Changing Attitudes
Coming back around to where this story began, I mentioned how some pilots may view tours as a monotonous exercise and see the job as just a stepping stone. Often there is an unspoken expectation by both employer and employee that the job of a tour pilot is but a short stop along a pilot’s career track. change, and as director of operations he is working hard to make that happen.
Sundance prefers to get many years of service from a pilot. There are both dollar and opportunity costs to only getting a pilot for one or two seasons. It’s not cheap to train a new pilot from scratch, but if pilots stay for several years then total pilot- training costs average down. Additionally, with the typical high turnover of tour operators, every time a large group of pilots leave, the overall experience level of the organization decreases.
that changing attitudes is a two- way street. He prefers for people to come and stay, but new hires are brought on as seasonal pilots. That can come across However, from management’s opportunity is exactly that—an opportunity. It’s a chance for a pilot with no turbine helicopter or Part 135 experience to be provided that training. It is also an opportunity for Sundance Helicopters to further evaluate pilots and identify rising stars in their organization, stars who can perhaps shine full-time.
out the formula for not only attracting employees (That’s easy.) but also keeping people around for many seasons.
be more attractive, changing the nature of the work so that it is not seen as monotonous, and highlighting promotional may shift expectations from “tours as a career stepping stone,” to “tours as a career stop.” Sundance is aggressively outside of normal tour operations to increase revenue potential. This also provides variety, which is a key element when it comes to pilot retention.
Sundance Helicopters is not just looking for pilots, but seeks to develop them into top-tier professionals as part of the larger team. For tour pilots, the career view is changing.
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