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Hiring is brisk despite some recent changes to the landscape of the Canadian Airline Industry. The scope of this article is intended to provide an overview of aviation-related jobs including aircrew, maintenance, flight dispatcher and air-traffic services. The aerospace sector as well as airport management and support is a vital area needing well-trained and dedicated workers. For information in these areas please visit aerospace.aviation.ca as it becomes available this summer.

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Fixed-Wing Pilots

Pilot hiring is cyclical, reaching peak levels when consumer and business demand for travel is at its highest. When exploration and natural resource companies busy, hiring in the general aviation sector can be very high even when airlines are relatively slow. General aviation (aircraft carrying fewer than 19 passengers) will flourish at these times providing access to locations that cannot be serviced by larger air carriers.

Another area of opportunity is transporting tourists into fishing and hunting sites. This tends to be seasonal and the value of the Canadian dollar will affect the tourism industry causing cyclical demands for pilots.

Flight Instruction is another area of employment. Most Instructors are time-building;preparing to move up the career ladder, however, the demands for career flight training professionals is increase as the complexity of aircraft and the advent of human factors and crew resource management training as part of the licensing process.

To become a commercial pilot, takes between eight to eighteen months of training. The cost can range up from $30,000 to more than $55,000 depending on the aircraft ratings and academic components. Student loans may be available through some provincial departments and a few banks offer line-of-credit programs for students.

Although pilots at major airlines and air-courier companies earn the most money, the average pilot has to "apprentice" for a few years in order to gain enough experience to fly the bigger aircraft.

Typically, bush flying, instructing and flying for air taxi services are the common methods to develop this experience. If you are serious about an airline job, a University degree or College diploma will give graduates a significant advantage. Several colleges offer aviation diploma programs, however, a practical diploma or degree in an applied discipline such as business, marketing or management, in combination with pilot ratings, is considered far more valuable and will have the added benefit of offering secondary job skills.

Here are some salary expectations (in Canadian Dollars). The ranges are wide due to the variation within the industry and regions. The annual rates indicated are for Captains; co-pilot/First Officers earn from 50% to 80% of a Captain's salary. The rates do not include bonuses and profit sharing.

K=thousands.

• Single-Engine Bush pilot. - $18-40K
• Flight Instructor - $12-40K
• Chief Flight Instructor - $35-60K
• Charter Pilot Piston-Aircraft - $20-50K
• Charter/Corporate Turbine Aircraft - $25-80K
• Third Tier/Commuter Airline - $35-85K
• Regional Airline - $35-100K
• Major Airline - $75-265K
• Corporate Jet Captain - $55-$150K

Typical Career Path:Obtain license and ratings >> flight instruction or bush flying >> co-pilot on air taxi turbine >> Captain on Turbine or light jet >> Commuter Airline, Turbine or Jet Corporate Charter >> Airline Co-pilot >> Airline Captain or Senior Captain for Corporate Flight Operation.

Note* Military flight training can allow for direct entry into nearly any level of the career path depending on the amount of flight experience and aircraft types flown during military tenure.

Helicopters

The helicopter sector is similar, in many respects, to the fixed-wing pilot market. Low-time pilots may have to struggle for a few years to get experience before getting a job flying larger and more complex machinery.

The cost of obtaining a commercial helicopter pilot licence will be between $45K and $55K. Better helicopter schools will include a 10 hour turbine type endorsement in their training package. Looking for a helicopter school is similar to the fixed-wing. Experience and reputation count and price is secondary. A few of the more progressive schools are offering seasonal employment for some graduates.

Helicopter Airlines, being the top pilot career level, have the best pay and work conditions. Pilots must have at least 4000 hours of flight experience and hold an instrument rating before they will be considered for this type of work. There are very few helicopter airline positions in Canada. An alternative to airlines is urban work such as medevac and police operations that are becoming more common as Canada’s urban centers continue to grow.

Natural Resource support is the largest area of helicopter activity. Logging, wildlife management, mining and exploration make the best use of the helicopter’s ability to land almost anywhere.

Most pilots will start out on a light helicopter such as the Robinson R22 or R44 as well as the Bell Jet Ranger turbine. With experience, pilots can move up to intermediate machines such as the Astar 350 or the new EC series machines. Medium and large helicopters will offer the best hourly pay but require the most experienced pilots. Natural resource work is often seasonal and many pilots will only work for part of the year, based out of camps or smaller communities. During that time they will fly long hours up to the maximum allowed by the Canadian Air Regulations. In a few short months these pilots can make a healthy sum of money that will carry them through to the next season.

Unlike fixed-wing, helicopter Flight Instructors require a minimum of 250 hours of actual experience before they can start the instructor-trainingCah program. This severely reduces the number of instructors available. The good news is helicopter instruction pay is more than two to three times the hourly rate for similarly experienced fixed-wing instructors.

Typical Career Path: Obtain Commercial License and Turbine Endorsement>Light Helicopter>Intermediate or Medium Helicopter bush flying or Flight Instruction>Medium Helicopter Heli-skiing or heli-logging> Obtain Instrument qualification>Co-pilot in Airline or Commuter or Large helicopter Heli-logging or construction> Helicopter Airline, Corporate or Urban support Note* Military flight experience can allow pilots to enter the industry at the Intermediate or Medium level or Large Helicopters for Sea King pilots.

Salary expectations: (annual)

• Light Helicopter, new hires - $18K-30K
• Light/Intermediate Helicopter, Specialized - $45K-80K
• Light/Intermediate Bush Flying - $60-80K
• Medium Bush Flying - $80K-$100K
• Heli-Logging and Heli-Skiing - $100K-$150K
• Off-Shore Oil and Airline Operations - $100K-$150K

Schools

Exploring a flight school or college is a great way to get started. Prospective pilots should read aviation magazines and search the Internet for learning resources.

Look for an approved school that offers flying programs that offers a published syllabus that exceeds the minimal Transport Canada guide. If you already have post-secondary education, search for a flight school that offers an accelerated program. If not, consider one of the many aviation colleges across the country.

In Canada, the majority of vocational flight schools train pilots to meet only the minimum requirements suggested by Transport Canada. These requirements barely meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and will not adequately prepare graduates for the rigors of real-life, commercial aviation. There are some excellent schools and flight colleges in Canada that provide very high quality training using relevant aircraft types. Few schools have Flight Instructors with significant commercial flying experience. Consider the schools that have programs in aerobatics, upset recovery, tail-wheel aircraft and floatplanes. These schools will likely have the most experienced instructors. Look for schools that have a simulator or flight training device that is designed for multi-crew scenarios. Also pay close attention to the quality and reputation of a school’s Flight Instructor training program.

Many schools hire the majority of Instructors from these programs. Seek out schools or colleges where the Instructors are receiving training in adult education and management in addition to the standard Flight Instructor requirements. Don’t expect to receive much more than a basic level of training unless some of the instructional staff has industry experience and/or an educational background.

Prior to committing to any flight school or college, ask to see the training program and graduate referrals. Want to learn about flight schools and training. Check out the following links.

How to Select a Flying School

COPA Learning to Fly

Air Transport Association of Canada

Flight Dispatcher

Since the introduction of a formal training requirement for flight dispatchers, this position has become a recognized area of specialization. Salaries have been on the increase due to the cost of training and the well-paying opportunities in the airport service sector. Candidates should have a general understanding of aircraft, weather and regulations. Attending a private-pilot ground school at any one of the many flight schools available across Canada will accomplish about 80 per cent of the knowledge requirement. Attention to detail and customer service skills will complete the requirements for this position.

Every air operator working under the commuter or airline sections of the Canadian Air Regulations requires a flight dispatcher. Most offer in-house training. York University offers a dispatch course and other colleges are preparing on-line and classroom programs. Several flight schools, across Canada, are offering this training as well.

Salaries range from a low of $24K with averages closer to $45K. Management experience can allow for increased duties and salary.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

AME’s are a specialized group of mechanics performing the miracles of modern technology to keep the fleets of aircraft in the skies over Canada and around the world.

Aircraft Maintenance is growing in proportion to airline travel. At this time there is a distinct shortage of qualified Aircraft Maintenance Engineers especially those who can hold senior positions as Directors of Maintenance or equivalent.

Recent growth has exceeded the output of many of the aviation maintenance training facilities. In Calgary, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology operates one of this country's best programs and recently built a dedicated facility at the Calgary International Airport.

Wages vary according to qualifications and experience. It takes four years to complete training and qualify as an AME. Additional ratings for turbine, avionics, engine overhaul etc. will give the AME greater employability as well as pay. Working for a large air carrier on transport category aircraft is usually among the higher compensated jobs. Salary ranges vary widely depending on size and type of aircraft, location and position.

• First, second year apprentice: From $8.00 hr to 12.00hr
• Third year or new AME: From $10.00 hr to 16.00hr
• Up to 5 years experience holding general qualifications: from $38 to 54K per year
• Additional qualifications and/or more than 5 years experience: from $40 to 65K per year

For more on information training and education, check out the AMT learning website.

Aircraft Maintenance Jobs

For countrywide job information check out the JOB MART(Electronic Labour Exchange) at the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council site.

Air Traffic Services

In 1998, Transport Canada handed over the responsibilities for Air Traffic Control and the coordination of flight planning and weather information to a not-for-profit organization called NavCanada.

Skill, knowledge and workplace requirements for air traffic control are very demanding and there is a permanent recruitment policy in place. Applicants should posses at least a University Degree or Airline Transport License and be prepared to commit to at least three years of probationary employment before receiving permanent status.

Flight service specialists should have good knowledge of weather and computers. Jobs such as a weather technician or flight service station operator may require less formal education as an initial requirement, however the screening process is equally challenging. NavCanada has a website featuring job opportunities at NAVCANADA.

Although governed by a collective bargaining agreement, salaries will vary according to the type work, the facility and air traffic that is to be controlled. The biggest incomes are seen in the Air Traffic Control system as an IFR controller. Recent shortages of qualified personnel have been the result of higher retirement rates and the slow gestation period to produce qualified controllers causing periodic delays. This has lead to frequent overtime shifts boosting annual incomes to more than of $125K per year for some ATC specialists.