737 pilot conversion
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: CA
737 pilot conversion
Hahahaha... well hello all. I'm back for a bit. No doubt there have been threads dedicated to the loss of my opinion but time is short so lets cut to the chase.
As the rotor turns I find myself becoming less and less enthused about the prospect of another 40yrs of life touring to butt **** Africa, PNG or some remote frozen wasteland just to pull $100k. Recent conversations with the slab wing brethren lead me to understand that a 737 co-pilot starts on 100K a year (offshore captain wage) and within 2-4yrs will advance to Captain, position dependant I assume, on a salary of about $170K. Regular schedule, consistent girlfriend, happy kids, new motorbike and even a pension (until they decide to wipe that in the next melt-down) - all a byproduct of more money and time off. Starting to sound pretty damn good really. Can't believe I just said that...
Anyhoo! question is: who out there has done this and how does a 7000hr Rotary pilot with 2500hrs of multi-engine rotary fare in the fixed wing world. Does anyone know anyone who has gone in reverse?
Assume a basic ATPL fixed wing licence with twin, IFR etc. All the basics.
As the rotor turns I find myself becoming less and less enthused about the prospect of another 40yrs of life touring to butt **** Africa, PNG or some remote frozen wasteland just to pull $100k. Recent conversations with the slab wing brethren lead me to understand that a 737 co-pilot starts on 100K a year (offshore captain wage) and within 2-4yrs will advance to Captain, position dependant I assume, on a salary of about $170K. Regular schedule, consistent girlfriend, happy kids, new motorbike and even a pension (until they decide to wipe that in the next melt-down) - all a byproduct of more money and time off. Starting to sound pretty damn good really. Can't believe I just said that...
Anyhoo! question is: who out there has done this and how does a 7000hr Rotary pilot with 2500hrs of multi-engine rotary fare in the fixed wing world. Does anyone know anyone who has gone in reverse?
Assume a basic ATPL fixed wing licence with twin, IFR etc. All the basics.
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,833
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From: Sale, Australia
Wouldn't imagine it would be much of a problem Steve. provided you have a tick in all the boxes that the prospective employer requires. Plenty have done it in the past and jobs are a plenty at the moment, so would have thought it an easy transition. Best of luck with it.
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: Jankara
No, remember that if Steve is Canadian or American, in those countries pilots can carry on flying well beyond the arbitrary 65 limit imposed in most European countries. It's not unusual for an offshore pilot to fly 800 hours or more a year, so 7,000 hours is easily achievable in less than 10 years.
Hovering AND talking
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,711
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From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner
about the prospect of another 40yrs of life touring
Therefore assuming CPL at 17, Steve is looking to fly 'til he's 97? Nah!!!Cheers
Whirls
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
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From: Downeast
Steve dear boy,
Starting pay for co-joe's might not be all they are rumoured to be....one might read the fine print first.
I wish I would have spent all my training costs on a law degree or something. Then I would be able to buy my own airplane and go where I want, when I want, with who I want and skip all that other agro.
Starting pay for co-joe's might not be all they are rumoured to be....one might read the fine print first.
I wish I would have spent all my training costs on a law degree or something. Then I would be able to buy my own airplane and go where I want, when I want, with who I want and skip all that other agro.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 300
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From: USA (PA)
I don't think the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence...
One thing you shouldn't forget is the fact that the airlines are big on seniority.
I'm not sure if they actually let you jump up the hourly payscale some 7-10 years or so - you would need that to earn 120(US)$+ an hour as an FO (Continental for example guarantees 72 hours/month).
Only if you would get a Captains position right away, you would make your 115$+ per hour from year two.
Even seasoned (10 years +) FO's flying for the US majors on 757/767 eg. would have to take a 25% (or so) paycut to transfer to the left seat in a 737. On the other hand, a friend of mine just started his 737 Captain training after only 3 years with the company. I guess its all about luck, not getting furloughed (spelling?) etc.
Maybe you should consider BizJets? Another friend of mine just became Gulfstream 4 Captain (he just turned 30) making 130k a year. With your experience and the feel for the aircraft of a helicopter pilot you shouldn't have a problem - except maybe with the schedule
.
(All the numbers above are taken from airlinepilotscentral.com)
One thing you shouldn't forget is the fact that the airlines are big on seniority.
I'm not sure if they actually let you jump up the hourly payscale some 7-10 years or so - you would need that to earn 120(US)$+ an hour as an FO (Continental for example guarantees 72 hours/month).
Only if you would get a Captains position right away, you would make your 115$+ per hour from year two.
Even seasoned (10 years +) FO's flying for the US majors on 757/767 eg. would have to take a 25% (or so) paycut to transfer to the left seat in a 737. On the other hand, a friend of mine just started his 737 Captain training after only 3 years with the company. I guess its all about luck, not getting furloughed (spelling?) etc.
Maybe you should consider BizJets? Another friend of mine just became Gulfstream 4 Captain (he just turned 30) making 130k a year. With your experience and the feel for the aircraft of a helicopter pilot you shouldn't have a problem - except maybe with the schedule
.(All the numbers above are taken from airlinepilotscentral.com)
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 49
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From: London
I got 2 mates ...
1 is a co-jockey with QF 737 was on $50 G for 5 years now training on A380 co-jockey $110 G .. He loves the A380 training
and working for QF ..
Other is a Biz Jockey ... wont tell what he is really on but its more than $110 G ... He loves the Biz world ...
I think its a choice of what you like and enjoy flying, if its money you want
then Biz could be it .. except for the 3am call. I would also assume for the first few years you would not be on any great deal of money, and it also depends on the company you work for I am sure the difference in BA compared to EZY jet would be clearly different ... ???
1 is a co-jockey with QF 737 was on $50 G for 5 years now training on A380 co-jockey $110 G .. He loves the A380 training
and working for QF ..Other is a Biz Jockey ... wont tell what he is really on but its more than $110 G ... He loves the Biz world ...
I think its a choice of what you like and enjoy flying, if its money you want
then Biz could be it .. except for the 3am call. I would also assume for the first few years you would not be on any great deal of money, and it also depends on the company you work for I am sure the difference in BA compared to EZY jet would be clearly different ... ???
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,119
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From: N20,W99
Steve I flew helicopters for 7 years before crossing over to the Hawker business jet, (FlightSafety Level D sim and the works) And withing about 3 months flying high performance airplanes was really easy.
To me the big difference is that in Airplanes you don't really fly them, you operate them, your decision making skills will rust because everything is pretty much laid out for your, your route, your weight, the company dispachers, SOP's, and stadarization will keep you safe, and if you do your foolproof checklists from 1 thru 100,000 you are pretty much set to go.
Landings will be a piece of cake as you as as a helicopter pilot can tell perfectly if you are 20 feet high or 6 inches high, you previous job was all about hand flying skills with eye to hand coordination, you will be able to tell from looking outside if you are going 120 kts and 50 feet without having to listen to the copilot call Vref, 50 feet, and your VFR patterns will be fun.
I have been recently going jumpseat in the A320 as my new boss own more than 10 of them, and I was amazed at how the pilots did practically nothing from 120 miles out, it was hilarious, when flaring the airplane started saying "retard, retard, retard, and I thought the pilot had done something wrong, but it was ordering him to pull the power back!! What has this world come to when the aircraft tell the pilot what to do?!
The other way around is not the same, I fly part time for the Mexico City police and I have copilot who has 9000 hours of heavy jet time, he's 36 years old and has a dream of becoming a helicopter pilot, during his landings I could hear his heartbeat and needless to say the AS350B3's shock absorbers compress I don't think he can even hold the nose straight during a pick up to hover and he's been flying helicopters on and off for 3 years.
Have fun!!!!
BTW: I felt so useless and tied up in the cockpit of a Jet that I had to come back to helicopters.
To me the big difference is that in Airplanes you don't really fly them, you operate them, your decision making skills will rust because everything is pretty much laid out for your, your route, your weight, the company dispachers, SOP's, and stadarization will keep you safe, and if you do your foolproof checklists from 1 thru 100,000 you are pretty much set to go.
Landings will be a piece of cake as you as as a helicopter pilot can tell perfectly if you are 20 feet high or 6 inches high, you previous job was all about hand flying skills with eye to hand coordination, you will be able to tell from looking outside if you are going 120 kts and 50 feet without having to listen to the copilot call Vref, 50 feet, and your VFR patterns will be fun.
I have been recently going jumpseat in the A320 as my new boss own more than 10 of them, and I was amazed at how the pilots did practically nothing from 120 miles out, it was hilarious, when flaring the airplane started saying "retard, retard, retard, and I thought the pilot had done something wrong, but it was ordering him to pull the power back!! What has this world come to when the aircraft tell the pilot what to do?!
The other way around is not the same, I fly part time for the Mexico City police and I have copilot who has 9000 hours of heavy jet time, he's 36 years old and has a dream of becoming a helicopter pilot, during his landings I could hear his heartbeat and needless to say the AS350B3's shock absorbers compress
I don't think he can even hold the nose straight during a pick up to hover and he's been flying helicopters on and off for 3 years.Have fun!!!!
BTW: I felt so useless and tied up in the cockpit of a Jet that I had to come back to helicopters.
HeliFirst
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 225
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From: Lincoln & Norwich
you operate a fixed wing but you fly a Helicopter
The saying is...
The grass always LOOKS greener.
Left the North Sea as 10yr Capt As332L to fly BAe146 and within two years even as a F/O was on the same pay. that was 1989/91. Helicopter salaries have come up alot since then. And Low fare airlines have kept salaries down
Yes the Fixed wing days were easy with all the support you needed and a great social life. But 'security aspects' have changed it all.
Each airline has its own very individual idea of Helicopter hours. Debonair for example I recall required 3000hrs for command but said none of my twin IFR helicopters time could count!! but someones cessna 150 vfr only time did!!
If you've done all there is to do with Helicopters go Fixed wing. Go for it. Tell us how you get on.
The grass always LOOKS greener.
Left the North Sea as 10yr Capt As332L to fly BAe146 and within two years even as a F/O was on the same pay. that was 1989/91. Helicopter salaries have come up alot since then. And Low fare airlines have kept salaries down
Yes the Fixed wing days were easy with all the support you needed and a great social life. But 'security aspects' have changed it all.
Each airline has its own very individual idea of Helicopter hours. Debonair for example I recall required 3000hrs for command but said none of my twin IFR helicopters time could count!! but someones cessna 150 vfr only time did!!
If you've done all there is to do with Helicopters go Fixed wing. Go for it. Tell us how you get on.
Last edited by Up & Away; 16th February 2008 at 21:27.
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 163
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From: somedays in a helicopter, other days in a fixed-wing....
I know most Australian airlines accept M/E IFR helicopter hours, they see it as the experience of operating in a Multi-Crew environment with CRM, not to mention that IFR procedures are fairly standard for both.
Qantas give 2nd officers $160K P.a and all they need is min 500 hours PIC fixed-wing, captains for cathay are on close to $400K p.a.
someone said it before "If you've done all there is to do with Helicopters..."
then go check out the fixed-wing world, learn a few things you didn't know, experience something you haven't experienced and get paid well to do it... all else fails and you dislike drinking coffee at FL40 or flying an ILS approach down to 50FT before breaking visual then you have the hours under your belt to come back to heli and walk straight into a job.... go for it. what have you got to loose?
Qantas give 2nd officers $160K P.a and all they need is min 500 hours PIC fixed-wing, captains for cathay are on close to $400K p.a.
someone said it before "If you've done all there is to do with Helicopters..."
then go check out the fixed-wing world, learn a few things you didn't know, experience something you haven't experienced and get paid well to do it... all else fails and you dislike drinking coffee at FL40 or flying an ILS approach down to 50FT before breaking visual then you have the hours under your belt to come back to heli and walk straight into a job.... go for it. what have you got to loose?
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
JimL,
The mocha java at FL390 and 410 is superb along with the view!
Busy? "I say Marv, tomato futures are up and by the way....what is a four letter word that starts with ...".
The mocha java at FL390 and 410 is superb along with the view!
Busy? "I say Marv, tomato futures are up and by the way....what is a four letter word that starts with ...".
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 52
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From: here
Quote:
Rubbish ....
Qantas give 2nd officers $160K P.a and all they need is min 500 hours PIC fixed-wing
Or are you both talking different markets? Australia compared to Qantas operations in the UK.