Hours building: Questions, Ideas, Advice, Countries etc
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Boatpix
Hi Hemac,
No personal experience of them myself, but I do know several people who have hour built R-22 time with them. They are based out of Ft Lauderdale in south central Florida, and they have marketed themselves as the people to go to if you need pictures taken of any kind of boating activity (races, regattas, for sale, etc). The clever bit is getting low time pilots to pay them to do this commercial work for them, in the region of $100 ph.
However, as a caveat, note that these ops include flying up to 10-12 nm offshore in a robbie, your safety gear is just a lifejacket, and lots of the photo angles will place you only a few feet above the water - go look at the front of a yachting mag to get the idea. Have also heard rumours that their maintenance is not quite what it should be, and know for certain that they have used student pilots, under the aegis of instruction, to fly these ops while their instructor takes the photos.
One the positive side, it's supposed to be a lot of fun, and I've heard they often need more hours to be flown than paid for.
Back to the old adage - you pays your money, you takes your choice!
www.boatpix.com
No personal experience of them myself, but I do know several people who have hour built R-22 time with them. They are based out of Ft Lauderdale in south central Florida, and they have marketed themselves as the people to go to if you need pictures taken of any kind of boating activity (races, regattas, for sale, etc). The clever bit is getting low time pilots to pay them to do this commercial work for them, in the region of $100 ph.
However, as a caveat, note that these ops include flying up to 10-12 nm offshore in a robbie, your safety gear is just a lifejacket, and lots of the photo angles will place you only a few feet above the water - go look at the front of a yachting mag to get the idea. Have also heard rumours that their maintenance is not quite what it should be, and know for certain that they have used student pilots, under the aegis of instruction, to fly these ops while their instructor takes the photos.
One the positive side, it's supposed to be a lot of fun, and I've heard they often need more hours to be flown than paid for.
Back to the old adage - you pays your money, you takes your choice!
www.boatpix.com
Join Date: Apr 2000
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.. I was wondering that boatpix thing as as well...I reckon derivation of boathook maybe but much more painful ..
What quantity of hours would put one in the frame for positioning flights .. or is it more a case of the quality of one's flying and being known to the operator as safe and steady etc?
Hope I have not hijacked thread. Apologies if so.
What quantity of hours would put one in the frame for positioning flights .. or is it more a case of the quality of one's flying and being known to the operator as safe and steady etc?
Hope I have not hijacked thread. Apologies if so.
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Boatpix
Hi Cron,
From what I know - it's all about hour building, ie. trying to get the 50 hrs in a R-22 to be able to teach under the SFAR. Therefore - this is something for CFI's/Commercial pilots straight out of flight school with no experience. Remember - you're paying them to fly!
One person i knew just called them up, paid over the phone with his credit card for 20 hours, and three days later was flying off the coast of southern florida, and followed a series of races to Rhode Island over the next fortnight. Said it was fun but he wouldn't do it again.
From what I know - it's all about hour building, ie. trying to get the 50 hrs in a R-22 to be able to teach under the SFAR. Therefore - this is something for CFI's/Commercial pilots straight out of flight school with no experience. Remember - you're paying them to fly!
One person i knew just called them up, paid over the phone with his credit card for 20 hours, and three days later was flying off the coast of southern florida, and followed a series of races to Rhode Island over the next fortnight. Said it was fun but he wouldn't do it again.
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Thanks HF but I guess I should have been clearer in my post which was a question leading on from WB's comment:
'Ask schools if you can do positioning flights - for maintenance or whatever.'
Could/has/would a PPL on low hours be/has been/could be considered for pos flights?
Right up my street if I could be so lucky (low hours PPL).
'Ask schools if you can do positioning flights - for maintenance or whatever.'
Could/has/would a PPL on low hours be/has been/could be considered for pos flights?
Right up my street if I could be so lucky (low hours PPL).
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Cron/goose boy
Did my PPL with a school, got to know them, volunteered to help at pleasure flying events, weekends etc and they have let me take the machine for maintenance during my PPL, with an instructor, and after completing my PPL - both for no charge. The machine has to go there anyway so they didn't charge me.
Not suggesting its ideal but in my situation as a low timer every free hour I can get I will - plus it keeps me out of the pub on a Saturday afternoon!!!
Did my PPL with a school, got to know them, volunteered to help at pleasure flying events, weekends etc and they have let me take the machine for maintenance during my PPL, with an instructor, and after completing my PPL - both for no charge. The machine has to go there anyway so they didn't charge me.
Not suggesting its ideal but in my situation as a low timer every free hour I can get I will - plus it keeps me out of the pub on a Saturday afternoon!!!
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If two PPLs share a flight, and are nominated P1 and P2, how do the P2 hours look on a logbook later down the line when they have a CPL qualification? Do employers simply discount P2 time in a single-pilot helicopter, or is it just the total numbers they're interested in?
Si
Si
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In the US, you cannot log second in command time unless the aircraft certification requires two pilots. So the P1, P2 thing does not work.
Thanks for the info Highfinal, don't think I'll be taking them up on their kind offer though.
H
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Hour building - any ideas?
I am a recently qualified ppl(h) holder with the intention of applying for my cpl(H) course but need to build up my hours to do so. I have heard that America is the best place to do this. Can anyone recommend any particular areas, aerodromes or organisations with which to do this and what would i expect to pay per hour for an R22. Also, is it true that there aren't any landing fees in the states? Thanks
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Re: hour building - any ideas?
get yourself out to Boatpix - loads of locations in the USA - give Tom a call on
+001 561-346-2816 - he's a nice guy and he'll let you fly his fleet of 22's around at $100ph duel. No SFAR73 required or VISA, as far as I understand. Don't get robbed in the UK mate, all that VAT to give to that big fat chancellor !
+001 561-346-2816 - he's a nice guy and he'll let you fly his fleet of 22's around at $100ph duel. No SFAR73 required or VISA, as far as I understand. Don't get robbed in the UK mate, all that VAT to give to that big fat chancellor !
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Re: hour building - any ideas?
Can you log the hrs as P1? Do you have to get a FAA PPL or is there a bridging exam?
Have you done it yourself, what did the CAA think, did they credit you with all the hrs as P1 or only half?
how does it work because I was thinking of doing the same after my JAA CPL?
Many thanks
Have you done it yourself, what did the CAA think, did they credit you with all the hrs as P1 or only half?
how does it work because I was thinking of doing the same after my JAA CPL?
Many thanks
Re: hour building - any ideas?
I have heard that America is the best place to do this.
I wonder if the Crats at the CAA get tired of hearing this? It is a sad indictment of the system that drives people to other countries and fosters the use of Non-UK aircraft within the UK.
They will cite "safety" but in reality it is "cost" that is the problem.
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Re: hour building - any ideas?
Re Boatpix:
Is this true? If someone's making money out of your flying, how come that's not counted as CPL only eligible work?
Si
=No SFAR73 required or VISA, as far as I understand. Don't get robbed in the UK mate, all that VAT to give to that big fat chancellor !
Si
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Re: hour building - any ideas?
It's good to see you around Si - hope things are looking up mate. 
You log P1 as PIC - You are accompanied by a CFI who is also taking pictures of boats - either on lakes or out at sea. He will tell you what he wants to see, you will take him there. You will pay $100ph to the CFI on behalf of Tom McDermott, owner of Boatpix. He is only really intersted in people with serious hours to build and quickly. You can get 16 hours in on a summer weekend when the boats are all sailing. He sells the pictures back to the boat owners via the registrations and you help to subsidise the aircraft costs. It's all very simple. Getting a US PPL to do this is very easy. A little harder than it used to be, but still pretty easy. It is not considered flight training, so no VISA is required, or TSA registration. I signed up to do it, booked up, but was over the seat weight limit of the R22, so had to bale out, literally.
You log P1 as PIC - You are accompanied by a CFI who is also taking pictures of boats - either on lakes or out at sea. He will tell you what he wants to see, you will take him there. You will pay $100ph to the CFI on behalf of Tom McDermott, owner of Boatpix. He is only really intersted in people with serious hours to build and quickly. You can get 16 hours in on a summer weekend when the boats are all sailing. He sells the pictures back to the boat owners via the registrations and you help to subsidise the aircraft costs. It's all very simple. Getting a US PPL to do this is very easy. A little harder than it used to be, but still pretty easy. It is not considered flight training, so no VISA is required, or TSA registration. I signed up to do it, booked up, but was over the seat weight limit of the R22, so had to bale out, literally.