What country to start in?

[Liq]

Hello there, new wannabe from Australia, interested in the helicopter career.

In browsing some other forums, an interesting possibility was raised.

Australia is a someone convulted path for obtaining a professional qualification, and competition is (perhaps) overly fierce, or limited, once obtaining the bare minimum training level. It's also expensive, relative to other countries. It was suggested to me that training in another country might be a better option. Maybe some of the more remote schools that would be more likely to take you on as an instructor afterwards, aptitude pending.

So my question is, are certain countries qualifications more "desireable"? Is there a global "standard" that allows for easy transitions between the various country codes/licences?

Does anyone have recommendations along these lines for good countries to get a start in?

Etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Regards, Liq. :bored:

[Whirlygig]

You'd be better off asking in Rotorheads but only after you've read http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/253856-so-you-want-helicopter-pilot.html

But, to answer your questions briefly; no and no.

You need to have the licence of the country(ies) in which you are entitled to work. If you have no entitlement to work in the UK, then there is little point getting an JAA licence for example or an FAA CPL(H) would likely be pretty useless in Australia. On the scale of things, Australia isn't that expensive a country in which to learn.

Nowhere is cheap and easy to get a helicopter licence and bear in mind that globally there is no work available for low-houred CPL(H)s.

Cheers

Whirls

[B2N2]

As far as training in the USA is concerned:
For a rotorcraft CPL 150 hrs Total Time required of which 50 needs to be in rotorcraft.
Which means you could do one of the following:


PPL fixed wing
Instrument rating fixed wing
PPL heli add-on
CPL rotorcraft


or


Fixed wing CPL IR Single engine and Multi engine
Rotorcraft CPL add-on.


Advantage being dual rated fixed wing and rotor craft.
Might make it a little easier to get your foot in the door for that elusive first paying job.

[Gordy]

Advantage being dual rated fixed wing and rotor craft.
Might make it a little easier to get your foot in the door for that elusive first paying job.

Not for a helicopter job it does not. Most helicopter companiues want lots of helicopter hours---look up Robinson SFAR in the US.

[HillerBee]

Advantage being dual rated fixed wing and rotor craft.
Might make it a little easier to get your foot in the door for that elusive first paying job.

The contrary even, an employer wants helicopter hours and a helicopter pilot, not a bit of everything.

Australia isn't expensive, and the market is (at the moment) one of the best. There are even 'lower' time jobs advertised. You have the right to work in Australia, so stay there and don't think the grass is greener somewhere else.

[spinwing]

Mmmm ......

"Whirls" has it right ...... things have really changed in the world of rotary aviation since I started ....

Used to be you could get yourself an FAA CPLH and go around the world on it ... not now.

As an Aussie you SHOULD get yourself a Oz CASA CPL (and preferably get the ATPL and IFR credits as well) this will give you a credible license to learn "the **** you'll need to learn". Then the really hard part ...getting that first job.

Probably ... nobody anywhere will want to employ you (as a 'slave' maybe???) with less than 1000hrs P1 so that will take you some time to achieve ....

And then there is the fact that employment in foreign countries is much more restrictive than it used to be .... to work in Europe you need the 'Pink Passport' and very often the appropriate language to go with it (?). Other countries around the world now have their own 'Nationals' who have since the early 80's gotten their own qualifications and experience and will (quite naturally) have priority of employment .... and this will not get any easier with time.

The 'BIG' companies who will employ you to work contracts 'overseas' will require very specific skills and qualifications and usually lots of logged air time .... they usually want 'Captains' to command the aircraft to keep the locally hired 'co-jo' in order (and the a/c in one piece) .... that is the way it is ..... Yes there MAY be exceptions to what I have said above ...but you will have to be lucky to find those.

Good Luck with your efforts .....

Cheers

[Liq]

Dual citizenship (British Citizen, and Aus) may open some doors "down the line".

[Whirlygig]

British citizenship probably won't help - the JAA qualification is one of the most expensive and tortuous.

Cheers

Whirls

[spinwing]

Mmmm ...

Yeah .... I got back to the UK in early 1980 with both an Oz CPLH LAME and the US FAA CPLH CFII A&P with 1500 hrs and still had to do ALL of the 'technical exams' for the UK CPL/ATPLH and 2 flight tests ..... got the "White Book" (that took a whole year to do) and went Instructing/North Sea etc etc ..... I was VERY lucky 'cos I did those 2 GFTs with a then senior member of the "Panel of Examiners" who then employed me... talk about a dream run .... and back then there was a serious demand for good people ... now I'm not so sure ....

It won't be easy ... like I said above good luck .... ;)