Fellow Nomads, Be cautious with scenic flights! This article highlights something that has bothered me for some time now. Most recently i was touring along the amazing Gibb River Road and did a helicopter tour at the Mitchell Falls. The living conditions at this camp are despicable. We paid $500 for our flight and the pilots live in tents for months on end and were sheepish and shy to voice their concerns as they said that will end their career. Earlier in the year i also took a scenic flights in Tasmania at the Freycinet National Park and the pilots were earning less than $300 a week. Make sure your pilot is not fatigued and appropriately supported. Do not give your money to companies taking advantage of these poor people.
This is one of the reasons Dick Smith gave up his role in CASA. Batting his head against a brick wall trying to stop the erosion of safety standards in Australian Aviation.
OK, their conditions might be primitive and their wages low but, its the hours they want, between $400 - $500 per hour helicopter hire, makes the weekly earnings pretty decent. Even if they flew 20 hours, thats $8000 -$10000 per week. Not too shabby.
rgren2, It's the helicopter owners making the big bucks, I've spoken to a few Pilots and they confirm that they are basically flying just to keep their competencies valid - Most could never afford their own Chopper but their love of flying keeps them out there just eeking out a living but enjoying the thrill of it all.
__________________
Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
OK, their conditions might be primitive and their wages low but, its the hours they want, between $400 - $500 per hour helicopter hire, makes the weekly earnings pretty decent. Even if they flew 20 hours, thats $8000 -$10000 per week. Not too shabby.
Their bosses make that and the pilots very little BUT they do gain the experience for their CV.
Its the hours they are after, the $ figures are what they would have to pay to get those hours. Thus low wages but the hours are free, they would have to pay $8k-$10k to get them. They then usually go on to better jobs.
When I was doing gliding years ago the pilots flying the tug planes would do it for nothing so as to build up their hours. Over a weekend they would average about ten hours flight time so over a year they would log a significant amount of hours flight time at no cost to themselves.
I do remember that every so often a Pilots' Association would contact the gliding club to try and enforce payment to the pilots - the fees were such that it would bankrupt clubs. Anyway, the tug pilots were always members of the club so were exempt from having to pay them.
Murray
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 27th of August 2018 01:47:40 PM
-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 27th of August 2018 01:48:42 PM
As a former Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor of 42 yrs I can say that these pilots are flying for the hours not the $$. I have spoken with many of these pilots, both fixed wing and rotary and they are only there for the season and then off to where there is more work. It is a catch 22 for many as operators are restricted to using only higher time more experienced pilots....but how does one gain those pre requisites. They fly for peanuts in the hope of building those precious hours. Some insurance companies will only insure reasonably experienced jockeys and the only way to show experience is in their log book and the hours therein.
Yes, Dick knows the system and its many failings. Many low houred commercial pilots obtain an instructor rating to gain hours but I have met sooo many instructors looking for work where I had to literally teach them to properly and safely handle an aircraft before I could even look at giving them a start.
Sorry am i missing something here? If the pilots are not receiving the minimum wage & conditions someone is being ripped off. I don't think it's the owners, is it?
Sorry am i missing something here? If the pilots are not receiving the minimum wage & conditions someone is being ripped off. I don't think it's the owners, is it?
And all the others posting similar sentiments.
These up and coming airlinepiolets are complicit in this action. They all want hours so the major airline companies will take them on. The only other way to get these hours is to take other employment to pay for a few hours flying each week. How much longer do you think it would take to gain their 2,000 or so hours before they can apply for a big time job? You blokes dontseem to grasp the situation
__________________
PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
In all honesty I don't think anyone makes squillions from scenic flights. The costs to operate a helicopter or a plane are quite huge. The old saying "support your local bank manager and buy a plane" is quite true. For arguments sake, overhaul costs for an average piston engine run to $45000 upwards and have to be done on hours or time whichever comes first. Can't put it off till later either. Plane is grounded once the engine is out of hour's or time.
Major overhauls the same where the aircraft is pulled apart and put back together to check everything is ok.
Sure they have to be making something but it won't be sheep stations due to the high overheads.
