Contrail Requirements Keep Canadians On E.i

[bladethrow]

This whole business about there being no experienced drivers out the is totally untrue. There are however a shortage of experienced guys who will work for peanuts.

 

I know a bunch of 2500-5000 hour people who are available, but operators are not going to pay wages when the position can be filled by a 500 hour pilot. Like any other business the bottom line is what for the most part determines employment decisions.

 

Today with the current rate slashing for market share, some higher time VFR pilots are priced out of the market. In addition, for the most part some operators will not hire the more experienced pilots, as it is harder to convince a more experienced pilot that the piece of duck tape patching the hydraulic blower hose is OK.

 

For the most part I have also found that most but not all operators whose OPs manager or CP may be 40 or so really doesn't want anybody who may challenge his/her wisdom, so its far easier to hire a 20 something who still considers the position a privilege instead of just a job/career.

 

For ever there will be consultants thst will seek to manipulate the industry with input based on stats. For what its worth it will never go away so overcome and adapt.

 

In any regard, I honestly think the shortage is a mirage.

 

My 2 cents

[Bell Boy]

Good morning everyone!

I agree with putting pressure on whoever to lower the min hours for pilots. I also agree the oil patch work is a great way to start fresh Canadian pilots; however, to an oil company saftey is as important as production. Policies drawn up for air travel (don't get me wrong i don't agree with it all and i'm just refering to VFR going lease site to lease site) is looked at the same as confined space entry, Personal Protective Equipment, ground disturbance.....etc. I believe that it would be an uphill battle to get most companies to lower their hours. Remember they are spending all that money on a consultant (like Contrail) to prove to WCB and their employees that they have a saftey program in place. On the other hand BCFS only requires 1000hrs ( i think ), and i would assume the flying would be more intense then that of going into a 60yard X 80yard oilfield site.

 

Well thats my two bits

 

Bell Boy

[Rotorwing]

I think this hr mins thing makes for a lot of accounting errors in low time pilot logs. Customers would be better served if they knew that there pilot had low hours but was qualified to do their work especially if the local base manager was doing the customer relations.

[FUDNUF]

Contrail and third party auditors make Transport audits look like a cake walk (kinda).

You have to be doing something seriously wrong for Transport to shut you down.

Contrail comes in and they don't like what they see, you don't work for the Oil and

Gas companies. Been there seen it.

As for Contrails requirements for pilots, they are only concerned with saftey.

Higher time pilot = a safe pilot ???

I have seen high time guys and low time guys get themselves into problems.

I could say more but I will stop now.

[rotrhd1]

Policies drawn up for air travel (don't get me wrong i don't agree with it all and i'm just refering to VFR going lease site to lease site) is looked at the same as confined space entry, Personal Protective Equipment, ground disturbance.....etc.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That's not quite true. In confined space entry, they give you the training, you get the certification, and the next day you could be out there fixing a 400 barrel tank. You don't need 1000 entries under your belt in order to get a job.

 

RH1

[Vermouth]

Who's short ? some companies have a surplus 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

So Alpine has drivers sitting on their ***??? Fun...

[Vermouth]

This whole business about there being no experienced drivers out the is totally untrue. There are however a shortage of experienced guys who will work for peanuts.

 

I know a bunch of 2500-5000 hour people who are available, but operators are not going to pay wages when the position can be filled by a 500 hour pilot. Like any other business the bottom line is what for the most part determines employment decisions.

 

Today with the current rate slashing for market share,  some higher time VFR pilots are priced out of the market. In addition, for the most part some operators will not hire the more experienced pilots, as it is harder to convince a more experienced pilot that the piece of duck tape patching the hydraulic blower hose is OK.

 

For the most part I have also found that most but not all operators whose OPs manager or CP may be 40 or so really doesn't want anybody who may challenge his/her wisdom, so its far easier to hire a 20 something who still considers the position a privilege instead of just a job/career.

 

For ever there will be consultants thst will seek to manipulate the industry with input based on stats. For what its worth it will never go away so overcome and adapt.

 

In any regard, I honestly think the shortage is a mirage.

 

My 2 cents

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why would any pilot [choose] to price him or herself out of the market? Is it because they feel they are worth more than what the industry is willing to pay...? Or maybe they just crave the cushy work?

Are there operators out there that are using duct tape and if so why are they still in business?

There is a shortage... if it is a "mirage" how long will the pilots/businesses continue to hallucinate? Will they conjur up an agreeable wage to quench the pilot drout?

 

My 4 cents

V

[Blackmac]

Consultants will continue to advise Oil Companies or whoever, who else is going to provide any info.

 

A organization such as HAC could provide info and an association run by air crew could provide lobbying to the different companies.

 

Auditing firms will always go out of there way to find problems, not neccasarily solutions.

 

Having been trained as an Auditor and worked with one of the largest auditing firms around, the Audit and Survey group of the USAF, with all the auditing resources available, I can safely say that auditing, that is proactive, can actually benefit a company.

 

The offshore and firefighting, assuming twin engine helicopters can easily accomodate low time co-pilots with experienced captains, including EMS. The airlines have been doing it for years.

 

Consultants are usuallythe ones that feel they are the experts.

 

A safety inspector or aviation consultant is only as good as the last accident he/she prevented.

 

If you wish to become a safety individual with some basic knowledge, it helps to have been there, done that and take about three or four courses at the California Safety Institute, all of the course(s) are based on fact, not fiction. That's one of my been there.

 

Cheers, Don

[Phil Croucher]

Don't get me started on "consultants".......

 

Phil

[cap]

"Consultants" are "consultants" until the day arrives when they have to sit in the witness stand in a Court of Discovery and face the tough questioning of some $800/hr lawyer. Then one finds out who's really a "consultant" or not.

 

Many a "consultant" has been found out in those confines, to not be qualified to "consult" someone on how to wipe their ***.