North Sea Job Prospects
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CHC recently hired two pilots with aprox 200 hrs each. They were among the 4 out of 30 to make it trough the screening process, good work! Instrument rating is more important than hrs.
Join Date: Sep 2005
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21 year old North Sea pilot?
Reading the local rag this afternoon and i see an interview with a 21 year old who is a helicopter pilot. I was just wondering if he was a pilot for one one of the three Aberdeen companies?
Do the Aberdeen operators take on pilots this young? Are they running cadet schemes or is it self-sponsored?
Thanks for any help.
Do the Aberdeen operators take on pilots this young? Are they running cadet schemes or is it self-sponsored?
Thanks for any help.
I know several guys in there early 20's who fly North Sea, some them trained at the same time as me. All of them appear to be doing great and enoying it! Unfortunately there are no sponsership schemes running at the mo!
The guys I trained with worked very hard to get where they are now and certainly Daddy didn't pay for their training, they got there through determination, willingness to work... and bankloans!
Good on him!
TiP
The guys I trained with worked very hard to get where they are now and certainly Daddy didn't pay for their training, they got there through determination, willingness to work... and bankloans!
Good on him!
TiP
Join Date: Jan 2005
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I know a couple of low 20yr olds who trained with my other half and are now working on the North Sea from Aberdeen. Both went modular, got picked up following training and taken through their type rating and IR by their new employers.
Now paying for the loans (ouch!).
J
Now paying for the loans (ouch!).
J
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Thanks guys. Interesting to know. Im still within the age limits for the military so will be going down that route at the moment. However, I would prefer to go straight into a N Sea job, but cant realistically self sponsor myself.
Are there any rumblings in the companies of sposnsorship oppurtunities starting up? I've searched and found Bristows used to have a cadet scheme but guess that doesnt exist anymore.
Also been reading in the paper that 2006 and 2007 are going to be bumper years for offshore drilling in the N sea- so you never know sposnorships might appear soon!
Although, with the N sea, it could also go all Pete Tong...
Are there any rumblings in the companies of sposnsorship oppurtunities starting up? I've searched and found Bristows used to have a cadet scheme but guess that doesnt exist anymore.
Also been reading in the paper that 2006 and 2007 are going to be bumper years for offshore drilling in the N sea- so you never know sposnorships might appear soon!
Although, with the N sea, it could also go all Pete Tong...
Join Date: Apr 2003
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I turned 21 in Vietnam, and already had 500 hours. The average age of a pilot in my Cav Troop was 21, the 27 year old senior warrant officer was known as "Gramps." I was a Test Pilot at Sikorsky at 25.
It is ability and judgement that makes the pilot.
It is ability and judgement that makes the pilot.
where's our book ???????
Nick,
I was a Chinook Aircraft Commander in Vietnam at 20.5 years of age also with just over 500 hours....Fort Rucker Instructor Pilot at 21....got out of the Army at 22.3 years of age
Nick, as you rightly state....having ability is the key when given an opportunity. We owe it to our young ones coming up to provide them with those opportunities as best we can. I benefitted from seniors who elected to mentor a young guy who was willing to learn.
I have tried to do the same as well.
MK10,
Here is the Gulfstream Press Release that was issued announcing Nick's hiring by that firm.
Nick may be outspoken, but he really is unassuming. (....at least by US Army Air Cav Cobra pilot standards anyway!)
NICHOLAS (NICK) D. LAPPOS JOINS GULFSTREAM AS VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
Robert Baugniet
Corporate
Communications
(912) 965-7372
SAVANNAH, Ga., March 14, 2005 - Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has hired Nicholas (Nick) D. Lappos as vice president, government programs. In this new role, Lappos will be responsible for all business-jet aircraft programs for government and military use - from the bid and proposal phase through the delivery and post-delivery activities. He will be based at Gulfstream's Savannah, Ga., major manufacturing facility.
Prior to joining Gulfstream, Lappos was a 32-year employee with Sikorsky Aircraft. Most recently, he served as director of the VXX presidential helicopter program. Previously, he was program manager for the S-92 helicopter and director of test engineering for the company's West Palm Beach, Fla., fight-test center. Spending most of his career in research and development, Lappos served as both a test pilot and the chief pilot for R&D. He was also a flight instructor for various Sikorsky model helicopters and has helped train the flight crews of several heads of state, including that of the President of the United States.
"Nick's background, especially his R&D and program management experience, makes him ideal for this position," said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. "We look forward to Nick joining the organization and helping Gulfstream continue to advance in the government programs area."
Buddy Sams, Gulfstream senior vice president, government programs and sales, said, "Government and special mission aircraft have accounted for 10 to 15 percent of Gulfstream's annual production. The addition of Nick to our team will ensure our continuing focus on this important market sector."
A recognized leader in the aerospace industry and author of numerous technical papers and articles, Lappos has been awarded the Frederick L. Feinberg Award by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) for most outstanding achievement as a pilot three separate times - once for his individual effort and two times for team efforts. The AHS also appointed Lappos a Fellow in 1994 for outstanding achievement in the vertical flight industry. A member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, he won the Ray E. Tenhoff Award for the most outstanding presentation to the association's annual symposium.
Lappos earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. A helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, he logged 900 combat flying hours in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star. Lappos also holds helicopter and a fixed-wing pilot certificates with both instrument and instructor ratings. He has more than 7,000 flight hours of experience in more than 75 different types of aircraft.
I was a Chinook Aircraft Commander in Vietnam at 20.5 years of age also with just over 500 hours....Fort Rucker Instructor Pilot at 21....got out of the Army at 22.3 years of age
Nick, as you rightly state....having ability is the key when given an opportunity. We owe it to our young ones coming up to provide them with those opportunities as best we can. I benefitted from seniors who elected to mentor a young guy who was willing to learn.
I have tried to do the same as well.
MK10,
Here is the Gulfstream Press Release that was issued announcing Nick's hiring by that firm.
Nick may be outspoken, but he really is unassuming. (....at least by US Army Air Cav Cobra pilot standards anyway!)
NICHOLAS (NICK) D. LAPPOS JOINS GULFSTREAM AS VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
Robert Baugniet
Corporate
Communications
(912) 965-7372
SAVANNAH, Ga., March 14, 2005 - Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has hired Nicholas (Nick) D. Lappos as vice president, government programs. In this new role, Lappos will be responsible for all business-jet aircraft programs for government and military use - from the bid and proposal phase through the delivery and post-delivery activities. He will be based at Gulfstream's Savannah, Ga., major manufacturing facility.
Prior to joining Gulfstream, Lappos was a 32-year employee with Sikorsky Aircraft. Most recently, he served as director of the VXX presidential helicopter program. Previously, he was program manager for the S-92 helicopter and director of test engineering for the company's West Palm Beach, Fla., fight-test center. Spending most of his career in research and development, Lappos served as both a test pilot and the chief pilot for R&D. He was also a flight instructor for various Sikorsky model helicopters and has helped train the flight crews of several heads of state, including that of the President of the United States.
"Nick's background, especially his R&D and program management experience, makes him ideal for this position," said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. "We look forward to Nick joining the organization and helping Gulfstream continue to advance in the government programs area."
Buddy Sams, Gulfstream senior vice president, government programs and sales, said, "Government and special mission aircraft have accounted for 10 to 15 percent of Gulfstream's annual production. The addition of Nick to our team will ensure our continuing focus on this important market sector."
A recognized leader in the aerospace industry and author of numerous technical papers and articles, Lappos has been awarded the Frederick L. Feinberg Award by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) for most outstanding achievement as a pilot three separate times - once for his individual effort and two times for team efforts. The AHS also appointed Lappos a Fellow in 1994 for outstanding achievement in the vertical flight industry. A member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, he won the Ray E. Tenhoff Award for the most outstanding presentation to the association's annual symposium.
Lappos earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. A helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, he logged 900 combat flying hours in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star. Lappos also holds helicopter and a fixed-wing pilot certificates with both instrument and instructor ratings. He has more than 7,000 flight hours of experience in more than 75 different types of aircraft.
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MK10,
Take my post any way you wish, I was simply supporting the idea that a sharp 21 year old could be ready for the North Sea. Former President George Bush (the real Bush) was a Navy pilot at 19 years old, flying from Carriers in the Pacific in WWII. I was not unique in my age group, SASless and perhaps 5,000 others were similarly young and also given large responsibilities in Vietnam.
It is the skill of the pilot, not his/her age that we should measure.
Sorry that you took the post backwards.
PS I am glad that I saw your post after you had edited it.
Take my post any way you wish, I was simply supporting the idea that a sharp 21 year old could be ready for the North Sea. Former President George Bush (the real Bush) was a Navy pilot at 19 years old, flying from Carriers in the Pacific in WWII. I was not unique in my age group, SASless and perhaps 5,000 others were similarly young and also given large responsibilities in Vietnam.
It is the skill of the pilot, not his/her age that we should measure.
Sorry that you took the post backwards.
PS I am glad that I saw your post after you had edited it.
Worked with an 18 year old pilot when I started my first flying job. Nothing wrong with his piloting skills. Needed some training when it came to drinking and woman, but we soon had him up to speed. Ended up having a lot of success with "Blondes and Beer" and these days fly's charter and media part time on the Gold Coast.
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I joined the Army at 17, I am sure there are many who read this who have similar starts to their working career, first FEBA service at 20, I was young but everyone I worked with was young.
I have worked with some very young pilots but I believe age is not the best way to define someone, if they can do the job age doesn't matter to me, neither does sex or sexual orientation, colour or belief (as long as they don't try to convert me on a long sector!)
I just wish I had started flying while I was as young.
Lunar
I have worked with some very young pilots but I believe age is not the best way to define someone, if they can do the job age doesn't matter to me, neither does sex or sexual orientation, colour or belief (as long as they don't try to convert me on a long sector!)
I just wish I had started flying while I was as young.
Lunar
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North Sea - Pilot's Pay
What is the starting pay flying over the North Sea? I understand Bristow has several contracts flying in support of the Oil & Gas industry there. What is the pay like for an offshore pilot in England? I am considering my options over there. Do the operators there all require CAA/JAA or will they accept FAA ATP? Appreciate your input.