Osprey Pilot Civilian Job Outlook

[Gone_Whaling]

With some of the first generation Osprey pilots entering the civilian job market, what kind of success are these folks having with employment in a standard helo airframe?

[rick1128]

If they haven't flown a helicopter, how can they? If they have, it will depend on what their helicopter experience is.

[Gone_Whaling]

So would you not classify the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey as a "helicopter" as far as accruing flight hours goes?

[chopper2004]

If any are Pax River or Edwards grads then apply to AgustaWestland and see if they can get onto AW609 program

Cheers

[Um... lifting...]

Whether rick1128, or you, or I consider the V-22 a helicopter is unimportant.

The regulator who has so far dealt with and categorized it (the FAA) does not consider it a helicopter.

That's important.

My guess is that those older folks who transitioned into the V-22 from helicopters will have an easier time finding helicopter jobs than those who were in the V-22 from the get-go, at least for some years. Until then, Agusta Westland or Bell-Boeing are going to be the places for those folks to go for jobs, and there won't be many of them.

[Boudreaux Bob]

I would suppose they will have it easier getting Fixed Wing Jobs than Helicopter Jobs.

[rick1128]

The category for the V22 or AW609 is 'powered lift' So until the 609 program really gets going, there is very little for ex-V22 guys to do. And yes it will most likely be a good deal easier to get a FW job. From what I am hearing, most of the Marine V22 drivers do come out of the helicopter side of the house.

[Um... lifting...]

That was the model, largely because V-22 squadrons were replacing the CH-46E, those pilots had to go somewhere, and the earlier wisdom was that the V-22 was a helicopter. New trainees have their own training pipeline for powered lift. Pretty obsolete graphic, but it still is kind of a hybrid syllabus last I had a beer with a friend still instructing.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Marine_Corps_Aviation_Pipeline.jpg/1024px-Marine_Corps_Aviation_Pipeline.jpg

An article on flying the thing a couple years ago indicated that for mid-career people changing platforms fixed-wing pilots had an easier time transitioning into the machine than helicopter pilots.