Becoming an Instructor & related FI questions
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Moneyshot. Perhaps this should be posted on the Instructor forum for their opinions?..
Jealously guarded AFI jobs? That is only to be expected. Many of the AFIs around havent been lucky/priveledged/hard working* (delete as necessary) enough to have your helicopter background. They are freelance, trying to build hours for their chosen career - in helicopters - and probably getting the hours in at an abysmally slow rate.
Now imagine that you come along. An airline pilot earning £40/50/60k whatever p.a. And you want to take some of those few precious hours away from them, not because you need them, but because your day-job is boring. Mmmmmmmmm. Going to be about as popular as a f~rt in a spacesuit, aren't you?
Now then, if you wanted a full-time commercial pilot / AFI job, I'm sure you could get one no bother. Depends which is most important to you, job satisfaction or the money, and I think you've answered that yourself!
From an AOC point of view, I get a lot of requests from airline / mil pilots for part-time work. The fact is that, like most small operators, we could use freelance pilots in the summer months as back-up for the full-time boys, but we are not going to waste time and money base + line checking people who are going to have limited availability. Now, if the CAA would allow all commercial pilots to have one base / line check that covered all AOC operators, rather than the current idiotic set-up, we could set up a pool of people like yourself safe in the knowledge that if we needed a freelancer, there wpuld definiteley be one who was on a day off.
But thats another story...
Jealously guarded AFI jobs? That is only to be expected. Many of the AFIs around havent been lucky/priveledged/hard working* (delete as necessary) enough to have your helicopter background. They are freelance, trying to build hours for their chosen career - in helicopters - and probably getting the hours in at an abysmally slow rate.
Now imagine that you come along. An airline pilot earning £40/50/60k whatever p.a. And you want to take some of those few precious hours away from them, not because you need them, but because your day-job is boring. Mmmmmmmmm. Going to be about as popular as a f~rt in a spacesuit, aren't you?
Now then, if you wanted a full-time commercial pilot / AFI job, I'm sure you could get one no bother. Depends which is most important to you, job satisfaction or the money, and I think you've answered that yourself!
From an AOC point of view, I get a lot of requests from airline / mil pilots for part-time work. The fact is that, like most small operators, we could use freelance pilots in the summer months as back-up for the full-time boys, but we are not going to waste time and money base + line checking people who are going to have limited availability. Now, if the CAA would allow all commercial pilots to have one base / line check that covered all AOC operators, rather than the current idiotic set-up, we could set up a pool of people like yourself safe in the knowledge that if we needed a freelancer, there wpuld definiteley be one who was on a day off.
But thats another story...
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Suffolk
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OK guys I only asked.
It would appear that I've hit a raw nerve somewhere. Maybe I am some sort of over-qualified super git but we're all helicopter guys together..... right. I have my set of circumstances and you have yours. It's not my fault that students are in short supply because no-one can afford to fly helicopters. Given the choice,money aside, I would rather fly helicopters anyway. I guess there's no help coming. I'll just go back to my plank and forget about the idea. cheers guys.
It would appear that I've hit a raw nerve somewhere. Maybe I am some sort of over-qualified super git but we're all helicopter guys together..... right. I have my set of circumstances and you have yours. It's not my fault that students are in short supply because no-one can afford to fly helicopters. Given the choice,money aside, I would rather fly helicopters anyway. I guess there's no help coming. I'll just go back to my plank and forget about the idea. cheers guys.
The Original Whirly
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Moneyshot,
I think the reaction of some of my helicopter flying colleagues here is a little over the top. We don't all feel that way, and I'm one of the instructor wannabes who I suppose would have a right to. But I don't see your situation as much different from mine. OK, you're an airline pilot who'd rather fly helicopters; I'm a freelance researcher/writer who'd rather fly helicopters; we have at least a couple of IT consultants who post here who'd rather fly helicopters. And some of us want the best of both worlds, ie to only do it part time if possible as we know it's insecure and badly paid. It's not as though you'd be taking a job away from some poor starving unqualified 18 year old - unlikely anyway. If you got an instructing job I was after I'd be disappointed, but you'd be better qualified and that's life. It's not fair, but not much in life is. So I hope you get an instructing job, if that's what you want. And I hope you come back and read this; I tried to e-mail you, but it looks like I can't.
I think the reaction of some of my helicopter flying colleagues here is a little over the top. We don't all feel that way, and I'm one of the instructor wannabes who I suppose would have a right to. But I don't see your situation as much different from mine. OK, you're an airline pilot who'd rather fly helicopters; I'm a freelance researcher/writer who'd rather fly helicopters; we have at least a couple of IT consultants who post here who'd rather fly helicopters. And some of us want the best of both worlds, ie to only do it part time if possible as we know it's insecure and badly paid. It's not as though you'd be taking a job away from some poor starving unqualified 18 year old - unlikely anyway. If you got an instructing job I was after I'd be disappointed, but you'd be better qualified and that's life. It's not fair, but not much in life is. So I hope you get an instructing job, if that's what you want. And I hope you come back and read this; I tried to e-mail you, but it looks like I can't.
Join Date: May 2001
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Moneyshot: You can't hang around one area and expect to get a job. Helicopters & jobs are scattered all over the globe, with a few exceptions. I have moved around in Scandianvia, North and South America since '97 to keep my career going. I am about to move again within a few weeks. Muhammed has to go to the mountain. I think that this will go on until I hit around 3,000 hours. My ultimate goal is to fly EMS in the cold north, and to achieve that -> sacrifice!!! 
cheers
tigerpic
cheers
tigerpic
Join Date: Apr 2002
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OK that's made me feel much better. I really hope that all of you get as much reward out of flying these beasts as I did in the RN. Just saw some crabs on the TV in Afghanistan flying the Royal Marines around in Chinooks. They should be paying to do that!!!! And one of them was a girl. Oh my word!!
Join Date: Jul 2002
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JAR regs affecting the number of Flying Instructor candidates
Any body have any stats, real or anecdotal regarding the number of heli FI courses run in the UK since JAR implementation?
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Location: UK
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Anecdotally, a number of FI course instructors tell me that the numbers are way down, which is no surprise.
There was a peak before JAR FCL came in with many people getting in before the entry requirements became more difficult. Also, in practice you now need to get your CPL(H) before FI rating so people may be concentrating on that before (possibly) doing the FI course.
My guess is that the numbers will be permanently down, but JAR FCL has also reduced the number of people starting PPL(H)s, so there is less work for instructors too.
There was a peak before JAR FCL came in with many people getting in before the entry requirements became more difficult. Also, in practice you now need to get your CPL(H) before FI rating so people may be concentrating on that before (possibly) doing the FI course.
My guess is that the numbers will be permanently down, but JAR FCL has also reduced the number of people starting PPL(H)s, so there is less work for instructors too.
Helicopter Instructor Courses
Anyone recommend a good school to do the QHI bit(apart from CFS) in the south-easten area,and an idea of costs/hours that it would take to get an old QFI into fling-wing talking mode(enquiring on behalf of a friend!)
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: mostly in the jungle...
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Join Date: Oct 2001
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Helicopter Instructor Courses
Call Mike Bowden, Operations Director at Sloane Helicopters, on 01604 790595 or Email:- [email protected].
They are the best...............
They are the best...............
Join Date: Mar 2000
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sycamore
I'm sure you realise some replies to posts of this type are genuine and some are not quite as independent and objective as the people who write them would like you to believe.
Factors worth looking at:
* How many posts has the person made? If only a few, how many were plugging the same school?
* If someone posts not only the name/location of the school, but also the tel number, and the website/e-mail address, and the name of the CFI or similar, it's time to be just a little cautious.
Good Luck!
Heliport
I'm sure you realise some replies to posts of this type are genuine and some are not quite as independent and objective as the people who write them would like you to believe.
Factors worth looking at:
* How many posts has the person made? If only a few, how many were plugging the same school?
* If someone posts not only the name/location of the school, but also the tel number, and the website/e-mail address, and the name of the CFI or similar, it's time to be just a little cautious.
Good Luck!
Heliport
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You should make your own mind up, but I would suggest that you talk to Mike Green at FAST at Thruxton as well as any other options. If possible, I would suggest that the instructor course is best done with another student. You can share experiences and practice on each other. It is, or should be, an intense course as well as very enjoyable.
Incidentally, the course normally gives you a resticted instructor ticket - you have to jump through various experience "hoops" before you get the equivalent of a QHI.
Incidentally, the course normally gives you a resticted instructor ticket - you have to jump through various experience "hoops" before you get the equivalent of a QHI.
The Original Whirly
Join Date: Feb 1999
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Any Recommendations for instructors course?
By early next year I should have the hours, and hopefully the money, to do an instructors course. Does anyone have any recommendations for good places/people to do this with (in the UK)? Or anyone you definitely WOULDN'T recommend. Email me privately if you prefer for the latter!
You can get a list from CAA website.
I think Tiger helis do one, i guess they're kinda not far from your doorstep.
Most of the instructors that I know did they're AFIC course with Geoff Day who freelances to several schools. I can give you his number if you want, just drop us an email and i'll send numbers to you.
You do know that you must a) pass the commercial exams to be an instructor, b) doubt your sanity to let people try and kill you, c) wise to do your commercial either instead or as well.
I think Tiger helis do one, i guess they're kinda not far from your doorstep.
Most of the instructors that I know did they're AFIC course with Geoff Day who freelances to several schools. I can give you his number if you want, just drop us an email and i'll send numbers to you.
You do know that you must a) pass the commercial exams to be an instructor, b) doubt your sanity to let people try and kill you, c) wise to do your commercial either instead or as well.
I think Whirlybird may be giving Tiger a miss as far as AFI courses go.
How about my neck of the woods ? Thruxton - one organisation in particular springs to mind . . .
And I think your points (a) and (c) are complied with.
How about my neck of the woods ? Thruxton - one organisation in particular springs to mind . . .
And I think your points (a) and (c) are complied with.