an opportunity with new regs shoved down our throat to make the standard of living better if done right.

 

sc

[highbladedown]

I’ve seen a great deal of whinny from both ends and I think that is where the professionals are separated from the non-professionals. I’ve worked pilots that are great guys, willing to go to the ends of the earth to work together with the AME and some that abuse the equipment and walk around with the “mightier than thou” attitude. In the same token I’ve work with AME’s that are very talented, well respected and some that are indeed real pricks to the pilots, it's been a two street since day 1. In some cases it’s something as simple as overall communication and people skills, I really don’t have the answers. I’d like to think that we become successful by helping others become successful, but that might be in the perfect world. I like to use the T.E.A.M. philosophy = Together Everyone Achieves More…….

 

As far as the AME associations are concerned I think they have done some good and do the best they can to promote, improve and generally advance the occupation of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer and to increase the knowledge of its AME's relating to the aviation industry through education. I’ve belonged to 3 of the AME’s associations within Canada. Most of which are fixed wing oriented and driven, I have seen some wage issues discussed through the likes of Air Canada’s union people. I also see a number of the maintenance related wage comparisons out there in Rotor and Wing and other publications and have approached management and owners with this information, it comes down to what management is prepared to pay for quality people, in this day and age not at the level that the mechanic makes in an automotive dealership or a framer in new home construction.

 

There is a fellow that I work with has a sideline business through ebay, he buys and sells stuff that is virtually junk and makes between $3000 to $4,000 a month doing so on top of his other job, that hardly seems fair.

 

hbd

[highbladedown]

Scullcap……

 

Agree with your views relating for the need for quality people, we need them on both sides of the rotary fence. Over zealous ownership, poor management qualities (in some cases, not all) and an over regulated industry is chasing those quality people away from aviation. As well there is nothing to really attracted new blood into the industry.

 

FYI only........the last company I worked for paid it’s final year apprentice about $2500.00 @ month, he was in the stages of writing all of the exams. In addition to the $2500.00 a month they offered him an Astar course in Montreal. However, had him commit to a two contract to re-pay for the course if he departed the company for more $$ after his training within the two yr period, prorated of course. We had one guy that was ready to write and he packed it in and went into a different line of work for some of the reasons outlined in this part of the forum. Just out of the blue....I quit and he departed.

 

It’s a tough industry to belong to, uncompromising management and owners, the regulations structure, long hours, lack of quality pay and incentive and AME’s are required to continue to sign that “maintenance release” knowing in some instances they should not be. Why? Because there is not much else to choose from these days and some of these people have families to look after.

 

That was a part of my job that I enjoyed as Q/A, I supported the AME's, apprentices and pilots with their regulatory issuses or safety of flight concerns that management would otherwise elect to ignor. I had no problems what so ever walking into the front office with the MCM/MPM/Ops manual and what ever regulatory information I needed to support the guys in the hanger and in the field. In most cases I won the battle, managed to protect the Pilot, AME, ACA and AMO......it gave me personal satisfaction to know the guys were covered and when they needed help I managed to find a way to get it to them. The small battles that were lost were comprised on, however at all times we remained legal and so did the aircraft flight authority. The big boys managed to get their pound of flesh from me from time to time.........that did not matter to me. The crews did matter.

 

The corporate world isn’t much better with its better, cheaper and faster philosophy. Outsourcing is the flavour of the past and present decade and the demands on the employee to develop value added and revenue generation strategies to promote fiscal responsibility towards shareholder value for the company was very high. Even when the belt notch is at its last hole one must try to find another notch to tighten even more. However, when there is a change in upper management or the CEO they are the ones that benefited with the huge lucrative packages, nothing substantial to benefit the bottom feeders that contributed more so to the bottom line after sitting on the bubble year in and year out.

 

Just one guys humble opinion………

 

hbd

[Guest graunch1]

Hey Skullcap, I have both M1 and M2 licenses but spent a bunch of time in the 70s and 80s working on 205s,212s,then 76s and 61s for a private company. Plus I have a bunch of friends (I hope ) in the fling Wing business as both pilots and AMEs

 

I was never partial to the Banks Island seismic train or the Wrigley Tent option with people such as Wild Bill Tucker so didn't pursue the "R" license at the time

[skullcap]

What ever became of Mr Tucker? Haven't heard that name in a long while.

[frenchwrench]

Just out of couriosity,does Q&A stand for Quebec/Alberta?????????

given the recent buyouts,etc..

[Guest graunch1]

Re Wild Bill, Last I heard of him was when he was working for Shirley Helicopters out of YXD but that was 20 years ago...Can't say I miss him

[jetbox]

You guys all have valid points about lack of decent wages to attract and keep good employees (AME's and pilots) but are we not missing the real issue?

As part owner of a fairly new (less than 5 yrs) fling wing company, I can assure you that the reason we don't pay our guys a higher salary isn't because we're cheap or simply don't want to. Our emplyees are our most important asset and they are worth a lot more than what they get paid. However, it's hard to fork out big dollars on salaries when the rates we're getting for our A/C are not the greatest. It's pretty hard to make ends meet after you pay your insurance, hangar costs, parts etc.

I think the salaries will automatically increase once operators stop under cutting each other. We can ***** for more money all we want but until the operators get a decent hourly rate, it's just not gonna happen!!!!!

[Elvis]

"I think the salaries will automatically increase once operators stop under cutting each other. We can ***** for more money all we want but until the operators get a decent hourly rate, it's just not gonna happen!!!!! "

 

 

What kind of a dream world as You living in.

 

 

 

:elvis: :shock: :elvis: :shock: :elvis:

[skullcap]

da chicken or da cart, no the horse before da egg, no, no, no the egg under da donkey. yeah, that's the ticket.

 

The only thing automatic here is them dam photo radar cameras and my friggin phone goin at supper time.