Pilots for AS350B3e in Nepal

[Safe.Fly123]

Has anyone heard of requirements for helicopter pilots in Nepal? At Singapore Air Show, Eurocopter confirmed Shree Airlines has bought 5 new AS350B3e and are looking to recruit. Anyone have experience in Nepal? What are the terms one can expect? Will be fun to fly around Everest!

[HeliHenri]

Hello,

You need someone with flight experience in Nepal, well I don't think there is such a guy here :}

You're not very curious ... just few topics above there is :

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/483614-top-world-photos-nepal.html#post6547700

Enjoy ! :ok:

.

[Safe.Fly123]

I am very curious. Have done some research. Flying is fantastic but challenging. Apparently they land at 18~20,000' on a regular basis!! Challenging DA, rapid weather and the pay is not super great. But I have heard that the life style is great. You can pretty much save all your salary so in a way much better than higher pay with higher cost.. AND these guys have bought brand new B3e. Will love to fly these babies.

I am interested but not sure if my 2000 hrs and lack of super high altitude experience will cut it! Any views? Anyone who has flown there? Can you confirm what I have found? Fishtail is another name that keeps popping but they have had many crashes. Wonder if it is the machine / maintenance or just bad luck?

[topendtorque]

This thread and the one on precession tend to debunk a theory of mine that before ones ventures into a pool, one first plumbs the depth. Clearly I must be mistaken.

[Desert Dawg]

@ Topendtorque

Wholeheartedly agree Mate..!!

Some people just can't see the forest for the trees... Doh..!!:ugh:

[HeliHenri]

The mountain for the rocks in this case ;)

.

[Vertical Freedom]

simply hilarious :yuk: :ooh: 2,000hrs with no Mountain time probably no Ag nor VR hmmmmmmm Russian roulette comes to mind :ugh: as for high accidents???? := take a look at the terrain, the elevation, Mountain weather, ultra high DA, throw in a few inconvenient engine failures at the wrong place & You might understand :(

Ow & landings up to 24,400' :{

Let the comedy continue......:}

[Safe.Fly123]

you guys are brutal! I was only asking for advice.

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Safe.Fly;


Your enthusiasm doesn't really go with your name. There's no brutality, just a world of experience you would do well to take heed of.


SND


P.S If a deal sounds so good it very rarely is

[Aucky]

Fishtail Air took on a 22yr old female co-pilot straight out of her CPL(H) in 2010. It probably helps if you are Nepalese, but if you can fly as a hands on co-pilot don't see why you couldn't learn on the job :ok:

[Soave_Pilot]

Ok then, how is the guy supposed to get moutain time if he's never had mountain time? According to some advice given here, he is never going to get mountain time.:ugh: because he's never flown it :}:}

Most companies would train the captain (at the company) before he is let go being PIC.

[Vertical Freedom]

FTA has taken 3 low time CPL's on a cadetship & all were Nepali :ugh: so if your Nepali you have a chance, not Nepali no chance :mad:

As for getting mountain time it's the same circus as getting twin time..... I've been trying to crack into twins for 15 years & keep hearing the same story - no twin time; no start??? :{

So how do You get mountain time? Hmmmm that's the million dollar question :8
Same questions as for twin time :yuk:

Happy Landings :)

[Sir Niall Dementia]

Hey VF;


I've got 9300 hours twin time and only 600 hours single, but I'd happily trade to fly where you do!


Superb pics on your Top of the World thread!


Regards


SND

[Vertical Freedom]

Namaste SND

Awesome let's trade then :cool:

Do You have any tips to gaining twin time please?:8

Cheers :D

[Safe.Fly123]

Sir Niall, I have no deal so I dont know what you mean by it sounds too good. I am not suggesting that I command a helo to 20,000'. Obviously I will want to go up with someone experience like VF and take the bird up only when I feel confident.

From the advice of you super "experienced" gods, I should just give up my quest to fly around the top of the world as a pilot..... But I guess I will keep trying and build time around some "low" mountains and then head towards himalayas!

[GoodGrief]

High altitude flying is no witchcraft, neither is a twin.
It just takes a little training and getting used to a bit of a different technique.
You HAVE to plan ahead and know what you're doing as the margin for error is zero.What you might get away with at sea level will certainly damage and/or destroy your aircraft, maybe more...

[Nubian]

Safe.fly123,

The most important rule in aviation is: It's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know!
If you know the right people you might get a break, but if you don't you might never get the chance either.

This count for VF and pretty much all of us as well, when it comes to flying twins....or break into other segments of the industry.

In any case, good luck!

[Safe.Fly123]

Thank you Nubian.

I did write to Shree and was told that they are recruiting. Have sent them resume. waiting to hear!

[Evil Twin]

VF for twin time you should try The Helicopter Line or similar in NZ. With the kind of altitudes you've been working at 10000' would be a snip. They usually run AS355 F1's so you'd be right at home with Squirrel and the C20B donks from the Jettie.

I've had a few mates work there and hear it's not too bad, you'd probably be used to the wages too coming from working in Nepal, they're pretty basic as I'm told.:eek:

All the best mate.
ET

[Vertical Freedom]

That's right, there's no big secret to Mountain Flying := it's really more about managing the extremes of weather & winds, knowing when & how; to push-on & when to pull-out :ooh: Plus managing extremely limited power situations when Your not even got HIGE :O Plus taking care of LTA, which is a real biggy in Nepal even in the 350 above 20,000' :8

Good luck Safe.Fly123 with Shree :ok: (hmmm) I doubt they would train a Foreign Pilot, they will expect You to arrive with that Mountain skill in Your bag of tricks already (but You never know Your luck, right place - right time) :}

[peely]

Evil T,

It is not like you to be so far behind with information. THL gave up the twin fleet last June/July and have gone to an almost complete B2 fleet. They have had my spare B3 since then also - in QN now and just back from dinner with their CP as we are taking our B3 back at the end of the month now their new fleet is all sorted.

[Evil Twin]

I stand corrected old chap, I am a little out of the loop of whats happening in NZ these days. I saw that you were in QT, give my regards to NK if you see him again before you head north. Would love another go in that B3, what a weapon.

[peely]

Will do, seeing him again in the morning. Will be picking it up at the end of the month for the trip North through the Southern Alps - can't wait.

[Sir Niall Dementia]

VF;


Its a lot like getting mountain time, right place, right time. I fell into twins early on by sheer luck, 25 years on I'd really enjoy some of the flying you do.


SND

[Heli1223]

Hello everyone. Great advice related to the industry - coming from very experienced professionals. Thank you for being allowed to share in the fruits of your years of experience and knowledge.

I have my CPLH for just over a year now and I got an opportunity to help establish an AOC for a company. My flying experience is obviously very low at this stage, but nonetheless I got a vote of confidence from the owner of the company after delivering his first helicopter (RH44) for him.
We are going to get a single turbine (It seems like it will be an AS350 variant) and I am going to get my type rating paid for on it.

I would appreciate advice on how to grow my experience as quickly as possible while keeping the flying safe at all times.
'Experience' is learning from a lot of small and recoverable mistakes (correct me if I'm in error please), so I thought the best way possible would be to get the type rating and then fly with an experienced and appropriately rated pilot all the time (he gets paid, I don't) until my experience on the aircraft and on the different specific jobs reach a safe level where I can fly PIC without supervision. (whether it be Part 133 ops or mountain flying or a combination thereof or even seismic work). Passenger and cargo transport might be of less concern as long as I do everything within my comfort zone (which is against the very nature of commercial ops obviously).

Personally I would prefer an experienced AS350 longline/VR, bushpilot mentor to make sure I get the most experience and NO incidents or accidents while being able to operate in the difficult and stressful situations that commercial aviation throws at us.

Does anyone have advice for me please?
It seems I have a great opportunity, but equal opportunity to mess it up if I don't manage it well.

Mostly: No experience, no job = no experience.
I have a rare chance at the opposite (have worked for it though, doing other work for this very diverse company), so I don't want to mess it up!

Thank you in advance for those of you who are helping me develop as a new pilot.

Always Green:ok:
Heli1223

[Safe.Fly123]

Vertical Freedom, you were right. got a call from shree. very professional but said that they are already training two nepali pilots and they are looking for pilots with mountain exp. Also they seem to prefer pilots with 5000+ hrs, total exp.

[Vertical Freedom]

Hey Safe.Fly123

Sorry to hear that Brother, hmmmmm on one side it is understandable they don't wanna invest 50+ hours of training into a Foreign Pilot who will likely leave in a year or 2. :( If Your keen for Mountain time I would try PNG, though the lifestyle is not as nice as here :hmm:

Happy Landings :ok:

[ReverseFlight]

The AS350 is a powerful machine but IMHO 50 hours on type is just not enough experience to prepare one for this kind of job, in my books. Never mind what FTA promises to deliver.

Don't get me wrong, not trying to belittle anyone here. Although I do not have field experience, I do have time on type with additional specific training in mountain techniques and longline, but that does not even get me close to qualifying for the task. As someone said already, the margin for error is zero. So true. This type of work is not for any helicopter pilot.

Know your own limitations. Safe landings.

[Safe.Fly123]

Thank you Vertical and thank you Reverse! I do have type experience. What I lack is mountain experience. I have asked Shree if they will consider taking me in as trainee. Give me food and a room and six months of flying with an experienced guy like Vertical.

Everytime I see your pictures, I wanna get out there....

Maybe PNG is not a bad idea.

[krypton_john]

Reverseflight, even VF had no mountain experience once....

[Vertical Freedom]

Namaste krypton_john

Correct & I'm still a trainee when it comes to Helicopter flying & Mountains :ooh:
learn something new everyday :8

Land Happy :ok:

VF

[Safe.Fly123]

VF - you are too modest. From your pictures it is very clear that there is little anyone can teach you.

[krypton_john]

Probably the mountains doin' the teachin'

[Safe.Fly123]

I agree. Other than the mountains, very few people around who can teach VF much.

By the way, heard back from Shree. They are looking for experienced pilots! I am going to go to Nepal and meet those folks and see whats going on...

[Vertical Freedom]

Brother's I truly am just a mere trainee Pilot....there is tons & tons still for me to learn about the Mountains, navigation & Helicopter flying. I for one do not claim to know it all, nor that much, I try & learn something everyday & try & better my skills & techniques each opportunity I get to fly :8 My Life is truly Blessed ;)

Land back Happy always :ok:

[Safe.Fly123]

VF, do you know of any helicopter company in Nepal that will hire someone with 2000 hrs as a trainee pilot? How about your company?

[nuthin]

Is there an official channel for applying with Shree? Just through the contact link on their website?
VF, can you PM me on them.good, bad, whatever?
Cheers

[Vertical Freedom]

G'day Safe.Fly123

For a Nepali; all of them :8 For a Foreinger; none :ooh:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Namaste nuthin

Shree; all good :ok: pay hmmmmm just OK :* Helicopter Tour & Travel Nepal-Tour Operators Nepal (http://shreeair.com/index.html)

Happy Landings always

[nuthin]

Thanks VF, Ill shoot em a resume and see how OK that pay is.

[MercuryRises]

Does any one know if Shree is still recruiting? I saw their bird in Yangoon and it is stunning! It is being ferried to VNKT for delivery.

[not sure how to upload pictures!!]

I am experienced and current on Squirrel. Can someone tell me what kind of salaries you can expect from them?

[ReverseFlight]

Does any one know if Shree is still recruiting? I saw their bird in Yangoon and it is stunning!
Only if you have time on type.

[MercuryRises]

Thank you Reverse /Flight. I have time on Squirrel as well as Mils. Any idea on what kind of terms I can expect? Salary, facilities etc.

[MercuryRises]

Anyone have any ideas? What kind of pay can one expect in Nepal?

[GoodGrief]

I reckon $5000 to $6000.

[MercuryRises]

I doubt it GoodGrief. I am told even the Mi pilots don't get that. I have sent them my CV. No response yet. Can anyone flying in Nepal give me an idea what to expect?

[Safe.Fly123]

I am told they have a fixed and variable packet... Not great pay but argument used is that cost of living in Kathmandu is very low.

Can someone working there give some advice?

[MercuryRises]

Guys I have heard Shree has recruited TWO foreign pilots. Can someone confirm this and give an indication on pay etc? Are they looking for more?

[Jungledog]

Hi guy's, the pay in Nepal is not great but the cost of living is very low or so I have been told. Pay is $2500 US per month $40 per hour and $450 housing allowance. Low by western standards but was assured that you can live like a king and save $2000 per month. Good luck to all that want to work up there as it would be an amazing place to be and fly, but not somewhere you will make a lot of money, however money is not everything.
JD

[MercuryRises]

Thank you JungleDog. I will be happy if I can save $2000 a month. Right now I save jack after paying all the ****ing bills! Plus flying in those mountains - definitely worth it.

Do you need to "know" someone or just write to their email on the website?

Thanks for the info...

[Jungledog]

MR, mate I just emailed their company email. They have another machine arriving in August, when I was to start, but circumstances have changed for me so am not able to go to the top of the world, @#$%$# it all. Here is the guy I was talking to, his first name is Sudhir. [email protected]
JD

[Safe.Fly123]

MR, I was in Kathmandu and spoke to one of the guys flying there. He told me that he struggles to spend more than $1000 a month and is saving well over $3000 each month. I also went up to Everest Base Camp (just before the avalanche). The trip was amazing. There was fresh powder on the ground at Kala Pathar so take off was challenging with super low visibility from flying powder. It was like a dust storm.

I offered to fly for free as second pilot for six months but Shree refused. I don't have enough time or mountain experience! They only take Nepalese as trainees.

[GoodGrief]

...I offered to fly for free as second pilot for six months...
:ugh::mad::=

[Safe.Fly123]

Don't be so quick to judge GoodGrief! The flying around these mountains is some of the best in the World. What is six months for such an experience...

[311kph]

Yeah, you're right, you should've gone a step further and pay them to allow you to sit as a second...

... damn, and then we wonder why this profession is going down the drain...

:ugh::ugh::D:D

[fijdor]

Yeah, you're right, you should've gone a step further and pay them to allow you to sit as a second...

... damn, and then we wonder why this profession is going down the drain...

You took the words out of my mouth 311. totally agree.

JD

[nuthin]

Good for Shree for only taking locals as trainees. They are protecting their people better than Canada.

Course its a delicate balance between this and having crews skilled enough for the environment. It does not matter where they are from.

[gcpilot8]

I offered to fly for free as second pilot for six months

Please dont pimp yourself like that that makes it hard for all the pilots to gain PAID employment.

You could have offered to work on a trainee wage but to offer free services is just horrible and morally wrong.

[Safe.Fly123]

You guys are a bunch of hypocrites! Riding your high horses. I offered to be second pilot where they don't need one. If they agreed they would be taking two passengers less so I offered to do it for free to compensate for their loss in revenue.

No one is pimping or selling services for free. It was a fair trade. You guys can all sleep happy because they did not agree!

[311kph]

I offered to be second pilot where they don't need one.

So... you offered to be a passenger/cargo/dead weight riding around Sagarmatha for six months for free!

And we're hypocrites!

[Nubian]

123,

How the f..k do you think this: taking two passengers less so I offered to do it for free to compensate for their loss in revenue. is a fair trade.

Fair trade??!! You must be freaking kidding! Half a year kicking out 2 paying pax pr trip.... at what cost?? And their gain would be, ''not having to pay a helper, that was not essential in the first place''
To normal people, this is a ''lose-lose'' situation.

Are you offering your services when you take the buss, train or taxi as well, although you're NOT NEEDED, BUT they don't have to pay you to come along?!?!:confused:

If you're not experienced for the job, don't think flying for free would get you there in a hurry. And most important, pilots like yourself is the sole reason that the general pilot salaries remain lower than it should and rather is decreasing. :yuk:

If you want to work for free, then join an NGO!:ok:

[newfieboy]

Flying for free....WTF. Next thing you know we will have P2F in the heli industry. I'm on the way down from a long tour flying in the mountains of Baffin and Ellesmere Islands. Last thing I would want is low time zero mountain time dead weight sitting along for free. Are you low timers that bloody desperate to get ass in seat, you'll do it for free. Get a life that's just plain insulting to us crews trying to make a living.... Too bad.

[fijdor]

P2F hum, had to look that one up.

Newfieboy, I will bring you up to speed, it has been done before, some have been caught and thrown out of some well known projects.

JD


P2F or 'Pay To Fly' is a phrase used to describe the aviation industry's dirtiest little secret. That whereby which new pilot recruits (co-pilots) pay an airline in order to fly their passenger loaded, profit making aircraft. Sums of $30k to $50k are routinely exchanged in an industry full of so many jobless young pilots that the airline cannot resist in the face of such a supply vs. demand situation.

[Safe.Fly123]

Guys, all those who want to fly in Nepal - Shree is recruiting. They need several pilots. I don't have enought time on B3e or high altitude experience but if you do, its time to ask them. They have 3 new B3e and one more coming next week.

Good luck to you folks lucky enough to fly up there!

[gcpilot8]

Any links or information on the requirements and compensation?

[Safe.Fly123]

I don't know the requirements or comp levels but last year when I was trying to get a job they told me they wanted a minimum 2000+ heli time with significant time on AS350 and high altitude experience. You should write to them. I used to write to [email protected]

[nuthin]

I did write last year and never heard back. Into my summer up north now so maybe in 6 months

[Safe.Fly123]

Surprising to hear that nuthin! Everytime I write to them I get a quick reply even though they know I don't have enough hours, they always respond.

[Tango123]

Roster? 4/4, 6/6 or?

And is airline tickets payed for?

Tango

[350355]

The pay is in Nepalese Rupee, and averages out at US$ 200 per working day made up of basic salary and flight pay. Roster is 6 days a week, 48 weeks a year, with one return ticket home each year. Annual leave during the quiet periods.

Nepal is a poor country so the pay is commensurate with that. There's only one level of ex-pat experience accepted, so you could say pay is commensurate with experience...

The scenery might well be spectacular, but IMHO the overall remuneration package is nowhere near enough in today's conditions in Kathmandu with potential disease, poor living conditions and earthquake uncertainty!

[nuthin]

Thats ok I will try them again when things start slowing for me in Canada.
It looks like the roster is not really suitable for me anyway. Unless I go there for the experience.

[Safe.Fly123]

Guys, does anyone know if the Nepalese operators are hiring pilots? What are they paying these days?