Fixed-wing or Rotary career? (incl Changing licence to Rotary)
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Talk to Tailwheelsetc . They do a very good job.
I just did my instrument there, nex year my comercial.
Check out the price and details:
Helicopter
I just did my instrument there, nex year my comercial.
Check out the price and details:
Helicopter
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Look at 61.109 (C)
look away from the 40 hour req. as it doesnt say 40Hours RW.
Look at 61.109(c) 1-2-3 etc there you have the speciffic req. what you need to do, 3Hours X/C in a helicopter (25nm) and so on.
look away from the 40 hour req. as it doesnt say 40Hours RW.
Look at 61.109(c) 1-2-3 etc there you have the speciffic req. what you need to do, 3Hours X/C in a helicopter (25nm) and so on.
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Well done
I always like to hear of aviators joining the ranks who have a full understanding of the limitations, pitfalls and capabilities of Helicopters and fixed wing alike. Makes a safer and better overall pilot as far as I'm concerned.
Well I suppose I'm bound to really!!
Well I suppose I'm bound to really!!
You need 20 hrs of heli dual (not clear you do actually but it's hard to imagine anyone signing you off for solo without it), 10 hrs of solo, 3 hrs of night dual, 3 hrs of XC, 1 XC flight to a destination at least 50 (?) miles away with 3 landings at different places. XC in a heli is 25nm, not 50. Practically speaking it will be difficult to get it all to come together in much less than 40.
n5296s
n5296s
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spoilt for choice (professional career advice)
hi,
my name's aldren
im from south east asia...
im writing and opening a new thread as i believe there's no similar situation posted in any threads before.
i am a CPL FW holder. Singe engine without IR and ME rating. Actually im halfway to complete my course (with only twin engine and a couple of papers left).
Recently my thoughts has wandered around helicopters, im thinking about forgetting my complete FW license and to change course to helicopter. I need about 100 hrs on R44 and yes, course is the constraint but if i were to succeed to find a sponsor (already talking to one company) i still have few things lingering my doubt.
1) i really want to be a helicopter pilots as it's more manly, more macho, and the fun of flying is there. what say you guys who have flown both? I have about 165 hrs on SE FW
2) one thing i afraid is the steep lurning curve when we start to fly the choppers. I think im a slow learner, i only cleared for solo after 21 hrs of training on a cirrus sr20 while my friends did earlier than that.
3) future prospect : in long term, say....10-20 years who will make more money? FW widebody captain or senior traning captain in rotary world (oil and gas)?
4) quality of life : my friends who's dad flying chopper for offshore operation for the company (which im talking to) spends a lot of time at home...pay, i dont know..but i think around RM 20,000 at least.. ( $ 5700 ) per month...
is it worth it for me to change now or wait till i finish my complete FW license, flying FW for a couple of years before finally deciding to learn to fly the real mean machine?
thank you in advance for any response....
my name's aldren
im from south east asia...
im writing and opening a new thread as i believe there's no similar situation posted in any threads before.
i am a CPL FW holder. Singe engine without IR and ME rating. Actually im halfway to complete my course (with only twin engine and a couple of papers left).
Recently my thoughts has wandered around helicopters, im thinking about forgetting my complete FW license and to change course to helicopter. I need about 100 hrs on R44 and yes, course is the constraint but if i were to succeed to find a sponsor (already talking to one company) i still have few things lingering my doubt.
1) i really want to be a helicopter pilots as it's more manly, more macho, and the fun of flying is there. what say you guys who have flown both? I have about 165 hrs on SE FW
2) one thing i afraid is the steep lurning curve when we start to fly the choppers. I think im a slow learner, i only cleared for solo after 21 hrs of training on a cirrus sr20 while my friends did earlier than that.
3) future prospect : in long term, say....10-20 years who will make more money? FW widebody captain or senior traning captain in rotary world (oil and gas)?
4) quality of life : my friends who's dad flying chopper for offshore operation for the company (which im talking to) spends a lot of time at home...pay, i dont know..but i think around RM 20,000 at least.. ( $ 5700 ) per month...
is it worth it for me to change now or wait till i finish my complete FW license, flying FW for a couple of years before finally deciding to learn to fly the real mean machine?
thank you in advance for any response....
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Dont assume you're a slow learner based on the hours before you did solo on its own. Many factors come into this including the freuency of your flight training. If the periods are less frequent you're likely to forget and need to repeat parts of it.
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Helicopters make less money for their owners than FW.Hence, the money will always be better in FW.A wide body captain will win hands down as far as pay ,allowances and benefits go.Their unions are stronger than ours and they have great marketability.
No one can predict what life will be in 10-20 years. What I can predict is that it will take you at least that long to get to the point where money starts to get comfortable. Not great, not pouring in, but comfortable.
If you wanted fun and macho flying --go to the military. Civilian helicopter flying can be heart breaking, stressful and a constant battle with your employer to prove that you are slightly better than the janitor.And if you don't have a union, you will always lose.
Lifestyle can be good. You will be home a lot more than the aforementioned wide body captain but that will only happen after the aforementioned 10-20 years.
If ,despite all this, you still want to give it a shot,good luck.And yes, before you ask, I only do it because I don't know how to do anything else and so far it has been okay. Had lots of fun in the military and now I work for a unionized company.I wouldn't have done it any other way.
Alt3.
No one can predict what life will be in 10-20 years. What I can predict is that it will take you at least that long to get to the point where money starts to get comfortable. Not great, not pouring in, but comfortable.
If you wanted fun and macho flying --go to the military. Civilian helicopter flying can be heart breaking, stressful and a constant battle with your employer to prove that you are slightly better than the janitor.And if you don't have a union, you will always lose.
Lifestyle can be good. You will be home a lot more than the aforementioned wide body captain but that will only happen after the aforementioned 10-20 years.
If ,despite all this, you still want to give it a shot,good luck.And yes, before you ask, I only do it because I don't know how to do anything else and so far it has been okay. Had lots of fun in the military and now I work for a unionized company.I wouldn't have done it any other way.
Alt3.
Oh come on Gordy. How could you possibly think that when he's written this:-
The only problem with becoming a helicopter pilot, is the rapid descent into cynicism!
1) i really want to be a helicopter pilots as it's more manly, more macho, and the fun of flying is there.
Hovering AND talking
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Originally Posted by Gordy
How many more times can I show this:
The only problem with becoming a helicopter pilot, is the rapid descent into cynicism
Just want to know when I'll become macho. 
Cheers
Whirls
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Damnit, my CPL course didn't include anything on how to be more manly or macho! Just as soon as my nail polish has dried, I'm going to type out a letter of complaint!
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thank you guys for your replies.
it seems in my country there's a shortage of helicopter pilots, right now they will just take in everyone who have license and i would be lucky if the company im talking to decide to cover the cost of training for me (with of course, a service bond)
have you guys ever met someone with CPL FW decided to call it a day flying the planks and venture out to rotary world?
and i know there are cases of chopper pilots who changed to fixed wing flying after years...tell me a story or two..would like to hear more.
who knows if someday i've finally realised money will never be enough, is it possible to jump to airlines with renewal of my FW CPL license..
it seems in my country there's a shortage of helicopter pilots, right now they will just take in everyone who have license and i would be lucky if the company im talking to decide to cover the cost of training for me (with of course, a service bond)
have you guys ever met someone with CPL FW decided to call it a day flying the planks and venture out to rotary world?
and i know there are cases of chopper pilots who changed to fixed wing flying after years...tell me a story or two..would like to hear more.
who knows if someday i've finally realised money will never be enough, is it possible to jump to airlines with renewal of my FW CPL license..
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any ideas how much captain for CHC affiliate in malaysia flying as332 and s92 earns per month? if no exact figure estimate also appreciated....someone told me figure for fresh co pilot earns somewhat $2000 plus minus other allowance.
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JAA ATPL into JAA ATPL H
Dear Colleagues,
I am an 34 years Young Fixed Wing Pilot with around 5400 hours of flight. Including Airline and Corporate Aircrafts, my Question is:
Where and how do i start best my Rotary Career. Since 20 Years i wanted to be an Helicopter Pilot... Now it enough... I going to DO IT.!!!!!!
I speak beside German, English, Italian and French.
I am Swiss Citizen.
Preferably, later on in my Career i would like to find a job in Switzerland. So therefore JAA ATPL H
Where is the best (,... and of Course also the cheapest) Place to do the ATPL H License?
I know that at the end of the day the earning within the Helicopter industry is not that much....... but that the way how i wanna it.
Please give me some advice
May thank for your advice
I am an 34 years Young Fixed Wing Pilot with around 5400 hours of flight. Including Airline and Corporate Aircrafts, my Question is:
Where and how do i start best my Rotary Career. Since 20 Years i wanted to be an Helicopter Pilot... Now it enough... I going to DO IT.!!!!!!
I speak beside German, English, Italian and French.
I am Swiss Citizen.
Preferably, later on in my Career i would like to find a job in Switzerland. So therefore JAA ATPL H
Where is the best (,... and of Course also the cheapest) Place to do the ATPL H License?
I know that at the end of the day the earning within the Helicopter industry is not that much....... but that the way how i wanna it.
Please give me some advice
May thank for your advice
Ha Ha. This is a wind up right? If not, May I suggest you start on the bottom rung of the ladder. You cannot just 'get' an ATPL(H) because you have an ATPL(A).
Look up the requirements for holding an ATPL(H). That isn't too hard to do. It's in something called LASORS here in the UK, downloadable from the UK CAA website for free.
The only thing I think you'll get is the reduction in hours for your PPL (H), 5 hours off the course if memory serves me correct.
Look up the requirements for holding an ATPL(H). That isn't too hard to do. It's in something called LASORS here in the UK, downloadable from the UK CAA website for free.
The only thing I think you'll get is the reduction in hours for your PPL (H), 5 hours off the course if memory serves me correct.
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Best place to go is Bristows Academy in Florida. Then you just have to do what we all did, apart from all the 14 exams, you can do a bridging course, still a lot of work. Then the flying part 155 (the modular route) Then do the IR(H), (15 hours). So if you have roughly €100k to spend, fantastic. After you spend that money you will still have to get to a 1000 hours, of which 350 multi-crew before you will have an ATPL(H). I don't know why you think you need an ATPL in Switzerland, because all the flying in Switzerland and Austria for that matter is VFR.
Bottomline, you have to start at the bottom. (Your IR experience might help find a co-pilot job in the off-shore industry)
Bottomline, you have to start at the bottom. (Your IR experience might help find a co-pilot job in the off-shore industry)
Last edited by HillerBee; 3rd Apr 2010 at 22:55.
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You do indeed get 5 hours off the PPL(H) requirement, although strangely, you still have to do the full 5 hours of helicopter instrument flight. You also only need to do two of the theory exams because you already have them with your fixed wing qualification: load and balance (which is just as easy as fixed wing, just that you have left and right CofG to consider too), and Helicopter performance and principles of flight (I just read a book and then took the test, but then I have a Physics degree so that probably helped).
You also begin the CPL(H) course with just 105 heli hours rather than the usual 155 hours, although the CPL(H) course itself is still 30 hours regardless of the fixed wing licence. I would imagine that you would only need to do a few of the CPL(H) theory tests, as per the PPL(H), but I have not looked this up so do not know for sure.
I personally think you will be better off sticking with fixed wing and using some of your earnings to pay for helicopter hire for fun. I considered swapping careers and going the rotary route but it really is not worth it. In my opinion, you do well to get through the system and into gainful employment once these days - to give that up and then try again with helicopters is pushing your luck.
You also begin the CPL(H) course with just 105 heli hours rather than the usual 155 hours, although the CPL(H) course itself is still 30 hours regardless of the fixed wing licence. I would imagine that you would only need to do a few of the CPL(H) theory tests, as per the PPL(H), but I have not looked this up so do not know for sure.
I personally think you will be better off sticking with fixed wing and using some of your earnings to pay for helicopter hire for fun. I considered swapping careers and going the rotary route but it really is not worth it. In my opinion, you do well to get through the system and into gainful employment once these days - to give that up and then try again with helicopters is pushing your luck.
Last edited by GS-Alpha; 3rd Apr 2010 at 22:46.