Job Prospects For A Low Hour Pilot

[Tanton]

Hi there everyone!

 

Im wondering what the industry is like for a (foreign) pilot who has completed their licence recently. That is, a pilot with less than roughly 130hrs?.

 

To give some more detail, I am the holder of an Australian CPL(H) and hoping to have it converted by the end of March. Prior to spending the time, money and effort however, I would like to know how green the grass is here in Canada so to speak.

 

Before anyone asks I am already here with a visa after having completed my undergrad, so I am very flexible.

 

I am eager to hear any information you all have to offer!

[just looking]

All i can say is good luck. There are a pile of low time pilots here in Canada with more then 500 hours that can't get jobs. Its the age old story can't get a job because i don't have enough hours. Can't get any hours because i can't get a job. Companies are getting better insurance rates if they hire pilots with 1,000 plus hours and a lot of Mineral and Oil companies are demanding 1,500 hours.

 

There are a pile of pilots with thousands of hours that are lobbying the Canadian Government to stop giving Visa's to foreign pilots. As even some high timers are having a trouble getting jobs as foreign pilots will come in and work for less for the experience.

[R0T0R]

Hi Tanton,

 

Have you considered spending some time chasing bovine in Oz then making your way here to get utility experience once you've broken that magical 1500 mark? It's a competitive market up here and there are very strict requirements stated above that will be significant barriers for you. The investment to convert may not be worth it yet with such a deep pool of low time pilot to pick from.

 

Best of luck wherever you and up!

 

R

[shakey]

I know alot of Canadian guys out of work with 2500 plus hrs. If a 130 hr foriegn pilot gets hired there is something seriously wrong with our immigration dept!

[Skidz]

Good luck Tanton. With 130 hours, you may be lucky to find a ground crew job, but don't expect to fly much, if at all. In this business, it's all about being at the right place at the right time. You won't find a low-timer job on the INternet. You have to pound the pavement, visit companies, make a good impression.

 

The most successful approach I've seen is for lowtimers to visit a bunch of companies, find one they like, move to wherever the company is located, get a job locally doing whatever (rampie or fuel man at the local airport is a popular one), and drop in to visit at the company's hangar on a regular basis (without making a nuisance of yourself). With a little bit of good timing and luck, you may happen to either A: Make a great impression and come to the chief pilot or ops manager's mind when they need someone or B: Happen to be visiting when that phone call comes in and they need someone NOW.

 

It's a crap shoot at best, but unfortunately, in these slow times it's about the best you can hope for. Everyone I talk to says it's gonna be another slow year as far as mining exploration goes, so there won't be enough work to keep everyone busy again this year. Expect more "consolidation" and closures this year...

[Hazy]

I can second the slow exploration sentiment. Currently on day 2 of Roundup, and it does not look great...

[AussieAz]

g'day mate I'm an Aussie living over here in Can. I moved over here in 2011 and did my CPL h training I sorted a working visa and did a bit of ground work for my school in 2012 .This season I'll continue on the ground but possibly do a bit of flying by the end of it. My advice if it's worth anything find a company to do your training and then never leave:) just hang around til you get a job!! Persistence is the key , and a few years of waiting!!

[arcticscot]

I have to say that the advice from Skidz is probably the best advice you can get. It worked exactly like that for me - and that was nearly 50 years ago. Not much has changed since then...

[Whitestone]

There have been lots of threads and advice over the years here and if you do a search you can probably find them about finding work as a newcomer but in a nut shell Skidz post and "arcticscot's" second of it gets my vote.

 

If you run into Darksidelogger out there you better be able to add and spell ! ha ha

 

Good luck to everyone who has seen their license through, it's a tough slog the first few years and a reasonable time line for flying full time is about 5 years or so from what i have seen with some exceptions.

 

W.