Thank you for your inputs, it's really helpful. It sounds like if you've got the CPL, the IR and the timing is right then you can jump into a co-pilot seat offshore just fine. If not then you've wasted your money on the IR, which is not to be taken lightly as I gather they're about £55k! With the offshore companies, is there any reason why Helicentre seem to be obsessed with Bristow - are they regarded as the best operator or are they all similar?
Sounds like instructing at Helicentre could be fine if I'm happy to accept being paid less than instructors at other flight schools, but I'd be likely to build a lot of hours in a fairly short space of time what with it being a factory so I would only be there for about 2 years - probably more hours than I would build instructing elsewhere across the country and I gather this is the "standard" route to take. The glassdoor reviews and what I'm hearing on the grape vine suggest that as a school, Helicentre are generally more expensive to train at and that people seem to have a very mixed opinion of them, which is definitely something I'll bear in mind as I dig deeper and I'll certainly be asking them lots of questions.
Originally Posted by
whoknows idont
Don't you need 250h TT to become an instructor?
I believe you need to have 250 hours to get the FI rating, so you can start the training at approx. 220 hours, something else to consider as you only get 135 hours with their integrated course which means you need to build ~80 hours before you can start training to be an instructor!