Hello everyone,
This site is such an amazing resource and has helped me wrap my head around what to expect down the line career-wise as a helicopter pilot.
I've read many of the previous posts but I have some questions that I haven't been able to find answers to here or elsewhere online.
Last month I was sitting at the desk of my-dead-end-but-easy job and remembered I had a dream when I was 16 to become a pilot. I've done a lot of things since then, but now, at 29, I figure I can still jump on board (pun intended).
I think I have the right temperament for the job. I'm happy to live/work anywhere, and I'd welcome the adventure of flying in remote regions. Until I'm old, I figure that's part of the reason people go into this kind of work! It's one of my reasons, at least.
A lot of people seem to complain about CFI work up to those first thousand hours, but I see it as something pretty damn useful. Seriously learning how these machines work, and being able to teach it to other people, while gaining experience (and almost no pay!) doesn't seem like the worst deal in the world, so I'm happy with that path.
My long term goals are to fly Bell 412 or 212 or any variant thereof for EMS or Police. I'm sure that's probably everyone's dream, and if it changes along the way I can handle that, but I read a post here that said to go for your dreams and make them happen! I mean, that's why I'm posting here after all.
However, please let me explain my current situation. I'd welcome sincere feedback and suggestions about how best to proceed. Please let's not have this thread devolve into an attack on the state of the industry or gloom and doom reports. Cautionary cynicism is welcome, but no flame wars, please.
My situation:
- 29, Healthy, 20/20 vision, Average weight etc.,
- Currently living and working in Yokohama, Japan
- European citizenship and access to live/attend flight school in Seattle
- From Cape Town, South Africa
- No flight experience, but I look up every time I hear an aircraft
That being said, these are the various options I've considered and I'm not sure which is advisable:
Option One
I can save about $1500/month if I take on a second job here. In 3.5 years that will give me about $60,000. With this option I would go to a flight school in or around the Seattle area because the rates there seem to be best. As per this websites recommendation, America is the cheapest country to get hours and training.
I understand that is a low estimate required to go all the way through to CFI, but I figure I have some kind of a head on my shoulders and, if I'm not doing terribly well after a few hours I can find the extra money if necessary.
Option Two
However, I also have the option of doing lessons out here in Japan with a company called Alpha Aviation. The price per hour is a little more expensive ($300/hour in an R22) but, has the advantage of me starting quite soon instead of waiting three years. For $1200 per month I can fly one hour per week. I was thinking of supplementing this with a good home simulator setup . This should give me lots of time to digest information, and means that I'll save about time compared to option one. I'm not the oldest person to start this career but I'm also not the youngest, and that extra time is valuable.
I'm not sure if training in Japan will give me an advantage or not, but, in my experience everything here is exceptionally meticulous. The standards are high, to say the least.
Option Three
My EU passport doesn't seem to offer any benefits considering the costs there are pretty high. I'm too old for any Air Force, but if anyone knows otherwise I'd love to hear your suggestions.
So, if Option One and Two don't have any major differences, obviously I'd prefer going with the second one because it means I can start flying sooner. I understand that skills degrade over time, but is one week really that long between flying?
Anything else I may have missed or should consider, please feel free to include. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you can see why I felt the need to post as I have a number of really-specific considerations that I haven't found elsewhere.