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LAB flying service
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GuppyPuppy
Living the Dream
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2001
- Posts
- 803
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.
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.
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.
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.
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moving2vegas
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2003
- Posts
- 221
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
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2002
- Posts
- 68
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)
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)
G100driver
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2002
- Posts
- 2,094
Chedge18 said:
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.
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....
Jeff, Layton, and their flunkies can take their Cherokee 6s, their trailer homes and their $500 a month an shove it....
Here's a good one which I forgot to mention....
The guy I flew the Cher 6 with that was all dressed to kill deer also looked like he hadnt shaved in months... and one of my questions to him was, "how much time does he have?" He said something like 5000 hours give 'n take a few.. So I asked him why he hadn't continued on with Alaska Airlines, etc.. His reply was, "I hate people!", "that's why I'm here in AK". I bet he's still around dodging moose and bears on the runway..
The guy I flew the Cher 6 with that was all dressed to kill deer also looked like he hadnt shaved in months... and one of my questions to him was, "how much time does he have?" He said something like 5000 hours give 'n take a few.. So I asked him why he hadn't continued on with Alaska Airlines, etc.. His reply was, "I hate people!", "that's why I'm here in AK". I bet he's still around dodging moose and bears on the runway..
GuppyPuppy
Living the Dream
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2001
- Posts
- 803
500and2 said:
Nope...I was "lucky" enough to fly with him on his 75th birthday back in 1994. That would make him 86 this year. The guy is a living legend, but also quite notorious. He wanted to charge me $3500 to get trained in a Cherokee 180! When I told him I wouldn't pay him to work there the only thing he said to me was, "Bye!". He was able to find at least a half-dozen suckers that year to pay him.
Cheers!
GP
in 2000 I made 1000/mo for 3 months then up to 1800/mo flying the "big 6". I had a great time, but it is not for everyone. not sure but I think the insurance requirements may be more than 500 hrs now. When I was there they wanted 700, but got insurance OK on a couple guys with less but they could only fly the archer.Guppy, I still like the avatar pic of "The Slide", brings back fun memories!!
great experience. just left lab last week for metro job. great people, relaxed environment. heard lynn just raised pay rate:
first year: $1500/ month plus housing
second year: $2000
one of the new hires took his checkride and bolted in the middle of the night before he had to do ioe with lynn! any comment pa44typed?
good fun, good luck
first year: $1500/ month plus housing
second year: $2000
one of the new hires took his checkride and bolted in the middle of the night before he had to do ioe with lynn! any comment pa44typed?
good fun, good luck
MNPilot135
Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2005
- Posts
- 16
LAB was a fun time for me. I was there in 2002 for the season. Wouldn't mind going back to alaska sometime, but would want to work for a different company. LAB is a good start for alaska jobs because they hire guys without any alaska time. Most of the higher paying/bigger aircraft operators require some alaska time. Overall I liked it up there at LAB, never was questioned about turning back for weather other than maybe hurting your ego a bit if another plane made it, but no big deal.
Any LABers out there who flew in 2002 give me a message.
Any LABers out there who flew in 2002 give me a message.
massaviator
New member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2005
- Posts
- 2
some of the info posted is true. but most of it is bs. the pay is 1500 per month first year, housing provided free. transportation to and from work provided free. all aircraft are equipped with Capstone II Chelton EFIS system w/ GPS/WAAS receiver. there is no pay for training. Layton Bennett has nothing to do with training pilots anymore. all that info is from the 80's and early 90's. the chief pilot is responsible for just about everything. the only thing you have to do is prove you are a hard working honest individual and you can take off and land a cherokee six in strong gusting winds. not everyone who thinks they're a bad ass pilot can do it, so they have to go fly 727s or something else.
massaviator
New member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2005
- Posts
- 2
number one, don't go up there expecting a "1 pm interview". the chief pilot at these small companies actually work for a living. anybody who goes up there expecting a set time for an interview so they can jump back on a jet in a few hours is kidding themselves. number 2, if you have a wife and kid this is not the place for you.
"number one, don't go up there expecting a "1 pm interview". the chief pilot at these small companies actually work for a living. anybody who goes up there expecting a set time for an interview so they can jump back on a jet in a few hours is kidding themselves. number 2, if you have a wife and kid this is not the place for you"
Now, where were you when I needed you? LOL..
It's ok.. the whole thing was a learning experience ... and I'm glad I didn't have to work there.. I'm lovin my job these days thanks to all the bad experiences I've had to go through before getting this one
.
Now, where were you when I needed you? LOL..
It's ok.. the whole thing was a learning experience ... and I'm glad I didn't have to work there.. I'm lovin my job these days thanks to all the bad experiences I've had to go through before getting this one
.
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