Bristow currently are sponsoring pilots. I know because I'm training with them at the moment. I believe it's an ongoing programme. Obviously it's extremely difficult to get - some existing connection to the company seems to be an important factor for selection, but even with that, the guys I know waited several years to get picked up.
The feedback is that they have an unusually large surplus of eligible pilots on their books right now and I've been informed that the wait would be very long even if I got my own IR sorted out. (Historically, these firms often picked up pilots at CPL level and paid for their IR - a helicopter IR being prohibitively expensive for many - even more so now it's 30hrs of twin time).
I'm now wrestling with whether to plough on and pay for my own IR(H) or continue paying for hours until eligible to instruct with 300hrs plus (although I've always thought it makes more sense to at the end of my career than the beginning).
Last edited by buttline; 19th June 2002 at 11:18.