LAB flying service

[Chedge18]

I read some of the old threads on LAB in Alaska, I was wondering if anyone on here currently works there, or knows someone there, or is heading up to AK this summer.

Thanks a Bunch

 

[GuppyPuppy]

If you are planning on flying in Alaska this summer and don't yet have a job lined up you need to get there NOW!!!!


Hiring starts in March and usually ends in April. Sometimes it is stretched out until May. You will have very little chance in getting hired if you do not make the trek up there. The time to go is NOW!

I used to work for an LAB competitor and actually was offered a job at LAB twice. Turned down the first time due to girlfriend issues. Turned it down the second time because Layton wanted me to pay him $3500 for 10 hours of training in a Cherokee 180.

If you wait to go up there until the cruise ships start coming in, most (if not all) of the hiring for the season will be over. Do yourself a favor and get your tail up there.

Cheers!

GP
PM me if you have any specific questions. I last worked part 135 up there in 2002 and own a rental property in Juneau.

 

[pa56pa]

About 8 or 9 years ago when I was still working for an airline (a non-pilot job), I got interested in LAB so I called them. They called me and ask me to go up there and interview, and I agreed. So off I went, non-revd to SEA, overnited, caught an AK flight to Juneau, which was real beautiful by the way...

I arrived at the LAB ticket counter looking for Ch. Pilot but he wasn't around. In fact he wasn't supposed to arrive for another 2 hours. I told them that I came all the way from California for my 1 pm interview. Instead, this other pilot, dressed in hunting gear showed up and told me that if I wanted to, I can get checked out on one of their planes.. a sort of "test" flight. I agreed, and so we went up and did some VFR flying, landed in some remote airport, flew back to Juneau, and waited for the Chief Pilot. Meanwhile, a bunch of other applicants showed up with "tons" of luggage which made me think, they've already been hired since they were gearing up to practically live there. I, on the other hand brought my carry-on.

Then I was asked to join their "orientation" in which I did, but keeping in mind that I needed to catch a flight back to SEA in like the next 30 min. or I'd be stuck there til the next day. We were being briefed about the company, living quarters, pay, meals, etc. We would be living in trailer homes scattered amongst several bases in the area, many brought sleeping bags with them, pay was $500/month, meals were expensive since after all, this was ALASKA where everything was shipped and/or flown in (unless you hunt yourself a deer or something... lol). It didn't take much time before I realized that it wasn't for me. After all, who in the hell can live on $500/month and still be able to provide for my wife and baby... Nope, definitely not for me since I'm not the "roughin it" type anyways. However, if I was single and didn't have commitments to providing a home or a family, I think it would've been an awesome experience.

 

[Chedge18]

500 a month sounds pretty rough...I havent got the details on the pay yet..but thats not gonna work...although that was 8 or 9 years ago. Overall it sounds pretty sketchy, but I would expect nothing less in the wonderful world of aviation haha.


Thanks

 

[moving2vegas]

I think they pay about 1500/ month. Which is a third what I was making in SE AK 5 years ago. But that didn't include the free "crap shack" down by the river. There are alot of good operators in Juneau that pay well but you may need a little more time. If you go to LAB and like AK, move on to another operator fast.

 

[500and2]

LAB info

Hey, here's the current info:

it's 500 for the first few months... then 1000/mo. (you negotiate salary after your first yr. typically you could get 1500/2000 depending on how bad they needed pilots)

Your first season you get 1 day off a week and you can plan on working close to 14hr duty days all summer. (plan on ~60-80hrs/mo)

If you stick around long enough (1 yr??) you will have a chance to get into the Chieftain (ATP req'd).

Housing is still provided via Mobile Homes..... and they are older than dirt, but after a long day you're just happy to have a roof over your head.

All LAB planes (and most of SE AK) now have Captsone II avionics, which help a lot with your situational awareness.

Granted, there are better paying jobs in SE (Wings, Air X, Skagway) but if you're willing to tough it out, LAB has been the starting point of many Airline pilots that got their time.... and got out!

Let me know if you have any additional questions I have some pull with the CP.

The legend of Red Tails and Black Bellies lives on. (I think Layton turns 83? this yr..... amazing)

 

[psysicx]

Is there any other companies that will hire 500 hour pilots with no Alaska time?

 

[imacdog]

San Juan Airlines in Anacortes, WA, hires people with the VFR 135 minimums to fly 206s and 207s. LAB's pay sounds horrible compared with the responsibility that pilots are faced with.

 

[G100driver]

I read some of the old threads on LAB in Alaska, I was wondering if anyone on here currently works there, or knows someone there, or is heading up to AK this summer.

Thanks a Bunch

I MET LATON A BENNET ONCE WHEN I WORKED LINE. HE DID NOT WANT TO HIRE ME BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE MUCH CHEROKEE TIME. TOLD ME THAT CESSNA PILOTS DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN A CHEROKEE. TOLD ME I WOULD CRASH HIS AIRPLANE INTO A MOUTAIN AND MAKE HIS PASSENGERS "DEADER THEN HELL."

Cetain things and people you will never forget.

 

[Capt1124]

I called them one April when I had 500 hours and Jeff told me to come up. I did, on my own dime. I spent an afternoon wet sanding airplanes with some other prospects and then flew a few times with the chief pilot and some others. Their opinion was I simply could not fly an airplane. I went back to Florida. I instructed for anoter six months and then started flying 727s.

Jeff, Layton, and their flunkies can take their Cherokee 6s, their trailer homes and their $500 a month an shove it....