Helicopter Pilot - My Chances?
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Helicopter Pilot - My Chances?
Hi,
I am currently 25 hours into a PPL (H) course and my aim is to continue and get a CPL (H). It would be best to do a modular coarse as I have already started but:
What are my chances, really?
I leave school this summer - and am not going to university to continue with my flying.
I have many stories about how difficult it would be - especially as I want to find a job inland.
So please - From you guys who actually know - Assume I achieve my CPL, where can I go? will I get a job? Is it really not worth it...?
Richard
I am currently 25 hours into a PPL (H) course and my aim is to continue and get a CPL (H). It would be best to do a modular coarse as I have already started but:
What are my chances, really?
I leave school this summer - and am not going to university to continue with my flying.
I have many stories about how difficult it would be - especially as I want to find a job inland.
So please - From you guys who actually know - Assume I achieve my CPL, where can I go? will I get a job? Is it really not worth it...?
Richard
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In a nutshell - you're chances are only slightly better than the square root of diddly-squat at the moment.
As you're young, you could try joining the armed services but there is not much recruiting in the civilian sector without at least 500-1000 hours.
If you don't want to join the military, then I would advise going to uni to get something to fall back if you can't get work in aviation - it's a tough old world out there.
All the best.
Whirlygig
As you're young, you could try joining the armed services but there is not much recruiting in the civilian sector without at least 500-1000 hours.
If you don't want to join the military, then I would advise going to uni to get something to fall back if you can't get work in aviation - it's a tough old world out there.
All the best.
Whirlygig
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As per all of the above GOOD advice ... now if it me trying to do it again I'd be camping outside the nearest armed forces recruiting office untill they gave me the appropriate uniform (of my choice) !
Good Luck
Oh bye the way the uniform will eventually fit!! (maybe).
Good Luck
Oh bye the way the uniform will eventually fit!! (maybe).
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Richard,
The only thing that will stop you achieving your goal (with the possible exception of a medical reason), is you.
If you want to fly helicopters enough, then go for it. If it means working in some other area of the aviation business to get yourself known, then do it. If it means doing a completely different job for years in order to raise the fund, accept it. Even if it takes years.
I don't know about you, but one thing that has always spurred me on is older, wiser people telling me I couldn't do something and proving them wrong.
While the advice given is realistic and well-meant, if you want to do it, then go for it! and the best of luck.
DBChopper
The only thing that will stop you achieving your goal (with the possible exception of a medical reason), is you.
If you want to fly helicopters enough, then go for it. If it means working in some other area of the aviation business to get yourself known, then do it. If it means doing a completely different job for years in order to raise the fund, accept it. Even if it takes years.
I don't know about you, but one thing that has always spurred me on is older, wiser people telling me I couldn't do something and proving them wrong.
While the advice given is realistic and well-meant, if you want to do it, then go for it! and the best of luck.
DBChopper
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This is a difficult one. All of the answers above could be right...and all could be wrong...because none of us can foresee the future.
Up to a couple of years ago, in the UK, there was work for new CPLs on the North Sea. So you could either work there, and then move on, or find some other job since other pilots were going there. Now that's not happening, there is very little work. With a CPL and low hours, you're very unlikely to find anything. With an instructor's rating and a few more hours, you might...but it's still not easy.
Now, things could change. But they might not. And none of us know.
Now it comes down to YOU. Would you rather have a secure job, be safe in the knowledge that you can pay the bills etc, but risk ending up at 70, thinking back, and saying: "If only...."?
Or would you rather risk everything for a dream, and maybe end up penniless, or more likely struggling from one badly paid, insecure, and dangerous job to another, with the romance of helicopter flying long buried under the realities of everyday life?
You might be lucky. Who knows. Life is a risky business. I might be "old", but in some ways I never grew up. I've always gone for the dream...and I've had many different dreams. It's sort of worked out...though most of my contemporaries have more to show for their lives in a material sense than I have. But I have my memories...though my memory's getting worse - must really be getting old
I wouldn't have done any of it any differently. But I'm me, and you're you. And this is a decision no-one else can make for you.
The middle way, as it were, is to go for the dream, but have a safety net. Get qualified in something that'll pay the bills, that'll always be needed, that doesn't pay too badly, that maybe you can do part time. IT, plumbing....whatever. You're young enugh to have time to do that.
And I agree with most of the other posts - if you decide to go for it, get the government to pay for your training...join the forces.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
Up to a couple of years ago, in the UK, there was work for new CPLs on the North Sea. So you could either work there, and then move on, or find some other job since other pilots were going there. Now that's not happening, there is very little work. With a CPL and low hours, you're very unlikely to find anything. With an instructor's rating and a few more hours, you might...but it's still not easy.
Now, things could change. But they might not. And none of us know.
Now it comes down to YOU. Would you rather have a secure job, be safe in the knowledge that you can pay the bills etc, but risk ending up at 70, thinking back, and saying: "If only...."?
Or would you rather risk everything for a dream, and maybe end up penniless, or more likely struggling from one badly paid, insecure, and dangerous job to another, with the romance of helicopter flying long buried under the realities of everyday life?
You might be lucky. Who knows. Life is a risky business. I might be "old", but in some ways I never grew up. I've always gone for the dream...and I've had many different dreams. It's sort of worked out...though most of my contemporaries have more to show for their lives in a material sense than I have. But I have my memories...though my memory's getting worse - must really be getting old
I wouldn't have done any of it any differently. But I'm me, and you're you. And this is a decision no-one else can make for you.The middle way, as it were, is to go for the dream, but have a safety net. Get qualified in something that'll pay the bills, that'll always be needed, that doesn't pay too badly, that maybe you can do part time. IT, plumbing....whatever. You're young enugh to have time to do that.
And I agree with most of the other posts - if you decide to go for it, get the government to pay for your training...join the forces.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
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Whirly
Nice reply. By far more encouraging than the others, but without being condescending either.
Personally, I'm of a similar view. However, would LOVE to be that age again, and know what I know now!! (old cliche).
To the young guy in question, I second Whirlys reply; don't lose the dream, but by having a reserve plan, you can ensure it never becomes a nightmare! Best of luck
ariel
Nice reply. By far more encouraging than the others, but without being condescending either.
Personally, I'm of a similar view. However, would LOVE to be that age again, and know what I know now!! (old cliche).
To the young guy in question, I second Whirlys reply; don't lose the dream, but by having a reserve plan, you can ensure it never becomes a nightmare! Best of luck
ariel
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Your young and impatient and want the end of the rainbow by just reaching out and touching it. The road you are about to travel is not easy and you will pay a very big price to follow this route. First and foremost get a higher education, you may not always be able to fly for many reasons to include picking up a minor health problem in the years to come. If/when that happens what are you going to fall back on when you can't fly anymore? If you have a secondary trade to fall back on at that time you can still support your family and keep the standard of living you have become accustomed to, though as a pilot that won't be very high...
Did I mention, get an education? Even if you don't want to go to a university at least attend a trade school so that you will have a vocation to fall back on.
Even if you decide the military is the route you want to take, if you have an education you can become a commisioned officer, and your standard of living would be much better than as an enlisted man. What happens if you wash out of flight school, not everyone makes it, what will you do then?
Helicopters and helicopter jobs will still be available in four years and 20 years from now you will realize that four years is a blink of the eye. I almost forgot, GET AN EDUCATION!!!
Regards.
Did I mention, get an education? Even if you don't want to go to a university at least attend a trade school so that you will have a vocation to fall back on.
Even if you decide the military is the route you want to take, if you have an education you can become a commisioned officer, and your standard of living would be much better than as an enlisted man. What happens if you wash out of flight school, not everyone makes it, what will you do then?
Helicopters and helicopter jobs will still be available in four years and 20 years from now you will realize that four years is a blink of the eye. I almost forgot, GET AN EDUCATION!!!
Regards.
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I,m in a similar situation to the bloke just leaving school. I have around 20hrs on helicopters. The prospect of 3 or more years at uni doesn't appeal to me, nor does the prospect of signing my self up for a similar amount of time. I'm lucky my brother runs a small helicopter flying school in Trinidad and is willing to pay for me to get a CPL and possibly an instructor rating on top. This is at least 2 yrs work I believe. At the end of it I may not get a job out of it and so at the same time I am going to do an apprenticeship so I will have somthing to fall back on and will be able to support myself.
I asume as you are the same age as me that your parents are supporting your flying. If they are willing to pay for your CPL your very lucky, you could become an instructor afterwards but the pay is pretty crap! If not you will have to find a very well payed job to support yourself and the flying, therfore as far as I can see its the forces or leave flying for a few years and get a decent education at uni and hopefuly find a well paid job at the end of it. The third option is to do what my instructor suggested to me is to do your CPL in one go, I suppose this shows committment to flying and the ability to work diligently, therefore setting you out from the crowd.
The best advice I have got is from people who have been there and done it, speak to your instructor, speak to the armed forces careers advisors (their not as scary as I thought) and as other people have said think long term, life is long so make the most of it.
Good luck for whatever you choose
I asume as you are the same age as me that your parents are supporting your flying. If they are willing to pay for your CPL your very lucky, you could become an instructor afterwards but the pay is pretty crap! If not you will have to find a very well payed job to support yourself and the flying, therfore as far as I can see its the forces or leave flying for a few years and get a decent education at uni and hopefuly find a well paid job at the end of it. The third option is to do what my instructor suggested to me is to do your CPL in one go, I suppose this shows committment to flying and the ability to work diligently, therefore setting you out from the crowd.
The best advice I have got is from people who have been there and done it, speak to your instructor, speak to the armed forces careers advisors (their not as scary as I thought) and as other people have said think long term, life is long so make the most of it.
Good luck for whatever you choose
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I think what chuckolamofola is trying to say in his roundabout way is; get an education. Do it somehow, but do not just get a flying licence.
A friend of mine with hours in the thousands on interesting machines applied to several American companies and on all the application forms it stated that college education was a pre-requisite for application. No graduate- no job. Maybe unfair to those who came up from the hangar floor but hey, they are the ones writing the rules.
It will get even more selective in the future, so if there are two of you going for the same job, both same hours, one graduate one not, you know who will get the job.
As chuck said, a trade will also do. (Pilots with engineers A&C or LAME depending on the country are very employable in the bush/bundoo). Just get something apart from a licence or you will have the world stacked against you.
Being young, we do not expect you to take this advice. But we tried...
[edited by moosp for slow thinking...]
A friend of mine with hours in the thousands on interesting machines applied to several American companies and on all the application forms it stated that college education was a pre-requisite for application. No graduate- no job. Maybe unfair to those who came up from the hangar floor but hey, they are the ones writing the rules.
It will get even more selective in the future, so if there are two of you going for the same job, both same hours, one graduate one not, you know who will get the job.
As chuck said, a trade will also do. (Pilots with engineers A&C or LAME depending on the country are very employable in the bush/bundoo). Just get something apart from a licence or you will have the world stacked against you.
Being young, we do not expect you to take this advice. But we tried...
[edited by moosp for slow thinking...]
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hey guys,
I started from scratch several years ago, and now fly twins offshore in the UK. formerly was a flight instructor and then commercial pilot on singles
my personal advice is like this
1. if all you can afford is a basic CPL-H dont do it, you wont get hired £40k spent for no purpose.
2. you must get an instructor rating to keep the hours rolling to at least 1000 P1 to give you a chance of other things about £20k including extra hourbuilding on top of CPL i.e £60k total
no disrespect but you are still a very baby pilot with 200 hours and noone will pay you to ruin a straightforward charter unless you sitting next to an experienced captain i.e. offshore (and they aint hiring at present. and when they do they are going to take people with instrument ratings first) which brings me to point 3.
3. if you dont want to do an instructor rating then do an instrument rating puts you nearer to the top of the list for an offshore job when these become available, but this is expensive (£30k) and high risk. you could spend £70k and still have no job.
if you dont get into the military dont be a dummy and read my lips, GET AN INSTRUCTOR RATING ! got it??
I started from scratch several years ago, and now fly twins offshore in the UK. formerly was a flight instructor and then commercial pilot on singles
my personal advice is like this
1. if all you can afford is a basic CPL-H dont do it, you wont get hired £40k spent for no purpose.
2. you must get an instructor rating to keep the hours rolling to at least 1000 P1 to give you a chance of other things about £20k including extra hourbuilding on top of CPL i.e £60k total
no disrespect but you are still a very baby pilot with 200 hours and noone will pay you to ruin a straightforward charter unless you sitting next to an experienced captain i.e. offshore (and they aint hiring at present. and when they do they are going to take people with instrument ratings first) which brings me to point 3.
3. if you dont want to do an instructor rating then do an instrument rating puts you nearer to the top of the list for an offshore job when these become available, but this is expensive (£30k) and high risk. you could spend £70k and still have no job.
if you dont get into the military dont be a dummy and read my lips, GET AN INSTRUCTOR RATING ! got it??
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Hi C/F how are you mid june there may be a plan afoot (but who knows)
I agree with you i have all the ratings that camp freddie says and just about crawling with work so far paid work from getting all the ratings including twin IR is a total of 7.5 however it is not all doom it is not through the work not being there it is the weather thats screwing things at the mo
Instructor rating is by far the the way in which you will start to pick up work it will come in spits and starts (unless you drop lucky) but it will get the phone ringing.
Basic CPL hardly any chance of getting work
If you can aford it go the whole hog if money is tight please dont take this the wrong way join the military get them to pay for it have a great life and get paid to train then when you have had enough and want to settle down you can leave and your time up you will get a pension.
If i had my time again i would do it this way without a dought also its not a bad way of life so i am told.
Best of Luck dont give up be prepared for some knocks but dont give up.
and finally as one of the other guys says in the thread further up have a back up career.
I fall back on mine when i am not flying and it keeps the woolf from the door.
Good Luck
Bravo 99 (AJB)
I agree with you i have all the ratings that camp freddie says and just about crawling with work so far paid work from getting all the ratings including twin IR is a total of 7.5 however it is not all doom it is not through the work not being there it is the weather thats screwing things at the mo
Instructor rating is by far the the way in which you will start to pick up work it will come in spits and starts (unless you drop lucky) but it will get the phone ringing.
Basic CPL hardly any chance of getting work
If you can aford it go the whole hog if money is tight please dont take this the wrong way join the military get them to pay for it have a great life and get paid to train then when you have had enough and want to settle down you can leave and your time up you will get a pension.
If i had my time again i would do it this way without a dought also its not a bad way of life so i am told.
Best of Luck dont give up be prepared for some knocks but dont give up.
and finally as one of the other guys says in the thread further up have a back up career.
I fall back on mine when i am not flying and it keeps the woolf from the door.
Good Luck
Bravo 99 (AJB)
Last edited by Bravo 99 (AJB); 9th May 2004 at 16:43.
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Hi Bravo 99 (AJB),
Thanks for response -
Can I ask a personal question? What is your backup job - its sound like you fall back to it as and when you require...
Richard
Thanks for response -
Can I ask a personal question? What is your backup job - its sound like you fall back to it as and when you require...
Richard
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Hi Richard
I had a building company before i got my licence and as an extradesman i go back on the tools when i need to which currently is a lot
However it gets an income of £500 a week so it helps pay the bills but any fall back job. If this one of mine when pear shaped i would either temp or try something else.
My position is helped by the latitude of the boss
a friend of mine flys during the summer and gets a winter job making or fitting kitchens something like that.
If this is your planned route without the military have a back up plan get all ratings that you need but most of all the F.I then work from there it will come, but be prepared like me to have to wait a will for it to move..
if you want to have a chat P.M me your number and i will give you a call if it helps
Sincerely
Andy
Bravo 99 (AJB)
I had a building company before i got my licence and as an extradesman i go back on the tools when i need to which currently is a lot
However it gets an income of £500 a week so it helps pay the bills but any fall back job. If this one of mine when pear shaped i would either temp or try something else.
My position is helped by the latitude of the boss
a friend of mine flys during the summer and gets a winter job making or fitting kitchens something like that.
If this is your planned route without the military have a back up plan get all ratings that you need but most of all the F.I then work from there it will come, but be prepared like me to have to wait a will for it to move..
if you want to have a chat P.M me your number and i will give you a call if it helps
Sincerely
Andy
Bravo 99 (AJB)
