And now for sopmething completely........Mad?

[charterpirate]

I hope someone here can help. Please let me indulge you in a little history before I get to the crux of the matter.....

I started flying in 1993 on R22 fling wing with a little time on the B206 "cos it looked like a load of fun" and frankly, hydraulics off, downwind approaches were! Anyhow, 150 hours into my rotary hour building to instruct, a friend came along and said - you need to go fixed wing, loads more job opportunities, etc, etc. I thought nothing of it. Two weeks or so later another friend came along and said the same and I thought about it, looked into it, and decided they were right. I went off, did a PPL IMC and Night rating, over to the states for US commercial and instructor ratings, hour built to 1000+, earning no money but flying C421 and a little jet and came back to finish my UK ATPL exams, the IR and all other perf exams.

That was in 1996. Having been side tracked to earn some money, I am still sitting around trying to find a fixed wing job, when all I find myself doing, is wishing I had enough money to go fly the choppers again, and then it occurred to me.

I may be wrong, but are all the north sea operators short of crews at the moment. If I went off to get my CPL(H) tech exams done, I could be instantly validated as a Commercial pilot with 1200 hours or so, live in Aberdeen, and fly the hell out of my life.

I am sure that loads of you will think I'm mad and that you're all trying to get out into the fixed wing airline market, but I just want to get in the air. I'm sick and tired now, completely, of having application after application in the post and in a lot of cases receiving no reply, or the big thank you but no thank you hitting the mat each day. My hours seem to be just in between the norm, and therefore puts me in a catch 22 position with the companies hiring.

So, help me......

1. Am I nuts, or is it a serious option?
2. Fixed wing ATPL, Do I just sit the techs and an 1179 to validate.
3. Rotary market?
4. Any other info?

I have enourmous respect for pilots on rotary aircraft. I remember the thrill of the first solo in the R22, the feeling of complete control over an aircraft, the manouverability, the low flying, everything. It definately has the edge over fixed wing and takes far more concentration than people give credit for.

Please chuck me all the knowledge you can. I would like to hear all sides to the story, and if you think I'm mad and should be more patient, I probably already know.

Danny, thanks for the new section, and I look forward to hearing from you all.

Best

CP

[MaxNr]

Just a thought, but as you seem to be a bit of a traveller (US CPL etc), and have a natural passion for helo`s, what about flying in Canada. Read my reply to RBS in Helicopters and Helicoptering in the Rumours forum for a bit of an insight, or just drop me a line if you want to know more. See Ya

[Hover]

I agree with MaxNr, with your experience, Canadian companies are looking hard for IFR co-joe's (and captains too) for EMS. It took us six weeks to find a replacement captian last year, and I've flown with many low time co-joe's new to the industry. Money isn't too bad either, not as good as international though, but then whats it worth to be home with the wife and kids?
And our winters aren't THAT bad.

[Rotorhead Joe]

Here is another opinion from a low time Canadian Pilot. I you like flying the R22 they are very popular in Canada for flight training schools. You can get your instructor rating in about 30hours at approx. $300/hour. Most schools have a high rotation of instructors. As well the IFR market has been growing very rapidly in the past few years. If you have 500 hours rotary wing or even better a 1000 hours, there should be no problem finding a job. I have both fixed wing and rotary. If you want money and boredom go fixed if you want excitment and great people go for the rotors. Best of Luck.

[Tip Cap]

Attn: CHARTERPIRATE

Get hold of a copy of CAP 54 from the UK CAA at Gatwick for all the details involved in obtaining your CPL(H).
Bristows hiring (experienced) pilots in last week's Flight International and Bond will be crewing up big time next year as they've just won all of BP's North Sea work.
And to answer your first question last, yes, you are nuts. Good luck anyway.

Tip Cap

[Retreating Blade Stall]

ATTN:CHARTERHEAD
TIP CAP offers you good advice. However I would add that if you do get flying on the North Sea and provided you are young enough,
prepare yourself to go fixed wing getting British or European aeroplane licenses whilst you are earning reasonable money on the helicopters. Then, at the first good opportunity, go fixed wing. This shoud get you a career with reasonable long term pay and prospects as opposed to the hire and fire attitudes that prevail on the North Sea. Unless there is a new oil or gas field discovery on the North Sea soon, the number of pilots required there will gradually diminish after this current rush to recruit due to so many helicopter pilots leaving to go to the fixed wing airlines. That tells you something!!
The next major area of offshore helicopter operating expansion may well be the Caspian Sea-tents,frontier mentality,etc etc(which some people enjoy!)

[Retreating Blade Stall]

ATTN CHARTERPIRATE
Apolgies, in the above reply I called you CHARTERHEAD by mistake
RBS

[charterpirate]

Good day all,

Actually RBS, I think I prefer Charterhead, most of you are probably thinking Dic?head though, eh!!!

Anyway, thanks for all the comments so far, I appreciate you lot using your brains and time to my aid. I am thinking seriously and will get down to the campaign at Gatwick to see about licencing requirements for the transfer to a CPL(H).

Next week I'm going to renew my PPL(H) for some fun if I can get the money together and then see. It looks a bit tricky getting over to Canada to fly, although thats one place I would happily live and fly choppers.

Oh, dreams.............!

Keep the ideas coming please and if anyone knows the min requirements for Bond or Bristows I would love to have them.

Thanks again for your time.

CP

[Bellplus]

Greetings Charterhead/pirate, well, I see another mad bugger succumbs to the allure of the rotary playground. Listen very carefully to Retreating Blade Stall, he knows what he is talking about. If you must go onto the North Sea, keep hassling the companies. They are all short of pilots of any experience. Within the next few years the loss of Captains to retirement will be very telling, so make your mark now. Phone, fax, visit, anything to get your name familiar with those that hire,(and fire). Sadly the NS situation is akin to teaching and nursing. People join because they love the job, and the management are all too well aware of this. NS work is superb, the conditions and respect you recieve from your bosses will not be quite so magnificent. Get the hours, get at least Senior First Officer, then get out to the fixed wing world. Flying planks may not be so much fun, but the foreseeable future of rotary off-shore is pretty uninspiring.
RBS hello again, trust you have had a pleasant few weeks away. You must come to the Southern NS Balpa meeting. It should be fun. Oddly enough, talking of stikes, actually had a bird strike this week...

[airmail]

Bellplus

Long time no hear-how is everything with you? Any rumours on hiring at present? Give me a shout when you're next around as we've got to get together for a couple of half lager shandies!

What's this about a birdstrike or did you just have a good night out?

[Retreating Blade Stall]

Hullo again Bellplus and everyone,
I would love to come to the Southern North Sea BALPA meeting. Please let me know time and place.
Cheers
RBS

[ghost who woks]

I am currently in Oz military, but am starting to think about future outside after retirement in a few years, and your comments about Canada tweaked my interest.
I have both helo and plank time, turbine, radial and normal piston engine, and dual engine time (all military). What are the employment oportunities over in Canada, how hard is it to get work permits or emigrate, and what sort of rotary jobs are available and what are the conditions and pay like? Any operators using CH47? Canada is more appealing than some of the other rotary employment areas like middle east, north sea, etc.

[This message has been edited by ghost who woks (edited 10 December 1998).]

[Curious Canuck]

Don't know much about immigration, however there are Aussies, Brits, Indian, Malayss, etc flying heavy helos for Canadian Companies. I guess what I am saying is that it is possible to get over here. Try Canadian Helicopters, Couger Helicopters, Helijet Airways, they should all have websites. The only civil CH-47's that I know of are heli-logging with Helifor. Coulson Aircrane and Eriksson (USA) are a couple of other loggers with heavy gear. Try the Website for Helicopters magazine, they publish an operators directory every year and you can subscribe online.
http://www.helicoptersmagazine.com/

Good Luck.

PS What's the SK-61/76 market in Aus like?

[ghost who woks]

Hey CC,

Thank you very much for your info. No time to chase up the web pages but will definately start there. I'm in Seattle for a few weeks, may see if any of the companies you listed have offices in Vancouver and say hullo.

>PS What's the SK-61/76 market in Aus like?

Sorry I don't have any info there, but believe Bristow, LLoyds and Esso may be operating them. Had a search (Yahoo) but didn't find any web sites for them, sorry.

Again thank you very much for your info.
Cheers