Helicopter Pilots have better Rosters than Fixed Wing Pilots

[stabout]

Bristows have now introduced an equal time roster along with CHC and Bond.
5/2/5/9/5/2/6/8 or 7/7.
This Equal Time rostering allows the crews to look way ahead and plan the private lives up to 8 months in advanced with a predictable and stable pattern!:ok:
When will the fixed wing operators follow this logical quality of life rostering pattern!!:bored:
Your comments will be most welcome.

[Chuffer Chadley]

Stabout

We live in a free market economy, and our jobs are affected by supply and demand.

There are fewer rotary pilots than plank fliers qualified, ready and suitable to go.

I would be extremely surprised to find that it's as easy (and cheap) to make oneself a suitable candidate for a helo job as it is to get into the RHS of an airliner. So it follows that helicopter pilots can get themselves a better deal.

Well done them!

CC

PS: I'm a fixed-wing pilot.

[Quichotte]

Humans allways looking to the other side...

Since more than 25 years in helo business and i have seldom found working conditions as good as the fixed wings have.

Operated mostly outside the at least small luxury of an airfield, with coffee, meals, phone, technical help..., Mostly single in cockpit, single in job, single against the customer, single in case of technical problems, single in weather, single on refueling by cans ... and have done much more dangerous flights than the fixed wing bus drivers along their trails in the big sky :) Found me sitting 8-9 hours a day week after week (plus refueling plus the paper work, plus driving the fuelcar and the ship to the next landing spot, plus fixing the equipment failures - all after the cockpit hours) in a single engine helicopter right within the dead man area and hauling sling loads with 150ft lines on record times.

And never got the money of the big captains and the safety of the airliners. Bristow is a big one, but only 0,0001 percent of the helo world. I'm sure we will find easy a comparable fixed wing operator...

[helimutt]

Hope you don't mind me correcting you but Stabout, CHC don't all have equal time rostering. Only the ABZ base I believe is set up for this so far. North Denes will probably follow next, then Blackpool then Humberside.
I would like 7/7 but know I won't get it.

[wobble2plank]

After seeing it from both sides of the fence I have to say, unfortunately, Plank flying is the way to go. Although I was lucky enough to get in a with a good company at a good time the difference in lifestyle is incredible.

No more 'dark side' of the airfield.
Picked up and driven to a plush hotel at the end of the day on turnrounds.
Payed a fortune (comparitively) if 'forced' to work on a day off.
Bu$$er all paperwork to speak of.
Flying is a piece of pi$$ (don't let any fixed wing flyer tell you otherwise)
No more rubber suits! (Except behind closed doors ;-) )
Took only a small pay cut to stay in the RHS :eek:
Alot less likely to fly into the sea/cliffs/hills/trees/ insert further here.
Cockpit is warn, well lit and heated.
Seat is comfy and still get to play with a stick.
Coffee is on a drip feed when required.

Could go on but my fingers hurt from too much typing.

Downside,

The flying isn't a patch on some of the rotary I have done and I still miss beating the air to death teribbly.

However, the rosters are stable and approx 2 months in advance.
Phew back on thread at the end.

Cheers

W2P

[stabout]

Some interesting responses.
It is true, there are fewer qualified helicopter pilots than fixed wing but quality of life rosters should be available to all pilots it's just up to you fixed wing guys to demand it. It is possible to fly 800hrs (Helicopter Limit) per year and still have a stable predictable roster giving you 182 days a year off.
Quichotte
I can quite understand the smaller the operation the more the pilot has to do in the way of other work just to get airborne!!:ugh:
My experience is working for a large Aberdeen based operator.
helimutt
You are correct the roster does not include the southern bases yet and in my view this is unfair good luck with choosing your 50/50 roster pattern.:ok:

[Quichotte]

I don´t know a single other helicopter operator great enough to be compared with the big off-shore one. It´s only the black gold and the warm and close clima in this area :) (called union) making the pilots life so good.
The other operators and pilots are out of race.
After more than 10.000 hours i´m now in the EMS business flying for one of the worlds biggest operators twins, but my paycheck is smaller than for the right airline copilot beginners. The only advantage: I´m alone as pilot in case of hoisting an injured hiker out of the stone and snow. I don`t like the pilot flying/nonflying discussions. :)
But it was my decision, although holding an ATPL MEH/IR i hate saltwater and the rigg job isn´t mine.

[helimutt]

Horses for courses I guess. I started doing what i'm doing now because it was what I wanted. The roster didn't bother me. It is a world away from my previous career and I keep getting asked when will my enthusiasm wane. I don't know if it will but, yes, if i'm really honest, a more stable roster, planned well in advance with little change, would be nice. For now, i'm happy just getting up in the morning and heading into work, even at 5am. The southern UK bases just need to catch up with ABZ but I hear not everyone wants 7/7. More money would be nice too but again, i'm not here for the money.
Quichotte, I don't like saltwater either. Deep fear of black water for some reason.:hmm:
Happy flying!:ok:

[Impress to inflate]

You couldn't pay me enough to fly a plank again. Did a bit of plank flying and I needed a full frontal lobotomy to keep going. Went rotary and found true love. £75k plus, equal time roster, interesting flying and some of the day to day jobs make difference to the lives of other people, i.e the odd medivac or compassionate flight etc.

True it is only 0.9% (FP_Ace figures) of the industry, but there is such a shortfall of Helli pilots that if you have the tickets in place and have the right attitude then you will get a job. Go on plank drivers, graduate from fixed wing to rotary, you know it makes sense.

[Quichotte]

Impress to inflate,

i understand you will like to tell us plank drivers need the whole luxury and money to stay alive and onboard? :ok:

but there is such a shortfall of Helli pilots that if you have the tickets in place and have the right attitude then you will get a job.

I couldn't confirm. To much hungry and cheap beginners, to much ex mil on the escape out of the hottest places of this world.

But £75k plus :mad::ugh::{ ---> not the half on my paycheck. Could i be your servant? :} CHC i'm on the way!