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Cole
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Cole, I take exception to your statement of wanting to stay in the Okanagan. Two words: "Sunshine-Tax"

 

The minute you limit yourself to one region or wanting to stay close to home, living off mommy and daddy, you demonstrate your lack of desire. Besides, there are no decent jobs in the Okanaga, just McJobs.

 

Your aviation career will occur anyplace EXCEPT the Okanagan, so you might as well get used to being in the oil-patch as your second home. You can live there, but you won't likely be flying there for many years to come. I'm not trying to slag you, but you need to be realistic. If fast, easy money was readily available, we'd all be doing it.

 

I agree with the Oil-Field operator suggestion whole heartedly. Airborne wants those desperately and you will most likely get your foot in the door fastest by taking that route. Get out of the house and make your way in the big wide world, over the rainbow, in the oil patch. And Good Luck!

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my brother works out of Lloydminster and he is short 10 truck drivers to run hydrovac trucks, all you need is class 1 or 3 with air, your h2s all that stuff and they are starting kids that just finished their grade 12 ( no experience ) $60 000/ year one week on one week off. after 3 months no problems your up to 65 000+. so on the week off you could drive somewhere to do your training? or with them so short of drivers you can work the 2 on 1 off they even have some guys doing 4/1 big money!!! and if you can make some good coin for a year when you get your training done you will get more of your training $$$ back when you claim your income tax :up:

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Thanks guys, BC to get a class1 is 19.

 

I have had sevral other things in the back of my mind the whole time- one being getting experience on rigs, then class1 drivers, also hazmat stuff, plus other stuff that I can fall back on.

 

I was thinking about going to the patch for a year first to make some money. The truck driving is out of the question until Im 19. but if im in the patch for a year then I would do my CHPL then my class 1 drivers to gain another edge. The construction industry out here is unbelieveably(SP?) booming. Machinery opperators are making almost as much as patch workers. But if its more valuable to work in the patch I am more than ready and willing to hop on a plane and head out for a year after highschool.

 

The class 1 I can get in no time, I hear this is another asset. I already have training on lift trucks, and zoom-booms stuff like that.

 

Dont get me wrong, I didnt want to stay here for the sunshine. I have talked to alot of people from the patch, and they all say its a quick way to make alot of money, but from what other people say, there is enough money to be maid here.

Didnt say anything about living with my parents. But was thinking that there is a college here in case I wanted to do a trade while Im here.

 

If something went wrong with my medical, I would fix it, if unfixable, I would go insane (one more reason I am doing my ppl first, when I was in for my medical the CAME said that there was no reason I would fail the CAT1), but would fall back on whatever else I could and try and get another in to the industry.

 

I really do appreciate this advice. I know it may not look good going into the industry with only a CHPL, but It wont just be that, I will bring to the table whatever else I can, and if I need extra money befor I start, work in the patch to earn another in.

 

How's that sound? Cole B)

 

PS. Do company's count fixed wing as total time? Just somethnig someone said the other day, something like company's count all your time at the controls as total time, but he was not a pilot, just an enthusiest.

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Cole,

 

FW time in the amount you are tlaking about will not help you. IF, you have several thousand hours, and IF that time was doing something in the same enovironment as helicopters, ie, float flying, off-strip wheel work, skiis, and lots of low-level time in the mountains, you'd be ahead. But a few hundred hours tooling around in a bug-smasher aren't going to do it I'm afraid.

 

The oil patch suggestions are good, but, and it's a really big BUT, choose carefully what job you look for. Working rigs is not for everyone, especailly service rigs, and there's a good reason why guys don't last a week, or a shift for that matter. If you can get in a steam truck, or something else that pays well, I'd go that route. I spent a winter on a service rigs years ago, and my first two week pay check was 192hrs... I still have the stubb, you do the math on that one... Education IS important, it WILL help you down the road, and it WILL set you appart.

 

I know you want to fly more than anything, but remember, no matter what you do for a living, it becomes a job after a while, so have fun, enjoy your teens, and round yourself out as much as possible. Too many years in the patch make you into something, and it's not usualy something nice. They don't call'em rig pigs for nothing.

 

AR

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One cheque and you worked a 6th of the average persons yearly expectance.

 

Its not so much the money as the connections, and experience now. I could easily get approved for a loan to do it, but I need a leg up on other 100h guys.

 

Heres what I think im going in with if I dont head to the patch-

 

CHPL (obviously, somewhere around 100-150 hours I hope)

Class 1 (when im 19)

HazMat stuff (for mixing chemicals that sorta thing)

Heavy machinery operation certified (Cranes, Zooms, forklifts etc. Dont know how usefull this stuff will be)

Firstaid Certified (as High as I can afford, sounds like every company might have to have someone with a minimum soon?)

And the ability to appear at the right place at the right time :)

Plus whatever else (joejobs) I end up doing between now and then.

 

I know the patch would be handy. But I think all this would give me just as big of a leg up?

 

I was pretty sure my 45 hour ppl with a whole bunch of $100 hamburgers would be a spit in the ocean anyway.

 

Thanks again. Cole B)

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Hi Cole, you sound like a very ambitious young man and you know what you want, I respect that. I'm an operator in northern alberta and we do alot of oil patch related work. I'm going to give you some advice as to what I think might help you in your future endevours with helicopters. Keep in mind that other operators have different needs and that this is just my two cent's worth.

First of all your fixed wing time does count, not for all companies but some will allow you to count it, the way I look at it is that you are getting radio and general flying experience in weather and such.

Second when it comes to the oil patch I recommend getting experience in the operating end of things. Our pilots that fly the R-44's help with chart changes and pigging, basic stuff. In the winter once they (oil co.) are done with the helicopter alot of them will hire our pilots as operators throughout the winter. They gain more experience and make some good money while doing it. You will also aquire all the tickets needed to work in the patch as we need them as well now to work for most of the oil co.

As far as starting your training I would wait until you are 20 just because of the experience you will gain until then, the maturity needed and the money you will need for training by then as it does go up yearly.

Do alot of research into the school you choose as well as the type of helicopter to train on. Call operators that do hire low time pilots and ask them what types or endorsements they recommend.

I also strongly recommend that you do road trips after your training as I only hire after one or more in person interviews. So keep in mind of getting a vehicle that will alow you to do this cheaply ( small truck with camper is one example) And ALWAYS call ahead of time to set up a meeting. Personality and attitude are a BIG part of getting that first job and keeping it. From what I've seen in this industry your word as a man or woman goes farther than anything.

I hope this will help you and others with some decision making for your future.

 

Good Luck

Todd Tkach

Gemini Helicopters Inc.

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I know a young fellow who was interested in the RW industry. Spent the summer as a seasonal firefighter on a HAC crew. During high hazard he was working/flying on the crew just about every day, seeing how the RW's work with forestry, made some great contacts and some coin towards flight training. Just another option that might bring some "experience" to the first CV you drop off at a CP's desk

 

SS

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Tanks guys. I like the idea of firefighting as I would be near to the industry.

 

I think I have a plan. I am going to see where I end up immediatly after grad, and may persue ties in law enforcement (not necesarily police, but one of my ideas for a long term goal was flying a police helicopter, and im told upon hiring you look at relevant skills. who better to fly a police helicopter than someone with a helicopter ticket and a background in the field). I want to be as well rounded as possible so if someone asks if I know how to do something, I actually do rather than just bluffing my way through it. So I was thinking about mabey a winter in the patch, some opperating of machinery, mabey a trade, and some lawenforcement, oh and some firefighting. The law stuff would provide me with firstaid, among others. and everything else would kill time while im waiting to go to helicopter school.

 

I am not really setting anything in stone, stuff happens, things change. If I have the cash, I might just bite the bullet right outta highschool while I can still soak up knowledge easily. (this may sound like bs, but I had 2 buddies, both went to the EXACT same course post secondary, and both had close grades in highschool. The one that took the course right away aced it no problems, but the one that waited a while **** near flunked out. When I asked him why, he said he just forgot simple stuff he learned in highschool that was necesary for the course (IE formulas, law stuff, etc) so I have had this in my mind aswell.)

This in mind, I was thinking about doing th course straight away, then doing the other stuff after. While im building my resume up, once every few months, take some time and go hand out the current resume.

 

I have alot of plans, just trying to figure out wich are the better seems to be hard.

 

I think doing the helicopter first would be ok, then building up other stuff after to help out could work. That way, if someone sees me as hireable with what Ive got, I can go fly faster, and get other stuff done in the mean time.

 

Sorry, I know im talking in circles :blink: Im just kind of writing down whatever pops into my head.

 

Cole B)

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Guest plumber
Ok, so I have been seriously looking into ways to save up for helicopter training. Since nocking off relatives is out of the question, I was wondering what would be a good way to save up 50-60 grand quickly. I know the pinch every penny thing, but was wondering what jobs could be done with no prior education and make money quickly

 

This is my list so far, in no particular order.

 

Jobs at a mill (they all seem to go pretty quickly, and pay a fair wage)

Crane opperator (I have an in here, good money, however to drive one on the road in BC you need to be 19, and I was hoping to be flying by then.)

Oil riggin' (have some friends that do this, they claim to be making some serious coin, and I was thinking about it, but was discouraged by some other people)

Various construction jobs (im already certified to drive pretty much anything with forks. and will bang nails, or paint fences if thats what it takes.)

 

Anything more, or care to elaborate on why I should(nt) do certain jobs?

 

Really looking for advice here, this will decide how fast I get to be an unemployed door pounding machine.

 

Cole B)

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Guest plumber
Ok, so I have been seriously looking into ways to save up for helicopter training. Since nocking off relatives is out of the question, I was wondering what would be a good way to save up 50-60 grand quickly. I know the pinch every penny thing, but was wondering what jobs could be done with no prior education and make money quickly

 

This is my list so far, in no particular order.

 

Jobs at a mill (they all seem to go pretty quickly, and pay a fair wage)

Crane opperator (I have an in here, good money, however to drive one on the road in BC you need to be 19, and I was hoping to be flying by then.)

Oil riggin' (have some friends that do this, they claim to be making some serious coin, and I was thinking about it, but was discouraged by some other people)

Various construction jobs (im already certified to drive pretty much anything with forks. and will bang nails, or paint fences if thats what it takes.)

 

Anything more, or care to elaborate on why I should(nt) do certain jobs?

 

Really looking for advice here, this will decide how fast I get to be an unemployed door pounding machine.

 

Cole B)

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