A great opportunity or a trap for the unwary?

[Bravo73]

This advert appeared on indeed.co.uk recently:

“Ever considered a career as a Helicopter Pilot?

Northumbria Helicopters are launching a ground breaking future Helicopter Pilot scheme.

£65 - £300 a Day

No Experience Necessary

Northumbria Helicopters

Headquartered at Newcastle International Airport, we the only Helicopter Company with bases and operations in every region of the British Isles.

We are currently searching for our pilots of the future through practical evaluation sessions in the coming weeks for a brand new future pilot scheme which will put candidates at the controls of a helicopter for 20 minutes with one of our in house instructors followed by an interview on the ground.

The scheme offers up to 4 successful candidates a range of funding options for our CAA Approved Helicopter Pilot Training Courses including the opportunity to work for our organisation on a full or part time basis to gain valuable experience of UK flight operations based at Newcastle International Airport whilst training for your Private Pilot License (PPL) or funding for up to 50 percent of your PPL training with possible further support for the right candidate(s).

Becoming a Helicopter Pilot is a dream job for many people and for the right candidates this unique opportunity will certainly take you from zero to hero

If you are interested in coming along and taking control of our modern Cabri helicopter followed by a formal interview, you will be asked to cover the cost of the initial evaluation at £125 + VAT and the flying time will count towards your PPL.

For more information regarding this scheme we recommend attending our free open evening where you will be able to have an informal chat with our team.

Please contact us by email with your CV and details as to why you would like a career as a Helicopter Pilot.

Benefits:

Flexible working hours

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Temporary

Salary: £300.00 /day”

https://www.indeed.co.uk/m/viewjob?jk=51e5291ede06f10d


This sort of thing has appeared before. So, is it a great opportunity for aspiring helicopter pilots or a trap for the unwary?

[[email protected]]

So they seem to be offering trial lessons to drum up business...

[the beater]

I very rarely post here nowadays, but honestly this sort of thing makes my blood boil.
If you think that paying £150 for a twenty minute air experience flight is good value then crack on; it will be interesting to see next year whether they've made good on funding some training for four, or, indeed any, number of pilots.

[Dave Gittins]

If they attempted to evaluate my potential in a helicopter in 20 minutes, they'd probably come to the same conclusion I did. This guy should never be let near one again and I've stuck to fixed wing ever since.

And I think £150 is bloody dear for a little toy !

[Two's in]

I'll confess to being slightly curious as to what 20 minutes on the controls will allow anyone to "evaluate". Some candidates may have some rotary experience, but most will not, so we're comparing apples to aardvarks here. If you've got the money, there's probably worse things to spend 150 quid on, but it isn't going to be very meaningful for anyone concerned.

[212man]

Sorry - what will the job exactly, that earns 300 GBP per day with a PPL?

[helipixman]

A good few years ago a friend had a Jetranger and after taking off he was in the hover and said I am going to let you have some control. I took the collective and the cyclic, he covered the pedals and said after ten minutes I was a natural.... So I suppose it could be done in twenty minutes to assess if someone is capable of going further. Not sure it helped either that I was a fixed wing PPL (well in the hover that is). Sadly I am probably too old now to take up any offer. I have to add, I have been to Northumbria Helicopters and on first apperance looks very professional

[Captain Spam Can]

This scam errr I mean scheme (I love the word ‘scheming’) is the reason they say aviation attracts sharks. If you just want to have a go in chopper for 20 mins with the added bonus something might come of it and accept it just for that then go for it but to say it’s an evaluation flight 😂. Something just a bit funnier would of been to watch me a 10000hr Airbus Captain trying to hover 3 years ago when I had a try for 15mins. The instructor said I was good...TBF I was and a legend at it too, for up to about 7 seconds on each attempt 😂😂.

[GlenQuagmire]

Well you probably did more handling in that trial lesson than you’ve done in the 10,000hrs of bus driving so well done you!

[ChrisVJ]

Not sure about the value of the flight but maybe it says something that the RCAF and RAF both evaluate 'potemtial' pilots in a short simulation and without actually letting them near and actual aircraft. As far as I learned from my kids, (four of whom attended 'Selection' the handling part of the process accounted for about twenty minutes in which they were asked to 'fly' a (fixed wing) circuit on instruments three or four times. Being shown their tracks and the miscues being pointed out the assessment was on their 'improvement.'

(Three of them passed and are now helicopter pilots.)

Not saying anything about this actual offer but twenty minutes flight time would rule out a whole host of the wannabes.

[pilotmike]

A good few years ago a friend had a Jetranger and after taking off he was in the hover and said I am going to let you have some control. I took the collective and the cyclic, he covered the pedals and said after ten minutes I was a natural....
Outrageous! He only called you a 'natural'? I'd complain! If you can hover a helicopter for 10 minutes you're more than natural! You're total heli-genius! I'd have demanded to be called a master chopper-manipulator and insisted he bought me lunch and beer for the next 365 days at a very minimum. He's obviously very rich (possibly stupid and cavalier with letting a novice try to hover for 10 minutes, but that's another story), burning through £100 worth of costs just for the privilege of watching a master heli-genius at work. He must have been soooooo impressed to let you do all that! Do you give autographs? TV interviews? Please let us know when your autobiography is out so we can read all the juicy detail of how you managed such a triumph of mastery, mere man vs mean machine.

[Ascend Charlie]

Mike, you'd better ground yourself until the effects of whatever you've been smoking wear off.

[helipixman]

Hi Pilot Mike

Sadly I cannot help being able to learn things quickly and went on the learn much more. I flew with various heli pilots regularly and god forbid one of them became incapacitated I would at least of had a chance. Not a heli but a friend managed to land a fixed wing when the pilot became ill, he did so with a small amout of instruction saving the pilot and himself. I did my first solo Fixed wing after Just 8.45 hours. Some have it some don't... I have done all the Fame bit but thats another story ! I have not written an Autobiography but my father has and its a great read.

[Thomas coupling]

Great bit of marketing - works everytime.........always someone out there who will bite.
A fool and his money.................................

[Autonomous Collectiv]

Pretty easy to see how every de-brief would go. “You should absolutely be considering a career as a helicopter pilot! I recommend this to very few people but you definitely have what it takes to get to the very top of the profession. I have some loan firms here so if you’d just like to sign here, here and here we will get your training scheduled straight away!” Next!

[ersa]

Pretty easy to see how every de-brief would go. “You should absolutely be considering a career as a helicopter pilot! I recommend this to very few people but you definitely have what it takes to get to the very top of the profession. I have some loan firms here so if you’d just like to sign here, here and here we will get your training scheduled straight away!” Next!


How True......

[helicopter-redeye]

£300/day salary is an unusual way to quote “salary” which is usually annual amounts. Day rate perhaps? How many days are guaranteed, doing what and when (post training to CPL FI perhaps)

[212man]

£300/day salary is an unusual way to quote “salary” which is usually annual amounts. Day rate perhaps? How many days are guaranteed, doing what and when (post trying to CPL FI perhaps)

I agree, but as I mentioned earlier - how will they be earning this money with a PPL, which is what is being offered?

[Bravo73]

I suspect that it would be £65pd as a PPL Ops Assistant/Receptionist/hangar sweeper.

Then once the ‘successful’ applicant has paid them for all of the CPL/FI training, they will get £300pd as a freelance FI(H).

[helicopter-redeye]

A day, or by the hour? If it’s contract nobody is paying when there is no demand. So maybe 300/day is a “target” or “best rate” oN a good day, or is it an average, but over what period?

Either way, if feels like there is money to be spent before money is earned, but how much.

caveat emptor (as my Latin master used to say)

[jeepys]

A salaried £300 per day for a F.I, no chance. They would have to fly about 7 hours a day for that.

[HeliMannUK]

A salaried £300 per day for a F.I, no chance. They would have to fly about 7 hours a day for that.

I earned £60 per hour as an FI in the north and I did manage 5 hours flying a day during the summer, so it is possible to earn £300+

If was to charge a day rate it would be £300

It sounds about right for a daily rate for an FI/Line Pilot on Robbies/Cabris/Bells

[meleagertoo]

the only Helicopter Company with bases and operations in every region of the British Isles.
That's stretching a Cabri, an robbo and a Jetranger a bit thin on the ground, isn't it?

[heli14]

the only Helicopter Company with bases and operations in every region of the British Isles

That's stretching a Cabri, an robbo and a Jetranger a bit thin on the ground, isn't it?

at a guess, referring to Northumbria's links with Adventure 001 and their pleasure flying ops around the UK - one of the directors of Northumbria is also a director of Ad 001 according to Companies House.

Still a very big claim though.

[HeliMannUK]

SE UK flight schools only pay £45-£50 per flight hour

I have never heard of any UK flight school ever paying a day rate for R22/Cabri PPL instructors

Instructors are not really that common at the moment I dont think and maybe qualified instructors are selling themselves short, I was earning £60 p/h PPL, £250-£300 p/d line pilot & £250-£300 p/d adhoc PPL.

[HeliMannUK]

at a guess, referring to Northumbria's links with Adventure 001 and their pleasure flying ops around the UK - one of the directors of Northumbria is also a director of Ad 001 according to Companies House.

Still a very big claim though.

I believe the Northumbria AOC is at work in Northern Ireland, Scotland and various parts of England - dont know about Wales though. So the claim is legit if they work out of Wales too.

Also now giving it some thought, besides the initial outlay, it could be a route into the industry due to the large pleasure flying that Northumbria do around the UK. Now hands up here I dont work for Northumbria and have no affiliation with them but from my experience it is HARD getting traction in this industry. Knowing what I know now would I risk £200 to try get into the industry quicker....yes the answer is yes, its a risk worth taking. Roughly getting to FI costs about £65000 to CPL about £70000 and to IR about £110000, thinking about it this way what is £200 in the grand scheme of things?

[HeliMannUK]

There are a LOT of FIs around

If there was a shortage, companies would offer a better hourly rate or salaries. They don't have to as there is a constant supply of new desperate FIs, and people wanting to do it as a "hobby" job.

Blimey maybe its a northern thing then, as the school i was recently talking to were struggling.

[helimutt]

Blimey maybe its a northern thing then, as the school i was recently talking to were struggling.
FI’s and ‘Decent” FI’s are two completely different things. If I thought I could make £60 an hour regularly as an FI I’d go renew my rating. I loved instructing but moved on in the industry after working for too many crap schools who, by the sounds of things, still haven’t really increased the hourly rate for instructors in 20 years!