2014 Season - Need For Foreign Pilots?

[Skidz]

.... & now back to the original question - Is there a need for experienced foreign pilots this season? If not, please let the thread die & move on. There are a few other threads dedicated to complaining you can revive for your debate. Thanks.

 

Sorry Heliduck, but this is a sore point for a lot of the folks on these forums. Open the can of worms and expect people to stir the pot...

 

To reply to your question: It's not looking to be a stellar year for VFR ops in Canada again this year. The mining exploration sector is still pretty soft due to low base mineral prices on the markets. So if we have a crappy fire season like last year, it'll be pretty quiet again. With record snowfall in many parts of the country so far this winter, not looking too positive on that front.

 

Perhaps the Northern Gateway pipeline (and maybe even Keystone XL later this year) will kick up a little bit of work for some companies...

 

As far as foreign hires go, there will still be companies looking to raise work visas, but you have to ask yourself the question: With so many local guys and gals on the bench, why would they go through the trouble of looking abroad? Could it be few local pilots want to work for these outfits? Could it be they're trying to put downward pressure on pay and working conditions? Caveat emptor...

 

I think the subject has been beaten to death, so why flog a dead horse? I know, I know, Some will say it's great fun...

[Heliduck]

Thanks for the informative reply Skidz. I can understand it being an emotive subject, imagine how us Australians feel when Kiwis don't even need a visa to work over here!!

The information I was hoping for with my post was that some operators were busy & struggling to find enough pilots to fill the seats. That's my cue to don my best Toque, pack my bags & get into it. I lived in Canada for a few years & like some posters here I really struggled with the concept of foreign low time or non-specialist pilots filling seats, it still doesn't make sense to me. When it is busy & a bit of extra labor is needed I'll look forward to coming back, & if the industry has picked up enough to allow that to happen then everybody should be happy as it means there's work going begging.

[Skywork]

I am actually surprise you need pilots as I thought all your helicopters were down here in Australia doing fires on contract and on call. Local operators missed out with the same experience and equipment when Canadian machines got on the contracts with the help of low balling operators who do not own any machines. Some Canadian operators have set up their own AOCs and bring their machines and own crews down here not employing local pilots. Can a foriegn company get a AOC in Canada and just bring their machines in when the busy season occurs.

 

I can not see the difference so I look at it as a free market, pilots from other countries working in Canada and Canadians available to do the same

[shakey]

I am actually surprise you need pilots as I thought all your helicopters were down here in Australia doing fires on contract and on call. Local operators missed out with the same experience and equipment when Canadian machines got on the contracts with the help of low balling operators who do not own any machines. Some Canadian operators have set up their own AOCs and bring their machines and own crews down here not employing local pilots. Can a foriegn company get a AOC in Canada and just bring their machines in when the busy season occurs.

 

I can not see the difference so I look at it as a free market, pilots from other countries working in Canada and Canadians available to do the same

Well they can't fill the seats down there with Aussies cause all your guys are up here! Flying into Ft. Nelson sounds like I'm flying into Sydney without the bikini clad honeys. I'd like to see the numbers on how many Canadians are flying down there. Even more so How many are flying single engine ops and not multi engine. Better yet How many canadians are cattle rustling or just entry level stuff? Sounds like you need to write your Minister of Immigration cause its wrong!

[Hazy]

I am actually surprise you need pilots as I thought all your helicopters were down here in Australia doing fires on contract and on call. Local operators missed out with the same experience and equipment when Canadian machines got on the contracts with the help of low balling operators who do not own any machines. Some Canadian operators have set up their own AOCs and bring their machines and own crews down here not employing local pilots. Can a foriegn company get a AOC in Canada and just bring their machines in when the busy season occurs.

 

I can not see the difference so I look at it as a free market, pilots from other countries working in Canada and Canadians available to do the same

Yes, companies from the States do this for logging and powerline construction. They can work up here under NAFTA.

[Skidmark]

Yes, companies from the States do this for logging and powerline construction. They can work up here under NAFTA.

Don't forget flight schools too Hazy. There's at least 4 pages of various flight schools complaining and defending their high prices and billing techniques in the flight training section.

[Helilog56]

Interesting industry isn't it....I'm a Canadian, flying in Canada , with my FAA licence and medical....??!?!?

[USL-Toad]

Pilot5.

 

I'm not looking to stir the pot but your assumption on :the vast majority of Canadians being overseas are high time multi-engine IFR pilots" is incorrect.

 

I have no doubt there are many Canadians that fit in to the skill level you speak of and work IFR, however I do not move in the IFR circles, I am talking about VFR Canadian pilots. As I say, our company had 2 last season and 1 still remains. I know of NUMEROUS Cannucks flying around Europe, and plenty of low-time ones. Perhaps its easier to get a break in Europe early on and that is what attracts them - the flying certainly isn't as fun, granted its warmer in the winter.

 

One of the said pilots doesn't even have a TC CPL, only a JAR one. He knows he can easily convert it if he decides to go home - and why not. Sadly it is not as easy for TC or FAA to convert to EASA licenses, it should be.

 

Again, not looking for a debate, I am talking first hand experience of working with Canadians in Europe. Let me ask you, have you and are you licensed to fly in Europe? Because with all due respect, unless you are, you have absolutely no idea of the industry here and who is working where. I mean that sincerely, if you haven't and don't, its like me saying I know where every European pilot around the world works!

 

It is not just Canada that has foreign pilots, and there are many, many Canadians that have aspirations to work in Europe and elsewhere in the world and I say go for it. You live once, this isn't a rehearsal, and if our licenses which we should all feel privileged to have allow us to see the world then what a great position we are all in.

 

Safe flying.

 

P.S the world is bigger than Canada - go explore it and enjoy it.

[cuban]

Pilot5.

 

I'm not looking to stir the pot but your assumption on :the vast majority of Canadians being overseas are high time multi-engine IFR pilots" is incorrect.

 

I have no doubt there are many Canadians that fit in to the skill level you speak of and work IFR, however I do not move in the IFR circles, I am talking about VFR Canadian pilots. As I say, our company had 2 last season and 1 still remains. I know of NUMEROUS Cannucks flying around Europe, and plenty of low-time ones. Perhaps its easier to get a break in Europe early on and that is what attracts them - the flying certainly isn't as fun, granted its warmer in the winter.

 

One of the said pilots doesn't even have a TC CPL, only a JAR one. He knows he can easily convert it if he decides to go home - and why not. Sadly it is not as easy for TC or FAA to convert to EASA licenses, it should be.

 

Again, not looking for a debate, I am talking first hand experience of working with Canadians in Europe. Let me ask you, have you and are you licensed to fly in Europe? Because with all due respect, unless you are, you have absolutely no idea of the industry here and who is working where. I mean that sincerely, if you haven't and don't, its like me saying I know where every European pilot around the world works!

 

It is not just Canada that has foreign pilots, and there are many, many Canadians that have aspirations to work in Europe and elsewhere in the world and I say go for it. You live once, this isn't a rehearsal, and if our licenses which we should all feel privileged to have allow us to see the world then what a great position we are all in.

 

Safe flying.

 

P.S the world is bigger than Canada - go explore it and enjoy it.

I call B.S on most of what you said. I don't have a JAA but I travel to Europe often and it is way harder to break in the industry there than it is here. As for Canadian pilots (especially low time ones) working there ,you are even more full of it.

[Skidz]

Pilot5.

 

I'm not looking to stir the pot but your assumption on :the vast majority of Canadians being overseas are high time multi-engine IFR pilots" is incorrect.

 

I have no doubt there are many Canadians that fit in to the skill level you speak of and work IFR, however I do not move in the IFR circles, I am talking about VFR Canadian pilots. As I say, our company had 2 last season and 1 still remains. I know of NUMEROUS Cannucks flying around Europe, and plenty of low-time ones. Perhaps its easier to get a break in Europe early on and that is what attracts them - the flying certainly isn't as fun, granted its warmer in the winter.

 

One of the said pilots doesn't even have a TC CPL, only a JAR one. He knows he can easily convert it if he decides to go home - and why not. Sadly it is not as easy for TC or FAA to convert to EASA licenses, it should be.

 

Again, not looking for a debate, I am talking first hand experience of working with Canadians in Europe. Let me ask you, have you and are you licensed to fly in Europe? Because with all due respect, unless you are, you have absolutely no idea of the industry here and who is working where. I mean that sincerely, if you haven't and don't, its like me saying I know where every European pilot around the world works!

 

It is not just Canada that has foreign pilots, and there are many, many Canadians that have aspirations to work in Europe and elsewhere in the world and I say go for it. You live once, this isn't a rehearsal, and if our licenses which we should all feel privileged to have allow us to see the world then what a great position we are all in.

 

Safe flying.

 

P.S the world is bigger than Canada - go explore it and enjoy it.

 

 

When I first started flying, I looked into going to Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, South America and Africa. Africa was the only place I was likely to be able to work, as I didn't have a university degree or dual citizenship. I would wager any Canadians working in Europe have dual citizenship or have established residency there somehow (like marrying a Euro chick).

 

I looked at going to other commonwealth countries on a tourist work visa, but unlike Kiwis, Aussies, Brits, Frenchmen, Swiss, etc. coming to Canada on these visas, in just about every country where I could go as a Canadian on a tourist work visa, I was limited to three months per job, so no operator would ever consider hiring me. Any foreigner coming here on a tourist work visa can hold the same job for up to two years while they get their permanent resident status, which is almost guaranteed within 18 months if they can demonstrate that they have employment here. So much for reciprocity...

 

I did my FAA conversion because I had a job lined up in North Africa flying an N registered ship, but that fell through when I was half way through the conversion. I consider myself to be a pretty resourceful person, and I looked long and hard at getting work outside of Canada. The only other place I might have had a chance would have been Brazil, as I had a buddy flying there, but I don't speak a lick of Portuguese, so that didn't work either.

 

After I hit the 1500 hour mark, plenty of opportunities opened up, but they all asked for at least IFR with a frozen ATPL or an FAA ATP, neither of which I hold (or have any ambition to).

 

Not true that a low-time Canadian pilot can "easily" get work overseas.

 

It's a well known fact that Canada has long been regarded by foreign pilots as a great place to cut their teeth. Our glorious flight schools here spend a fair bit of money promoting that fact abroad (I know, I've represented one of them at a Paris Airshow before). With the high value of the Euro and the fact that getting a Canadian CPL costs about half of what it does to get a JAA CPL in Europe, it's an easy sell...