Current and future market/employment conditions?

[Hi Flyer]

I will soon have completed the ATPL (H) exams and subsequent flying course, and will be hour building abroad for the forseeable future.

I would appreciate hearing from experienced pilots employed in all areas of the industry on their opinion on what the current and future situation is with regard to employment in all categories of helicopter aviation inc, north sea, police and hems, instructors etc.

Asking alot I know, but would appreciate it.

Hi Flyer

[ShyTorque]

I would say A) not good and B) little change.

Difficult to get into the UK police role unless you are ex-military.

You can have my job (as soon as I have done with it) - another 14 hour duty day today, the last two 13 hrs and 13.5 hrs!

Good luck. ;)

[paco]

Ay, we used to dream of 14-hour duty days. We used to work all year and get all Christmas day off.....

Come on, keep it going! :)

Phil

[bliptune]

Are quality turbine jobs readily available in the new york city area, for flying passengers around in say an s-76? Or perhaps the s-92 by the time I decide to start and get through flight training and accumulating instructor hours in the northeast. I imagine it'll be many years before I'd be in control of such an aircraft, but as you move up in the profession do you mostly hear about jobs by word of mouth, or is there a newsletter that goes around, or a hotjobs type site thats a popular way to see listings these days?

This forum has been a wealth of information but I'm also wondering if there might be a more US specific forum on the net, besides the rec.aviation.rotorcraft newsgroup.

Lester

[crop duster]

Try Justhelicopters.com. But, don't bother with the forum, they're not friendly and most of the time they'll bash any such request for info. Try the Gulf of Mexico. The pay isn't bad for someone with 1000 hours and you can work 7 & 7 or 14 & 14 schedule. Good luck.
Barryb

[Thomas coupling]

Shytorque, what job have you got with those sort of hours?????

[tigerpic]

the us has plenty of openings on the job market for helicopter pilots. so far this year, i have been offered four jobs within ems, eng, sightseeing, and external load work. i have over 1600 hours, but my problem is getting a work authorization, and i don't feel like being an illegal alien (with paranoid americans running arround). in europe, however, it is much more quiet. up here in scandinavia, the market moves a lot slower, but there are companies who are interested. by the way, aberdeen is borrowing pilots from offshore companies in norway. that does show a demand for pilots.

my point is: you have to be a helicopter pilot, with a current (!) license, standing at the company door when they scream for one. the hardest thing for me is staying current! the regulations, national og jar's, doesn't make it easy on the pilots without a job.