Wait for 1000, or SIC early?

[DownRightAft]

I would like some opinions and experience from people who have taken an SIC job in the gulf prior to reaching 1000 hours. Or from people who waited for 1000 hours and are glad that they did. Is taking an SIC position with around 600 hours a good idea? Or is it more beneficial to wait for 1000; then go PIC. I realize the amount you will learn from 600 to 1000 as an instructor is a huge advantage. However; the advantage of having a more experienced pilot next to you for the next 400 hours rather than a student, seems to overshadow that. It seems to me that leaving the instructing environment to learn from an experienced commercial pilot makes the most sense. I lack the experience in this industry, and I hope I could share in yours. Any and all opinions would be much appreciated.

[Hiro Protagonist]

Well, I've been SIC though not in the Gulf, and not until I had almost 1,000 pic., but I'll throw in my .02.

You've pretty much already laid out the pros/cons of the situation... The biggest disadvantage of leaving instructing before reaching 1,000 hrs. is you lack the minimum's to get most entry level turbine PIC positions.

I have no idea how long it takes to get promoted to PIC within the gulf structure but I'm sure this will happen eventually and if your goal is to fly ifr/twins, then this may be a good route. Even if you hope to flight lights/singles eventually, this may work, we'll have to wait for GOM folks to give their input.

A guy I know is leaving instruction for the summer to fly SIC on a fire contract, and intends to return to instruction after the season to build up his PIC. That's an option with a seasonal job, but probably not as good an option for you if your goal is to fly in the gulf.

I would say that either route would be valuable, but one consideration is that there are many pilots already working in the GOM who want to transfer over to become SIC just to build IFR/twin time, but the companies are keeping them flying little ships and filling co-pilot seats with low time guys like you... Since this is the case, if your goal is to get into IFR/twins, this might be your best chance to get in. Having more hours seems to make it harder to land these twin jobs because you're too valuable as PIC in lights.

Again, I don't work down there so I could be way off base...Good luck either way...

[BELL209]

You are getting good advice. I will add this as a guy doing this for 23 years. I love being PIC its one of the reasons I do this job.

If you can stomach the CFI stay there and get your 1000hrs then move to tours get the turbine transition and to 1500 do some fire work after that.

It will be worth the experience, building your reputation and meeting other people in the industry.

After that you can do you SIC to get the job if thats what it takes.

I know the student thing gets old but so will listing to some old guy like me telling you his stories and getting his coffee. And if he likes you, you might get some stick time. If you come into that job with some experience the company might put some pressure on the PIC to get you trained but at 600hrs there will be no fast track.

This career path has many bumps and turns with so many ways for it to end you really need to in joy the journey.

Looking back I would not have made the early jump your considering but that was then and it was me.

Good luck

[Jayrow Pilot]

I think it depends on how you see your future. If you see yourself as an IFR Twin pilot in the GOM then I would go the SIC route and build time with experienced IFR Captains in an IFR style environment. This way, you will be able to learn the best from everyone you fly with. Your operating style will become disciplined and you will be exposed to the full spectrum of simulator and CRM as well as medium and heavy time with some good type experience which could be useful for the future. (Bell 412 or S76)

If you see the future as a contract or utility / fire type pilot then do the next 400 hours instructing and see what happens from there.

My only advice would be that if you have worked for a stable company like Bristow, PHI or ERA for a couple of years in whatever capacity, you may find it easier to get employment in other places. If you have only worked for small companies and done short term jobs, the larger companies will question whether or not you will stay with them and their investment decisions in you will be examined closely. If you can get an SIC offer in the GOM, I would take it and look at your options once you have a couple of years experience.