Antti
8th Aug 2014, 08:40
Okay, I guess I have to ask some professional opinions and tips to sort out my situation a bit. Any advice or especially personal experiences from similar situations are more than welcome. Don't hesitate to PM if you don't want to reply to the forum.
I'll try to keep this short...
The idea of being a helicopter pilot keeps haunting me year after year... Every time I have suppressed my feelings and couple of years ago (kind of) accepted that I'll never be one because it may be too hard for my family (wife + 4yrs and 3 yrs old kids) for various reasons. Couple of months ago my wife said that it would be nice to live abroad for a while before kids go to school. A couple of steps later I find myself looking for information what it would be like working as helicopter in North Sea or somewhere close to Finland. Finnish helicopter industry is so small that I'm not really counting much in it. Why North Sea? 2 weeks on 2 weeks off for one reason. Other parts of Europe are fine as well as long as there is a chance that I can be home as well with my family (suitable rotation) and I'm not located too long flight away (with Finnair or whatever).
I served my compulsory military service as a helicopter assistant mechanic (which doesn't really mean much in reality) in 2000 - got promoted to sergeant before my service ended. Before I met my wife I was in NZ and doing CPL(H). I completed my PPL(H) licence and studied CPL(H) + IR -theories (IR just for fun). CPL(H) theories were around 94/100 on average. That was 2006. Since my visit NZ I haven't seriously thought about becoming a pilot because it didn't fit in our lives. And now my wife unleashed "hell" again and gives a sort of green light. :) It was relatively easy to sell all my stuff in 2006 and travel to other side of the world. But now... There is a lot more stuff in the equation. If it would be just me, the choice would be even easier that 2006. I'm 33 now, worked ~8 years in IT. However, IT has never really been my thing. I thrive from physical challenges that require good situational awareness, that much I know from my previous part time jobs and hobbies. I know my weaknesses as pilot which I didn't know in 2006 and I know how to overcome them.
It's not only my life that I'm or we are about to mess. Currently it's pretty secured in every way... Maybe a bit too secured? My kids could go to school in States for example while I would build my hours as an FI. My wife... well, she could do something which isn't certain yet. It would take maybe 2-3 years to get to around 1000hrs? I'm pretty much sorted with the financial part as well. I won't have much left after training and hour building, but it's possible financially. Most likely it would be the mother of all adventures for our family, but after all long "holidays" when you come back home you get hit by a huge truck called cultural shock. In this story the cultural shock would also include what to do next.
What to do next... I'm probably counting quite a lot on getting into North Sea as a 1000hr pilot. I know that scandivian language is required in Norway. Checked - my swedish will fine enough with some practice. There is also Holland, UK and Denmark. I have emailed couple of times companis in Holland and Danmark about offshore, but haven't received a reply. Next week I'll call them... 1000hrs - checked (Denmark - 500hrs). Passion and motivation to network with all and everyone in the business - checked. Flying skills - if I get this far it should be there. Backup plan(s) to secure financy if not hired immediately - checked. However, my requirement to working days so I can be home with my family will most likely make quite a few job opportunities from the few to be impossible... And one thing I really don't want to do is to break our family. There is no job in world that is so important to me. I can work in IT or something, but most likely my hearth will never feel as good as it most likely would feel as a pilot's hearth. Sounds kind of silly, but it's hard to say without really experiencing it. And yes, there will always be factors in every job that you don't like etc.
I appreciate if you have any advice how I could improve my chances to get into North Sea. It could be anything from initial training locations/schools to contact informations or anything.
Or you can always say forget it and live your secured life and get hobbies to make your life more exciting. :)
Fly safe,
Antti
I'll try to keep this short...
The idea of being a helicopter pilot keeps haunting me year after year... Every time I have suppressed my feelings and couple of years ago (kind of) accepted that I'll never be one because it may be too hard for my family (wife + 4yrs and 3 yrs old kids) for various reasons. Couple of months ago my wife said that it would be nice to live abroad for a while before kids go to school. A couple of steps later I find myself looking for information what it would be like working as helicopter in North Sea or somewhere close to Finland. Finnish helicopter industry is so small that I'm not really counting much in it. Why North Sea? 2 weeks on 2 weeks off for one reason. Other parts of Europe are fine as well as long as there is a chance that I can be home as well with my family (suitable rotation) and I'm not located too long flight away (with Finnair or whatever).
I served my compulsory military service as a helicopter assistant mechanic (which doesn't really mean much in reality) in 2000 - got promoted to sergeant before my service ended. Before I met my wife I was in NZ and doing CPL(H). I completed my PPL(H) licence and studied CPL(H) + IR -theories (IR just for fun). CPL(H) theories were around 94/100 on average. That was 2006. Since my visit NZ I haven't seriously thought about becoming a pilot because it didn't fit in our lives. And now my wife unleashed "hell" again and gives a sort of green light. :) It was relatively easy to sell all my stuff in 2006 and travel to other side of the world. But now... There is a lot more stuff in the equation. If it would be just me, the choice would be even easier that 2006. I'm 33 now, worked ~8 years in IT. However, IT has never really been my thing. I thrive from physical challenges that require good situational awareness, that much I know from my previous part time jobs and hobbies. I know my weaknesses as pilot which I didn't know in 2006 and I know how to overcome them.
It's not only my life that I'm or we are about to mess. Currently it's pretty secured in every way... Maybe a bit too secured? My kids could go to school in States for example while I would build my hours as an FI. My wife... well, she could do something which isn't certain yet. It would take maybe 2-3 years to get to around 1000hrs? I'm pretty much sorted with the financial part as well. I won't have much left after training and hour building, but it's possible financially. Most likely it would be the mother of all adventures for our family, but after all long "holidays" when you come back home you get hit by a huge truck called cultural shock. In this story the cultural shock would also include what to do next.
What to do next... I'm probably counting quite a lot on getting into North Sea as a 1000hr pilot. I know that scandivian language is required in Norway. Checked - my swedish will fine enough with some practice. There is also Holland, UK and Denmark. I have emailed couple of times companis in Holland and Danmark about offshore, but haven't received a reply. Next week I'll call them... 1000hrs - checked (Denmark - 500hrs). Passion and motivation to network with all and everyone in the business - checked. Flying skills - if I get this far it should be there. Backup plan(s) to secure financy if not hired immediately - checked. However, my requirement to working days so I can be home with my family will most likely make quite a few job opportunities from the few to be impossible... And one thing I really don't want to do is to break our family. There is no job in world that is so important to me. I can work in IT or something, but most likely my hearth will never feel as good as it most likely would feel as a pilot's hearth. Sounds kind of silly, but it's hard to say without really experiencing it. And yes, there will always be factors in every job that you don't like etc.
I appreciate if you have any advice how I could improve my chances to get into North Sea. It could be anything from initial training locations/schools to contact informations or anything.
Or you can always say forget it and live your secured life and get hobbies to make your life more exciting. :)
Fly safe,
Antti