Can Someone Offer Me An Insight Into Being an Offshore IFR Helicopter Pilot?
Hello All
After years of wanting to fly helicopters, I finally got my CPL(H) and am lucky enough (for now) to have a job conducting scenic flights from an R44. Thoroughly enjoying it.
In the past I always figured I wanted to remain VFR, aim to one day fly a B206/Squirrel/MD500/EC120 or 130 etc and see where it takes me from there.
However lately I have been considering the offshore route, know nobody I can speak to personally who does it, so thought I'd ask here. For the guys & girls who do fly offshore:-
1) do you enjoy it or does it get boring after a while. Is it mundane?
2) Apart from the more steady rosters and good pay associated with Offshore flying, do you wish you could go back to VFR stuff, ie SE Turbine stuff etc?
3) just any general comments about life as an offshore pilot really.
After I have more of an insight it will better help me form an opinion of where I want to channel my career as I feel a little lost at the moment. Once I have decided, I can then channel my efforts to getting the relevant experience to go either offshore of fly SE turbines down the line.
My main aim in my career is to enjoy the type of flying I am doing, so I hope i can get a good enough insight here to figure if I think I will enjoy offshore stuff or not, seeing as I cant actually have a go unless I actually get a job doing it.
Thanks in advance