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Whats Fair For A Wrench?


ktown
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3 nights work, 1 section per night

 

This is what I always do. 6 or 7 hrs over three nights then do paperwork during the day. If i'm in the field working on the machine everyday it would probably be less. This is with no help by the way. I'm currently doing this right now on a jetbox. Rain got the best of me last night and only got 4.5 hrs in.

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I'll probably get myself in trouble for jumping in here, being nothing more than a simple 206 driver, but it's a subject of interest to me. The original post was concerning engineer pay scales and evolved into skill sets`and ability. It has always seemed to me that an engineer should receive no less pay than the pilot on the machine to which he is assigned. 'Apprentice' pilots, those with less than 1000 hrs, get the same flight pay as a driver with 10000, on the same machine, they just get their jobs more carefully chosen. IF the Chief Pilot is able to do his job and not get overruled by upper management, but that's another thread. It gets complicated when an engineer is rotated through the fleet, working on several different types, some flying high hours, others not, spending time on the road driving from place to place, often in his own vehicle and still having to do occasional stints in the head office hangar, with management types joggling his elbow as he works. They work on types for which they are trained but not endorsed, or whatever that qualification is, and expected to 'suck it up'. They work on machines assigned to a pilot-engineer, an entity who may be competent as an engineer or not, but will insist on splitting flight pay. Or not. They work on the helicopter all night and are expected to assist on the job all day. Engineers simply do not get paid enough, even in the 'better' companies. Thankfully, I drive the safest aircraft in the world and have the best guys looking at it to make sure it stays that way. I think they deserve a lot more than they are getting. I'd hate to be the guy that had to devise the pay scale though. I'd get fired. Or shot by the other pilots.

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I've only done one 100hr on a Bell 206 and it took about three days with an experienced engineer (who's been at it as I am old) with my help. That's in between people stopping by, answering phones, tracking down an oil leak. This was in a hangar setting and the engineer has a reputation for being anal about everything.

 

I think half the time was spent buttoning up the tail rotor gearbox cowling - whoever designed that needs a talking to :)

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BHP206 that sure was a lot of writing just to say that engineers don't get paid enough. :lol: You definitaly are a pilot. :lol:

 

Yeah, I do tend to rave a bit don't I? I just think that engineers are not only underpaid, they are overworked, underappreciated and often disrespected. IMHO.

BP

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I'm 5+ yrs on type (mediums) and get $300/day, plus about $30 field pay and expenses. Flight pay is $60/hour for the 2x12's - no guarantees unless the job has mins.

 

Days are long, nights are longer. The Company and I make should money when the machine is flying so if I was going to hussle for a rainse it would be in the flight pay: I'd like it around $100/hr for mediums - this is my overtime bonus.

 

There is no way to make an assessment of hours worked, hours on call, hours of paperwork, hours fuelling, hours of driving. I am working in the field (anywhere from Arctic to Ontario to Alberta) for six or so months of the year three weeks on one off, and in the hangar or the occasional winter job for the rest.

 

Last year I was in the field for about half the year, by days, and went the rest of my 240 or so days in the hangar. Made almost $100k, wish it were about $120 for the time spent away form home.

 

I also agree with the pilot who said that engineers are underpaid and underappreciated.

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