Pacific Wings

[BcPilot99]

I have a buddy who wants to work there. They pay about 45,000 a year to live in Hawaii and fly a caravan island to island. They are 135, but there minimums say between 450-1150 on the hours to get hired....Anyone know anything about this place ??

http://72.3.240.223/index.asp

 

[belchfire]

$45k/yr isn't much in the islands...about like the $30k you would get stateside. Some people get rock fever too. After being stuck for a few months you can kind of go nuts.

 

[RichardRambone]

I'd like to try it. 45K might be livable for someone on the brink of 1200 hours but yeah it is not a lot out there.

 

[Piper877]

Divide that figure in half and that's what they pay their Captains. The advertisement you saw was for First Officers which are paid at $8/hr and you will work the ramp, ticketing, and reservations and might get scheduled to fly once a month. You are not paid to fly unless you're scheduled. I worked there about a year ago. Stay very far away. They follow the regulations strictly, but the drama and the poor poor management is not worth it. Plus even on 23k/yr you'll be seriously below the poverty line in Hawaii.

The only way I could see a $45k/yr figure coming in to play is maybe chief pilot. I know they haven't been able to get anyone to fill that position for a year or so.

Again, do not go there under any circumstances. There are many better operators on the mainland that pay a livable wage.

 

[ackattacker]

I know several people who used to work there. They all said it was probably the worst run company they ever experienced, and the pilots treated like dirt. The boss would as soon fire you as look at you.

 

[Pantherpilot]

Does anyone know if the caravan time there would be valuable towards the 1000 hour PIC turbine requirement for some majors? Is the Caravan a retractable gear airplane? I am at a regional airline and I am wondering if it's worth trying...never been to the islands. Sounds like paradise.

 

[RichardRambone]

Numurous posts about how Caravan time is not worth much are on FI. The only reason Id think is just to live the Hawaiian lifestyle for awhile. So what other more reputable companies would be worth pursuing in Hawaii? Any advice?

 

[Piper877]

Numurous posts about how Caravan time is not worth much are on FI. The only reason Id think is just to live the Hawaiian lifestyle for awhile. So what other more reputable companies would be worth pursuing in Hawaii? Any advice?

That place is in a state of flux right now. Mokulele is starting some Caravan service under the Go! Express name. How that's going to work, I'm not sure. I hope the best for them as I am a friend with the D.O. I'd definitely recommend working for him, but you might want to wait and see how things shake out. If Mesa pulls out of the islands, I'm not sure what that does with the Caravans, but I'm sure Mokulele has a good plan if that happens. It'll probably end up being a direct competition between they and PW. Mokulele has deeper pockets I think so they might come out ahead in that battle. Overall, as a Caravan captain you really can't make a good living down there unless you're a check airman/Chief Pilot/D.O. I'm not sure that the 121 airlines are hiring right now, so it might not be the best time to be looking at Hawaii for a job.
Again I repeat. DO NOT....DO NOT work for PW. Even the people with the best attitudes are soon beaten down and ground into negative life-hating souls. They WILL break you and then you'll suffer through the rest of your contract hating your very existence and hoping they don't hang you out to dry with the Feds.

One man's opinion.

 

[Hugh Johnson]

The only way I could see a $45k/yr figure coming in to play is maybe chief pilot. I know they haven't been able to get anyone to fill that position for a year or so.


Without a Chief Pilot, you can't have a 135 certificate.

 

[skydivinguy]

That place is in a state of flux right now. Mokulele is starting some Caravan service under the Go! Express name. How that's going to work, I'm not sure. I hope the best for them as I am a friend with the D.O. I'd definitely recommend working for him, but you might want to wait and see how things shake out. If Mesa pulls out of the islands, I'm not sure what that does with the Caravans, but I'm sure Mokulele has a good plan if that happens. It'll probably end up being a direct competition between they and PW. Mokulele has deeper pockets I think so they might come out ahead in that battle. Overall, as a Caravan captain you really can't make a good living down there unless you're a check airman/Chief Pilot/D.O. I'm not sure that the 121 airlines are hiring right now, so it might not be the best time to be looking at Hawaii for a job.
Again I repeat. DO NOT....DO NOT work for PW. Even the people with the best attitudes are soon beaten down and ground into negative life-hating souls. They WILL break you and then you'll suffer through the rest of your contract hating your very existence and hoping they don't hang you out to dry with the Feds.

One man's opinion.

I'll second that! I've found that the worse day at the OGG heliport is better than the best day at PW's.