Working @ PHI?

[DIVINE WIND]

Hi there
Just wondering if anyone could tell me some basics about PHI :

1.What type of rotations do you do
2.Do new guys start on the 76 as a co-joe
3Where would you likely be sent at first
4.Pay
5.Good employer
6.Future outlook for pilot intakes
7.Anything else?

Thanks:ok:

[Devil 49]

Until somebody current replies, I'll kick in, based on 13 years with the "Canary Air Force" ending in '97.

1.What type of rotations do you do

Almost universal 7 on/7 off, thursday being the most typical break day. Some 14 & 14, some 5 & 2, both schedules unique to specific jobs.

2.Do new guys start on the 76 as a co-joe

The version of that program started in the mid 90's was not successful. Don't know if it's being run again to build hours. If you meet the minimums, why would you want to be a SIC?

3Where would you likely be sent at first

NO predicting. Most slots are based in Louisiana, some offshore. Don't sweat the offshore assignment, it's the same job except you'll sleep at the customer facility instead of the "Beach" base. The "beach", like Canary Air Force, is a bit of irony. Hard to tell most places where Louisiana stops and the Gulf starts, and it's universally muddy.

4.Pay

Visit the PHPA site, Autorotate.org. Current contract payscale posted there. A VFR captain starts at $44,872, and tops at $64,643. There are various bouses and expenses not included in that figure.

5.Good employer

As a pilot, very good employer, with firm work rules and basic but well maintained equipment. Caveat- you will fly a lot on some jobs. Some contracts routinely hit 8 hours a day. Average fleetwide 400 hours per pilot annually, skewed by the minority of positions that only flew 3 or 4 days of the week. 100 landings a day, while not typical, also not unusual.
As a person, wildly variable with local management and contract. They're organized now with OPEIU representation, so you'd have a formal support and grievance structure.

6.Future outlook for pilot intakes

7.Anything else?

I'd still be there if I hadn't maried and started a second family. Sign in, do your job, sign out and forget about it.

[rotorusa]

Dear Divine Wind

Devil 49 has already answered most questions very well. Here are my observations:

1.What type of rotations do you do

While 7/7 is the norm, Scheduling will work with you if you really, really want 14/14.

2.Do new guys start on the 76 as a co-joe

Not anymore, but you could probably successfully bid on a copilot position within about a year or so.

3Where would you likely be sent at first

You'll start off in the 'pool' (not an euphemism for the Gulf; just a repository for unassigned pilots). Scheduling will consider where you live (East or West of Lafayette) and try to place you accordingly. However, if you're in the pool you should be prepared to be sent anywhere. Once you get to the base, you'll find spartan but clean living quarters. If you're lucky there is a Wal Mart nearby. If you're unlucky there's a catfood factory just upwind from your bedroom window.

5.Good employer

Very good employer. They've been doing the same thing for decades now, and they have it down to a science. Maintenance is outstanding. If you can work within a very structured environment you will fit right in.

6.Future outlook for pilot intakes

Business is a little slow right now, but PHI has a lot of older pilots and is still hiring new pilots to replace the ones that are retiring.

7.Anything else?

Nothing else.

[DIVINE WIND]

Devil 49 & rotorusa
Thanks alot for your replies, much appreciated. Could you send some of your southern climate to up-state NY? Cheers.
Sayonara
DV:cool:

[SASless]

PHI better to work for than Air Log? How about the other GOM outfits like Tex-Air, American, Evergreen, Houston, etc....? Is ERA still in business in the Gulf?

[crop duster]

Don't know about AirLog & PHI first hand but from what I hear they are very simular. American seems to have turned into a training company. Turn over is high but not a bad place to work. They leave you alone and let you do your job. I wouldn't fly for Houston, but many will say same for American. Evergreen has been around forever and has bases all over, big company, not very personal ( or so I've been told). Tex Air is growing. Their presence in the GOM is beginning to turn heads. Everytime you pick up a new magazine they are putting deposits on new equipment. I flew next to one of their bases and shared flight following with them. They are OK. ERA is a good company. 3rd in the GOM. Trying to keep union out by being at the top of pay scale. Good equipment. Most are twins.

Barryb

[Gomer Pylot]

1.What type of rotations do you do Standard 7on/7off. As others have said, 14/14 is possible.

2.Do new guys start on the 76 as a co-joe No, that ain't gonna happen any more.

3Where would you likely be sent at first Somewhere where the mosquitos are large & vicious. That pretty well covers all the PHI bases.
4.Pay Yes. US$44,872/yr to start, plus a huge $9/day per diem, plus medical insurance, 401(k) matching, vacation, sick leave, etc. Management keeps trying to ignore the contract & take benefits back, since US labor laws have no teeth at all, but so far we're staying the same.

5.Good employer Depends on what you mean by good. Probably better than most, but management still depends on intimidation.
6.Future outlook for pilot intakes Probably good in the long run. We just had another reduction, through a voluntary retirement program. Apparently they got enough pilots to go for it, but there was a layoff of admin personnel. Pilots are retiring at a pretty good rate, either through age, medical problems, or checkride failures. The checkride department is used to weed out 'undesirables'.
7.Anything else? Why would someone in Oz worry about the climate in upstate NY???
:confused: :D

[zalt]

SASLess - ERA are certainly still in the G0M:
http://www.era-aviation.com/hs_Gulf_Coast.stm
Anyone in the know care to start a similar thread on ERA??

[DIVINE WIND]

Gomer,
Thanks for the reply. To answer your question, I recently moved here from Terra Australis and it snowed up here the other day. Can't say I'm used to it. Looks like I'm in for a long winter:{
Cheers DW.

[Gomer Pylot]

Divine, if you're in upstate NY, there is absolutely no doubt you're in for a long winter. About 9 months, if I hear correctly. Dress warmly!!

[SASless]

Divine will also note....Brass Monkeys in NY have no ears.

[zalt]

Things are not looking too good at PHI:

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp? November 14, 2003
"Petroleum Helicopters, Inc. today reported net earnings of $0.06 million ($0.01 per diluted share) on operating revenues of $69.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2003. For the same period of 2002, the Company reported net earnings of $3.3 million ($0.61 per diluted share) on operating revenues of $69.7 million."

So a 55 fold reducion in net earning to just $60k. Looking at their financial report in more detail:
"Combined flight hours for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 were 107,229 compared to 128,231 for the nine months September 30, 2002."

However the report also states:
"During the quarter ended September 30, 2003, the Company entered into a purchase agreement for two aircraft at a combined cost of $32.4 million to be delivered in 2004."

Presumably these are the two S-92 they have on order. Both are being leased with the first $1mn payment already made. Lets just hope they don't default on them.

Meanwhile I wonder what happened to ERA's deposit for 3 S-92s?
See: http://www.aviationtoday.com/cgi/rw/show_mag.cgi?pub=rw&mon=0602&file=0602otc.htm

[PPRUNE FAN#1]

Let's see...20,000 fewer hours flown but yet the same revenue as last year. Yeah, that's awful.

Pay down some loans...or whatever...and claim that "profit" was only $60,000.

I think any helicopter company that's doing $70 million in revenue is doing pretty damn good. Your mileage may vary.

[Gomer Pylot]

Another factor to keep in mind is that negotiations on a new union contract will likely begin in a month or so. Don't want to be showing a big profit, or those sorry pilots will be wanting a raise or something...........

[zalt]

I see that as of this month Evergreen have taken on the UNOCAL contracts from PHI.

[Gomer Pylot]

What little is left. Unocal has pulled out of the Gulf almost completely. ISTR they only have 1 or 2 single-engine contracts left in toto. They've sold most of their properties and laid off most of their employees.

[zalt]

Gomer Pylot - I'd failed to take into account the very recent transfer of a chunk of their smaller assests to Forest Oil.

Anyone know who flies the Forest contracts?

I'm told from my colleagues stateside that when they have finished divesting UNOCAL plan to retain about 25 fields (giving a production of about 67000 boe/day).