what can the industry offer a low houred CPL Pilot??

[rbrye]

i ve just recieved my JAA CPL and would appreciate any advice on the next step??

[Stringfellow Dork]

Camp Freddie where are you?!

[Bravo73]

what can the industry offer a low houred CPL Pilot??

To misquote JFK, surely you should be asking, "What can a low houred CPL Pilot offer the industry?"






For someone who has so obviously done their research before jumping in, I know what the answer is...

[helimutt]

save up and do an FI rating. Then build some hours. No-one at all will employ you with minimum CPL only, low hours, if that's what you are. If anyone told you otherwise, then they were basically lying.
There are the odd person who gets some work but rare as hens teeth.
Sorry couldn't be more positive.

[md 600 driver]

rbrye

congratulations on passing wish you the very best

[Stringfellow Dork]

Sorry for being facetious! Seriously - congratulations for passing. Camp Freddie has a mantra, it is this:

"Option A, CPL(H) only, high risk, chance of employment poor or nil
Option B, CPL(H) + FI rating, higher cost, low risk, lower returns
Option C, CPL(H) + IR, higher cost, high risk, higher returns"

Good luck.

[helicopter-redeye]

rb, congrats also. Not the end; not even the beginning of the end; but at least the end of the beginning. (after WSC 1940)

Serious answer, if you want to do it seriously, start on the IR asap. Current planning assumptions would suggest you may be able to get a place on a course around Sept '08. Thereafter, there would probably be a very good chance of starting out (at the age of 22 or so) on a long term, quality aviation career to match and better that of the fixed wing chaps.

[Bravo73]

Originally Posted by helicopter-redeye

if you want to do it seriously, start on the IR asap. Current planning assumptions would suggest you may be able to a place on a course around Sept '08. Thereafter, there would probably be a very good chance of starting out

Who says that the NS operators are going to be hiring in Q4 '08? h-r, have you got access to a crystal ball that the rest of us don't?

The aviation world, particularly the NS, is very cyclical. We're currently experiencing a peak in recruitment. Read into that what you will...

And if the NS operators aren't hiring when the IR is completed, then rbrye has got a very, very expensive, but essentially useless, qualification. Better to follow the low risk route, IMHO.

[Bravo73]

Originally Posted by helicopter-redeye

If you would care to read the above post by me, then you will see I did not mention the North Sea.

No, you didn't have to. It was presumed. If you are talking about the UK market and 200hr CPL/IRs, the NS operators are essentially the only people who will hire you.

Can you get a single pilot job onshore with 200hrs and an IR? Nope. So that leaves the onshore multicrew operators who are willing to hire a 200hr FO. And they are who exactly?

Originally Posted by helicopter-redeye

Useless? An IR(H)? OK. IYHO.

Useless for getting that first job, yep. There were a number of people who were training at the same time as me and, against all the sound advice, got their IRs straight after their CPLs. Everyone of them, after waiting for over a year with no work, had to train as FIs before they got their first break.

Originally Posted by helicopter-redeye

I heard today that a friend of mine has just been hire by a major having achieved an IR(H) and he is not flying NS or offshore but it was required.

In the UK, this must be 'the exception which proves the rule'...

[Whirlygig]

Bravo73, there are a few of corporate/charter operators who require co-pilots at the moments; an IR would be required. However, since they are not "official" two pilot operations, the hours gained would be useless for gaining multi-crew time. However, the places with vacancies are usually places where staff turnover is high and the employer has a "certain" reputation amongst the more experienced chaps!

Cheers

Whirls

[Curtis E Carr]

if you want to do it seriously, start on the IR asap

Please don't! Get more aviation experience first.

[Bravo73]

Originally Posted by Whirlygig

Bravo73, there are a few of corporate/charter operators who require co-pilots at the moments

Care to name any names, Whirls? I'm struggling to think of any.

And remember, I asked who is willing to hire a 200hr FO? A co-pilot with a 1000ish hours is a different kettle of fish.