SkyLens Hiring for 2015-16 Season (new low mins)
- Thread starter pilotbry
- Start date
You should be able to knock 16 out pretty quick.
Come up to Michigan and we will fly it out.....
hook_dupin
Well-Known Member
Thanks again for posting. Now if only I wasn't an old married dude with a real job....
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure exactly what you are asking. I've had plenty of pilots with spouses /significant others. It is acceptable to have family visit you at deployments and many of the pilots have done so. You are responsible for their travel to/from and there is no guarantee you won't be abruptly relocated during a visit so that risk is on you. If you are asking if a spouse can basically travel with you full time from deployment to deployment, that would be a big negative. Pictometry has made it very clear that is not acceptable to them.
BaronPete
Jaw Harp Troubadour
Oh, certainly I wouldn't expect anyone to physically come with me in the actual aircraft. Huge liability concerns there. I was more asking if anyone had a personal experience of how they managed it with just a spouse (no kids). I.E. once every few weeks the spouse flew out commercially to visit. As you said, it sounds pretty routine.
Roger Roger
Bottom of the list
Bry, I'm not interested in the job but thanks for being an owner who takes good care of his equipment. As a DM, A&P, IA I can really respect that and I also have a pretty good idea what kind of costs it incurs. So good on you.
I flew for SkyLens last season. It's a great job and Bryan is a good boss. He just wants to be kept informed and really doesn't micromanage. I logged a lot of hours and gained a ton of real world experience. Great opportunity for a low time pilot and nice break from flight instructing. Now I'm sitting in the FO class for ***** airlines.
Bryan, thanks for the opportunity. It was a great season. I hope the next one is even better
Bryan, thanks for the opportunity. It was a great season. I hope the next one is even better
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
Thanks, Rich - I'll be looking for your PRIA paperwork.
pilotbry
Well-Known Member
Thanks - yeah it helps that my business partner is an A&P/IA and I'm an avionics tech. We do our own mx so are able to contain costs quite bit and put the savings into better equipment. I did what I could during the DWAS years to keep the planes up but I didn't have control of the checkbook then. It's a whole new ballgame now.
Tyler Pinkerton
Well-Known Member
I figured you had a reason for it... That is great to hear you will be installing the GDL's for the traffic as well! I wish we would have traffic in our planes especially doing low altitude stuff.
Pilotman83
Well-Known Member
How much flying can you expect in an average week?
jgheggie
Well-Known Member
I took a job in law enforcement. Currently a volunteer for our Sheriff's Aero Squadron. Recently had a child, the idea of being on the road for 7 months is no longer appealing to me. However, a couple years ago I would have been tripping over my own feet trying to send my resume as fast as I could!
Justflying95
Well-Known Member
Resume sent! I've been monitoring this site for a few months now waiting for an opportunity like this!
Would anyone from SkyLens, or any aerial survey operation, be able to share what a typical day is like when you're not grounded? I'm fascinated by this work and the only thing I can compare it to is pipeline observation.
Some specific questions:
1) Do you start/stop at the same airport/FBO in a given day?
2) How do you handle maintenance, if something needs fixed do you find a shop yourself?
3) Daily tasks with the onboard imaging equipment, I imagine you have to inspect and preflight it like everything but what's that like?
4) Are you basically flying straight lines, patterns, how low/high?
5) How much coordination is there with the company on a daily basis?
6) How much coordination is there with ATC or just the usual?
7) When/where do you do your laundry?
8) Are you ever anywhere long enough to accept mail or a care package?!
9) How often do you see other company pilots?
I probably have more but these were especially sparking my curiosity.
Some specific questions:
1) Do you start/stop at the same airport/FBO in a given day?
2) How do you handle maintenance, if something needs fixed do you find a shop yourself?
3) Daily tasks with the onboard imaging equipment, I imagine you have to inspect and preflight it like everything but what's that like?
4) Are you basically flying straight lines, patterns, how low/high?
5) How much coordination is there with the company on a daily basis?
6) How much coordination is there with ATC or just the usual?
7) When/where do you do your laundry?
8) Are you ever anywhere long enough to accept mail or a care package?!
9) How often do you see other company pilots?
I probably have more but these were especially sparking my curiosity.
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Cory Trevor
Well-Known Member
I work for a different one but can answer. The answer will vary with each one.
1) You'll generally stop and start at the same airport when you're working, just because you'll be based there. Fuel stops just depend on whatever is most convenient really. However if you like the FBO or if it's a smaller mom and pop FBO sometimes I'll go a little out of the way to give them the business.
2) For the most part, yeah. Maintenance is a pretty big factor in deciding where to base.
3) Normally just cleaning lenses when they need it. Adds maybe 3 minutes to your preflight if everything is good.
4) Pretty much. I've been everywhere from 2500 to 16000
5) Not a lot. They trust us to get the projects done and work when we can. This is the part that I've seen varies the most from company to company.
6) depending on where you are there could be none or a lot. I just got done working DFW right off the departure end and it took a lot of coordinating.
7) Hotels or laundromats.
8) Yeah, but I'd splurge for at least 2 day shipping. Things change pretty quickly. Also have stuff sent to FBOs, more reliable than hotels.
9) This also varies a lot from project to project. I went about 8 months of never being by myself. Some guys with the same company went months without being with anyone. Luck of the draw.
Outstanding, thanks Cory this really helps!
An average week? Really depends on the project and weather, but when I was hitting it good this summer I'd get maybe 8 hours a day every day. I did 250 hours in a little under two months, so I dunno, maybe 40 a week average. I wouldn't worry about building time fast with this gig, and plenty cross country. I think it might've been mentioned earlier that ferrying at night is ok so long as it doesn't interfere with work, so that's a plus.
pntbllr233
Pilot
Pay is based on days, not hours, right? I was confused by all the bonus stuff.
Think of it as a salaried gig ($ per day plus non-taxable per diem) that pays a performance bonus per flight hour monthly above a baseline 40 hours.
