Anybody Here With Any Experience With Aes

[Ryan]

The largest Commercial Helicopter Operator that Rotorworks Inc. is working with is Airborne Energy Solutions Ltd. in Whitecourt, Alberta. We are working together to provide Airborne's customers with the best pilots possible. Airborne will be assessing recommended graduates of Rotorworks Inc. and will give them preference when hiring helicopter pilots new to the industry. A number of Rotorwork's graduates are already working with Airborne.

Found this on the Rotorworks website. So are students from both schools looked at equally from AES's point of view? I always thought Okanagan was the school that had some sort of agreement about who AES came to 1st when looking for new faces. But the Rotorworks says AES will "give them preference when hiring helicopter pilots new to the industry." So which one is it?

Not trying to stir up a hornet's nest, just been scratching my head since I read this. :hide:

[Guest jesse]

It's tough enough to find a job in this industry without company's looking past you because you didn't go to a certain a school, does rotorworks or okanagan have training programs that are far superior to everyone else or what?

[teabagger]

R22 Captain

 

I have no personal experience with AES, but know a guy who just started there this summer who has no oil field experience what so ever. On the other hand there are several low time pilots who have moved to Whitecourt with hopes of snagging a job with AES and are now working in the oilfield getting that experience that AES "apparently" wants.

 

Be carefull as to how focused you get on AES. Every other 100 hr pilot is focused there as well. Get out, pound the pavement and find your own way into the right seat. Nobody will ever tell you this is an easy feat, but it's worth it in the end.

 

TB

[Peeshooter]

I have heard that AES is great for getting your foot in the door to the helicopter world, but! and its a big but! Once you get your oil/gas operators cert. there is small chances of climbing the into a turbine machine! Why, well because AES makes a more out of an oil/gas plant operator than they do form a straight pilot . I know a guy who is stuck in this very position and is looking to go else were cause they won't promote him up the fleet. The bottom line is you become too valuable wizzing around in a 22 operating gas plants. Add to this a huge number of senior guys Canada wide with multiple thousands of hours on turbine and the picture should be clear.

 

I am sure that a small minority eventually get to the turbine birds but I 'm told that few do.

The person in question has been there for 4 years on the 22/gas plants. He wants out for health reasons as the sour gas can be taxing on the lungs.

 

The biggest pitfall are the big carrots, and if the company uses this tactic and makes promisses don't believe a word of it unless you can get it in writting.

 

Good luck with the job hunt

 

PS

[R22Captain]

thanks to all for the input. Off to Edmonton today to set up camp. Can reach me on the cell at 416-220-4905. Not sure when I will get on here again.

 

Safe flying.........22

[mtnhopper]

I worked for a.e.s for two years as a pilot/operator and it was a good way to get hours but the winters were long and cold,With no flying but thats the way it goes, all in all a good company to work for,long live the R44 :up:

[100ft]

To no pilot in particular,

 

Remember why it is you got into the industry to begin with. An R22 is a bona fide light helicopter and many say that flying lights is the most enjoyable helicopter work you'll ever do. The R22 / 300's ect are just a little lighter than some. I heard a high-timer recent comment "Bigger is definitely not necessarily better." referring to the challenge and adventure of heli flight. A whitewater raft is fun to ride in but a whitewater kayak is arguably way more adventursome. Now if you signed up to carry around an admiring audience of more than one at a time, then hats off to you and yes you will need to get into a bigger machine. Don't place any shame in flying small a/c. Either way, soak it up. You're a helicopter pilot!

[maxtorc]

Hello captain, if you need more info pm myself and I can answer a lot of your questions. as for Okanogan and Rotorworks, neither are affiliated with AES, there is no school owened by AES, and the only reason you might get looked at while training at Rotorworks is if you can build a relationship with the personnel at AES.

To many soap boxers like to get up and tell, someone my brother knows, story. Get the facts from the horses mouth and not from the hot air some would like you to believe.

that is the first lesson in aviation 101. :hide:

[Zazu]

Guys,

 

I am of the assumption that alot of the people on this forum are, or have been,CP's/Ops. Now if the guy had 600 or say 1000 hrs on a 22/44, in the patch,and you were looking for new blood...if he fit your (personal!) profile would you hire him? It is my personal opinion that regardless of the machine that you are flying that, in the end, it drops out of the sky just like any other when S### stops working. Gravity sucks.

 

AES Hires alot of 100 hr wonders comparably to other companies. Considering that it took me 5 years to get my PPC after training the last thing I would be worried about is whether or not a bunch of PIC in a piston would help my career in the future. Especially considering that your first job, or even interview, IS your future!

 

My 2 Cents,

 

ZAZU

[mtnhopper]

Again under a new name now I worked on the ground and in the air for AES the were a good company that went through some growing pains but they seemed to get the bugs worked out, but the reason we parted ways is that, you can take the boy out of the mountains but you can't take the mountains out of the boy I neede the rocks back , havn't been to alberta since :up: