converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Looking for some info on converting to or from an Aussie Flight Crew License?
Pinnacle
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby Pinnacle » Mon Nov 3 2014, 22:54

^ Again I want to stress the fact I am not on the TFW permit. I am on my own dime and legally entitled to work for whom ever I feel.

Try to get a high time production pilot to get go do tours up north or even pay him/her what they are worth. I meet a guy on fires this season 20,000 hours he has to go around saying he only has 8,000 otherwise companies tell him they cant afford him.. He said after leaving working in Afghanistan he will never make that kind of money again and that contract is done now so a huge influx of as you say high time guys that just cant find work.

Unfortunately the boom is well and truly over so its take any job you can get and be prepared to get laid off over winter seems to be the norm.. too much competition rates are WAY to low I heard of B2s going out at 206 rates this year.

I'm not trying to stir the pot here, but the same situation is going on all over the world. In Australia we have the influx of those damn foreigners over the ditch!! (NZ) but hey If you meet the requirements and get along with the team have at it.

Also BTW I spent 2 years on the ground to get a start so chin up there are jobs in Canada for the right guys.
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby SuperF » Mon Nov 3 2014, 23:12

Fortunately or Unfortunately, depends upon which way you look at it, we are in an International market. Helicopters, companies, pilots and engineers all move around the world picking up opportunities where they can, and the only people complaining about it are the guys that are missing out.

With your last post you just shot your argument in the foot. IF there are unemployed high time guys, then obviously there is NO SHORTAGE of jobs specifically for low time guys. A lot of low time guys got jobs and built up their hours and they are now the Mid to High time guys that cant get jobs because there are no jobs for the High time guys. The only conclusion to that is that there are just far too many pilots and not enough jobs for every level of pilot in the industry. You can blame the foreign pilots, but we sit here and see a lot of Canadians that come down under for fires, and that is a lot of jobs that could go to the locals.....

Why would any company, Canadian, American etc take on a low time guy, when they can get a high time guy?

Tell you what, if you can get all the Canadians to go home from PNG, NZ and Oz, then we might have some sympathy for you and we will then go and find all the Kiwis and Ozzies in Canada, and drag them home... While you are at it, drag all the americans home and drop them off on the way would you? pop;
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby PullPitch » Mon Nov 3 2014, 23:50

Not saying there is a shortage of low time jobs. That has never been the case in Canada. There market is saturated with 100 hour Canadian pilots, that most of them will probably never get their careers going because certain companies abuse the temporary foreign worker program. There should be no jobs being given to foreigners when there is such an abundance of home grown pilots. The temporary foreign worker program in Canada was never meant to be used for a skilled job like ours. Those that do use the program are required to ensure and prove that they have a firm plan in place to transition to a Canadian workforce.

The Canadian pilots in OZ I'm sure are all very high time experienced guys if they are flying mediums on fires. And companies like Wildcat, if they pay to ship there machines half way around the world and there's work to support them and their Canadian pilots flying Canadian machines that again is a completely different story. If OZ companies shipped OZ machines to Canada and had their pilots flying their machines, I wouldn't have an issue. It's no secret that there are sub 1000 hour foreigners working for Canadian companies and that is wrong no matter what you say. If that actually happens with Canadians in OZ, I would find it extremely hard to believe that's the case.
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bubble bugs
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby bubble bugs » Tue Nov 4 2014, 03:07

Like a carpenter.......nailed it super f pop; :D
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby chutedragger » Tue Nov 4 2014, 04:36

If cheap Australian companies bucked up for 412,212's, cranes, and other twins...maybe you could hire Aussies to fly them!!!
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby Waka topatopa » Tue Nov 4 2014, 09:31

PullPitch wrote:With the amount of unemployed Canadian pilots (even higher time guys), there should be no need for temporary foreign pilots. Period. There are probably hundreds of 100 hour Canadian pilots that are willing to work up north. You foreigners are not the only ones willing to work there to further your career. That's complete BS. If there were stricter rules on TFW's it would force our industry to hire and train CANADIANS and get rid of these ridiculous hour requirements. They wouldn't have an option but to tell their customers they don't need a 1000-2000 hour pilot to fly lease to lease or on pipelines. And if they do want someone with that experience they would have to pay more for it and bring up the charter rates from 1980's rates.


Stricter rules on TFW's will do nothing to reduce minimums eh bud! They are set by the clients not the heli operators. There have been operators up there that have tried to raise the middle finger at contrail in the past and low and behold the clients walk the down to old buddy that meets contrail and they take em for a rip instead. But if you think you can tell your clients to get stuffed and you will be flying them in an A-star with 1000 hrs and 30 on type you are wasted as a helicopter pilot and should seriously consider selling used cars......
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby UnObvious » Tue Nov 4 2014, 15:22

PullPitch wrote:The Canadian pilots in OZ I'm sure are all very high time experienced guys if they are flying mediums on fires. And companies like Wildcat, if they pay to ship there machines half way around the world and there's work to support them and their Canadian pilots flying Canadian machines that again is a completely different story. If OZ companies shipped OZ machines to Canada and had their pilots flying their machines, I wouldn't have an issue. It's no secret that there are sub 1000 hour foreigners working for Canadian companies and that is wrong no matter what you say. If that actually happens with Canadians in OZ, I would find it extremely hard to believe that's the case.


There are Australian sub 1000 hr guys in Canada, yes, but not many. We find it just as hard to get a job without 1000 hrs as you guys. For that reason, most guys don't go over until they have the required mins.
As for Wildcat being entirely entitled to work in Aus because they pay to ship their machines halfway around the world, how does that make them any more entitled to work here than the guy who pays to ship himself halfway around the world and pays to convert his license and pays to travel around to find a job? Is it because they're a business?
There's been a whole bunch of times that the Wildcat machines are flying while Australian mediums sit on the ground and watch. So no, it's not entirely different, just on another scale.

" If OZ companies shipped OZ machines to Canada and had their pilots flying their machines, I wouldn't have an issue."
HA! Then it would be a whole new level of anger! Not only are these damn foreigners coming in and taking our jobs, but now they're taking the work away from Canadian COMPANIES too!
Just like Australia, Canada is a country full of immigrants. I don't see many first nations guys flying around or wrenching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=768h3Tz4Qik

Why can't we all just get along? I had zero problems when I was a low timer flying next to Kiwis and Canadians and Americans. It's an international industry, and a global community.
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby chopchop pilot » Sun Jun 21 2015, 23:58

Blade Puppeteer wrote:Hey Peeps

What is the ideal time to look into Canada in terms on hours and experience for someone who wants to get into long lineing.
I could try and slog the long and hard road of getting some line time in Australia, but I've always wanted to go to Canada and travel.
Am i fooling myself thinking I would be getting on the line without prior experience?
I've been informed to get on the blower and start building some contacts for when I touchdown but I am just wondering how you guys went about doing it.

For the guys who have done it or are still doing it or even the lads(or ladies not being sexiest here) who are in the same boat, can you lend me any tips on how to get into this skillset.
What sort of experience did you go over with? What sort of pay and conditions did you have to endure?
Any tips on how I can make it would be greatly appreciated.

PM me if you prefer.

I already know Canada doesn't have a sling rating and you need at least 50 hours on type in the last 12 months for your endorsement to carry.

Thanks alot

BP :D



hi all been reading for a while but first post, yay!

just wondering if any one can expand on the points above? fairly low hr pilot (500 ish) and and just wondering what the job market is like over there at the moment for someone of my time? (have Canadian passport so visa is not so much of an issue)

This thread has been very informative so thanks to all that have been constructive :D
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby Blade Puppeteer » Thu Dec 17 2015, 09:35

Bump
Hooroo
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby PullPitch » Fri Dec 18 2015, 03:39

chopchop pilot wrote:
Blade Puppeteer wrote:Hey Peeps

What is the ideal time to look into Canada in terms on hours and experience for someone who wants to get into long lineing.
I could try and slog the long and hard road of getting some line time in Australia, but I've always wanted to go to Canada and travel.
Am i fooling myself thinking I would be getting on the line without prior experience?
I've been informed to get on the blower and start building some contacts for when I touchdown but I am just wondering how you guys went about doing it.

For the guys who have done it or are still doing it or even the lads(or ladies not being sexiest here) who are in the same boat, can you lend me any tips on how to get into this skillset.
What sort of experience did you go over with? What sort of pay and conditions did you have to endure?
Any tips on how I can make it would be greatly appreciated.

PM me if you prefer.

I already know Canada doesn't have a sling rating and you need at least 50 hours on type in the last 12 months for your endorsement to carry.

Thanks alot

BP :D



hi all been reading for a while but first post, yay!

just wondering if any one can expand on the points above? fairly low hr pilot (500 ish) and and just wondering what the job market is like over there at the moment for someone of my time? (have Canadian passport so visa is not so much of an issue)

This thread has been very informative so thanks to all that have been constructive :D



The Canadian economy is tanking. The price of oil has hit the industry extremely hard, as a lot of companies rely on oil and gas contracts. It was a busy fire season, but now that it's over there are a lot of companies hurting. There was a very large company that laid off a huge number of employees. There are more than enough experienced Canadian pilots that are probably desperately looking for work right now and will be for the foreseeable future. The government has started clamping down on the temporary foreign worker program and making it more difficult to bring in foreign pilots. So I don't really see anybody looking for someone with your level of experience to be honest. You would need 1500+ hours and plenty of turbine time to have a fighting chance, when the industry is actually hiring.
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby The Collective » Mon Dec 21 2015, 09:12

Agreed - this is probably the worst time to come to Canada at least since the 2009 GFC hit. The oil patch was always the best starting point for someone new to the country with 500-1000hrs, but not anymore. The majority of the oil and gas work I have done this year involved shutting equipment and wells down, because it was no longer viable to operate them. Layoffs and general down sizing has affected the helicopter industry just as much, and that means the market is flooded with experienced canadian pilots who don't require a work visa.

And yes, the temporary foreign worker program took a huge hit in January 2015 when the new entry system was introduced, making it deliberately harder and more expensive to sponsor foreign workers. Add to that the situation in the job market, and you know it will be exceedingly difficult for any helicopter company at least in western Canada to obtain work permits especially for low-ish time pilots, even if they wanted or needed to.
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Re: converting Australian CPL(H) to Canadian CPL(H)

Postby UnObvious » Sat Feb 6 2016, 13:43

Just a heads up to anyone thinking of heading to Canada this season.

The rumour is that Transport Canada are no longer issuing temporary licenses after your conversion. So you'll be waiting between 45 and 90 days before you receive your license book and can fly.

Companies aren't even looking at guys unless you have your little blue book in hand.

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