Rotor or fixed

[gls.fly]

I m just finishing my ATPL ground exams for Helicopters in the uk.... Is there any chance of making a living flying helicopters. The few people I know, instuctors etc, won t give me a rough figure that I could expect for my efforts during my time as an instructor.

Also how is the UK market?

Started the studying a while back and trying to see where to go.

Please enlighten me.

[goaround7]

Helicopters = more fun but money is off shore which means North Sea or West Africa and contracts.

Fixed wing = boring but more opportunities and more money, eventually, if you make it.

Best of both ? Fly international for an airline and play with choppers on your high number of days off ?

[Simon853]

I spoke to a lot of instructors last year. The consensus seemd to be about 30 to 60 hours a month instructing, with the seasonal variation at the bigger operations. Pay about £40 p/h with some paying a salary retainer of about £12k on top, but looking to cut costs by doing away with it altogether, while umming and arrring about upping the rate to partially compensate.

Si

[Heliport]

You'll find lots of information here: Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122944)

[PENNINE BOY]

FIXED WING..........

Go fix wing, the job market in the UK is on fire at the moment!!!
It will pay your bank manager of far quicker than Rotary Flying.

Good Luck in finishing your training fixed wing or rotary

PB
:ok:

[Jack Carson]

To quote Igor Sikorsky " Mother Nature with few exceptions got it correct. It is always better to stop and then land rather than land and then have to try and stop"

[gls.fly]

Thanks for the advice......

Have finished my ground exams and all passed, what a relief.

Took the advice and had a go with the fixed wing... after 3 hours I didnt find it that exciting!

I have decided to carry on with helis and have been training on the south coast.

Next problem is a lack of cash! I need about 80 hours P1 for my CPL anyone got a ideas on the most cost efficient way of getting the hours done?

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

gls.fly,

Since you are in West Sussex one idea could be to offer your services to companies at either Goodwood or Shoreham (or both) as a ferry/maintenance test pilot. I may be wrong but I believe these companies have to pay people to come in and do ground runs/air tests, so it may be in their interests to have someone willing to do it cheap/free ?

I could be way off base but hope this helps.

Cheers,

NEO.

[332mistress]

If you want to be a professional pilot never ever offer your services for free:yuk: I get really annoyed when so called professionals give this advice. I am sure that they would object if somebody came along to their company and offered to do their job for free or at a cheap rate. We have stuck together in the N Sea and managed to drive our rates up and would not look kindly on anybody trying to undercut our agreed rates.

It may seem hard advice but if you are willing to offer your services for free then don't be surprised that when you want to make a living out of flying you get really annoyed when somebody comes along offering to do your job for free and you end up back where you started.

332M

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

332mistress,

I think maybe you have misunderstood me. This person has 80 hours to go to qualify for his/her CPL (at least that was how I read the original post), so they could hardly be undercutting a North Sea pilot, surely ?

The comanies I am referring to do not employ any full time pilots. They act as agencies, using other people's helicopters for charter/ad hoc work. They have a list of pilots they can call to fly if available. A lot of these pilots are actually airline pilots who dabble during their time off.

Only trying to help !!:ok:

NEO

[SASless]

As a young helicopter pilot I was offered a chance to hire on with a small airline called Piedmont Airlines based out of my hometown. I decided the airlines was like bus driving....boring!

A few years later....and no longer able to be a viable contestant for an airline job...I discovered what kind of money airline pilots at the majors made.

Even after the loss of 80% of his US Air pension (what Piedmont became), a very dear friend still makes each month what I had to scrimp and save for 37 years to equal.

GO FIXED WING....! Live at home...work 70-80 hours per month...fly into nice airports...eat in real restaurants...sleep in hotels....not tents and mud huts and hop from contract to contract to make a living.

Better yet....do a law degree or MBA and CPA degree....do your flying as a hobby.:{

You won't have nearly the stories to tell that a career helicopter pilot does....but at least you will have a darn nice house and car....club memberships...maybe only two sets of kids...and no overdraft at the bank....if you learn to live on your early co-pilot wages and invest the rest wisely.:ok:

[helicopter-redeye]

You know, the more I hear from SASLess, the more I think he was a phrophet in a former life ... h-r:)

[gls.fly]

Thanks for the career advice.....I am a partner in my family business have a house,wife and kids. Just looking to chase my early dream, flying and getting paid for it. I guess I m looking to see if anyone can suggest ways to stretch my hard earned a bit further.

[LUXSTAR]

I totally agree with the squrill,iam new to the game myself..come from a poor background....have been a nurse, now a chef....bought a flat..but iam totally risk it all to work on helicopter...but prepared to travel the world.with penniless...breathe the fresh air..in touch with the planet...and the human suffering....heli is always there....iam going to nz to do my cpl....not worried what will happen to me...i can always cook in awilderness in a tent with some fresh local ingridients....most of all got have that peronality of the helipilot....not those boys/girls fly the fixed...and totally fixed to their posts.....with their white shirts and stripes....you got to ask your self...is blue the pull over or the dirty white collar... you really suited for....go to nz and do the hours in the real mountains...summer just begins that part of the world....dont get putt off.....forces are not training enough pilots like before.....1000 is droping to 500 for the sic...plenty of jobs in canada....easy to convert...ponud is two canadian dollars....cost of living is cheap....british columbia.alberta....great places....good luck....and learn seriously...and competantly.....you will be fine....lux