Couple of questions re low time CPL

[ptwaugh]

a) Is it about $25K to get a private or commercial rating in a B206?

b) If you had the cash and time to train full time, how long would it take to get your PPL and CPL? In other words, if I paid cash and then wanted to train everyday till done, how long would that be, weather permitting?

c) What could you make with a low-hour CPL?

Thanks

[blithe]

I doubt you would find any work with low hours, except instructing.

[Lightning_Boy]

Why does it have to be a B206? why not the usual way of R22 or H269?

[Gomer Pylot]

Commercial license? In a 206? Multiply that by about 10, and you'll be in the ballpark. As for what you can then earn, minimum wage if you're very lucky. There is essentially no market for minimum-time commercial pilots.

[paco]

If I had the cash to pay for everything up front, I'd buy my own 300, get a Class 1 medical and an PPL and fly my tail off - the hours won't devalue it that much. Then I'd sell it afterwards having finished off the CPL.

The exams and licence are only part of the story!

Phil

[dammyneckhurts]

ptwaugh:

First off, investigate the reality of finding work as a low time pilot, its very difficult. You need to be very determined, have the right attitude, have some luck, and having good hands helps too. You have to be willing to move just about anywhere and work for mimimal pay at first.

As to how long it takes....I studied the books for 6 months before I started flight school. I did the 100 hr course (Requirment for commercial licence in Canada) in exactly 60 days. Seemed to work out just fine for me at that pace, but I think hitting the books so hard before I went really helped a lot. We would do ground school in the morning and then fly in the afternoon.

I could see the mental fatigue in the other guys after the morning ground school, and then they jump in the helicopter and learn how to fly....brain is already half cooked......and you can only take in so much new info in one day. For me the a.m. ground school was more like a refresher and I was good to go in the afternoon.
I think it was the single best thing that I did regarding training. I was wayyyyy ahead of the other guys as the weeks progressed due to the head start.

Visit some operators...talk to pilots...ask lots of questions. I wrote letters to all kinds of flight schools, bent the ear of several pilots, owners, operators, before I took the plunge....the advise I received had one common theme.....they all said "Dont do it!" well....I didnt listen and I cant imagine doing anything else! Just make sure you understand what the LIFESTYLE is all about....dont just focus on how cool you think it would be to be able to fly a helicopter.

Good luck!!

DMNH

[VeeAny]

Paco talks sense,

Thats exactly what I did only with an R22. With hindsight the H300 is more likely to hold its value, also more likely to breakdown (minor but annoying things).

If you have the cash its a quick way to build hours, but don't just jump in and go, build the hours to a structured(ish) plan.

V.

[paco]

One guy I know did it with a 22 and he said if he did it again, it would be more cost-effective with a new one - assuming you have the cash, of course!

But then, this begs the question - if you had that kind of money, would you work as a pilot? (Answers on a postcard)

I'm not so sure that I would - I would still fly helicopters, but not as a job.

Phil