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State of the industry for low-timers


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To make it in the industry you have to be resourceful and of a certain (not specific) gratitude. It seems you may also have that in addition to your "self-righteousness" (which isn't a bad thing by the way)...

Experience / Exposure / Expectations....are all open to translations and metaphors...you say "Potato" another says "Poh-tah-toe" and I say "Spud"...but you can't expect to be hand-held thru-out your journey. 

You can learn what type of pilot you want to be from all attitudes. Keep the good stuff. Learn from the stuff you don't like. It's an outlook I'm asking you to have going forward.

Of course you are excited, but even having a tug and knocking out your minds eye when you are out in the bush gets old.

It is what you make of it...good or bad mate.

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8 hours ago, Pool pilot said:

I disagree that us old guys are bitter.... the word you are looking for is Disappointed. 

We helped many operators become wealthy and we were willing to help but the more we helped the more greedy they became. 

We were lied to on many levels from endorsements and length of a shift once we were there they would lie about when we will get home (more than a few broken marriages came of these lies) and then to watch them bring in foreign drivers to replace us with cheap wages. Now the foreign drives are not coming they are crying a pilot shortage that the owners have caused.

So we have watched this industry fall for many years that we pour our heart and soul into so again the word is...... Disappointed 

The reality is that there are some very crafty business owners out there and  now over 3000 helicopters in Canada.  Someone posted the stat a few days ago and I confirmed it, unbelievable.  
 

There is less work in Canada than I have ever seen in my entire career.  When I left Canada full time, I think there were just around or under 2000 helicopters and  half or so were commercial.

 There were some very well run companies established and publicly traded.  Schedules were always respected as well as any agreements in the contract/employee manuals that were involved.  Pilots were not only filling their 14 hour duty days some were flying that a day as well, that was for all types at many companies for years.  
I kept an eye on its decline after I moved globally with concern, the fact is that industry has in many ways created the distress it’s in.  Economic and political atmosphere the last ten years hasn’t helped the extractive industries.

States side, people buy aircraft once they’re wealthy enough because they’re advised to by their accountants, that’s no different in Canada.   They are very good to couple with other companies generating revenue for accounting reasons. 

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On 6/22/2024 at 10:43 AM, Trudashian said:

I got a job right out of school 3 years ago and it's been great. The down fall is the bitter older guys that are negative all the time. Most couldn't be bothered to teach you anything. Go do brick laying for a year and tell me how actual bad this is. LOL!

Walk a mile in the older guys shoes.  Take what you consider a good wage and tack 20-30 years of hard work to that. Imagine seeing things chipped away and stagnating pay (little to no raises) and a fifty to seventy five percent reduced flying hours over that timeframe.  
Add to that certain employers further pressuring the situation and undermining pilots and now even AME’s wage bargaining power with low paid global talent.  This has been a gradual systemic failure with several underlying causes.  One friend called the situation “like being nibbled to death by ducks” 😂.  In short, before critiquing these “older grumpy guys” maybe try to understand the situation everyone is in.

If you’ve only been at this and in Canada’s industry for less than five years you know absolutely nothing of the industry.  
Those guys you have described are what’s left and they owe you NOTHING.  If you want to learn you have to work hard prove you’re worth your salt and EARN their training.   

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14 minutes ago, CM119 said:

 “older grumpy guys” 

Hey now...... I resemble this remark......lol

I have personally always helped out the low time guys. I had some amazing mentors so I wanted to pass it on. Just a couple of years ago I was able to mentor a couple of younger guys on how to move drills. 

Also all you guys out there who knew Dick Woods..... well ..... look it up.

Roflmao 

I miss Dick and K.O.

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5 minutes ago, CM119 said:

So do I, I’m just reminding him he’s owed nothing just like the rest of us.  That has disappeared with this equal outcome society that’s emerged in the last several years lol

I take you are thinking of the "Me first movement" or the....... "I am offended" group?

And I live by..... just because you are offended doesn't mean it is my problem..... it might be my fault.... but still not my problem. 

Roflmao 

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1 hour ago, Icewind said:

Can somebody tell me where they get that there are 3,000 helicopters in Canada?  And how many of those are being operated commercially?  When I query TC's online search system, I can't find anything like that number.

The fleet has increased by >50% since 2004.

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