Cessna 401/402 Aerial Survey Pilots

TripleSticks

TripleSticks

Well-Known Member
Cessna 401/402 Aerial Survey Pilots

Company: Oasis Services, Inc.

Location: Peachtree City, GA. Pilots do not need to live in the area.

Required Travel: Extensive travel required

Job Type: Contract pilot. Full time positions are available if everything works out.

Description: Pilots needed for rapidly growing aerial surveying company based just south of Atlanta, Ga. Job requires extensive travel to all parts of the United States as well as some travel out of the country. Pilot must be able to operate the Cessna 401/402 in a single pilot setting and fly precise lines for the mapping equipment. It is also necessary to be able to get along with co-workers, FSS, and ATC. Flexibility and adaptability to changes are a part of the job and must be handled with ease. Trained pilot pay is $200 per day plus all expenses. Normal schedule is 20 days on and 10 days off. Contractors can work more than 20 days on if they want.

Requirements: Fixed Wing Commercial Multi-Engine Rating. IFR Current.
Minimum open insurance requirements: 2000 TT/1000 ME.
We will consider pilots with 1000 TT/500 ME.

Contact Information: Bob Shelton: oasis@flyoasis.net, bshelton@flyoasis.net

Preferred Response Method: Please send a resume and short cover letter with your contact information to both email addresses listed above. Your resume can be in word format or just pasted in to the email. We will contact you for an interview.
 
It's not as bad as it sounds but it is a pretty long time to be on. I enjoy the job so the schedule isn't too bad. I definitely had reservations about it in the beginning. The nice thing is that the pay is decent for a relatively low time position. Don't look at the open insurance hours as what you will need. They will work with the insurance to get good pilots on. I walked in with 800/250 and they worked with me. I know for a fact that they don't want to have to do that all the time. But I think if the right person comes in they will work with them.

To meet the insurance I had to have 25 hours in type, a BFR and IPC in type as well as Cessna 400 series training. They paid for it all. In fact. They paid me to do it. I was paid the training wage while I went through all those things. Like I said though. I doubt they will do that for everyone. I just got lucky because I was in the right place at the right time.

The job is definitely not for everyone. If you can't be gone a long time it's not going to be a position that you would like. But if you don't mind it... it's pretty neat. You get to go all over the place to work and you get to actually stay for a while. I'm in Santa Fe, NM right now. It's a pretty cool city. We've gone out when the weather has been bad. Done some 4-wheeling in the mountains. All kinds of stuff. But.... I am ready to go home and see the better half by the time my shift is over.

The other nice thing about it is the hours. I'm racking up hours like they're going out of style. A job like this will definitely help the resume for those of us who aren't interested in an airline position.
 
There's planes all over the country so you will do one of two things. If the plane is already where the job is, they will fly you from wherever you are to the job site on a commercial airline. You'll work and then they will fly you back. If the plane is in Peachtree City and has to go to the job site then they will fly you to Peachtree City and you will fly it out to the job site. When your time is up or the job is done you will either fly it back to Peachtree City or on to the next job site. Then they get you home on a commercial airline. If you don't live in the area I wouldn't count on flying the planes from PTC to the job sites all that often. There's enough of us that live close by to do that. I would count on taking a commercial airline to the job and then working when you get there.

Training pay is $100 per day. The training is pretty slim for people who already have time in the plane. If you know all about a 402 then the only thing you have to learn is how to get on and fly the lines and how to do the required paperwork (on the computer). You can learn that stuff pretty quickly so the training isn't very extensive. I was the exception to the rule because I had to have all the experience in the plane before I could go out to work by myself.

Getting on and stayng on the lines is harder than it sounds but once you figure it out it's not that tough. You're required to stay within 100 feet altitude and 150 each side of the centerline. There's different types of tracking systems with every camera setup but they're not hard to understand after you do it for a little while. The toughest thing is the old school systems. You have to get on the lines and track with the Garmin but it's still not all that bad. I just make them routes and zoom way in. I miss a line every now and then but I haven't been doing it that long.

By the way.... I definitely don't have all the answers. I work at the place but I've only been there for a few months. To get solid info you will have to email Bob. He's a busy guy though. I think he's out doing a job in Panama right now.
 
I think I'd dig this gig. I have 1170TT and 40 multi. Would I have a shot at this?
 
Yes... it is a contract job to start but they do hire full time pilots.

Contractors do not have benifits and taxes are not taken out of the check. We get a 1099 at the end of the year.

I assume that full time pilots do get benifits and have taxes taken out of the check. They might get a different pay rate as well but I don't actually know the answer to that question.
 
KLB, With 40 multi I don't think you would have a shot. Insurance didn't really like me with only 250 multi. That's why I had to jump through all the hoops. I don't know what kinds of planes you have been flying but it's a lot more plane than a trainer twin (seneca, duchess) and I don't think insurance would allow it.
 
SpiraMirabilis said:
20 days on? Brutal!
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yeah but think of what you can do with 10 days off in a row...:insane:

I know with only 3 days off in a row I'm not ready to get out there and work again. With 10 days off/month in a row you could easily take a cruise, vacation, etc. every month.

If I lived in ATL I would definately quit the regionals and try and get on. Sounds like a good gig (I like the "all expenses paid part :)).

Furthermore, it sounds like aerial survey is where the $$ is these days...I wonder how much they are making (the company that is). I took up a photographer back when I worked in NJ and he was making $5k-$6k per DAY doing it...we are all doing something wrong here :).
 
Wheelsup,

Bob wanted me to stress that it's not necessary to live in the Atlanta area for this job. You would probably have to come to train but you can live anywhere. They would just fly you from wherever you are to the job site and you would work. Then they would fly you home.

Of course... you're not flying jets. But Oasis does have Lears. Just no openings for Lear pilots at this time.

j
 
johnt1969 said:
Wheelsup,

Bob wanted me to stress that it's not necessary to live in the Atlanta area for this job. You would probably have to come to train but you can live anywhere. They would just fly you from wherever you are to the job site and you would work. Then they would fly you home.

Of course... you're not flying jets. But Oasis does have Lears. Just no openings for Lear pilots at this time.

j
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thanks for the heads up. the only thing I care about is QOL and the paycheck :) If I could make $150k/yr flying cirrus I'd do it.
 
dont forget this is contract so at the end of the year you'd be paying double taxes.
So after putting away for taxes you'd prolly end up with a take home around low 30's.
 
wheelsup said:
the only thing I care about is QOL and the paycheck :)
Click to expand...

And AC. That's all I need, it the Q.O.L. and the paycheck, and AC, and I don't need anything else.

And Radar. That's all I need, it the Q.O.L. and the paycheck, and AC, and radar, and I don't need anything else.

:sarcasm:
 
Texasspilot said:
dont forget this is contract so at the end of the year you'd be paying double taxes.
So after putting away for taxes you'd prolly end up with a take home around low 30's.
Click to expand...

I think the only taxes that are double are social security (fica) and medicare?

You'd pay 12.4% (instead of 6.20%) for fica and 2.9% (instead of 1.45%) for medicare. Essentially 7.65% more in tax.

The federal withholdings would still be the same.

But I've never dealt with these directly, I just throw in my stuff into turbotax and it does the rest :). But that's my understanding of the tax code...(does ANYONE understand it???).
 
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