Requirements/job prospects in the GOM

[nwexpress]

Just wondering if anyone can give me advice on GOM offshore flying. I've had harsh jobs before in my life but I'm wondering if it's as bad as some say it is.
Also, if any of you could advise me on what too avoid in applying for this job and where NOT to live(or apply) would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Gomer Pylot]

I don't think there's one answer. Some jobs are very good, some very bad, and most in between. If you don't mind flying over water, and aren't afraid to say no, then you should do ok. Some people take that first flight out over the water, and just can't handle it.

As for where to live, you can live anywhere. With a 7/7 or 14/14 schedule, you aren't tied to the Gulf coast. Air Log may not be the best place to go right now, with a strike vote being taken, but otherwise I have no particular advice, other than try the larger companies first, because you'll have a better chance of surviving. As a general rule, the smaller the company, the smaller the maintenance, and the bigger the push to fly. Admittedly, that's a sweeping generalization.

[nwexpress]

Thanks for the advice on large vs. small company preference.
I can't say water is my favorite terrain too fly over but neither is high altitude granite with strong wind gusts either...
I guess what it boils down to is a willingness and determination to accept the pro's and con's of any job.
Does anyone know where some of the more desirable places to live down south when GOM flying? How close do most companies want you to be anyway?

[SASless]

Read this article today....an interesting article...amongst the tidbits contained there is the following....

Graves points out that each of the three major helicopter operators in the Gulf raised rates last year by 30%.

"The increase in rates we charge oil company clients enabled us to play catch-up and replace aging aircraft," he explains. "We also had to improve compensation for pilots and mechanics, to retain people and reduce high employee turnover. It was long overdue."

The link follows.....


http://www.aviationtoday.com/cgi/rw/show_mag.cgi?pub=rw&mon=0502&file=0502offshore.htm

[S92mech]

Alot of the dates in the report are wrong. Carol Suggs sold PHI in 2001, not last year. The big rate change came soon after, again not last year.

[ATPMBA]

Quote from article: "hover at $27 a barrel"

What I don't like about "Aviation Today" articles is that they don't have a date when it was written. I wish they would change that.

[Mars]

I think that we all have the feeling that this is yesterday's news.

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

How many pilots are employed on the GOM and where are the major hubs around the Gulf? Is it predominantly oil or gas ? Is the field expanding in exploration and how long is it estimated that there are resources left there?

Thanks guys !

[Gomer Pylot]

I don't have an exact number of pilots, but it's well over 1,000. PHI and Air Log have that many between them, nevermind Era and all the rest. It's almost entirely oil and gas, or at least support of it. There is more exploration going on all the time, much of it now in the deepwater areas well over 100NM offshore, and there is plenty of hydrocarbon resources available for the foreseeable future.

[ENG Brit]

With around 4,000 offshore structures and 15,000 workers "camping out" offshore each night, there are plenty of aircraft needed.

A guess would be 1,000+ pilots in the GOM with PHI the largest followed by AirLog at just under 300 pilots, and ERA making the big three. There are a couple handfull of other operators: Omni, Houston, Republic, Evergreen that provide serice to the oil & gas companies and a few oil companies operate their own fleets of varying size from 3 or 4 to 10+: Taylor, Exon, Chevron, El Paso, etc.

There are bases from the SW Texan coastline through to the eastern end of Louisiana with several companies operating out of Galveston, TX, Sabine,LA Cameron, LA, Morgan City, LA,m Intracoastal City and Venice, LA. Most companies are headquartered in LA.

That should get you started and there's plenty of GOM people here who can answer more specific questions.

Im not a Gomer yet, but hoping to head that way next month.

Regards,
James

[katismo]

Well, see you out there then. I hope also. Ok, that might be a little optimistic way to start but, some how you need to do it.

Is there possibilities to guy who has 5000 hours with 2500 turbine (all by the helos) and a new green card on a pocket? Got a FAA licence asap.
Need a adwise what is the best contact?

[Gomer Pylot]

With 5,000 hrs helicopter time you shouldn't have a problem. The larger operators have websites which will give you contact information. Just put the company name into Google and you can find them.

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

Gomer Pilot - roughly how many crews are there per machine for the average GOM operator? Thanks.

TFS

[ENG Brit]

Single engine ships B206B/L, AS350, EC120 ,etc are VFR only and single pilot. There are also some twin VFR aircraft Bo105s and AS355 flown single pilot. The IFR ships are twins generally B212, 412, S76 and are two-crew.

As many operators work pilots 7 days on / 7 days off (or 14/14, with a few 5/2 and 4/3), there are at least two crew per aircraft for the different work schedules, or "hitches". The larger companies also operate pilot pools where pilots are assigned to aircraft at differing locations based upon company need.

James

[Gomer Pylot]

There are pretty much 2 crews/aircraft across the board. As the saying goes, "There are no holidays in the oil patch", so it's definitely a 365 days/year operation. Almost all jobs are 1 for 1, either 7/7 or 14/14, so you need 2 crews/aircraft. It's actually a little less than that, because there are a few 5/2 jobs, and not all aircraft are covered fulltime, but that's the norm. Most are single-pilot, but all mediums are 2-pilot, because FAR 135 requires 2 pilots for any aircraft configured with 10 or more passenger seats. Thus the number of pilots is more than twice the number of aircraft.

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

What's the current job market like on the GOM? Is there a surplus of pilots or is it pretty easy for a 1000TT pilot to get a gig? Is the employer/employee relationship still tense?

[slgrossman]

The demand for new pilots in the GoM is pretty steady these days. PHI has been hiring about four per month for the last several years.

The companies can afford to be somewhat selective in their hiring at the moment, but attitude is all important. A 1000 hour guy may very well impress the interviewers over a more experienced pilot.

Most companies are looking for pilots who will minimize their training and operating costs. Therefore, if you can convince them you'll be easy on the equipment, will keep the customer happy, and will stay for the long haul you'll be more attractive than someone who plans to use this as a stepping stone.

Relations with management vary from company to company. At PHI they are now and have for some time been pretty cordial.

-Stan-

[thecontroller]

how many do employers require? i heard it had ben reduced to 500?

[Gomer Pylot]

Each operator has its own requirements. I haven't heard of 500 hours being enough, but I don't keep up with every company, because there are just too many, and I already have a job.

[Revolutionary]

I'm sorry to say this, but 500 hours of experience just isn't enough to survive in the Gulf, both literally and metaphorically speaking.

It's not an especially difficult job, but it does require you to be able to put it all together: weather knowledge, aircraft familiarity, flying skills, administrative skills, customer service, efficiency, productivity and most importantly; common sense.

500 hours of experience roughly equates to a six-month stint as a flight instructor at a busy flight school. Which is not enough time to master all of the above skills sufficiently.

I respectfully submit that you'll need around 1,500 hours of experience, and that reputable offshore companies will tend to think so, too.

[HH60Pilot]

You'll find that the 1000 hour point is what you are going to need before you start sending resumes out. That is what most of the large companies are requiring before sending you an offer for an interview. I have heard of a couple of the smaller companies hiring with fewer hours, but were still looking for over 800.

I must differ with 'Revolutionary' with what he posted about experience. The number of hours of flying time will equate with your ability as a pilot as far as how well you fly, however, it has no bearing on weather knowledge, aircraft familiarity, administrative skills, customer service, efficiency, productivity, or commen sense. Those are all traits that a person has whether they are a pilot or not. No amount of flying time can give a person common sense, a person either has it or they don't. I know people that have wonderful administrative skills, but have no clue on how to fly an aircraft.

As Gomer stated, each operator is different, so find out what each one requires and send them a resume when you get them met.

Doug

[Decks]

Dont be in any major rush to the Gulf till you have at least 1200+ hours. It'll still be there next year.
I went down to PHI with 1800 of instruction and ENG and found things tough. Its a very steep learning curve going from an R22 instructing, to an L model flying six pax 100 miles offshore in bad weather. If you start as a co pilot that curve is vertical... if you start as a p1 its very stressfull too. I can honestly say that I barely slept for my first few weeks on the job.. which didnt help much either. Of course its fairly straight forward once you know it, but untill you do, dont be in any mad rush.

[Revolutionary]

HH60, of course 500 hours of experience as a pilot has a bearing on weather knowledge, aircraft familiarity, administrative skills, customer service, efficiency, productivity, or commen sense. These are all things you learn, in the context of aviation, while you are working your first paid job as a pilot. Even common sense is a learned trait -you gain it by making mistakes and saying to yourself: "Whew! I'm not doing that again!"

As Decks said, 1,800 hours is just barely enough on a practical level to be successful at your job in the Gulf. Never mind that a few small companies may hire someone with 800 hours of experience. I'm sure you would find that their standards are lower in every department. Protect yourself; stay in your current job until you get to, say, 2,000 hours and then get on with one of the big three: PHI, Air Log or ERA. They're all good companies to work for.

[kwikenz]

If one was hoping to look for work in the GOM region, what type ratings might be the most use for a resonably entry level fella (1300TT IFR etc).

What types are the most predominant and what would be the best to get for an entry level position.

Cheers :ok:

[Teefor Gage]

Water landing rating is a must........

[Aser]

Teefor Gage:
Water landing rating is a must........ :D

[SASless]

FAA Commercial with Instrument rating.....Bell 206, EC-120, AStar 350.....will do it. (...a big ol' rubber ducky might be useful as well)

[kwikenz]

120 and 350... sounds a bit odd for offshore. Got the 206 and the IFR though.

Why all the references to unplanned swimming? Dodgy pilots or dodgy operators? Or is it a particulalry challenging area?

[Devil 49]

Commercial and instrument. If you're selected, they'll train you to proficiency in the aircraft you'll be assigned to, including water landings, emergency egress and survival.
Being familiar with turbines is a plus. You won't get enough IFR to maintain proficiency unless you're in an IFR position, so consider how you'll maintain that- you'll NEED IT when you need it. The traditional 180 turns worked for me for 13 years, but not everybody's that fortunate. Flight Sims are better than nothing...

[Gomer Pylot]

Read the other GOM thread for why swimming is a good skill to have. When the one engine you have quits, you're going to have to swim, at least until you get the raft deployed and get your body into it. That said, I've been flying since 1968, and so far I have not had an engine fail me, in any type. The only swimming I've done has been in well-maintained pools.

There are a number of 120s, 350s, and other types flying in the GOM, not just 206s.