Aerial Mapping Job

Thinice

Twinkie Driver
Just passing this along. Happened to be looking around and found the posting. Looks like low minimums. I don't know much about the company other than what's on their website. As far as I know it's year round with multi-week deployments. Happens to be based out of my home field. Good luck to all.

David

http://www.controlcam.com/jobs/
 
I talked with them a while back when I was looking for a job. Sounded like a good gig but I ended up getting something else. I think it was basically 2 weeks on 2 weeks off. Fly 2 man crew in C210, They do have one ME airplane, I think it was a beechcraft duchess. They fly all over the US. Based out of Jacksonville FL. Seemed like a good operation from everyone that I talked to there.
 
I'm currently flying for them now. Good operation. If anyone has any questions, drop me a line and I'll do my best to answer them. Schedule is 2 to 4 weeks on with 1 to 2 weeks off. It all varies based on Mx, Wx, and your schedule. Salaried pay plus pretty decent per diem. We fly the lower 48 plus Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada so you will definitely see all 4 seasons and get plenty of mountain, cold weather, and adverse Wx experience.
 
I'm currently flying for them now. Good operation. If anyone has any questions, drop me a line and I'll do my best to answer them. Schedule is 2 to 4 weeks on with 1 to 2 weeks off. It all varies based on Mx, Wx, and your schedule. Salaried pay plus pretty decent per diem. We fly the lower 48 plus Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada so you will definitely see all 4 seasons and get plenty of mountain, cold weather, and adverse Wx experience.
What are their minimums? I am currently flying C-206 doing mapping full time. Is this a contract or seasonal position or full time year round? Also, if it's a contract position can you be home based or do you have to relocate to Jacksonville?
 
Okay, I wasn't expecting the flood of PMs so I will answer what I can think of on here...

Hiring Minimums:
There are no real "minimums" per se other than commercial single engine but the days of getting hired with less than 500 to 600 hours are pretty much gone. I was hired on with just less than 1,000TT and we recently had a guy apply with 4,000TT, previous 135, and turbine experience. Don't let that discourage you though, I started applying here when I had right around 300 hours and kept updating my resume every 2 to 3 months. It took almost a year before I got a call for an interview. That being said don't call the CP once a week because that won't get you hired.

Pay:
Base salary for your first 6 months is roughly $1500 p/month and goes up to $1800 p/month after your first 6 months. Sounds low but where you make up for it is in the per diem. Per diem is roughly $50 to $60 p/day while you are on the road with most trips averaging around 2 weeks. There are also a lot of opportunities to make a bonus as well. We get bonuses for everything from self-serving gas to staying under budget for hotels and rental cars. You will sign an 18 month contract and the company will pay you a $2000 bonus upon completion of this contract. Additionally, upon completion of the 18 month contract, if you give them a 30 day notice before you quit they will pay you another $2000 bonus. Including per diem, bonuses, and salary you should average around $2500 to $3000 p/month.

Schedule:
Most trips as I stated above are about 2 weeks long. My longest so far though has been about a month. I have heard stories from some of the guys who have been with the company for a while of being stuck out on a trip for 2+ months for Wx, Mx, schedule changes etc though, so anything can happen. Best bet is to not make any plans until you have solid confirmation you are going to be home. Time off is normally about a week and a half to 2 weeks between trips. That can change though. I've been gone for a month, had 5 days off then turned around and had another trip for almost a month. I had almost 3 weeks off between my last trip and the one I'm currently on though so it all varies.

Quality of Life:
While we are on trips, we share a room with the other pilot we fly with. We don't have any real say in who we want to fly with but everyone realizes that we are basically sharing rooms together so everyone gives it the ole college try and tries to be easy to get along with. Obviously there are pilots in the company I'd prefer to fly with but everyone I've been paired with so far has been easy enough to get along with and I haven't had any issues. A lot of times we try and stay at Extended Stays and Homewood Suites so each pilot either has their own room or we have plenty of personal space. We also try and stay at places that offer free breakfast or free dinner to help out as well. Every 10 days each pilot can get their own hotel room. And once a week the company will pay for you to go see a movie or buy a PPV movie in the room. Hotel rooms, rental cars, and taxis are paid for by the company.

The Flying:
This is some of the most fun I've had flying professionally. We do most of our work from a low altitude and we fly all over the lower 48, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada so you will get to see the country from a perspective that most do not. As with anything involving low-level work you have to learn to deal with the heat in the summer and the turbulence. After a while though you barely seem to notice either. Most days you will fly anywhere from 2 to 5 hours normally. Some days more. You will build a lot of mountain, Cxc, actual IMC, and night time. We do a lot of work on the backside of the clock so you can expect some trips to have a lot of night flying. Usually from midnight to 6am. That can be a rough adjustment for some guys but it really isn't too bad once you get used to it. The worst trips are those that have a mix of day and night work because your internal clock gets all out of wack. But, the company does it's best to limit those kinds of trips. Once you have been with company for a while you will get the chance to fly in the Beechcraft Duchess if you are looking to build some Multi-engine time.

Aircraft:
We fly Cessna 210s and a Beechcraft Duchess. The 210s are fun and easy to fly and they handle just like a 172 but with a slightly heavier nose (remember to use lots of trim on landing). For work in the Rockies we have Turbo 210s and on board O2. We have some 210s with tip tanks so you can realistically have about 6 hours of gas (which can also mean longer flights if you have a lot of work to do that day). All of the aircraft have G430Ws and have steam gauges. No autopilots and we frequently fly in IMC (not hard IMC while we are working but we will usually commute between jobs even in hard IMC) so be prepared to become IFR proficient. I've shot more approaches in low-vis, low ceilings, and in adverse Wx at unfamiliar airports than I ever thought I would this soon in my aviation career. It is fun but at the same time it can be challenging (and even scary at times) so be prepared for that. Anyone who looks down their nose at you and your 210 when you pull up to the FBO has never flown a little 210 through thunderstorms and all sorts of crap Wx (sometimes in the mountains) with no radar, no NEXRAD, and no autopilot. This is real flying. You will learn a lot and it can make you a good pilot. Do not think though that you will be pushed to make unsafe decisions in the face of incremental weather. Quite the contrary, the company leaves the decisions with such things 100% up to you and you will never, EVER catch any grief for not flying in bad weather if you don't feel it is safe.

Maintenance:
The aircraft are maintained in good condition. The company depends on them as much as they do you so you better believe they take good care of them. If you ever have a Mx issue while your on a trip the company is awesome about just telling you to get it fixed where you are. We don't fly unsafe equipment and we are never asked to.

Hope this helps anyone interested in applying! Good luck and safe flying!
 
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Are there still any openings? This sounds like my kind of a gig!
We have a bit of a "revolving door" when it comes to pilots. Some guys have been here for years and others fulfill the contract and move on. Some leave sooner for other reasons. I'd say we need to hire 2 to 3 new pilots every few months or so. Apply and if you don't hear anything don't be discouraged. Update your resume every few months and you will hopefully get noticed. Unfortunately I do not know if positions are open or have been filled. We have a good size fleet and about 20 or so pilots at any given time. It is not unusual to work here for a year and still not have met everyone.
 
And just to add, the company prefers guys to live relatively close to Jacksonville, FL. Usually within a 4 or 5 hour drive (closer than that is preferred). We do have a couple guys that live farther but they have been with the company for quite a while and I would consider them the exception, not the rule.
 
And just to add, the company prefers guys to live relatively close to Jacksonville, FL. Usually within a 4 or 5 hour drive (closer than that is preferred). We do have a couple guys that live farther but they have been with the company for quite a while and I would consider them the exception, not the rule.
So SFL (Ft laud) is within that range then based on the time limit?
 
Just an update to the info I posted a while back...

The company is no longer offering a $2000 bonus for giving them a 30 day notice that you are quitting after your initial 18 month contract is up. They are now offering a $2000 bonus to sign a 12 month contract after the initial 18 month contract had been completed.
 
Just an update to the info I posted a while back...

The company is no longer offering a $2000 bonus for giving them a 30 day notice that you are quitting after your initial 18 month contract is up. They are now offering a $2000 bonus to sign a 12 month contract after the initial 18 month contract had been completed.

Who would fly a C210 for over 2 years at $1500 a month base salary?
 
Please tell me you aren't considering this?!?!?! 1500$ base?
Per Diem works out to about $50 p/day and with bonuses included (not just the $2000 bonuses) it works out to about $35k p/year. And you actually spend less money on things like food while you on the road so per Diem gets pocketed. Not bad for flying a 210 around for what basically equals 6 to 8 months out of a year. When the trip I'm currently on ends next week I will have only worked to what equals about 3 weeks in the last 3 months. Holidays off etc... I have been off from December 11th until January 14th, and I'll be off from February 1st until sometime in earl march. Not bad considering I'm collecting a paycheck that whole time. I know a lot of guys view per Diem differently (as far as considering it income is concerned), but I'm making more after taxes than my friend making 35k first year salary to right seat in a jet. Definitely not a bad gig and I work less and make more than I did instructing.
 
it gives me time for my 3rd job.
................................................ I think pilotdw was alluding to the fact that if they pay was.... a little more stellar, that 3rd job would be unnecessary but hey to each his own this isn't a breadwinning career by any means
 
................................................ I think pilotdw was alluding to the fact that if they pay was.... a little more stellar, that 3rd job would be unnecessary but hey to each his own this isn't a breadwinning career by any means
It isn't necessary. It is merely supplemental. I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoy each of my jobs and I am passionate about all of them. And I think 35K isn't too bad to fly a 210. It isn't rocket science and the work isn't hard. We aren't pushed to make unsafe decisions and are pretty much our own bosses on the road. All in all it is a pretty "cake" job as far as this industry is concerned. There is a reason we've had guys stay for 10+ years in some cases. But I will agree with you on one thing, this is a hard career to turn into a breadwinner! ;)
 
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