Is Anybody Working Out There?

[HeliRico]

Good! Beat it!

Your head ? Shure and for free!

 

Are you still transiting to become a Shemale ? How's the dope ?

[Guest bag swinnger]

Jeezus, get it together!

[Bif]

I'm giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, and chalking all this witty and respectful debate up to hangovers (or possibly ongoing inebriation) from last night.

 

You stay classy, Vertical.

[Freewheel]

This is pointless, it is like delaing with Trump supporters.

 

For those of you that think a safe, professional pilot with high a skill set has the same value as a truck driver or hoe operator......your just as bad as the low-balling companies, YOU are part of the problem.

 

The guy cutting my lawn last summer worked so fricking hard.....I guess he should make the same wage as a brain surgeon...

You were saying? If you really are as safe and PROFFESSIONAL as you say then you are likely worth more than a truck driver or hoe operator. Too be clear we pay pilots more than hoe operators...if they can demonstrate they are worth it.

Sadly, Safe Proffessional Heli pilots with a high skill set seem to be less and less common. Just read this forum and consider the level of professionalism. Maybe that has something to do with companies paying pilots less. The other thing that seems to be lacking is accountability and the ability to take any responsibility for their own actions. One comment on here that is bang on: Pilots are their own worst enemy.

[Freewheel]

It's definately a lot tougher for pilots who aren't known as "professional, safe pilots with a high skill set" to get a job into today's MARKET. It's a very small industry.

 

As far as the Market goes, I saw this yesterday:

http://www.verticalmag.com/news/erickson-incorporated-files-chapter-11/

 

Seemed relevant to the discussions.

[bkstabr]

The whole premise of this thread seems like it was simply to stir the pot,strike some nerves and provide entertainment.

Lots of great points and bickering between pilots and engineers (that never gets old) I believe most of you are either unemployed, or if you are employed,are at work wasting company time when really you should be contributing to a positive workplace.

Next time start a thread called "sh*thead pilots and engineers stirring the pot" or how about "pilots vs engineers" oh wait what about "employed vs unemployable"??

[Iceman]

This forum has become joke. Thanks idiots.

[Zazu]

I paid for my helicopter lisence running excavator and have journeyman papers. The amount of risk, responsibility, and training is far beyond any hoe operator....and should be accounted for in pay. I work just as hard as any **** one of you. If you think a hoe and a helicopter are comparable, with all due respect sir, you are a moron.

 

 

I disagree. Too many generalities. Not to mention, not very respectable. There are a lot of similarities to both lines of work. And, as in all things, in this regard, what exactly are you doing to get that high rate of pay? Or conversly, that low rate of pay.

 

-Take road building for example. Sure lots of guys say they can do it, but boy do lots of guys get fired quick. Laying grade 12 hours a day with rough rock fresh from the quarry, still smoking with AMEX, in the the dark, without anybody to rate your grade...well it's tough. Gotta grease your own machine before and after. Then drive home. By yourself. Mostly do your own maintenance, unless you can't lift it. And, well, no excuses...you have to be able to produce a given amount of road in a given amount of time. Or, you go home. A lot of road building contracts are actually bid with a specific operator in mind. Yes, the ditches are the easy part.

-You want to be a hoe operator on a drill rig? Or pipeline? You better be smooth every time. A lot like building diamond drills...people have fingers in there all the time. You make a mistake with a hoe, and people get squished quick. Guys in the bite, all. day. long.

-You want to stack logs on a truck? You better know your wood. And you better be quick. And you better be smooth. or the truck drivers will run you off. If you can't run a landing safely, you go home. Lot's of guys try it, thinking they can get off the saw, or stop running chokers, but the fact is not many make it. Or how about feller bunching on cliff sides. Quite a few jobs are based on one particular operator showing up actually doing the job. Or if you want to work a heli landing you better know your stuff. I've seen "low life" chasers run off a few operators. There is a reason for it.

-How about rock scaling? A guy needs a real pair for that job.

- Or how about "just" a ditch? The ones with stacked pipe, no map, and maybe an electrical line. And you have to pick away one rock at a time with the teeth of the bucket, and not hit the guy in the hole guiding you with his shovel.

 

Not every hoe operator makes 6 figures, but when the work is there, I've known a few that make pretty good money. And there is a reason for it. They work hard. The hours are long. There are a few jobs with "standby" pay but not many. For the most part they have to be moving something to get paid. And just like a helicopter, they are moving material for a given rate, at a given rate an hour. Not everybody can do it. Just like not every pilot can Heli Log. Not every pilot can move drills. But those that do, you usually don't hear from them, they show up, do a job, go home. A west coast owner operator will work every day for 3 months. And they are tired. Most hoe operators aren't paid a daily rate for 4 months and get paid whether it rains or the machine doesn't work. There is a few exceptions, sure but not very many. Most guys just become owner operators.

 

I've actually double dipped. I've flown my guys into a remote site, and then run a little hoe all day. Get in the helicopter and fly home. Running the hoe was harder work. And if you took my salary out of the equation , I was making more money running the hoe.

 

Now I'm sure you could poke holes in this little diatribe all day long. I personally have chosen to work in this industry. I've had good years and bad. I've been paid well, and I've been paid poorly. Much the same as when I operated an excavator or operated well sites, or God forgive me, heli-logged lol! But the one thing I am sure of is this. I'm pretty sure there isn't a gaggle of hoe operators, or truck drivers or heli-loggers sitting around arguing to strangers on a forum, for more pay in their own line of work, because another line of work gets paid equally or more.... They usually just call the pilot a bunch of colorful names (And I assure you "Moron" isn't one of them) , and just switch jobs.

[old]

 

 

I disagree. Too many generalities. Not to mention, not very respectable. There are a lot of similarities to both lines of work. And, as in all things, in this regard, what exactly are you doing to get that high rate of pay? Or conversly, that low rate of pay.

 

-Take road building for example. Sure lots of guys say they can do it, but boy do lots of guys get fired quick. Laying grade 12 hours a day with rough rock fresh from the quarry, still smoking with AMEX, in the the dark, without anybody to rate your grade...well it's tough. Gotta grease your own machine before and after. Then drive home. By yourself. Mostly do your own maintenance, unless you can't lift it. And, well, no excuses...you have to be able to produce a given amount of road in a given amount of time. Or, you go home. A lot of road building contracts are actually bid with a specific operator in mind. Yes, the ditches are the easy part.

-You want to be a hoe operator on a drill rig? Or pipeline? You better be smooth every time. A lot like building diamond drills...people have fingers in there all the time. You make a mistake with a hoe, and people get squished quick. Guys in the bite, all. day. long.

-You want to stack logs on a truck? You better know your wood. And you better be quick. And you better be smooth. or the truck drivers will run you off. If you can't run a landing safely, you go home. Lot's of guys try it, thinking they can get off the saw, or stop running chokers, but the fact is not many make it. Or how about feller bunching on cliff sides. Quite a few jobs are based on one particular operator showing up actually doing the job. Or if you want to work a heli landing you better know your stuff. I've seen "low life" chasers run off a few operators. There is a reason for it.

-How about rock scaling? A guy needs a real pair for that job.

- Or how about "just" a ditch? The ones with stacked pipe, no map, and maybe an electrical line. And you have to pick away one rock at a time with the teeth of the bucket, and not hit the guy in the hole guiding you with his shovel.

 

Not every hoe operator makes 6 figures, but when the work is there, I've known a few that make pretty good money. And there is a reason for it. They work hard. The hours are long. There are a few jobs with "standby" pay but not many. For the most part they have to be moving something to get paid. And just like a helicopter, they are moving material for a given rate, at a given rate an hour. Not everybody can do it. Just like not every pilot can Heli Log. Not every pilot can move drills. But those that do, you usually don't hear from them, they show up, do a job, go home. A west coast owner operator will work every day for 3 months. And they are tired. Most hoe operators aren't paid a daily rate for 4 months and get paid whether it rains or the machine doesn't work. There is a few exceptions, sure but not very many. Most guys just become owner operators.

 

I've actually double dipped. I've flown my guys into a remote site, and then run a little hoe all day. Get in the helicopter and fly home. Running the hoe was harder work. And if you took my salary out of the equation , I was making more money running the hoe.

 

Now I'm sure you could poke holes in this little diatribe all day long. I personally have chosen to work in this industry. I've had good years and bad. I've been paid well, and I've been paid poorly. Much the same as when I operated an excavator or operated well sites, or God forgive me, heli-logged lol! But the one thing I am sure of is this. I'm pretty sure there isn't a gaggle of hoe operators, or truck drivers or heli-loggers sitting around arguing to strangers on a forum, for more pay in their own line of work, because another line of work gets paid equally or more.... They usually just call the pilot a bunch of colorful names (And I assure you "Moron" isn't one of them) , and just switch jobs.

That is the best responce on this thread. Exactly correct. Nice job.

 

[dimit]

Amen Brother Z, well said!

 

I often describe my job as "equipment operator": A. It's true, and B. It avoids the embarassing "Oh that's so cool!" response.