Spot of advice please - extra qualifications

[revit]

I am after some advice – I am 23 and in the process of completing my PPL with the view to hour building and then gaining my CPL. I am currently working offshore in the oil and gas industry. To that end, I have a fair amount of free time.

I am looking at any courses or extra qualifications I could do that would look good on the CV.

Does anyone know of any such things? Was looking at possibly something in either navigation or meteorology but struggling to find anything relevant.


Thanks in advance,

Gordon



Moderators - If this is in the wrong place or not really relevant then please remove.

[paco]

You could learn a language.

Phil

[Bravo73]

How about volunteering for the helideck crew?

Any extra exposure to helicopter operations can only be a good thing.

[revit]

How about volunteering for the helideck crew?

Any extra exposure to helicopter operations can only be a good thing.


Thanks for the suggestion. I do ad-hoc work so jump around from platform to platform so it wouldn't really work. Would have been ideal though.

[hueyracer]

Get a helicopter mechanic certificate.

[tony 1969]

I second Paco's advice of the extra language.

And also consider
First aid, Fire training, dangerous goods and heli maintenance

[Kowalskii]

My humbled opinion ... concentrate on studying for the CPL until you have it in your pocket, if you want to be a professional helicopter pilot. Get a distance learning course and study everything up to ATP/IFR level. That will keep you busy for a while and increase your chances of finding a job as a helicopter pilot. If you want to fly offshore, know as much as you can about IFR rules, get a flight manual for one of the types they fly and study it and maybe even try to get your hands on their SOP's and COM's. Knowing your stuff is how you can really impress your colleagues or a Chief Pilot during a job interview. A CRM or MCC course is also very good to have, if you want to get into the multi-crew environment.
Offshore operators will put you through all the other courses that you are required to have. For example Dangerous Goods, Underwater Egress, First Aid and H2S.
If you are really smart and disciplined, you could get a bachelor or masters degree related to aviation in conjunction with your ATP and advance into a management position, once you have enough of flying.
If you are more interested in seeing where you are going, you could learn about mountain flying and vertical reference flying. Being well versed with basic aviation stuff still applies here as well. And lets say the company you want to work for is flying AS350's, then that's the flight manual you should be studying before the job interview.
Learning a language and stuff like that is fantastic and very desirable for your personal development, but I think in most cases it would not increase your chances of getting a job as a pilot.
Good luck!

[paco]

Learning a language and stuff like that is fantastic and very desirable for your personal development, but I think in most cases it would not increase your chances of getting a job as a pilot.


Wrong! In S America (certainly Panama) right now I'm told they are more interested in your language skills than your licence. Only 21% of the world speaks English. If you want to stay in UK fine, but flying is not like that. You go to Spain and the firemen on the ground are not going to be speaking aviation English.

But one thing that does look good is a CPL(H), with ATPL(H) exams passed. You can't sign on for a course until you have your PPL, you already know the solution to that one.

Phil

[Kowalskii]

Agreed ... only 21% of the "non-aviation" world speaks the English language.


BUT…

At this stage in his career, don’t you think there is a lot more important things for him than learning Spanish for a potential job in South America?

Just a bit of historical trivia for us:

In the year 1944 on the 1st of November in response to a British initiative, the government of the United States invited 55 allied and neutral States to meet in Chicago. Out of the allied States invited 52 attended this meeting. The aim of this meeting was to discuss the international problems faced in Civil Aviation.
Outcome of the meeting:


The Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation.
Formation of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)

The Chicago Convention saw the implementation of English as the official standardized language to be used in Aviation around the world. English speaking countries dominated the design, manufacture as well as operation of aircrafts, it thus made sense to have English as the standard language that would be used by all the countries involved in Aviation around the globe. Having a standardized language aids in avoiding misunderstanding and confusion, aspects which both have an effect on air safety. Non- native English speakers have to learn basic English Phraseology as all the aircraft manuals, rules and regulations, checklist etc are all written in English.

[paco]

Hey, he wanted something that would look good on a cv. A degree cuts no ice, nor does a mechanic licence unless he actually wants to be one.

Given that he is still on his PPL, there's not much else he can usefully do that employers want - he cannot sign on to a professional course until he completes it. A language is a cheap upgrade for a low hours pilot - and ICAO doesn't come into it if you are talking to customers.

phil

[Bravo73]

And an extra language will obviously help in more than just a potential career.

You can't say the same about, say, a CRM or MCC course.

[Kowalskii]

Right … a degree or a mechanic license don’t cut the ice, but a language does. Hmm …Ok! Take a look at the credentials of most managers in aviation companies. You think the main qualifying criteria to get a job as an operations manager is the ability to speak French or Mandarin as a second language? Ever heard of pilot/mechanic jobs for mustering pilots or on tuna boats?
He says he is in the process of completing his PPL. He wants to gain his CPL, which indicates that he is trying to make a living with it. And he is looking for any extra qualifications that would look good on his CV.
And your best advice for him is to learn another language? Well that’s really going to make a humongous difference during his first job interview, won’t it! Which btw, is most likely going to be in the UK? Do you honestly think that there is an operator out there who hire a 200 hour Commercial Pilot and send him to fight fires in Spain or move drills in South America ? Let us know once you find somebody who has ever been that “lucky”!
There is so much information and qualifications directly related to rotary wing aviation that would be much more beneficial to his career than learning a language right now.
And just to be clear, I have no objections at all against learning another language. But at this early point of his career, he should emphasize on more important things and postpone the language thing for a couple years.

[paco]

I believe I already stated "But one thing that does look good [on a resume] is a CPL(H), with ATPL(H) exams passed."

Learning a language was a suggestion based on the request for extra qualifications, which I took to mean on top of the licence. But then I'm weird like that.

There are all sorts of other ideas that get you into jobs - I got one because I could write ops manuals, and it was cheaper to type rate me than to use a tech writer who wouldn't understand anyway.

"Let us know once you find somebody who has ever been that “lucky”!"

I certainly know of one pilot with 750 hours, 650 of which is on the 212. Another with around 300 is a VVIP copilot on a 109 Grand.

And speaking as a Chief Pilot, if a 1000 hour pilot came along with no language skills for my country against one with 200 hours who did, the latter would be first in the queue, with proper supervision of course. I am more interested in personality than qualifications and would be prepared to top up for the right person.

And who said anything about management? The guy wants to be a pilot.

Phil