Hawaii Tour Pilots

[rcno33]

Looking for any information on life as a Hawaii tour pilot.
--Schedules?
--Pilot openings?
--Experience requirements?
--Working environment?
--Pay schedule?
--Other info?

Many thanks in advance.

[Lude-og]

Gonna see if I can help you here with some info

--Schedules?
Most of the companies run seven days a week with enough bookings.
As you can imagine it is very company specific with regard to pilot rostering. I understand it is quite a seniority based system with most of the operators, with the newer pilots flying less and working the less popular days. I was scheduled four days per week, but could end up working more than that, in fact I always did. If you are eager and offer to fly more you will usually get it, especially weekends.
Flight time for a full day of tours depends on which island you are flying on and tours offered. Kauai for example has 45/50/55/60/75/90 minute tour options, some including off airport landings. I would have about 6 hours of flight time for a full day, give or take.

--Pilot openings?
See below

--Experience requirements?
Blue will be looking for 2500, in fact here is the post that the Chief Pilot for Blue posted on Linkedin a few weeks back:
"Blue Hawaiian will be conducting interviews for full time Hawaii Tour Pilots at the Dallas Heli Expo Career Fair March 7th, 2017 . Minimum 2500 hours Helicopter PIC - 1000 Hours Turbine - Helicopter Instrument Rating. Please send current resume to [email protected] and schedule an appointment."

With the other operators it depends a lot on necessity. I have seen guys hired with 1000-1500 all piston time into turbine operations to fill positions that popped up suddenly. Island experience is a plus of course and people do move from company to company.

Novictor on Oahu run an R44 operation and might be a good entry level tour gig in Hawaii, not sure of their requirements. Mauna Loa is the other 44 tour operator on a few of the islands but only hire their flight school CFI's. Lot of ex-Mauna Loa pilots working as tour pilots in Hawaii.

--Working environment?
Fly, Eat, Sleep, Surf. Repeat.

--Pay schedule?
By the flight hour and some but not all companies will pay a daily rate. I have shown up on ****ty weather days and gone home without flying a single tour plenty of times with nothing to show for it. Tips will help too, some operators make it very hard for the pax to be able to tip the pilot directly.

--Other info?
I had a great time in Hawaii for the three years I was there. A very expensive place to live for yourself, as well as for family/friends to come visit, just to bear that in mind.

Hope this helps.

[Senior Pilot]

Again, a reminder that new PPRuNers cannot use PM: until the 'I'm new here' tag disappears that facility is not available.

Posting an answer for all to see is more the point for this forum, anyway.

[rcno33]

This is good information. Many thanks. One more question--I once knew a guy who flew tours in Las Vegas. He said he made quite a bit above his salary in tips. Would you say that's true in Hawaii as well?

[Gordy]

Most of the companies frown on baiting for tips these days. When I flew there, (for 7 years), it was frowned upon asking for tips, so we just put $20 clipped onto the dash.

I kept taack of mine and averaged $70 per day, but you could easily go a month with nothing and then all of a sudden get $200 to $300 a day. Do not rely on them though---and ALWAYS tip out your ground crew, they can make your life difficult.

[Ascend Charlie]

best tip I got was $1000 from an Irish customer. I said, "Sir you don't have to do that" as he slipped the money into my shirt pocket, and he replied "If I HAD to give a tip, I wouldn't, but this is one I want to give."