Helicopter CPL Sponsorship

[Yakking]

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone could confirm/ deny the rumour about sponsorships by Bristow/CHC/ Norsk etc...for pilots to convert their licenses to the JAA equivalent with some of of ROSO.
I'm a 2000hr/ 500hr turbine ATPL-H pilot.

I'm contemplating the move to Europe for family reasons, but struggle to justify the expense of converting my licenses.

Yak.

[chcoffshore]

Classic case of rumour network!

[rotordude]

Don´t hold your breath, the companies are not that desperate yet.

The best thing you could hope for is an interview before you convert. If accepted, you would be given a reasonable time to convert at your own expense, and given a job when done.

Rotordude

[helimutt]

Unfortunately I think you've missed the boat on that one.

Lots of qualified people now being turned down for North Sea.
Some companies might even be cutting back very soon.



Sorry.

[chcoffshore]

cutting back! whys that? We are struggling to provide enough aircraft and crews to keep up with demand.

[roundwego]

chcoffshore, have you seen the price of oil recently? Over the last few years, the oil companies have been catching up on a lot of maintenance and development work which was put on hold the last time the price of oil was low. The recent high level of activity has allowed costs to spiral and they will now want to tighten their belts.

At least one NS heli operator has been hiring like mad over the last few years and were always behind the drag curve on recruitment. I hope they haven't overshot the mark to find themselves over the top on pilot numbers.

There are also some contracts up for renewal which well change hands.

Interesting times!

[chcoffshore]

Well we will just have to wait and see!

[helimutt]

and there are some operators who are short of pilots. That doesn't mean they will recruit though.
Lots of contracts up for renewal in the next year or so. Interesting times.

[Yakking]

Cheers boys and girls for your input.
Guess I'll have to pursue other venues.

Yak

[iwannaskydive]

Hi,
does anyone know of any North Sea Companies or any for that matter who offer sponsorship programs for CPL(H), I have no PPL just a passion for flying (500 Skydives:8) and no money nor collateral to get any, anyone out there want to rob a bank,

[tegwin]

Hahhaahaa! Join the queue!! :}

[fluffy5]

It is a marketing ploy, but they are providing the training which you will receive.
However the actual costings and numbers mean that the company will break even minimum or earn some money out of it, it really is quite a clever way to attract students to come and fly.


Fluffy

[skillsndrills]

What they're probably hoping for is people to start rushing there to get PPL qualified with them before the deadline, in the hope of being considered for the scholarship, by which time they'll have sold a ton of PPL's...very clever
Agreed 100%.

I don't like posting on Pprune but if it saves a newbie from pain then it will be worth it:

Guess what, the two "lucky" candidates will then be told they are unemployable without a Flight Instructor Rating.

Luckily I am sure the school is willing to let them pay for this after they have been so lucky to be "selected" for " CPL sponsorship" (after paying for a PPL course).

I wish I was being cynical but I fear that this is the truth of the matter.

To be fair, great marketing but: "Buyer beware"

Newbies take note: good marketing does not a good school make

I will leave it there for now, but hopefully you get my gist ;)

[Bravo73]

Guess what, the two "lucky" candidates will then be told they are unemployable without a Flight Instructor Rating.

Luckily I am sure the school is willing to let them pay for this after they have been so lucky to be "selected" for " CPL sponsorship" (after paying for a PPL course).

I wish I was being cynical but I fear that this is the truth of the matter.


FYI, there is also a FI(H) scholarship.

Also, there is only one scholarship on offer, not two.


Its all there in their FAQs.

[skillsndrills]

FYI, there is also a FI(H) scholarship.

Also, there is only one scholarship on offer, not two.

Its all there in their FAQs. Thank you for pointing this out and my appologies for not reading their FAQs

Unfortunately, the cynic in me says that the FI will be awarded to someone who will be unsuccessful in the CPL sponsorship...

Just my cynical opinion and nothing more, and I am more than happy to stand corrected.

[Luke Marsden]

Well just to let anyone who's interested know, I've got my date for interview for the CPL scholarship at Helicentre.

Seems there was only a few for the FI scholarship but a few more for me to go up against for the CPL scholarship.

Any advise people can give me on interview techniques in the helicopter industry would be really appreciated. I understand it's not a north sea interview but any general techniques would be great!

[ShyTorque]

Ask them where your first job will be and how much they will pay you for the privilege. ;)

[fluffy5]

Here's a tip, before you progress any further, look at the amount of hours they do in a week and then divide by how many pilots they have working for them, and then you will understand if it is actually worth training there for the end goal of working for them, because I bet you they are saying once you qualify your first job will be with them.
You have to understand that this so called interview is just a way to draw you in and spend in the long term more money with them.
So I would say for the interview "yes I like flying helicopters and also I have a considerable large amount of cash"

Fluffy

[ShyTorque]

You have to understand that this so called interview is just a way to draw you in and spend in the long term more money with them.

In one! Or a chance to work for nothing! :D :D :D

[Aucky]

You have to understand that this so called interview is just a way to draw you in and spend in the long term more money with them.

True, but it still should never cost you more than the normal route of PPL, CPL, FI... So if thats the alternative it's perhaps worth a punt. The question then is, if the scholarship weren't on offer would you choose to train with them? Quality of training, location, chances of future employment etc. You could always do your PPL with them, try to qualify for the scholarship, and if unsuccessful embark on the CPL training elsewhere. They seem so be pretty good at offering their past CPL/FI's some work, but how much? They have quite a few commercial graduates.

[ss6dx]

Looks like these scholarships are genuine and they say there are more scholarships next year! :)

FLYER Airportal - General Aviation News (http://www.flyer.co.uk/aviation-news/newsfeed.php?artnum=1590)

[Pittsextra]

Congrats to the winners but looks like the guy who won the CPL scholarship was already working at Helicentre, having gone solo in 2010.....:}

[Flap-Back]

Pittsextra, it took me four years to go from first solo to CPL - not everyone has the luxury to do it quickly. I had to train around a full time job, it's not unusual. The winner is just a PPL so why would he already work for the company? He's a lucky chap, if an opportunity like that had been around when I was training I'd have jumped at it! Fair play to Helicentre.

I worked for them as an FI for a while when they were over at Coventry but I've long since moved on. They got me onto the ladder and sent me out the other end with lots of hours so I've got no complaints.

FB

[Pittsextra]

Flap back - I think you are mixing things up - 4 years solo to CPL isn't the situation with the guy here, first solo to PPL is more relevant. Anyway regardless the guy who won one of the scholarships is working for the company. The why and the how I have no idea.

Forget this situation it does look odd if any company runs a competition which then gets won by someone working at the same company... Just saying.

[Flap-Back]

Pitts, I'm guessing most of the scholarship applicants were hangar rats of some description - it's just what you do when you're trying to get involved in the industry. You take whatever you can - I certainly did. He's not on their meet the team page, so if what you are saying is true he's probably cleaning helicopters or doing ground crew or something. Anyway very best of luck to him. It's good to see something positive in the industry.

FB

[Pittsextra]

no idea but :-

Anyway very best of luck to him

agree :ok:

[Translational Lift]

Advertisement For the second year running Helicentre Aviation are seeking enthusiastic and motivated applicants for their Professional Helicopter Pilot Scholarships. We have announced a total of five scholarships, two of which will be awarded in 2013 and the remaining three in 2014. The scholarships hold a total value of over £83,000. If you think you would make a suitable candidate, we would like to hear from you.

This year we only recieved 12 applications for our Commercial Pilot Scholarship and a mere three applications for our Flight Instructor Scholarship! Pierre Neyses and Morgan Whiting were this year's scholarship winners, and you can read about their success here.

Our current Scholarships consist of the following :

• Commercial Helicopter Pilot Scholarship
• Helicopter Flight Instructor Scholarship
• Cabri G2 Advanced Training Scholarship
• CPL(H) Theoretical Knowledge Scholarship
• ATPL(H) Theoretical Knowledge Scholarship

Speak to us today on 0116 259 0186 to find out more, or visit our dedicated website

T.

[Hughes500]

They will also teach you to longline in a helicopter, just ask how much experience they have doing that, might give you an idea :{

[Heliport]

This year we only recieved 12 applications for our Commercial Pilot Scholarship and a mere three applications for our Flight Instructor Scholarship!

That's not surprising.


Your CPL(H) scholarship is open only to applicants who do their PPL(H) at your school.
Your FI Scholarship is open only to applicants who do their CPL(H) at your school.



:rolleyes:

H.

[GMavrick]

This year I'm going to start off my flight training from PPL to FI (hopefully) I've got mostly everything in place and I'll be ready to start pretty soon but then the Helicentre in Leicester came into the mix and have caused me headache...


Now I have 2 options..


Option A - My local flying school my


Go to my local flying school
Get lots of attention (very quiet there)
lots of time working with the owner (lots of sucking up time)
they also will train me to be an aircraft fitter (if I pay for the exams)
and there around 45 minuet drive away


Option B - Helicentre


if you don't know the Helicentre are offering CPL, FI and other scholarships, but to get the scholarship the previous rating need to be done with them, so to get the CPL scholarship the PPL needs to be done with the Helicentre and to get the FI sch, the CPL need to be done with the Helicentre & both come with so sort of job. Helicopter Scholarships : Home (http://www.helicopterscholarships.com/#HFIS)


so option B


Do my PPL with helicentre
May get a scholarship may not but that's all CPL Paid for + Job
& may get FI scholarship may not and that's all Paid for + Job
Helicentre is about 2 hours drive each way away from me.


I want to keep training consistent Both would be flying at the weekends working full time in the week.


So I ask, What would you do?

[firebird_uk]

Option A is a cert (assuming you have the £50-70K arranged), option B is a gamble.

So as Clint once said "Do you feel lucky punk?"

I'm someone that believes that there's no such thing as a free lunch, so option A would be my choice.

FB

[GoodGrief]

Do it on your own terms. Don't owe anybody.
This is a cut throat industry.

[Cylinder Head]

You are embarking on a long and often twisty path. There is no guarantee that you will get a scholarship, so is it worth spending more money and time travelling to do a PPL further away from home? Spend your money on your flying training and not on accommodation away from home if you can.

If you don't get the scholarship, then you will have gone through needless hassle to obtain your PPL. My advice is go and fly with several outfits and see where you feel most comfortable and who is the most professional. Base your decision on where to train assuming that the scholarship does not materialise. If you still feel that the company offering said scholarship would provide the best training, then no problem. Don't be suckered in by promises of future employment.

A more general industry wide point, - AND THIS IS IN NO WAY MEANT TO SUGGEST ANYTHING ABOUT HELICENTRE - is any promise made by any helicopter company is worthless if the company is no longer around. Too often newbies get enticed to take advantage of benefits in the short term, only to see them backfire in the longer term.

[Helicentre Aviation]

Just to clarify a few facts, the scholarship places are funded out of our own cash flow following thirteen successful years of professional pilot training. The scholarships have provided us with an excellent selection of future instructors and line pilots, so even if the pilot is not successful this time around there's always next year to apply.

GMaverick, I'm sure last year's scholarship winners would be more than happy to talk to you about their progress, however it's your call where you decide to do your training in the end.