helicopter training

[Jeffrey29]

hi all, new to this and need help.
i am looking at taking my ppl(h)and eventually cpl(h) but am worried about long term prospects.At the moment i am self employed and hopefully can finance training but have been reading very mixed views on job availability any info would be helpfull.I am attending weekend course with company by the name of PLH in november for first helicopter flight (cant wait) and would be grateful of anyone else who has used them.thanks

[Whirlybird]

Hi Jeff,

Welcome to the world of helicopter flying. I haven't used PLH, but I know two people who have; both have PPLs and are now working towards CPLs. One was very impressed with them. The other said they were good at the beginning when she knew nothing about the rotary flying world, but she now felt she had enough contacts to get the information she needed without them. I haven't heard anything bad about them - always a good sign.

It might be worth posting your question on Rotorheads to see if you get any more info.

[Rotorbike]

In comparision to the fixed wing world the helicopter side has had very few layoffs due to Sept. 11th. That isn't to say there won't be a knock on effect in the future.

In America the tourism industry sunk after the terrorism acts and guys were let go early from positions in the Grand Canyon, whilst the Las Vegas and Hawaii markets have also been adversely effected. There has also been a huge loss of business for the ENG industry in the US as they have been unable to fly within the news areas due to the proximity of airports and the Class B airspace surrounding them.

Elsewhere in the world I'm sure tourism helicopter operations are not doing any better.

But the Worldwide oil industry, Emergency Medical Service, Police and other areas of the helicopter industry have remained largely uneffected. The only problem could be if many of the laidoff fixed wing aircrew are dual rated and return to previous positions so loosing positions to the newly qualified.

The one area I am unfamiliar with is the way forward from a brand new CPL(H) in the UK. If your intent is to head towards the North Sea for employment then give them a telephone call and they should be able to steer you for their future employment needs.

If your intent is to try instruction to get those first thousand hours inquire at the school you intend to qualify at. If there are many instructors jockeying for your business now might not be the time to try that route.

You also need to look at the wider picture and it might be more worthwhile to get a foreign licence and work abroad before heading back to the UK.

For alot of the above mentioned positions we are talking many years away so to consider starting now isn't a bad idea. For your CPL(H) will take about 6-12 months full time.

In the next 5 years the world will lose a large proportion of their helicopter pilots to retirement so there will be many vacancies in the future. A far larger number than is currently produced by the military so the civilian pilot will be in larger demand. What is your age????? This can have a bearing on advice too.

But nothing will stop you from doing a PPL at the moment and assessing the UK/worldwide situation. You also might be able to get a cheaper deal during these leaner times. Then you can decide on your next move. During this training you will be able to discuss your plans with many professionals you meet to decide if it is the time to move ahead for the career that you want.

I feel that if you can train without creating too large a financial burden then there is still a future for a budding helicopter pilot. But just don't EXPECT a position because you have a licence you will have to EARN that too.

:D :D

[pilotwolf]

Email me and I ll give you my comments on PLH :p