Where Are All The Job Seekers?

[JaJR]

" What are pilots looking for?"

 

Having done base work for 10 years (!) now it seems the always-on-call thing gets tiring the most. Just when you make plans to spend quality time the phone rings and off you go. Without meaning it your family suddenly takes second place to your job. But the job is to be avalible all the time and we know that going in.

 

The up-side, running the show without justifying every decision to a supervisor. And much simpler shopping for real estate with a helicopter. Also knowing the work area and the players involved makes things easier.

 

I think multiple base companies could use 1 or 2 regular pool staff to give base guy a break, scheduled once or twice through the year. Some cost to the company but the benefits include happier base person and a pilot trained in the local operation if needed. I think an (un-named) operator in the rocks west of YKA was doing the rotation thing for his base people. Seemed like a good idea?

Mostly it seems to come down to what head office will spend to keep staff and make them happy.

[twinstar_ca]

from when i lived in fort simpson and rev reilly took holidays, people like lorne beecroft, lee sexsmith, and tom arduini subbed in for him.... seemed to work out ok..

[mtnhopper]

ah Tom Arduini didn't no he flew in that area Had one of my first heli rides ever with him,owns his own show now in W.L

[twinstar_ca]

i had heard that about tom.... don't know if he would remember me.. i was just a young pup back then!!!!

[mtnhopper]

Ya toms been in the puddle for a number of years now ,I bump into him now and then good guy always got along good with him. He was flying for okanagan I think when I first met him he was hanging out in a logging camp west of williams lk I was spending time with my dad, I was a young one then aswell but it sure got me started on loving helicopters :up:

[downwash]

Firstly, my apologies for being tardy in responding, but many thanks for the considered and informative replies, troops. The input, aside from the well-touted issue of there being fewer dollars in a base job, is valued. :up:

 

On the $ subject, a fairly junior BM with us, most active in the warmer months, can easily clear $60K in a decent year (right, 'expensive metallic appendage?'), with a full benefits package. As well, once established, they can generally get a month off in the cooler seasons, and easily one or two fairly decent breaks in the summer, provided they're scheduled in a timely fashion (if they want, that is - most of the crew want to 'make hay while the sun shines').

 

While we essentially agree 100% with the premise that an engineer can certainly be a BM, or that a 'shelved' operational type, or anyone else well-versed in the industry, can run a base, the huge majority of ours are one machine, one man shows. In the case of Athabasca, where we're also looking for an engineer, the maintenance workload includes quite a bit of travel looking after several other machines in N.E. Alberta, resulting in responsibilities enough without the base to run, as well. Alternatively, adding the overhead of yet a third person would likely be economically prohibitive. :shock:

 

As to your diatribe on 'management' 407, you know all too well that all of the management here have had plenty of BM experience, as well as being pool people but, as much as we might like to be more innovative or creative in the light of that experience, we're bound by the economic constraints of a smaller company.

 

To the best of our understanding, our Base Managers are generally pretty happy people - maybe we should have them doing our recruiting?

[beltdrive]

in Wabasca ?? u need at least a 100000 a year to cover the expenses.......

[Skidz]

Is it a question of the cost of women and liquor or volume ?

[407 Driver]

Downwash, My Diatribe (whatever that is??) was certainly not aimed at you or your company. Your company is quite widely recognized as one of the finer companies in Canada.

In saying that, I seem to have struck a nerve with you though? Why? Did it make you think about how you think of Base Managers?

 

I quote myself...."only look a the bottom dollar, and the Pool wins every time".

 

You seem to echo this thought in your post. It's all about the bottom dollar, so the Bases will never win.

[JaJR]

Skidz; most assured volume of both.

 

407; Thank you......