elvis87
23rd Jan 2012, 11:32
hi, i'm Iusco Giuliano and i'll starting carreer as pilot. i'd became an Helicopter pilot, but for the moment i don't have enough money to do this. i've thought that starting with fixed wing license first, could be better, just to entry in aviation camp, to start to undestand this world, while accumulating flight hours and flight experience, to pass then to Helicopter. so, this my idea, i don't know if is a good or bad, anyone can give me some advice? well, other questions is, where taking the flight license? i've found a good flight training package with a flight school in Manila (filippine). the entire cost of the training form the PPL to ME with IR, accomodation, housing and living and food, material and all other thing, is 25.000 euro. but someone ell me that is most important the location of the flight school, i says that one license taking in USA has more value than one license taking in Filippine (in this case). is it true??? please let me know, if someone knows something about it. thanks!
what next
23rd Jan 2012, 12:36
Hello!
It is not so important, where you go to get your license, but to get the right type of license for the part of the world where you want to live and work.
Very simply put: A commercial pilot in Italy (or elsewhere in Europe) flying aircraft registered in Europe needs a license according to JAR-FCL (soon to become EASA FCL). If your flying school in the Philippines can train you towards that kind of license, you will be fine. A good alternative would be the FAA license (USA) that is recognised in most parts of the world (but not in Europe...). Again, if your school in the Philippines trains you according to the FAA syllabus, you will be fine in most places, but not in your home country. Getting a (cheaper) FAA license somewhere and converting it to JAA at home later is also possible, but time consuming and in the end not much cheaper than getting JAA in the first place.
Regarding the chances of getting employment as a self-trained commercial helicopter pilot, I would advise you to talk to some employers and pilots first, before even spending your first Euro. I know a few of these and none of them has found a good job. Your competition will be loads of very well trained ex-military and ex-police helicopter pilots who leave their service quite early (here in Germany army pilots can leave after 8 years, so they are not even 30 years old when they appear on the civilian market). Guess who the employers of the very very few civilian helicopter companies prefer?
Good luck for your plans!