Maintenance Staff

[212wrench]

why would i sit on a base looking after 3 lights for 75000 when I can work on one medium and make the same cash?

Keep giving 206's away for $500/hr wet and see what kind of wages and employees you manage to get.

[helimat]

I believe pay is second to family for most people, and that is why I think the cross shift is great for both parties. The engineers can live were they want, while the company has great coverage. That being said, obviously experience counts, but I think we should at least try to catch up to other trades, if not pass, where a freshly ticketed person can make upwards of $25 an hour plus overtime, and they get to be home every night and have the weekends off...

 

That's my 75,000 bucks worth! :afro:

 

why would i sit on a base looking after 3 lights for 75000 when I can work on one medium and make the same cash?

 

I would rather be at a nice warm base with three little ones than out in the frozen muskeg with one big greasy beast! :blur:

[ray]

Sooooooo, getting tired of field work, Ray?

 

Did I say that out loud?

[displayname]

i like this topic.... i think that what i hear, is that it dosn't matter if you work on a base or in the field. pay should be close to the same. if you are on a base, normaly chasing ops gear for the field guys and getting things shipped out. so it is a team thing. As far as how high pay should go. i am not an accountant and there has to be a top end. working in a good enviorment and team thing is most important. if i do a field rotation. like to know when i am out. not around, but when.

allows me to have a life at home. make plans as such. nice to have the money for sure, but a good workplace is first to me.

flight pay, no flight pay, away from base, no away from base. make the T4 at the end of the year the same. like i said earlier. you all pay the same within

make one welcome and you got a long term guy

[amodao]

Thread's coming along nicely! Need more specifics in regards to pay!

[thekingshead]

I agree with Ray,

 

To keep field engineers happy it's not a question of just money, it's the life style! With that being said going away for 4 weeks and coming home for 2 at a time doesn't leave you much time to be social let alone have a family or maintain an active relationship with someone. I worked alot of 4 and 2 and got crusty after 2 weeks, in some cases bye week 3 to 4 my give a #### factor was minimum. It amazes me to see companies keep engineers out in the field all summer because no matter how keen you are to make cash your tired mentally and proper maintenance is being overlooked no matter how much you disagree. It has alot to do with the man power shortage but some companies enjoy the money they save not having to do crew changes.

My fav rotation was 2 and 2 and the company stuck to it and had my replacement there when the two weeks was up, in my books that goes along way.

With big companies like Heli-one down in Richmond sucking up alot of experience personel to work on the fleet coming thru to get up graded or refurbed it's is contributing to the shortage. From what I have been told from a couple buddies you can work your own shifts, 5 day weeks or 4 10's and have 3 days off everyweek. Let alone be home everynight and have a life, kind of hard for some little operator to compete with that. Plus the people down there are working on some of newest aircraft AB139,super puma's, 61 and 76. Not a hard choice for me to make, up to my knees in muskeg or snow at minus -40 doing 18 hrs shifts or working in a warm hanger making almost the same amount of money and sleeping in my own bed everynight.MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM thats a hard one!

Another big factor which doesn't seem to exist in alot of companies is retirement or pension contributions. Appreantly aviaiton is to good for that or maybe letting a jetbox out at 550hr wet does not allow extra funding for companies to put make money into the people who are out there doing the maintenance and keeping the aircraft maintained or flying. Need to be RRSP smart with this industry.

Think being an electrician is the way to go for anyone thinking of starting into this wonderful industry.If only I came to my senses a few years earlier!

Wish I choose another TRADE

[Guest Bullet Remington]

Here's my perspective, anybody and everybody call feel free to differ.

 

Do bear in mind that I'm so old, when I was told I was over the hill, I thought it was a speed bump.

 

I have retired three times (Nope, i ain't over 60 yet.) but I am in a good position, so good that even if I don't ever work again, i still clear over 55,000.00 tax free.

 

I went over to the dark side for 5 years, and packed that in. Yes, it was great being home very night and getting to watch my son grow up.

 

BUT, the routine drives me crazy! It's too freakin predictable. I knew what I'd be doing 3 months, six months and a year down the road. Same crap, day in and day out.

 

I have gone back to doing contracts. BUT, I chose who and where I work. If one so or any of the employers pee in my porridge, I'm done! period.

 

I have been on this one contract now, and I'm home every night, for over a month. I'll stay as long as the company treats me right (and thy have been) gives me what I need to do my job (and they have), and leaves me alone to do my job without interference (and they have)

 

AND, I get what I wanted for pay. (And I do) On the same token, i have and still do get unsolicited job offers from not only across Canada, but Europe and the Caribe as well. As a matter of choice, I'm taking two weeks off this month to go down to Barbados to set up a Plank company for a conglometrate there.

 

I charge the same day rate, whether I'm home every night, or doing a bush tour. The only difference is, when I do bush tours, I charge per deiums. I don't care if its a camp job, I charge per dieums. I don't give a fiddler's fug about flight pay, UNLES I'm on Heavies. Then I charge that too.

 

My day rate? For lights its $500.00 a day. I don't care if its a 500, 206 or an Astar. If its a tour, I charge $60.00 a day per deiums., plus milage and expenses. The per dieums I charge in advance. If the contract ends early, or I have to come out early, I return the "un-used" per deiums to the company. They trusted me, I return the trust.

 

If I tell them I'll stay for X amount of time I stay. If I don't think I can give them the amount of time, I' tell them in advance. If we come to an agreement, super. If we don't that fine as well.

 

If I'm workin heavies, I charge $1000.00 a day, Flight pay of $100.00 per hour (minimum of 3 hours daily) and per dieum of $60.00 per day. Plus, I charge a signing bonus. If I gotta do an inspection, I charge extra for it.

 

Do I go out for less. Ocassionally, but only for companies who employ managers I know and trust. One of them has been mentioned here in another thread. I know the DOM of that company very well, and trust him. He's never screwed me around and I don't believe he ever will. Plus, we're friends.

 

I agree with several of the posters that its not all about the money. Having said that, I have been burned in the past by operators AND DOMs alike. Those that I know and trust, put the same trust in me, and they know I will be accountable.

 

To date, I don't have a problem getting work, folks are calling me. I like to think its because they know they can count on me to get things done correctly.

 

But then again, it could be just sympathy because I'm old, ugly and crippled. I dunno.

 

Is there a shortage of qualified and experienced people to wrench bend? **** yeah! I suppose, and I could be wrong, it maybe caused by all the young whipper snappers wanting to start out, right outa school, making top dollar.

 

I dunno. I could be wrong. I have been know to make a couple of mistakes in this rodeo!

 

OK, I posted my prices, anybody else got the scoop on what they are making?? Am I low? Or too high??

 

Comments anybody?

 

Oh, Amado, i would consider Richmond, but my day rates would have to go up drasticly!!

[Blackmac]

I have a nephew who works for AC as a "S" AME $38/hr plus benefits and an airline pass.

 

Why would a person coming out of Tech School go to the helicopter "bush" industry??????

 

 

Cheers, Don

[displayname]

nice to see some # up there.

here is a listing of 7 companies (not named) and all based either day rate or full time. tour comparison is a 6-2 just to compare full time monthly to day rates.

 

A: 250/day, 32 f/p, 30 a/base

B: 375/day.-------------------

C: 300/day, 5 f/p fleet

D: 275/day, 30 f/p, 25 a/base

E: 4700/ month, 500 signout, ( may have to share)

F: 72,000/ year flat

 

so if the above person is at 500/flat day +++

i think that is pretty good.

 

some of the above also had company benifits. which should also be considered.

 

happy hunting, like to hear more of rates for sure

[Bellcrank]

The Canadian and USA governments have recently signed a bilateral agreement to allow pilots to cross the border and work within certain requirements.

When the Nafta agreement was signed, aircraft techs (A.M.E. Mech. Etc.) were labled as unskilled blue collar workers. Therefore unable to cross the border and work unless they are with a company for at least 1 year and then apply for a L1 or L2 visa. The Canadian labor board have slotted the aircraft engineers in with otis elevator repairman and other so called unskilled laborers.

The carpenters, plumbers and electricians are classifed as a red seal trade, which means they are a recognized trade (skilled labour) by the Canadian government. Those trades wages begin at $30.00+ an hour and go up from there. Aircraft engineers are not recognized as skilled labour so no border crossing with out difficulty. It is unfortunate that it takes a severe shortage of engineers to get the money up to where it should be, but it still doesn't close the public perception gap between engineers and pilots. Engineers by nature are can do it people, they will take on a problem and solve it with vigor.

I propose that we make the government and public realize we are a very skilled labour force.

The howls of inconvenience will be heard all the way to Ottawa, if aircraft engineers did not work for just 1 day. It is then A.M.E.s will be recognized as skilled labour force such as our partners the pilots.