The Dream VS The Reality

[downtownboy]

I have read and re-read PPRUNE for months. I have read "So you want to be a helicopter pilot" and the various links. I have considered every other possible career under the sun but still I come back to wanting to be a helicopter pilot.
I know that it won't be as glamourous as I'd like to imagine but I post here in the hope that somebody might be able to give me a slice of reality and maybe a slice of hope.

I graduated a few years ago with an engineering degree and have worked in various offices for a bit but the experience continually leaves me feeling utterly despondent. I have considered banking, doing a law conversion degree, joining the foreign office, getting into journalism and broadcasting but none grab me like flying.
I just returned home from a year spent cycling from London to China so I have travelled a lot and would like to live abroad and have a fairly nomadic lifestyle. I long for an exciting lifestyle, different from the mundanity of suburban Britain!

I will work for a few years to save some of the money and then I have this dream of qualifying as a helicopter pilot, instructing to get my hours up, working in the north sea or other offshore to clear the debt as soon as possible and then being able to live and work abroad, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off, doing a wide variety of all of the different types of helicopter work there are all over the world, from logging in Canada, to fire fighting in Greek forests, to heli skiing in the Alps, to learning Portuguese and flying the heli taxis of Sao Paolo and anything else that I would find exciting.

So am I being completely far fetched with my dream? Can it be like this? Or is this a career that is nothing like as exciting as it seems? Do you still get that kick after 40 years? does it remove you from the hectic lifestyle of the 9 to 5 rat race? do you feel jaded? do you make a good living?

...Is it the best job in the world??? I just dont want to live a boring life!

[windowseatplease]

Mmmm... Well, I think being a pilot does turn into just another job after a while. Certainly it's not all "Magnum PI".

My advice is to start with your PPL, if you like that, (and have the money for the rest), go for the CPL/Instructor.

Try not to think it's all like Magnum PI/Airwolf/Documentarys on The Discovery Channel.

Take it one step at a time, and maybe try to get a ground based part-time aviation job while you are training (Operations staff, refueller etc). I guarantee your opinions/viewpoint/goals will change as you go along.

Oh, and it's going to cost you anywhere from £50,000 to £80,000.

[jab]

DTB

Speaking purely for myself, I really enjoy my career and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat so I would say yes, go for it. I have been doing it going on 20 years and I have been fortunate to have done many different types of flying and I have enjoyed most of it. For a nomadic lifestyle, get into the utility or longline market. There are jobs all over the world and due to the versatility of the platform, there are new roles being found for helicopters all the time, just see the thread on the helicopter wrecking ball. Others prefer a more structured life which offshore provides but that does not sound like your niche.

Forget the glamour, there is none but there is an immense amount of personal satisfaction involved in improving your skills, learning something new and doing it to the best of your abilities. I like working with the helicopter and seeing tangible results of my work which is why I like fire fighting and power line work rather than flying passengers but everyone has different ideals and the choice is yours to make. Make no mistake, it is not going to be an easy process and you will make many sacrifices but it has been worth it for me. Everyone seems to whine about how little they are being paid, including me, but not many jobs will enable you to see some of the most remote and beautiful parts of this planet from the best vantage point possible, get paid to do it and have the knowledge that you got there using skills you have developed through hard work. Idealistic perhaps but I don't care, it works for me.

Yes, it is just another job but your enjoyment will depend on your attitude. I still get a kick out of certain jobs and I look for ways to make it better and more enjoyable, I have avoided the rat race, I am not jaded and I think I make a reasonable living. Use your imagination and try to incorporate your engineering background into your job choices and you could have a very interesting and fulfilling career.

[Revolutionary]

'...doing a wide variety of all of the different types of helicopter work there are all over the world, from logging in Canada, to fire fighting in Greek forests, to heli skiing in the Alps, to learning Portuguese and flying the heli taxis of Sao Paolo'

Ummm, no. To paraphrase president Bush: there are already a Brazilian people flying the heli taxis of Sao Paolo and the last thing they need is a pom to come and do it for them.

But don't let that discourage you: there are indeed international jobs out there, often in support of oil and gas exploration and production, so with a few years' experience in the North Sea you should be well positioned to take advantage of those opportunities.

Other than that, I like your plan. Do it!

[WylieCoyote]

If your under 26 try for the military, atleast you won't pay for your own training which is the major drawback in the civvie world. If you don't get in or thats not for you then then go back to your original plan.
The civvie way has worked for me and I enjoy my job but the massive debt does kind of take the shine of it at times.

[Lplates]

Don't see why not...The skies the limit and all that!

The end goal sounds very worth while but you must enjoy the journey.

When you get where you want its never quite as satisfying as you hoped.

I guess to some extent after a while it will always 'feels' like a job.

Go for it

[soggyboxers]

downtownboy,

I've been doing it for 44 years now and I still love it! I was lucky enough to start in the military and as I did some exchange service I had a lot of variety there. Since leaving I've managed to have an interesting time, partly from working for some large international companies with different interesting jobs worldwide and partly from changing companies when some possible new and interesting opportunity has presented itself. I look forward to my job every day and wish I could continue for ever. Go for it - live the dream :ok:

[350boy]

Read your post and thought I would add my 2 cents worth in however "Jab" has said most of what I would of said anyway.
Ivé been doing it for a job for the last 28 + yrs and could count on 1 hand the amount of times a year I don't feel like doing it.(normally after a very good crewchange or similar)
If your into adventure,uncertainty,getting f#*%ed around at times,and seeing some (as previously stated)some of the best scenery the planet has to offer ,go for it!.
Ivé done alot of different types of helicopter work from mustering ,Ag,mountain to twin IFR EMS and it's been a bloody good ride so far and some of the people Ivé met along the way have left lifelong impressions of both how I am,would like to be and what I sure as heck don't want to be.
It's not easy to get there but once you are it's worth the effort.
Cost wise if your looking at flying overseas anyway why not learn somewhere where your currency will work to your advantage ?.
Go and take a TIF (training intro flight) and that I would imagine seal the deal for you and you'll be taken "hook,line & sinker and you will become of the mind set of "not if but HOW".
Do it and if you have the drive will be rewarded by having one of the best job's possible.:ok:
Good luck.

[FFF]

If you are young and have no commitments then go for it and see if it is the life that you want to lead. If it turns out not to be then you can always do something else, and you will still have benefitted from the experience.

If you have others depending on you then think it through carefully as the process can be expensive and completely absorbing.

As mentioned, the military is a reasonable option, so long as you can bear all the other aspects of such a life (its not just about flying). Of course you have to meet the grade when it comes to applying, and stay on the pretty steep learning curve as you go through training, but it is an opportunity to be paid for realising your dream.

If you go for the purely civilian option, then throw yourself into it completely. Look for any and every way to get involved in aviation, doing any job that gets you closer to the industry. It shows commitment (a valuable attribute) and you will be amazed at how much you will learn from those around you about the industry. IMHO, that is the way to get ahead in this game.

Good luck!:ok:

[EN48]

Any career choice (any choice at all) involves certain tradeoffs. You get some things and give up other things. One thing to think about carefully is what income level you aspire to ( and this ultimately translates to lifestyle). While being an itinerant helicopter pilot would appear to bring certain things you value, it probably also brings a cap on income at perhaps no higher than a moderate level. (In the U.S., based on published salary surveys, this cap would likely be at the $75,000 to $100,000 level for the most senior pilots.) If you care about income (or rather what income can enable you to do) then there may be more productive choices. As with women, there are many suitable choices, no one of which is perfect. However, you may find that there are other things you can do (especially given your engineering background) that are enjoyable, satisfying, and with much higher (even relatively unlimited) income potential. Adventure comes in many sizes and shapes, and it may serve you well to do some critical thinking and research before making such an important commitment.

More than 40 years ago, I faced a similar decision - a flying career vs a career in engineering and business. For reasons I wont describe here I elected to purse a technical/business career instead of a flying career, and have satisfied my flying urges as an avocation instead of as a career. In retrospect, this was a good choice for me. It has allowed me to achieve a very secure financial place in life, and yet to indulge my flying interests over 40+ years, including world class training and ownership of aircraft I could never have owned on a pilot's income. And, I loved going to work everyday over the largest part of my career.

My professional pilot friends assure me that I made the right choice (vs their choice to fly for a living). They tell me that while the flying part of the job was always interesting, the hassle that came with it wore them down, and the income for all but the most senior airline captains didnt allow them to reach a high level of financial security by retirement time. Even some of the airline captains got shafted out of what they assumed would be a comfortable pension.

I am not trying to talk you out of a flying career. Just think it over carefully and make the most informed choice you can. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

[Capt.Gonzo]

Hi downownboy,

You like to travel a lot, you like to live in far away places, not too long at one place? - Then helicopter pilot could be an option for you.

But this is now. How old are you? I know a lot of people who liked to travel and liked far away tropical places. But as they got older and got a family, they changed and loved to be at home.

I have an military background maybe there are the times away from home more extreme then in the civilian world.

Now I have a flying job at home, but the earning is not the best in the world.

Helicopter flying is great, but you get used to it, like driving your car to the supermarket.

You have to know what you want to do, and what you want to do in 10, 15 years...

But if you don´t try it you will never know...

[dragman]

Congratulations Gentlemen and Women! It's nice to see constructive advice for this guy. Not the usual "don't do its" or "waste of money" etc etc.

I've only been flying for 9 years. Admittedly I had a job at one stage that was a little repetitive, but still, looking back it wasn't that bad. I'm now working in New Zealand on scenics. I know many will say that is, in fact, repetitive; but it works for me. I love being in the mountains, enjoy meeting people and I get to sleep in my own bed each night. For me, repetitive would be North Sea. But I didn't have to spend 80K on a licence and IR - more like 25K. OK, so it isn't a JAR licence, but I can still work in many places around the world and a conversion is always a possibility.

It's a big decision for you to make, but an easy one. Do you want to fly a helicopter? The answer is obviously yes. Well, you're not gonna get a job without a licence. The hard question comes next - where in the world do you train. The answer to that MAY weight heavily on how or where your career pans out.

I believe that if you REALLY want a job, and you are prepared to work at it, you'll get one. Getting the licence is the easy bit. Good luck!

[Jackboot]

My tenpennorth.

Plenty of wannabe pilots out there - slim chance of getting any job let alone a plum one.

However...

If you hold heli engineering licences then you have achieved something far cleverer than learning to fly the things. You can fly one in a week whereas you'll still be emptying drip trays and making the tea at that stage of your engineering training.

My bet is that you could land a plum blue-water gin palace job if you achieve engineering as well as your flying licences.

Otherwise, with the economy going down the pan, the smart money remains in the bank or doesnt get borrowed in the first place. My heart goes out to the young people I meet regularly who have borrowed a huge sum of money, done the training, got the licence and havent a hope in hell of getting a job. I cant imagine anything worse.

All the best. I hope you prove the sceptics wrong.

Jack

[airborne_artist]

If your under 26 try for the militaryAge limits are under 26 at commencement at BRNC for the RN (95% of RN pilots are RW right now) and, I think, under 29 for the Army/AAC as an officer. You can also join the Army in the ranks, and apply for and get a transfer to the AAC for pilot training, but that's about four years minimum service before you can apply for the transfer.

The application/interview process will take about nine months from first enquiry to joining.

More on the Mil forum, where there is an extensive sticky on aircrew applications.

In case you think I'm anti-RAF - the age limit is under 24 on entry for officer aircrew. The RAF and the RN only have officers in the pilot role.

[DennisK]

I started flying fixed wing June 1952. (Royal Air Force) Helicopters 1972. (Civil) Now 31 rotary types. Have loved every minute in the air. Visited a couple of dozen countries, met some wonderful people, made hundreds of rotary friends, trained over 200 guys & gals to fly, done film work, public transport, display flying, crop spraying, police work and still like my flying instruction the best. Now almost two years in the air. I sometimes have to pinch myself as I realise I am being paid to do something ... something that is so enjoyable, so much fun, etc, etc .. that others pay to do the same thing.

Being a rotary pilot, is for me simply the greatest, most challenging, most satisfying and charismatic job in our world.

Sadly no one is going to come to you with a plum job on a plate, but stay determined, competent, focussed, enthusiastic and knowledgable, and ultimately you will become part of our exciting industry. Already been said .... so go for it.

Dennis K

[206Fan]

Very informative advice chaps :ok:

Has got me thinking aswel. I think im just going to work away for now at what i do and stay current until i see that the industry will pick up again. Im only 22 and don't have any commitments so ive plenty of time, need all the dam money i can get at the minute!

Dave

[downtownboy]

Firstly I'd just like to say how surprised and grateful I am to everyone for what have been balanced and informative replies, thank you for taking the time to reply!

As expected I have been presented with both sides of the argument and from reading peoples replies I have no doubt that I would cherish a career as a pilot. I cannot deny, however, that I am motivated to a significant degree by money. This is not due to selfish greed but the fact that my parents were never particularly well off and while I am not motivated by possesions and big houses, I just want to be earn a high enough salary that I should be able to provide easily for a family and never have to worry too much about money.

I have heard of good salaries working in the north sea and oil rigs etc but are reports of £80,000 - £100,000 salaries actually realistic and/or common? And just how tough is it to get jobs in that sector?

In addition, how common is to work a rotation schedule in helciopters such as 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off?
Is that the norm?
And if so, how do you find living that schedule?
Does it feel like you have a great deal of time off, enough to indulge a lot in your other interests or do you find your time off to be extremely precious?

Sadly at 27 next month, I think I am too old for the military and therefore saving for a few years followed by large loans may be the only way for me. I would love to start my own business as EN48 was discussing as it can be far more productive financially but at 26 I am unsure of myself in such pursuits. While I have endless faith in my abilities and what I believe I can acheive, it is very hard to know how to go about starting a good business and in what.
With this financial position in mind, is it a lot more cost effective to simply not bother with a JAR license and just try to fly internationally instead?

[windowseatplease]

Re: North Sea Salaries. You will start on about £40,000 and it will take you about 5 years to get to about £70,000. But it will cost you about £80,000 for a CPL and an IR in order to secure that first job.

[choppertop]

But it will cost you about £80,000 for a CPL and an IR in order to secure that first job.

... and the rest, chief! And I did my hour building in the US.

If you want JAR quals, budget on spending one big one (sterling) at current prices.

C-top.

[EN48]

I would love to start my own business as EN48 was discussing as it can be far more productive financially but at 26 I am unsure of myself in such pursuits


This is to be expected at 26. Relatively few people start their own business at this age (Bill Gates being a notable exception) , so dont rule this out prematurely. What you may wish to consider is a course of action that prepares you to be in a position to start a business somewhere in your thirties, which is a more typical age to start a business. And, you need not be the one who starts the business, but rather one who joins early in the company's history in a significant position (usually management, but sometimes as an "idea" guy contributing strongly to successful new product developments). You might consider spending a few years affiliating with companies which provide exposure and experience valuable to starting a business. Perhaps most important is to make a plan that allows you to arrive where you want to be at various stages of life and to work diligently to make this plan happen. Detours will happen, but its vitally important to keep the goal in mind/sight. Far too many of my friends and colleagues over the years have just let life happen to them, rather than working hard to influence the outcome. Nothing wrong with this if you dont care much where you end up.

[SASless]

I would suggest going to law school, med school, or some very fine engineering university....get those degrees....take up that profession and use the proceeds from your earnings to fund your flying and fly strictly for the fun of it!

Starting your own business is easier from those areas of learning are far easier than as a pilot.

[EN48]

Starting your own business is easier from those areas of learning are far easier than as a pilot.


Difficult to disagree with this. I would also be cautious about starting an aviation related business. It is often said that if one wants to make a small fortune, one should begin with a large fortune and invest it in aviation. While there are exceptions to every rule, IMHO, this is more true in aviation than in many other lines of business.

All said, however, it important to do something that is satisfying and enjoyable. Money is useful, but its not everything.;)

[Helipilo]

just make sure you have the TIME and THE MONEY. if you come up short on either on the first try you better have a back up ready.... i didn´t, still paying and not having the chance to do it again for a long time yet. unless the lotto kicks in of course... but then again i did it for the experience and just wanted to fly. no intention on getting myself a job in the north sea or anything. Just for my own sake. A few tips : Money, time and alot of research on it before you decide, and be ready to put in the long hours in this.. AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL;)

ps. loved every second of it as it lasted me:} nothing like a 540 when the instructor tells you 360 auto.

[Jackboot]

SASless' advice is bang on the money.

Why work for somebody else and be at their beckon call 24/7?

I started off as a cop and left after 14 years to pursue a career in industry.

Everybody thought I was crazy.

Jeez it was tough but I sold up and retired at 52 and can fly when I like. I can also look out of the window and say..nah..I dont fancy it today.

Lucky?

You make your own luck in this life. I have had plenty of very bad luck along the way.

Life is for living, one shot at it/ no rehearsal - so easy to get to 65 with a nice pot and be too old/ miserable to enjoy it.

Take SASless' advice, get a decent non-aviation job but with an eye always to self-employment.

Jack

[206Fan]

Guys.

I was down talking to a careers advisor in the local college yesterday. Had a good yarn with him and mentioned the flying ect.. He recommends i do an excess course i think it is for 2 years, gets you 5 GCSEs and 3 A levels at the end of it and then apply to the military. Ive always wanted to go to the military but lack of Qualifications held me back. If i want to go to the military and fly with them this is my last chance to try before its too late. I know its a different ball game alltogether than the civi world IF you get into the military but i think its worth a very good shot!

Dave