Advice needed on North Sea and tuna boats

[specialobserver]

Hello everyone

I am about to start a JAA integrated ATPL(H) course and would like to fly the North Sea. I am prepared to pay to put myself through an IR but apart from that, bearing in mind I will have low hours, what will I need to do to be in a position where employers will consider me?

After getting my CPL and IR I was intending to hour build by doing the tuna boats but I dont know how easy that will be as I will still be a low hour pilot (although I can speak spanish but not fluently yet).

Also, if I do manage to get onto the North Sea, what sort of pittance will they be paying me for all my trouble.

And before I forget, is a FAA or a JAA more useful?

Any help and advice you can give me will be much appreciated.

cheers

ps I am an old knacker (30)

Just realised my mistake, I meant: is a JAA or an FAA Instrument Rating more useful, I\'ve heard conflicting reports.

[specialobserver]

thanks kissmysquirel

what I meant was is a JAA or a FAA IR more useful in general.

cheers

[Rotorbike]

Really does depend what you want to do.....

A FAA Instrument is little use to you if you want to work on the North Sea. It could only help as assistance towards sponsorship by one of the North Sea companies.

And a JAA Commercial is little use on most tuna boats as the preference is an FAA licence. Or in some cases an Australian one.

Finally I must add that the North Sea and tuna boats are vastly different goals from the same starting point.

[rotorboater]

Not much Tuna in the North Sea!:D

[Decks]

Been through that whole system over the last ten years.
30 is a perfect age.. no worries there particularly going to the Tuna boats.. you will need your head screwed on.

Going to the U.S. do the following in order of priority.

1. FAA comm and CFI. Instructing is the best first job. No question.
If you really want to do the boats, fine, but do at least some instructing first if you can. It will always stand to you. It will improve your skills and make you much safer on the boats

2. JAA ATPL... Obviously you cant work in the UK without it. Getting it now is the way to go... you might get there sooner than anticipated and that job market always rises and falls. You must have the ticket in your pocket on the rises.

3. Get an FAA IR and CFII. Three reasons... (i) It will help you get an instructing job. (ii) Teaching on instruments will give you a solid grounding on IFR flying and principles on which you can build in the future. (iii) When the north sea finally hires you, you will get quite a bit of credit towards your JAA IR if you already have one from a foreign country. This will save them money which does the most talking!!

And finally anticipate making sacrifices for ten years... Dont stop until you have all the hours, all the types and all the roles you need. Best of luck......!!

[specialobserver]

many thanks boys,

( in particular decks) for going to so much trouble to give me advice. as for the tuna boats "need my head screwed on" don't worry about that buddy, been in a few tight spots before in my life so any new situations will just be good old fashioned scary. I will take your advice and go the CFI route, but I will hang on in there to get that North Sea job at some stage. I will still do the IR though, and hopefully things will work out in the end. as you said your good self (along the lines of) don't give up.

Tally Ho!

nearly forgot to acknowlege the tuna in the north sea comment, I do appologise. Ha Ha!!!:O

[212man]

"Also, if I do manage to get onto the North Sea, what sort of pittance will they be paying me for all my trouble."

Not sure the words pittance and North Sea Salary go together.

[Bravo73]

Check your PMs, SO.

[Camp Freddie]

Hey Mr Special Observer

well I could be wrong but I have been labouring under the idea that the 2nd best paid helicopter jobs in the world (generally) are in the british sector of the north sea.

and that the 1st best paid helicopter job is the norwegian sector.

do peeps agree with this sweeping statement?

regards

CF

[FLI]

Yes, generally. but many jobs pay more (all in).

[MD900 Explorer]

Camp Freddie

One can but concur with that last statment. But the only reason the Norwegians have such high wages is because we have to pay such high tax. :{ (50-60% on serious wages).

MD :ok:

[Hedski]

Word to the wise for all: two out of three North Sea companies have been known to indicate recently their dissatisfaction with FAA IR holders sponsored through their JAA IR conversion. Not as easy as most think without an amount of actual IR operational experience behind it. There is a minimum 10 hours ME to be done but most candidates end up requiring more. Just so everyone knows.

[rotorrookie]

the North Sea job market is poor right now
then how is the rest of Europe job market? :rolleyes: