EX QSP lyxn pilot wants sponsorship

[wlynx]

HI , does any one know off any companys offering sponsorship assistance with CPL (H ) at this time. I am an ex service helicopter pilot who has just missed out on credits towards my CPL due to time elapsed, I have been informed by the CAA that if I complete my PPL in a Gazelle I need only enouth hours to pass the skills test, then straight onto the 35 hrs CPL(H) as all my previous hours count towards the rating. so I am looking for financial help in return for a commitment to the company, any info on any uk or european company sponsoring at the moment would be welcome. thanks .....wayne...

[scroggs]

It is extremely unlikely that you will find any company willing to finance any part of your training. There is no shortage of wannabe commercial pilots, hence sponsorships of any kind are very few and far between. Those that exist have quite restrictive age limits.

However, I am not overly familiar with the commercial helicopter scene, so I shall move this post to where those that are can give you more information.

Scroggs

[mongoose237]

As Scroggs says, it is unlikely to find a company to sponsor your training, however such things have happened. With the exception of a few large onshore operators, the only companies with those sort of resources would be offshore. And in a day when IR(H) sponsorships are hard to come by, asking for a PPL/CPL/IR(H) sponsorship...

If you are unable to find someone to sponsor you, a way to minimize costs is:
1. Convert your CAA PPL(H) to FAA PPL(H) through filling out the appropriate paperwork, or indeed side-step the CAA one altogether as it is not necessary to enter the modular CPL course.
2. Take 3 hours with an FAA CFI (certified flight instructor) then your FAA CPL(H) check ride.
3. This now reduces your CPL(H) modular training from 35 hours to "training as required"

Also investigate your theory requirements

[wlynx]

Thanks I am looking into FAA CPL also, as I am married to a US citizen, although we currently live in the UK, we are seriously considering moving to the US on a permanant basis, would you there fore recomend going down the FAA route to CPL ? Do you know what that would involve for me?

thanks wayne

[mongoose237]

Well if you have work rights for America and are contemplating living there, and it works out cheaper, it would seem the most logical route to take.

The FAA training can be conducted in the UK or America - it depends on what suits your circumstance.

On the theory side of things, there is 1 exam for PPL, and 1 exam for CPL. They are multiple choice and can be sat in one or two locations in the UK. If you buy the correct literature you can even see all the questions that are in the database.

Flying-wise, the last 3 hours must be signed off in your log book by an FAA CFI. There are no end of CFIs floating around the UK who did training in the States before returning. Your flight test (and oral) can be conducted by either an FAA representative when he/she is in the country, or I believe there is a resident FAA examiner in the UK although his name has slipped my memory at the moment. For some reason Coventry and Hull ring a bell.

As for the CAA: If you have a valid ICAO CPL(H), you get a reduced Class 1 medical (both in duration and cost, thankfully) and also the CPL training is as required, determined by Head of Training at the school you choose. The stumbling block is the theory, and what your exact requirements are going to be would be best explained by the CAA themselves at SRG.

[wlynx]

thank you for your help, I will dig a little deeper into the requirments for the FAA CPL (H) I have looked at their web site for guidance but it is as bad if not worse than trying to decifer the CAA web site. my case is a little complicated as I am not current at this time. I have spoken to about 4 or 5 flight schools in the US and been given 4 or 5 diffent answers about what would be required, I have had all answers from " you would need to do the comlete cylabus, PPL, CPL, INSt ) etc etc " to " all your hours count and you need only do suficient to pass the skills test, oral exam and writen " I get the feeling some times that some flight schools just want you to do as many hours as possible with then so they make a lot more bucks. but the different answers mean the overall cost for me could be any where from $ 2500 to $ 45000, at big difference that I need diffinative answers to before commiting to any particular school.

[mongoose237]

Yes, schools can be terrible for that, although its not always malicious sometimes they just don't know about licence conversions!

You need to look at Title 14 Part 61 of the CFR (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title14/14cfr61_main_02.tpl), available on the GPO site

If you go down to Subparts E and F you will see the requirements for both PPL and CPL

Training can be conducted overseas by non FAA CFIs if you look at Part 61.41 in that link I gave you. Therefore if you meet all the requirements for PPL/CPL issue you don't have to redo the whole syllabus.

"all your hours count and you need only do suficient to pass the skills test, oral exam and writen " is about the right one. The schools themselves will often exam you, there is none of this UK CAA "passing of a skills test gives you the right to respectfully apply for a licence". The examiner will check your paperwork before you go fly, and if you pass the checkride he will issue you a temporary licence there and then, pending the later arrival of the official one from the FAA.

[wlynx]

many thanks, you have ben a great help.:ok:

[What Limits]

Wise words from a former Army Lynx Pilot - get a JAR ATPL(H)/IR.

I can't imagine any organisation will fund it for you so remortgage or do what you have to to raise the cash. With this qualification on your cv you will get a lot of interviews.

By the way, sorry to be harsh but if the spelling and grammar on your cv is like it is in these posts, you are not going to impress many potential employers. Use the spelling and grammar checker or get a friend to proof-read it for you.

Best of luck. :ok:

[170']

For several reasons, there are no examiners (either Fed or DE's) working in Europe with the exception of some Maintenance folks in a few European cities.
The closest place you can take a CPL ride is NY
Try 516-755-1300 (FSDO)
This info was correct at Jan 20th this year according to NYC FSDO
170'

[mongoose237]

The name Andrew Houses (?) is coming back to me as a UK DE? :confused:

Try Soloflight (http://www.soloflight.co.uk/) at Humberside, they might have a few leads

Else a gentleman called Bob Lynch often visits the UK for the FAA and he can take the ride, or at least he certainly used to be able to.

[md 600 driver]

170
you are mistaken there is a faa examiner you can do your faa test with in the uk .his name is Adam House i know 3 guys that have done their faa tests this year


Wlynx
if you send me a pm i will send you his tel number
he is a faa examiner for cpl ppl ect i can also give you the name of a faa cfi and you can do any ground exams at solo flight humberside airport
regards steve

[wlynx]

Wise words from a former Army Lynx Pilot - get a JAR ATPL(H)/IR.

I can't imagine any organisation will fund it for you so remortgage or do what you have to to raise the cash. With this qualification on your cv you will get a lot of interviews.

By the way, sorry to be harsh but if the spelling and grammar on your cv is like it is in these posts, you are not going to impress many potential employers. Use the spelling and grammar checker or get a friend to proof-read it for you.

Best of luck. :ok:

Thanks for the wise word's. I tend to type to fast with out looking at what's being printed, then as it was only a quick informal post I just tend to press send with out proof reading or spell checking. But you can be sure when using a word processor for a CV I always spell check. as I am well aware that my typing skills and key pad accuracy are not up to scratch. But seriously I have been looking into JAR (ATPL ) H, with IR .I am in the final stages of putting all the required money together. My wife how ever is just dealing with a family tragedy and as an American Citizen is at this time feeling like she wants to return to America to live, hence the reason I am also looking at completing the FAA CPL just in case she decides she want's to move back home, I am balanced on top of the fence at the moment, and don't know which way to jump.

thanks wayne.

PS: its re-mortgage not remortgage and cv should be CV. but hey!nobody's perfect least of all me. thanks again for all your advise:D

[ShyTorque]

"The name Andrew Houses (?) is coming back to me as a UK DE?"

Adam House is an FAA examiner in UK.

[HillerBee]

If you have the option to go and work in the USA I would certainly do that, especially if your wife wants to go that way.

You can definitely do your exams and checkride here in the UK/Europe

I'm a FAA CFI, pm. me if you want to know more.

[170']

600 Driver

Any chance you could PM me the contact details for the Examiner/DE.Seems I've been mislead by NYC. Plus if anyone has any idea if there's a DE in France? ..Thanks!

[md 600 driver]

ive arranged for it to be sent it to you regards
steve

[170']

Thanks Steve!

[Staticdroop]

Wayne,
As a former Lynx pilot myself i can offer the following; nobody will sponsor at that level the only sponsorship available in the rotary world is via Bristow Group (formerly Bristow Helicopters) and they have been recruiting recently but not sponsoring for a while.
Regarding the licence type i would recomend the JAA licence as this is then easier to convert to a FAA licence than vice versa. Costing can be quite prohibitive for the JAA licence but i think the expense is worth it.
I would recomend you speak to a chap called Roy Baylis in Norwich, he is excellent and will give you the book answer as opposed to any number of best guesses.

Good Luck

[wlynx]

Thanks, I have more or less decided now on the FAA route, primarily because my wife is American and wants to return to the US to live, and the cost factor. I Have just been to the US last week and spoken with a school in IDAHO, ( Silverhawk Aviation ) in Caldwell, just out side Boise ID.

under FAA rules all my hours count toward's the rating, and they after a trial flight in an R22 they say it should be no problem to go PPL, CPL in about 15-20 hours total slightly more if I add on Instrument or an Instructor rating. so the total cost could be as little as $4000 and about $10000 if I want Instructor and Instrument as well. so as I intend to live in the US within the next few months now, this seems the obvious way to go.

I am planning on taking the FAA writen for private before I leave.

thanks again, wayne......................

[Hippolite]

Wlynx

Once you have your FAA CPL, why not give Jim Palmer or John Sage at PHI a call, they have constant openings for EMS pilots USA wide or GOM Offshore pilots, depending on where you might live with your wife. You should be able, depending on hours, to get a job in the USA with one of the large operators without too much of a problem.

Hippo