"Downgrading" from Helicopter Pilot to Airplane Pilot
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"Downgrading" from Helicopter Pilot to Airplane Pilot
Hello to all
After several year working as helicopter pilot i come to a point where i feel it might be a good move to go on the fixed wing side.....
I´m ATPLH with IR struggling to get a job after my contract ended. The disappointment on the industry is huge...all companies requirements are for type rated pilots, its ridiculous for a pilot to get self sponsoring a type rating....no one has 50.000 euros for a 139 rating or 145. Makes no sense. For this amount of money you get a Airplane Ab-initio course.
So ...i´m wondering.....how hard is the transition from a EASA Helicopter Licence to a EASA Airplane licence.
From what i´ve been reading the theoretical part is "only" 5 exams, but the big question is on the practical side of the thing. Does a helicopter pilot get any flying hours/experience credits to airplane?
Did anyone here made this transition?
Thanks
Safe flights
After several year working as helicopter pilot i come to a point where i feel it might be a good move to go on the fixed wing side.....
I´m ATPLH with IR struggling to get a job after my contract ended. The disappointment on the industry is huge...all companies requirements are for type rated pilots, its ridiculous for a pilot to get self sponsoring a type rating....no one has 50.000 euros for a 139 rating or 145. Makes no sense. For this amount of money you get a Airplane Ab-initio course.
So ...i´m wondering.....how hard is the transition from a EASA Helicopter Licence to a EASA Airplane licence.
From what i´ve been reading the theoretical part is "only" 5 exams, but the big question is on the practical side of the thing. Does a helicopter pilot get any flying hours/experience credits to airplane?
Did anyone here made this transition?
Thanks
Safe flights
https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...20Part-FCL.pdf
From page 224 and on...
In short you need to get PPL A and SEP to be able to gain needed A hours and nice number
up to 100 h is credited. All to be able to make that modular (5) missing ATPL A exams. And than final one...
When my Jr decided to go profi way, my advice was: You need to have A and H at last CPL
and in worst case of lost Class 1 medical Part 66 B1/2 is more than useful for daily bred and butter.
He is still doing this way, now well over 100 f/h on A and H with nice number of Part66 exam done
with approx half of Part 66 on job training done.
From page 224 and on...
In short you need to get PPL A and SEP to be able to gain needed A hours and nice number
up to 100 h is credited. All to be able to make that modular (5) missing ATPL A exams. And than final one...
When my Jr decided to go profi way, my advice was: You need to have A and H at last CPL
and in worst case of lost Class 1 medical Part 66 B1/2 is more than useful for daily bred and butter.
He is still doing this way, now well over 100 f/h on A and H with nice number of Part66 exam done
with approx half of Part 66 on job training done.
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Berlioz
If in Europe I would imagine with years of time on helicopters You could get a airline to sponsor You somehow.
Professional , mature pilots with command time is hard to find and the industry is getting absolutely desperate by next spring.
Do keep the H active for a few years , as You might miss Your freedom.
Good luck
Cpt B
If in Europe I would imagine with years of time on helicopters You could get a airline to sponsor You somehow.
Professional , mature pilots with command time is hard to find and the industry is getting absolutely desperate by next spring.
Do keep the H active for a few years , as You might miss Your freedom.
Good luck
Cpt B
Berlioz
If in Europe I would imagine with years of time on helicopters You could get a airline to sponsor You somehow.
Professional , mature pilots with command time is hard to find and the industry is getting absolutely desperate by next spring.
Do keep the H active for a few years , as You might miss Your freedom.
Good luck
Cpt B
If in Europe I would imagine with years of time on helicopters You could get a airline to sponsor You somehow.
Professional , mature pilots with command time is hard to find and the industry is getting absolutely desperate by next spring.
Do keep the H active for a few years , as You might miss Your freedom.
Good luck
Cpt B
The transferrable benefits of helo time are immense, especially if you've used your IR procedurally.
imo Captaincy develops in a helicopter far faster than in a comparable sized f/w simply because of the diversity of things you are expected to do in it and the independance required of so many helo ops. And immensely faster than an f/o in any f/w.
Best of luck, you'll find your helo time immensely useful in f/w. As ever luck plays a huge part, right place at right time is everything.
I had about 3500hrs helo time when I defected o/w about 1000 was procedural N Sea. The rest was Jetrangers and Squirrels all europe VFR.
My first f/w job was P1 single turboprop self-managed bush flying. (900hrs)
Second was P1 turboprop small commuter twin scheduled. (150hrs) from which I resigned due to their lax standards.
Third Quadropuff P2 for a year, then command. 350/500hrs.
Fourth 737 command and onwards.
I didn't get there by being anything special as a pilot - I'm just average ability, merely struck (very) lucky.
But bludsup's right, you'll miss your freedom. Much/most airline work nowadays is little more than 100% knowlege of and rigid adherence to sop's and the word Capta***y has been eradicated from the dictionary and is never uttered - and I mean never uttered in some. It can feel suffocating but that's the price you pay for confidence in earning mortgage and pension payments in the future.
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Bridging is done by taking 5 exams for an equivalent licence (CPL - CPL, ATP to ATP) at an approved ATO, then you need the flying training. Got a few people doing that.
