Ice pilots

[Nark]

It’s popped on my YouTube feed as of late.

I have a love/hate for the show. It’s pretty cool to see the old jalopy’s flying. Drives me nuts to watch the rampies get shit on. Brings back fond memories of freezing my ass off in Stony Rapids slinging fuel and bags for the brothers who ran the show.

Leaving there in 2004 was the best decision ever made for me. Times were certainly tough after 9/11 for an aspiring pilot with no experience.

Having carved a different adventure in the fall of 2004 and given up on the happenings of AvCanuckland.
What’s the pulse of the industry for young aviators trying to crack that nut?
Is swamping much of a thing anymore? (Not sure what the hiring is like for the regionals and mainlines in Canada, but down here if you can fog a mirror, you can fly a jet).


Anyway, Merry Christmas to all, and I need to stop watching YouTube and get back to working on the Beech.

[mcrit]

As of right now, things are pretty good. Most of the newly minted pilots I know have gotten a flying job, either air taxi, survey or pop and chips runs up north. Fairly short dwell time in the first job until they get regionals or better. However, I’m not sure how long it will stay that way. Next year likely to look very different given the way the economy is going.

[Nark]

I was eugoogling buffalo’s fleet. Sacrilegious of me to say, but warming up radials in -40 isn’t appealing. I’d take their king air 100 and 90’s over the big radials.

This is assuming I ever worked there.

When I get fired, not “if,” I’m going to go fly a caravan in Costa Rica or Belize.

[TundraTire]

Never been a better time for a new pilot. Even companies that have a "ramp to flight" program, are checking out their ramp pilots almost right away.

It takes a special person to tolerate Buffalo.

[Slick Goodlin]

I applied to Buffalo back when the ink was still wet on my CPL and timing-wise I figure I could have been one of the noob pilots in season one… if I hadn’t totally screwed up using the fax machine to send out my resume.

I bet Joe was pissed when a bunch of unsolicited blank sheets came out of the fax on his end.

[Colonel]

Great bunch of guys.



I know there’s lots of hate for Joe, but no one remembers when TC shut them down indefinitely and illegally threatened him that no OC would ever be issued if his name was on it ….

Joe kept paying everyone when they were shut down. He didn’t have to do that, but he did.

PS Mikey said flying with me was the scariest thing he ever did in an airplane. Given his background, that’s high praise.



It’s not easy to succeed in Canada, given the obstacles and overhead. And once you are successful in Canada, there’s an endless stream of venomous hate from some surprising places. Now, why is that?

[TwoCut]

Great bunch of guys.



I know there’s lots of hate for Joe, but no one remembers when TC shut them down indefinitely and illegally threatened him that no OC would ever be issued if his name was on it ….

Joe kept paying everyone when they were shut down. He didn’t have to do that, but he did.

PS Mikey said flying with me was the scariest thing he ever did in an airplane. Given his background, that’s high praise.



It’s not easy to succeed in Canada, given the obstacles and overhead. And once you are successful in Canada, there’s an endless stream of venomous hate from some surprising places. Now, why is that?

It’s a small community this industry and there will always be the high school style drama when one company starts up and / or starts to succeed. Helicopters are about 3-5% of the size of fixed wing if not less (and shrinking) and I can attest to that drama in that end ad nauseam. I’ve never seen an area of aviation with more drama and back stabbing than right here in Canada, we are noted world wide for the “tall poppy syndrome”, and one of the worst if not THE worst for it right here on domestic soil.

[Colonel]

My favorite Canadian tall poppy:



You do realize he’s a Canadian Engineer -went to Queen’s a year after I did - and a pilot with a MIFR that used to own an L39?

Truly remarkable individual. Cannot be cancelled by the haters.

PS my kid bought one of his flamethrowers. Pro tip: MAP gas.

[Colonel]

Anyways, I’ve learned my lesson. Don’t piss off anyone in Canada. Got that



Yes, that’s real.

[Eric Janson]

I was eugoogling buffalo’s fleet. Sacrilegious of me to say, but warming up radials in -40 isn’t appealing. I’d take their king air 100 and 90’s over the big radials.

That used to be my job in Hay River in the morning. Taught me to pay attention to temps and pressures - increasingly a lost art.

Warm up the engines, do the run up and power checks then taxi the aircraft to the terminal for Joe and the passengers to board.

I have a fairly unique CV as a result. Some interesting reactions when people find out where I've worked.