looking for VFR 135 operations

[iflyabeech]

Well, with 500 hours I suppose Craig Air would hire you.... maybe even Inland. But not this time of year... How badly do you want to send a gussak into the snow with no prior tundra time, and try to send him to Marshall or Russian Mission in "day/vfr"???? Are you on CRACK? LOL!

Get some good winter flying in the Grand Canyon, flying day vfr over some great scenery. With the right company, you'll upgrade into a twin in 3 or 4 months, and you can build your twin time, PIC mind you, then after a thousand hours of that you can give the bush a try. Cutting your teeth in Alaska during winter could be considered less than intelligent.

Amen...I saw a pilot who should not have been up there take off from Marshall at sunset from the new runway and go direct Bethel....do the math on that if you have been there. Whoever said go to Alaska had a stupid idea.

 

[GuppyPuppy]

Amen...I saw a pilot who should not have been up there take off from Marshall at sunset from the new runway and go direct Bethel....do the math on that if you have been there. Whoever said go to Alaska had a stupid idea.

Simple economics...supply and demand.

Anchorage = high demand, but also high supply
Bethel = relatively high demand, low supply

There are carriers out there in the state that will hire you with 500tt. Most of them aren't near the bigger cities, however.

Try L.A.B. in Haines, just north of Juneau.

That being said, you really should get your CFI. You will learn more about flying and acquire some essential skills than if you didn't teach.

Good luck in your pursuits.

GP

 

[mcjohn]

I was wondering when the LAB tip was coming. That's the only one I've ever heard of that has a website. There is also a pipeline flyer in the west somewhere that has mins of 5 or 600 published on the website.

Anyone know much about LAB? Interesting to see all the other VFR operators listed here. Let me see if I can dig up the link to the pipeline website.

 

[flyalot]

Most of the operators are VFR. You want a job, show up! Knock on doors. Early spring(May), or late spring(September) best odds.

 

[mcjohn]

Most of what operators are VFR?! You take all the 135 operators out there and see if they have VFR only pilots. You must be thinking strictly of Alaska outfits that operate the 5 month season.

 

[flyalot]

Most of the operators are not flying known ice airplanes. Any need for a IFR pilot, and a current IFR plane? NO. Cost to much money. If the weather is not VFR, then just wait till tomorrow. I am speaking about the 135 Alaska operators. They could fly the summer, our year round. Same game. Now for the disclaimer. Some operators do fly IFR. And yes, you will need the 135 IFR mins. These jobs normaly are filled form within the company. Aviation in Alaska is diffrent than what you think of in the states.

 

[iflyabeech]

What you guys don't realize is that insurance is what drives the hiring minimums in alaska, not FAA minimums. Alaska VFR is 500ft and 2 miles vis. . .many times you have no prominent reference points on the ground. .. Not a good place for the inexperienced. In other words, most Alaska VFR jobs for reputable companies require quite a bit more than the IFR minimums from even the VFR flying.

PS: What do known ice airplanes have to do with this?

 

[mcjohn]

Man I would love to fly a season or two up there. My roommate (travel trailer mate) from the banner season in NJ was an Alaskan pilot. He flys there each summer in a Beaver float plane as a fishing guide for a lodge. He took the past summer off to build tailwheel time by towing banners (specifically PA-18) to make himself more competitive and to step up the caliber lodge he wants to fly for. I think he said that in a good month he could rake in over 10 grand. That's what I'm talkin'bout!! With that kind of cash flow I could buy my wife all the therapy she needs to deal with being "trapped in Alaska."

 

[flyalot]

The Known Ice is for flying IFR. Most, not all the time, when in IMC in Alaska you will be getting ice. So you aren't going IFR in the sled, in general. Great for gettin in on a ILS. But not for going place to place in general. So a company doesn't want to spend the money to keep the plane or the pilots IFR current. That was all I was saying. I agree in full with the time requirements. I was the highest time guy in my ground school. Still was an eye opening experience. The lower time guys were held back with a tight rien. Best flying yet! Might be going back!

 

[Singlecoil]

Amen...I saw a pilot who should not have been up there take off from Marshall at sunset from the new runway and go direct Bethel....do the math on that if you have been there. Whoever said go to Alaska had a stupid idea.

New runway? You mean they finally got rid of that one carved out of the side of a hill where the windsocks would be blowing in opposite directions at either end of the field? I guess that means no more ice strip plowed out on the Yukon in the winter. That thing was like landing on a piece of slate is was so solid.