Canada v USA

[VanD]

Hi! I'm looking for a flight school and since I'm Canadian I've mostly been looking in Canada. However, I started looking into American schools and it seems like you get a lot more flight time/ratings for close to the same price. I would like to work in Canada but it seems to be pretty easy to convert an FAA licence into a Canadian CPL. Why would there be such a price discrepancy? Any thoughts on what would be a better route?

[heligirl03]

Maybe WhistlerPilot will chime in here for you, he's an FAA rated dual US-Canada citizen.

[DanceswithCyclic]

I have limited first hand knowledge, and this is what I've heard.

Canadian Instructors are experienced line pilots who wish to sleep in their own bed every night. They have performed all mannner of helo ops and can teach maneuvers and skills that would make the average American flight school cringe.

 

Also, consider the cost per hour of maintainence/parts. I don't know how much it costs to ship MR blades anywhere, but it cannot be cheaper to ship them north of the border than to, say, St. Louis.

 

Whistlerpilot?

 

Kevin M

[VanD]

From what I've learned already, through talking with Canadian pilots and reading company websites, the major difference I've found seems to be how experianced the pilot teaching you is. Someone who's trying to build hours for themselves against experianced industry pilots. So based off that Canadian schools sound better BUT coming out of a school in Canada I'll have around 105 hours whereas in the States I'll have closer to 176 hours for the same price. And if all companies care about is how many hours I have would training by an experiance pilot help at all to make up that difference?

[lelebebbel]

This is simple. Train where you want to work. Train in whichever country you are hoping to find your first job.

The few more hours in the logbook you'll get by training in the US won't get you a job in Canada. 105 or 150, doesn't matter much at all, in either case your employer will have to teach you a lot of things before you'll earn them some money.

They'll want to know if you are worth that effort, and for that they have to get to know you.

Training with a company (or even just "on the same airfield as a company") that might later give you a job is your best chance.

 

Not to mention the benefits of learning to fly in the same environment you'll hopefully work in.

[Catchy_Username]

Check out Red Eagle Aviation. They have a school on either side of the parallel. Great people, nice aircraft and Northwest Montana/Canada would be awesome country to train.

[rotor91]

I was told by a Canadian school outside Toronto that yes I could get my conversion, but it would take about 20+hours plus the test(s). In Canada, you can get a job with as little as 100 hours working in the bush, then progress from there. CFI's are considered to be held in high regard, and a lot of pilots will retire as a CFI, rather than the opposite in the states. You're passing your years/hours of wisdom onto future pilots.

 

R91

[r22butters]

...In Canada, you can get a job with as little as 100 hours working in the bush,...

 

Gee,...you wouldn't happen to have the names of any of those operators,...would you?

[rick1128]

Gee,...you wouldn't happen to have the names of any of those operators,...would you?

 

Canada takes a much more serious view of illegal immigrants. Getting a work visa is a difficult process on the part of both the company and job applicant. I did a 6 week contract in eastern Canada many years ago. It took over a month to get the process completed. A major part was the requirement for the company to show they couldn't find a legal Canadian resident to take the job. And pay rate was not a legal consideration. I wish our country would stick up for us taxpayers a lot more.

Edited May 3, 2011 by rick1128

[VanD]

Actually, if I do decide to go to flight school it will probably be at Rotorworks in Whitecourt. They’re in the area I want to work in and they seem like a pretty good school. I was just curious to see if the extra hours I would get in the states would make much of a difference because from what I read it’s pretty much just a written test to get an FAA license converted into a Canadian CPL.

 

My new concern now is if there are even jobs out there. I've spoken with pilots from around here who said it wasn't too difficult to find a job; but I'm not sure if they are the exception or if the industry is just different up here than it is in the states. Mainly, R22butters, you're scaring the hell out of me from some of your posts. The schools all say they have high employment rates, but schools will always say that and the few operators I have emailed wouldn't email me back

[r22butters]

...R22butters, you're scaring the hell out of me from some of your posts. The schools all say they have high employment rates, but schools will always say that and the few operators I have emailed wouldn't email me back

 

That's the point. A harsh dose of reality, and what can happen if everything doesn't go exactly as planned!

 

Keep in mind that my biggest problem is that I cannot teach. Its my kryptonite! Down here that pretty much buries a career before it even gets started!

 

From what I've read though, that shouldn't be a problem in The Great White North? Like Australia, they value flight instruction, so you have to have some actual experience to do it.

 

Here you need experience to fly Tourists around in a circle all day, and flight instruction is the low-wage, "pay your dues" type of job that nobody really wants to do!(I look forward to your rebuttals)

 

Anyway, starting in a country like yours, should make things "a little" easier? However, if I had read posts like mine before starting flight school, I never would have gone!

 

Good luck,...aye!

[VanD]

Anyway, starting in a country like yours, should make things "a little" easier? However, if I had read posts like mine before starting flight school, I never would have gone!

 

Not go? Even with the harsh facts that may not be an option... I'm just finishing up a degree I hate, while the entire length of my university career I've been day dreaming about flying helicopters and playing name that helicopter every time one flew over me . I'm just hoping the Canadian market is different enough that I may be able to make it. I have no problem spending a few years to pay my dues - just so long as I can even get a ground and ferry job.

[Whistlerpilot]

Hey VanD,

 

Give me a call I can give you my experience on both sides of the border. If you want to work in Canada then train in Canada. Even if you get excellent US instruction the Canadian operators are biased against it, and the average standard is different. If you are dual citizen and can work in the US too it may be better to train in the US as it's easier/quicker to get your first 1000 hours lower 48. I did my commercial training in Canada then immediately kept going to get FAA commercial and eventually CFI. My first aviation job was at 160 hours working for Great Slave Helicopters near the NWT arctic circle. Great experience for me but when the economy tanked the low timer jobs evaporated and became ground crew only. In Canada now if you have 500 to 1500 hours there is work but still really hard to get going as a 100 hour wonder. From my class of 20 about 3 of us have flying jobs. There seems to be a demand for pilots with over 1500 hours in Canada this season particularly with precision long line experience. I'm into my second season in Alaska and loving it here. I'm in a way better place with more interesting flying than the remote bush camps of the Canadian north. North of 49 it will take 2 to 5 years working ground crew to get flying. That is if you don't give up. Getting your license is the easy part, anyone with 55 K can do that. Not trying to sound negative about it but be realistic about how much work it takes to break into this career. Many start but few make it. If you want it enough of course it can be done but you need to prepared for a five year campaign. Have fun along the way... I'm very glad I did it.

 

PM me or call 907-227-3345

 

Eric