Slow Season?

[Pinnacle]

What is everyone's thoughts on this season? Northern bc where I am is dead! anything happening around the country or is it just here?

[Skidz]

I'm going to merge this topic...

[lineworker]

I'm going to post since I for some reason have access to the site thru the magic firewall in this # 3 destination.

 

I have not had a slow year and that is because I haven't anything to slow one down for, and it's led to a solitary existence, albeit for my sib, fam and friends. If you have a family and are not experiencing a record year income you have good reason to post your opinion, and be thanked for it. You have done it right, regardless of any negative mail from a creditor.

 

Best regards and don't think it's advantageous to spend 150 to 300 days a year away from home 'just once to catch up', it won't invest well in anything but a stone to turn over and kick down the road out of your career. There are a lot of stories about guys who never slow in work. I don't have more than I think I would if I was at home selling tires.

 

Go Perelli..

[joe_pilot148]

I think it is slow depending on where your market is.

 

Afghanistan for example is picking up like crazy. Military units are doing less and less and the contracts for medium / heavy lift support has reached an all time high.

 

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2013-06-04/dod-contracts-keep-us-helicopter-operators-busy-afghanistan

 

If you look at the contracts for helicopter support they have been increasing every year since 09. This is because there is a huge push to move supplies and troops back to major bases. Roads are just too dangerous and unsecured to move cargo and people. It is dangerous work but there is a lot of money to make there in the next 2 years.

[Helilog56]

The heli-logging sector is quite strong also....

[hybrid]

I think it is slow depending on where your market is.

 

Afghanistan for example is picking up like crazy. Military units are doing less and less and the contracts for medium / heavy lift support has reached an all time high.

 

http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2013-06-04/dod-contracts-keep-us-helicopter-operators-busy-afghanistan

 

If you look at the contracts for helicopter support they have been increasing every year since 09. This is because there is a huge push to move supplies and troops back to major bases. Roads are just too dangerous and unsecured to move cargo and people. It is dangerous work but there is a lot of money to make there in the next 2 years.

Unless you have a lot of 212 or S61 time I highly doubt anyone will be landing jobs in Afghanistan any time soon. I very highly doubt there are any Canadian 206,s, Astars, 407's or any other of the usual suspects, so this would eliminate around 90% of the commercial pilots. Good luck going over there on US helicopters. Depending on which rumour is circulating on any given day, it would appear that Canadians contracts are coming due as well. If that is the case, there will be a lot of returning pilots flooding an already saturated market....

[joe_pilot148]

Well, I don't know about Canadian contracts but there are 412's and Astars flying there. I couldn't tell you how many or who flys them I just thought I'd add to the thread. Also, I was noting that there was growth in the demand for contracts.

[sirlandsalot]

Possative side to it all, last year I enjoyed a summer off with my family, hard on the bank but worth it. I am sure when I am grey and old on my death bed I will remember that summer more than any other summer at work. Which probaly is just a little farther away thanks to time off!

 

Keep payments and wants down and it is an easy ride through a recession. Are 60 plus thousand dollar deisel trucks really necesary? only to spend half the year parked while on tour?

[lineworker]

I was one of those suckers, it's been paid for a long time sitting in the driveway, I think about selling it and getting something else but there is always someone with a brain around who tells me that is not smart thinking.

 

So it depreciates, finally found out how to write off the depreciation value though, money back there.

[Lunchbox]

There's more than one company out in western Canada slammed for pilots and engineers. Don't know if it's quality/qualifications (or lack thereof) of candidates, pay scales, lack of advertising, or unwillingness of some to go where the work is, but some companies are having trouble keeping up with demand. It may be a temporary blip or maybe some contracts have just shifted from one company to others, but there is busy work out there...