starman2112
Well-Known Member
So i've always wanted to work in Alaska, what sort of minumums can i expect from the average employer? any one out there got any great tales about flying in the final frontier?
So i've always wanted to work in Alaska, what sort of minumums can i expect from the average employer? any one out there got any great tales about flying in the final frontier?
Agree. Also, to get a job up here you pretty much have to either know someone, or move up and start knocking on doors. Many places will hire seasonal people to start in March/April so that would be the most advantageous time to be available. Right now things are slowing down for the long, cold winter and as I understand it you'd have to have pretty good luck to pick up a job here any time between now and spring.1000hrs at a minimum, unless the economy goes crazy to fly 135. Probably more in this market.
Anybody know of a website or websites i can look at some employers?
You're not prepared to fly in Alaska. Nothing you will read will prepare you nor will anything any we say. Forget those romantic notions of being an Alaska pilot, that's a fairy tale plain and simple.
Flying up there is frustrating, cold, wet, dirty, and potentially dangerous. It can be VERY dangerous if you make bad decisions which you will do. Once you start getting the hang of it then it's only marginally more dangerous than any other single engine piston flying. That said, there are certain places where if the engine quits you're pretty much just boned.
The locals are an interesting breed. Be ready to be in cramped quarters with people who don't bathe, have few teeth, and are drunk by 8am. They will complain about EVERYTHING and will let you know what you're doing wrong. Remember, they've been flying these routes for 30-40-50 years.
After reading that you might think I hated Alaska, on the contrary, I loved it. I'm hoping leaving wasn't the biggest mistake I've ever made. It was by far the best experience of my life. The flying is just flying. The winds will gust to 50 and you still have to land. The turbulence will scramble your brains and you will still have to fly. The visibility will be absolute crap and you will still have to find the airport. You will be uncomfortable, miserable, annoyed, and scared out of your mind.
And I loved every second of it.
The friends I made, the people I met, and the skills I developed make me exceedingly proud to have flown in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
As mentioned the operators up there sometimes hire seasonally and I got my job with 1700TT and ZERO AK or mountain flying experience. I didn't know anyone at the company that hired me nor did I have any other qualification that made my resume stand out from the rest. I suppose I just got lucky.
These pictures are of the same spot in drastically different weather conditions to give you an idea of how dynamic that place can be.
I won't extrapolate on some of my adventures in the great white north. People won't believe me, or will tell me that I'm dangerous. They don't get it, they don't understand. I miss it already. Its real flying, man against the elements. You do dangerous challenging things not out of some cowboy machismo, but out of necessity. When the conditions change, it rapidly becomes "do or die" sometimes. That is not an exaggeration. Its not something that's special. Its simply different.
You fly up north to provide a service to a community. You do it to bring civilization and the creature comforts to people living on the far flung edges of the earth. You know the names of the people in the community you serve, you know their histories. You know some words in Yupiq, Inupiaq, or can converse about the intricacies of Tlingit tribal government.
On the flip side, its humbling. Nothing puts you in check like the fear of death. Like losing a friend, or like looking at aircraft wreckage at the top of Merrill Pass. Some guys drink to get over it. Others internalize their stress. Some are religious. Your life as a bush pilot will be filled with both confidence and self-doubt, fear and love, happiness and sadness, but more than anything, life in that kind of an environment is one that changes your perspective on how we fit into nature, and how nature sculpts our life.
You will be dominated by the seasonality of the work. You will look forward to different parts of the year for different reasons. At the end of the day, it will be both incredibly stressful, and outstandingly laid back. There are issues that you'd never deal with outside of that kind of flying. However, more often than not, you get a high level of autonomy, and are treated with respect. Its a good job, but it certainly isn't for everyone.
That actually was a really, really fun day. What are the odds we'll be back...soon?You've got about 5miles vis in that first one. Sweet!
That actually was a really, really fun day. What are the odds we'll be back...soon?
I don't know about you, but my problem is I have no clear cut aviation goals anymore. Everything seems like fun.