Alaska

[Jedi_Cheese]

When do Alaska Operators start looking for pilots for the summer season? I'm mainly looking for single pilot operations flying something small that I can acquire some good stories in addition to some fun experience.

I will have a little TW and Float experience (less than 10 hours) and some HP time (~50 hours) but will meet 135 IFR mins (come winter/spring).

 

[Monguse]

When do Alaska Operators start looking for pilots for the summer season? I'm mainly looking for single pilot operations flying something small that I can acquire some good stories in addition to some fun experience.

I will have a little TW and Float experience (less than 10 hours) and some HP time (~50 hours) but will meet 135 IFR mins.

Most Alaska operators will actively begin looking for pilots in late winter and early spring for summer season flying jobs. Most of the initial and recurrent 135 company training classes for summer jobs occur in April and May.

It's not a bad idea to get a jump on this by submitting resumes in the fall or winter. And then if you have received any favorable responses, following up with phone calls or even a pre-season trip to Alaska for some face-to-face meetings with prospective employers.

135 minimums are generally not enough for most Alaska operators and most of them also like to see some Alaska time or equivalent (mountain time) as well as some time in type. The pilot experience minimums (generally 1000 hours or more) required by Alaska operators are for the most part dictated by the insurance companies. There are a few companies, however, that hire low-time pilots because they feel they are more easily trained to company standards. The apparent opinion is that low-time pilots are more easily trained than high-time crusty old pilots who may think they know it all already. Thinking varies on this from operator to operator.

There are also occasional first officer (co-pilot) jobs available for low-time pilots.

Take a look at www.flyalaska.com for comprehensive info.

 

[Frozen Ronin]

The trend, as of the last few years, is that of lowering minimums for new hires. The market can't support the need for experienced Alaska pilots. This last season, I worked with more first season guys than ever before. Experienced, several thousand hour pilots, but first season AK.

One of them didn't survive the season, and took several couples with him. It's just different up here, and you have to be able to learn what it's like to fly in a new environment.

Monguse is right on, a little tour of various operators and areas is well worth the investment, if you can afford it. The value of a face to face interview, for a 1st timer, make the difference between an invitation to groundschool, or a thanks but no thanks letter.

One of my first questions would be do you want to fly all year, or just seasonal? Do you want to fly tundra, or mountains? As part of a crew, or as PIC? Do you hope to fly in the airlines, or are you just looking for new experiences, a test of how far you can push yourself? Do you like the cold, the extreme? Wanna fly tourists or Yupik passengers? Village life, where there's a good chance for indoor plumbing, or a town that has a walmart and movie theatre? Wanna live with a bunch of other pilots in company housing, or do you want to pay your own way to have your own space? These are a few lifestyle questions that could help you zero in on a job best suited for you. And research your question here, search the threads. There's a lot of good info here already.

Good luck,

Ronin