Working With Forestry

[Bif]

Granted, this was only my first fire season. And I can't speak for the way things are done in provinces other than AB, but I'd recommend all of what's been said about respecting ALL your (and their) limits at all times as well as:

 

- If you can't do what they want, explain why and they're usually pretty receptive

- Try to land in the driest place possible

- Try to make it back to their home base before legal down

- Give them lots of t-shirts and hats!

[helidriver68]

oh dont get me wrong its not all bad working with forestry , I would love to work year round flying with them and have in the past when things were booming , there is a lot of respect for what the pilot has to say as for when to go and where to land ect , but its just the few that like to push the I am god and if I think you should be able to land there or sling this or whatever ,

well company "A" did this same load last week or 2 days ago , well ya humm I got a B2 and he had a B3 or whatever ,,,,

 

 

yes every province has its plus and negs they alll have their good guys and their know it alls , same as some private companies we all work for every industry has them ,

 

with over 27 yrs in this industry its always the same ,,,,,,,some day I will retire and miss it all .

[deltacharlie]

I've got one, quit selling helicopters for half of what they're worth. You wanna talk about slitting our own throats, that's the big one.

Forestry should not be in the driver's seat on this one but we're letting them. And don't get me wrong, they are only one piece of the story but they're not the only ones to blame we're doing it to ourselves.

 

DC

[oil pressure]

I can never figure out why some operators will go work any other ops. for cheap rates and no mins and ,as they should, they and their crew will do anything to accomadate them and keep them happy. But when it comes to working for forestry on fires they will often have an attitude of entitlement to their forestry hire. We will even bull#$%t about our positioning and when we will be there, seems like accomodations need to be better the drive needs to be shorter, food better etc. And heaven forbid you dont get youre 8 but any other job not only would 4 hr mins. be unheard of but we would be happy to do it. for no mins. Forestry seams to be the best customer most have and it does seem sometimes the operators that have the nicest machines best ops gear and skilled pilots and engineers that ***** the least stay hired the longest. They are a full tarrif ,or near full tarrif, customer that pays mins. you are guaranteed to get paid. I dont understand why anyone would complain about where they have to go how much they fly where they stay or have to load up and move once in awhile!

[pilot5]

The answer to this compliant is quite simple! Companies will do it for cash flow, sometimes just to keep the guys going because believe it or not there are some owners that feel commited to keeping the gyst and gals employed and wait for better times.Other times to meet lease mins. . I sure as **** have allot more respect for a company that will trade dollars to keep the guys working than to park the machines remove insurance and just say fuckkit to the crews there ain't enough money in it for me.

 

Its a vicious cycle though.

 

P5

[Icewind]

Anybody working on fires would benefit from reviewing this =

http://www.ciffc.ca/index.php?option=com_c...&Itemid=259

[oil pressure]

I agree with all you say P5. i guess my point was if you want to make working for forestry easy just do all the same things you would for any other customer. work hard work safe accomodate them as much as you can and all will be good. they are the best gig in town usually. too many times i hear complaining on fires about this or that. things that dont even matter at the end of the day. just do your thing and all is easy!

[pilot5]

I agree with all you say P5. i guess my point was if you want to make working for forestry easy just do all the same things you would for any other customer. work hard work safe accomodate them as much as you can and all will be good. they are the best gig in town usually. too many times i hear complaining on fires about this or that. things that dont even matter at the end of the day. just do your thing and all is easy!

 

 

Agreed but lets say you cover all the bases and yet there is still whining and complaining, seems to me that here is some unwritten rule with forestry that the more you can complain or write up nonsense the faster it is to get promoted. Don't get it! Is it part of the subculture???