Era Alaska & PenAir

I would love to be a PenAir guy - but they don't pay enough in the right seat, and the 135 side is long gone... :-(

The industry is changing up here, things aren't what they were.
 
ppragman said:
The industry is changing up here, things aren't what they were.
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Do you think for the better or worse?

It is interesting to hear how things have changed from people that have been up here for years. The Captain I was flying with last week used to fly the Twin Otters and Convairs for ERA. That sounds like it was a cool gig. I also flew with the Oddball PIlot.
 
ppragman said:
It is getting safer - but I am unsure if a guy can make a living and support a family at it like you could 20 years ago.
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I can see that. I did pretty good sitting in the right seat last year. Unfortunately it took a 3 and 1 schedule to do it. A Hageland 1900 copilot could make the same money working 2 and 2. The pay scales need to be updated out here. Especially at my job. It takes flying the 207 for four years to make what a Hageland driver makes in year one.

And I will agree it is getting safer. These GPS approaches are wonderful. Shot a GPS approach with vertical guidance to minimums in Gambell the other day. Makes a world of a difference when the sky is white, runway is white, and ground is white.
 
ASpilot2be said:
I can see that. I did pretty good sitting in the right seat last year. Unfortunately it took a 3 and 1 schedule to do it. A Hageland 1900 copilot could make the same money working 2 and 2. The pay scales need to be updated out here. Especially at my job. It takes flying the 207 for four years to make what a Hageland driver makes in year one.

And I will agree it is getting safer. These GPS approaches are wonderful. Shot a GPS approach with vertical guidance to minimums in Gambell the other day. Makes a world of a difference when the sky is white, runway is white, and ground is white.
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Now you just have to teach the pilots how to fly IFR.
 
z987k said:
Now you just have to teach the pilots how to fly IFR.
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Hahaha. This new Captain I am flying with is a really great instrument pilot. The GPS is new to him though. Since I am the mist experienced right seater I am flying with him. But I love flying with him and hearing stories of flying the Convair and Twin Otter.
 
Rudabega said:
Well, the schedule at my second employer up there wasn't as good as the two on two off and it was wearing on my personal relationship. I took a job I didn't want flying brown boxes in a green Metro to save my relationship. It worked but man do I miss Alaska. My first job up there was at Yute, I sent a résumé to every operator in Alaska and the shotgun approach worked. The interview was over the phone and I was in ground school a few weeks later.

The time off at my first job was great for traveling, my wife was studying for the MCAT at the time and we would get away for a quick trip every month to unwind.
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Very cool it really does sound like a fantastic job for a young motivated individual.
 
ASpilot2be said:
Hahaha. This new Captain I am flying with is a really great instrument pilot. The GPS is new to him though. Since I am the mist experienced right seater I am flying with him. But I love flying with him and hearing stories of flying the Convair and Twin Otter.
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When do you start flying the 207?
 
ppragman said:
It is getting safer - but I am unsure if a guy can make a living and support a family at it like you could 20 years ago.
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Yah, all the old geezers running things think that 50,000 a year is still good money like it was 20 years ago when they started.
 
Hmm ya I split a house with my brother and pay 300/mo in Ohio. On second thought you keep your 50 grand, white out conditions and single engine piston over remote wilderness. ;)
 
Roger Roger said:
doesn't go far when a tiny one bedroom apartment rents for close to 1100/month. Don't get started on milk or gas....
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Did someone mention the price of food?
 

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alaskadrifter said:
Did someone mention the price of food?
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Holy crap attack! My wife would have to get a job just so we could eat. Good grief. I knew it was expensive, but that's worse than Maui prices. I remember last year a gallon of milk was almost 10 clams there and I about had a coronary right in the dairy aisle.
 
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