Air Flamenco

[mcjohn]

Anyone familiar with this company? Looks like they'd be a blast to fly for. My boss's brother in law owns the company and he told me he'd could help hook me up if I was interested. No mins are published but they are single pilot charter and under the FAA. Unfortunately my wife says, "No Way!!" to Puerto Rico. I'll have to work on that.

Check out the pictures and videos under the "Puerto Rico from our aircraft" link.

www.airflamenco.net

 

[skyking]

flamenco airways

hey that looks like an awesome job! Are they hiring?

 

[mcjohn]

Yeah, for real. Looks like you'd basically be a Carribean bush pilot in a STOL multi engine. Probably one of the most fun ways to log ME PIC. Some Islanders are turbine but I don't think any of Air Flamenco's are. If they we're just imagine logging your turbine PIC in that setting!
As far as them hiring, I have no idea. I'll look into it.

 

[A300FE]

Hi guys:

Flamenco Air was shut down by the FAA back in 1998. At that time I was just hired by Isla Nena Air to fly the BN2A. It looks like the sons of the owner re-opened back after I left around September '98, and changed the name to air Flamenco. Typical family business, it is better if you know somebody to get hired. Never heard anything bad about them, just rumors on why the FAA shut them down. I flew over 450 hours in six months, 4 days ON, 4 days OFF. You will make a lot of landings a day. I did an average of 14. Flying the BN2A is an awesome experience. I flew from SJU to Fajardo, Culebra, Vieques, Saint Thomas and Saint Croix. Nice places, people are friendly, many locals board the planes on a regular basis, and you will get to know them. I don’t know how much they pay, but you will build lots of multi time. PR is better for someone that is not married. I took my wife and my baby girl there and it was OK. But they will always give you “the look” when you get back home at night. They will ask: “how many girls did you sit in the front seat today?” You see, the BN2A carries 9 passengers, so one has to seat with the Captain at front. Obviously “you always need to have a nice girl next to you even if the airplane is not full”. It is called W&B.
If you are interested in turbine, the only thing you will find there is the Caravan. Then other turbine multi's are charter companies.
If you are interested in multi time in the Caribbean check out Cape Air. You will need to have an ATP for them, they are schedule 135 and pay is not bad. They operate with C402’s.

Hope this will help you.

Fly safe.

 

[mcjohn]

Thankyou A300FE. That's some great info. We're you fluent in spanish working down there? Do you have to be?

 

[A300FE]

Thankyou A300FE. That's some great info. We're you fluent in spanish working down there? Do you have to be?

No, you do not have to be fluent in Spanish. You will talk to ATC in english, and the briefing to your passengers is also going to be in english. I did it in both languages 'cause I am bilingual. If you speak spanish you will get by better down there.

 

[h82land]

I always wondered who those guys were down there. I always saw them loading up and flying the crazy approaches behind us. The best was watching them fly into Caunuan after we had already landed. I loved that approach. Personally, I wasn't big into the turboprop ETOPS stuff, but you have bigger balls than me if you fly it in a piston. Good luck and have fun down there! It's a blast.

 

[flyboy211]

My best friend used to fly for Air Flamenco. He was killed in a crash off the northern coast of Puerto Rico September 29, 2004. His name was Gamalier Rivera and he was twenty-nine years old. Before he died he told me some horror stories about how there usually was no place to check the weather and the usual pressure from the company to go regardless of weather, fatigue, or any thing else. I don't have a very high opinion of that outfit based on what he told me. But like most of us who were/are just starting out with our first job, we don't want to piss the bosses off so we go even though we sometimes know we shouldn't. Point is, you/we/I can get killed in a plane crash if we do things we shouldn't and to hell with what the bosses think. A quick phone call to the FAA will take care of most of these kinds of problems. If Gamo had done that, he might still be alive to fly another day.

 

[EMB170Pilot]

sounds like a great operationuke:

 

[A300FE]

My best friend used to fly for Air Flamenco. He was killed in a crash off the northern coast of Puerto Rico September 29, 2004. His name was Gamalier Rivera and he was twenty-nine years old. Before he died he told me some horror stories about how there usually was no place to check the weather and the usual pressure from the company to go regardless of weather, fatigue, or any thing else. I don't have a very high opinion of that outfit based on what he told me. But like most of us who were/are just starting out with our first job, we don't want to piss the bosses off so we go even though we sometimes know we shouldn't. Point is, you/we/I can get killed in a plane crash if we do things we shouldn't and to hell with what the bosses think. A quick phone call to the FAA will take care of most of these kinds of problems. If Gamo had done that, he might still be alive to fly another day.

You better don't call the FAA down there, cause half or more are Puertoricans. The POI that did my 135 checkride used to be Air Flamenco's DO!! Go figure.

I think when the FAA shut them down it was a SWAT team that was sent from OK. One of the mechanics called them. That's just a rumor. But you know, all these 135 operators have one thing or another. They follow the gray line of the FAA regs. Gamo RIP. You are in a better place.