M.e Vfr Flying In Uk

[ROTORVATION]

Interested in hearing from anyone who has made it to flying a twin turbine in the onshore sector in the UK only, either HEMS or Police, who has progressed to that position without having ex Military twin engine aircraft experience, and who has started out their career in the JAR system. Are there any previous JAR CPL Flight Instructors out there now flying in the above sector?

I'm intrigued as to how many responses are posted, and I suspect very few. I ask because I'm coming up on 2000 hours of flying, and it's driving me "mad to distraction" that I can't get on the twin engine ladder to build up some Multi Engine time.

I would like to politely comment that I'm not interested in the IR Offshore scenario. Just solely anyone that does HEMS / Police 'VFR' work from a civil background. What happened to you that allowed you to build your twin time?

Thanks in advance and safe flying.

[all_mod_cons]

Rotorvation

My old PPL instructor works Hems with a civillian background and no IR.
I believe he had 2000+ single/instructing time, he did have a twin rating but little time on twins.
Probably at the right place right time.
However if i was Ex Mil cheif pilot looking for staff. I won't hesitate taking somone with lower total time but some twin time.

Best advice i could give is bite the bullet get yourself a Multi IR and tout yourself around onshore PT operators. Flying around england and seeing where your going in a twin is a bit of a luxury and thin on the ground.
HTH

[Bravo73]

Yes, me (and plenty of my colleagues.) ie flying onshore twins and from a JAA 'civvie' background.

One suggestion - try and find work with an AOC operator/Flying School who operate twins. Although they will obviously have IR pilots on the books, there is still plenty of twin AOC work which is VFR. Do a deal with them on your initial twin rating and then start 'building' your twin time that way. After a few hundred hours on type, an IR is the next logical step.

IIRC, Cabair recently type-rated a number of SE FIs on the AS355 due to a pilot shortage.


HTH

[griffothefog]

I got my big break on twins in 83 with North Scottish. I was crop spraying at the time with 1200 hours, all single engine. Not being ex-mil I thought I would never see a twin and a week after the call I was sitting in a S76 in North Denes!!:eek: Although this meant a 5 year stint offshore as pay back if you will, after that I was and still am involved in police/ems work.

[Dr. Bunsen Honeydew]

Most of the police units have a minimum twin engine time amongst others (e.g. total hours) specified in the operations manual - this is approved by the CAA according to the unit's location, type of operation etc.

There is a position in this weeks Flight mag which requires 500hr multi and 2000 TT, but some are less restrictive. I believe there has been some allowance made for experienced single engine pilots in the past(where there was no multi specified), but there may not be many positions without the multi requirement - obviously military/turbine/operational experience can be a big help.

There was a thread recently about the percentage of non-mil police pilots, can't remember the figures but there were definitely a few civvy all the way types....

[Helinut]

It is rare, but not entirely unknown for pilots to be taken on for Police/HEMS without:

Twin Time
"Low Level" overland experience
Significant night flying experience

In general, pilots will not be able to move from SE instruction to Pilot/HEMS flying directly. I don't mean to offend anyone, but at that stage the pilot will not have the necessary experience. How you get that experience depends......

Have a goal, by all means, but don't rush the process of getting the experience - try to enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Some SE turbine public transport or aerial work leads to twin VFR. Getting an IR is useful. The skills you gain are useful at night and certainly in inadvertent IMC, and will give potential employers a warmer feeling about your abilities

A less frequently mentioned, but IMHO equally important issue is the ability of the pilot to get on with and work in close cooperation with others. A customer-sensitive civi instructor has a probable advanatge here, over some ex-mils. A significant minority of pilots new to police/HEMS do fail to make the grade and are rejected after they start. Frequently, this is because they do not get on with the crew they fly with.

[Art of flight]

At present there would seem to be a shortage of suitably qualified pilots waiting for jobs at police/AA units, so now must be a good time to be reaching 2000 hours.

It's a very small industry (180 odd pilots in the UK, (some very odd!)) with around 5 companies supplying pilots along with some police forces 'directly employing' so my advice is to contact the relevant employers and see if you can make a deal. These companies are always looking to add to their short lists and a good way to start would be to ask about doing a summer season flying 206 etc for corporate, with a view to moving on to a police/hems contract when the time is right.

[MightyGem]

Out of the 120 or so full time Police pilots, just under 100 are ex mil, of which just over half are ex Army. This doesn't include floaters, just those full time at ASUs.

And, just incase you are wondering, there are two ladies flying with us as well.