Genuine North sea question

[g-mady]

Has anybody on these forums or know of anyone who got into the north sea marktet without an IR?

Seriously - You need an IR to work there so what Im asking is... has anyone been sponsored or paid to do a full IR and Twin and MCC, possibly type rating as well by the big 3???

Lots of money for those companies to invest... do they need to? I cant see why!

MADY

[Whirlygig]

Bond ran a sponsorship scheme just recently to take on 12 raw recruits and take them through from ab initio.

There have been a few in the past but none I know of personally. The reason they might do it is so they feel they've got the right people!!

Cheers

Whirls

[O27PMR]

Mady

As well as the Bond Ab-initio scheme I also know someone who was sponsored by CHC through Twin, IR and Type rating not so long ago.

PR

[Horror box]

CHC were certainly paying for IRs and type ratings + MCC recently. They may still be doing it, as more pilots are definitely needed in most bases. The first step is the aptitude tests and 'psycho' check. After that if you are found to be sufficiently mad, you may be thrown an offer.
If you check the website, you will find there are a number of positions available, so if you havent already, get you CV in and join the party!

[jeepys]

Yes there have been the odd few but they account for a small percentage of those taken on. Of the Bond lot that got sponsored a few years back I think you will find that they all had a fair bit of experience (plank IR, Ex mil, high time FI's) unless someone out there can correct me on that.

If you hang around waiting for a company to sponsor you you may be hanging around for a long time. If you bite the bullet and pay your way you stand a good chance of getting employed soon after (provided you are generally the right person). Once in you will never look back but until that time you may continue to look forward always hoping.

It's a similar situation to the plank lot paying for a 737 or 320 type rating. I knew a bunch of guys who were adament that a company should type rate them and they themselves should not be expected to stump up the cash but one of them decided to go for it and pay his way. He got taken on by a big airline and was a captain by the time the rest were fed up with instructing and chose to do the same some years later. He had earnt his type rating money back over and over again when the rest decided that's what they have to do.

The same has applied in rotary with the IR. But then again some have all the luck.

Good luck.

[S76driver]

I got in without an IR, as did a couple of others. You can still apply to one company but I'm led to believe that they won't sponsor anymore, but they do offer a low interest loan to the right candidates to get the IR.

[Camp Freddie]

put yourself in the position of CHC, Bristow etc, as long as people keep bothering them for jobs and those same people are prepared to spend £30k or whatever paying for an IR themselves, why should they spend their money.

from 2000 since the need for the IR before starting the job began, you can can track how there inclination to pay for someone has reduced as time has gone on.

look at all the expensive cars on the road, too many people have the money these days to pay themselves, I guess its a side effect of the economy having done well the last 10 years.

regards

cf

[airborne_artist]

CF - agreed, but listening to the radio this am, it seems that banks will be lending far less, on more onerous terms. The era of cheap debt is over, and most of the new cars you see, plus lots of CPL/IR/ATPL training bills are paid for with debt, not real cash. That may change the plot more than people expect.

[Horror box]

It is definitely worth trying to get your IR asap. I dont know what your experience is, but getting an IR will not do you any harm in the job market - that much is for sure. I left the military, booked an IR and was lucky that CHC came along and paid for it. Obviously I am bonded, but to me it was a good deal. There were quite a few others in a similar position to me, both civil and mil with varying experience, who got in this way. I would agree with the post above, that it is not worth waiting around for someone to pay for your training. Sure we need pilots now, but who knows what the future holds. 6 months is a long time in this industry. Bite the bullet and get it over with if it is what you want to do, and you think you have a realistic chance of succeeding. An initial IR is by no means a given, and is certainly not an attendance course. It is hard work, and can be very expensive if you are not ready for it, and could set you back if you dont pass and run out of cash, so bear this in mind. Operators will also bear this in mind when considering whether they should sponsor you or not. All that being said, many of us have done it, and if my stagnant brain can get through, there is hope for us all! It is never as bad afterwards as everyone said! Good luck, and do as much prep as you can.