Its waking up each day knowing there is a new challenge to face, a new place to see, a new person to meet. Its about preflighting your aircraft as the sun comes up and breathing in freshly burnt Jet A1. Its about having to explain to your better half why you work 15 hour days for bugger all money yet can't wait to be back in the seat the next day.

Its about having 150hrs TT and wanting to live like i wrote above. Barely got a toe in the door and i already love the industry.:ok:

Flyer et al....Shortshaft is me without the mind altering substances I use.

I neglected in the interest of brevity to leave out the other sides of the industry....things like rotten pay, crappy working environment, incompetent management (in most cases), arsehole customers, lousy (in the real and figurative sense) accomodation, high risk, and more than too often bad maintenance standards. Combine that with the hire and fire mentality of some outfits....boom or bust economics...putting everything but the interest of the people out there making the money for them on a daily basis attitudes of some companies....No! Shortshaft just removed his Rose Tinted glasses and described what he saw.

I on the other hand, opted for the High Road....and looked for the things that I found to be my rewards from over 38 years of this.

I have had the honour of knowing some very lovely people, shared some great times with them, have seen beautiful sights, partaken of fine cooking, consumed way too much fine beer, wine, and whiskey. The flying has been rewarding to each of us in different ways...but it does not mean it has been Nirvana.

Would I do it again.....That is a question I refuse to answer.

If I had a Son who told me he was planning to become a Commerical Helicopter pilot, my response would be simply "Gee, I did not know they hired Paraplegics?" When he responded that he was not a Paraplegic....I would tell him "YET!" Then proceed to break both of his legs.

I wasn't going to post but when I think about it, if we forget all about the bad side of the industry for a moment, I think SASless and bwm85 say it all.
That first flight in a Jet Ranger over St.Lucia many years ago and getting hooked on the Rotary world. Being able to sit above humanity and watch as the daily grind goes on below you. Master of your own destiny. The feeling of being so fortunate to be doing what others can only dream about.
The great people. The fantastic machines. (even 30yr old B206's if that's all you're given).
To be a part of the heli industry is great. To get satisfaction from it is even better.
Just a shame there is a down side but hey, doesn't every facet of life have a downside? Only our upside is much better than most.

You know the old saying, 'If you can't stand the heat......'
:ok:

Fly safe!!

Well said Kissmy, right on the spot!

Magjam

"People who needs long explanations at times when everything depends on instinct have always irritated me..."
Guy Sajer, WWII Soldier

Like everyone else...
Because it's better than a real job.:cool:

After 23 years working on Helos I still get up in the morning and look forward to work, despite the winging aircrew, incompetant management, cold/hot weather ( -35 to +55), I still enjoy it , the people you meet the places this job has taken me, the technical and logistic challenges of working in some third world back water talking to management on a sat phone who ask why isn't the aircraft flying ? as you try to explain the donkey with your part on its back hasn't made it to the top of the hill you broke down on yet!! But it has allowed me to work in over a dozen countries on about 20 differant types of helos (CH47 down to 206). would I do anything different.....NO WAY!!!

Please dont forget that if you want one of the calendars and have made a post then please PM me as soon as possible.

I arrive home in a few days and calendars will be mailed out straight away so you can get them before Xmas.

Cheers

Ned

And cheers to you Ned, I'm looking forward to it - the 2005 one has been the starter of many conversations as people wander past my desk at work - "What is that doing?" they usually ask, giving me the chance to tell them how great it will be to have one of those jobs some day. :ok:

Just being one of the few who get the privilege to fly these wonderful machines ,the helicopter and of course be part of pprune rotorheads, wich gives sometimes you the feeling that we are one big family:O :O :{ :{ :E

I enjoyed getting paid quite well for having fun flying 22 different types in 32 countries during the last 45 years. Now I don't fly so much or get paid, but it is still fun!!:ok:

Arrgghh!!!

Ned, your PM box is full.

Please reserve me one.

FP

Sorry guys, PM Inbox is now empty to send away those PMs.

Cheers

Ned

Hi Ned,

I'm only a PPL-H so I might not be considered part of the industry but one of the best things is the smile on people's faces when you take them up for their first helicopter ride.

John

You mean besides a calendar of the most fantastic pics of helicopters flying worldwide that have ever.....EVER....been displayed......

.....well then its also gotta be hats off to Igor, Brown and the boys that made it all possible...what better way to look down on the world and everybody in it.

Been doing it my whole life...and still love it. Best feeling out.

IF I receive a calendar???????, many thanx in advance.

For me it is the variety, the views, the people and being able to defy physics as long as the fuel does not run out.

Also as has been stated several times, it beats working for a living. Of how many Jobs can you say that?

I gotta say more...
 

It's that my wife LOVES that I am a helicopter pilot.

It's sitting in the pub with my student/mate who did his first full-down autos with me that day - a bazillion-hour L10-11 pilot, warbird pilot, and he's like a kid again.

For that matter, being paid to do full-downs in a Schweizer - especially on a Minnesota winter day, when the OAT is -15C, the altimeter is at 30.02, and we're still gliding 6" above the ground with the RRPM down around 300 and a Florida-flying only CFII next to me wondering when this helicopter is going to touch down!

It's that I have yet to lose that feeling that comes every time the skids lift off the ground.

Did I mention autorotations? If I had my way, every approach would be an autorotation, every landing would be a hover auto. Just goes to show the old saying is true - you can only be young once, but you can be immature forever... Guess my future as a corporate pilot might be at risk.

It's everyone else in the industry who has a story to tell - some of which I would NOT want to experience (like the ones my Vietnam-vet pilot boss has).

And it's intangible - well, almost - my PM's in the mail!
Thanks, Ned!

Because every day I change someones life, either by taking them to hospital quickly allowing them to get better quicker or by catching a bad person.

Also when I pull pitch, nothing else matters.

For me the best time is coming home from a task empty. Just me all alone up in the blue watching the world go by.

Even after all these years I still love these moments, when the radio goes quiet (I said radio not engine) on a lovely evening as the sun sets on the horizon and I find myself still amazed that I am actually flying and getting paid for it. Truly a feeling of calm descends upon me. Normally after a flight like that I shut down and then just sit for a moment and contemplate on how hard it will be to make that final flight one day when I have to retire. May it be many more years yet.

Banjo

I enjoy the fact that no two flights are ever the same. I enjoy learning something new on every flight; sometimes I learn what to do and other times I learn what not to do.

I enjoy hovering and remembering how it once took every ounce of my concentration to hold it still and now realizing that it has become second nature.

I receive immense satisfaction when I luck out and perform a super-smooth approach to the hover.

I am on cloud nine when a full-down auto is right on the money.

I enjoy the people. I am rather new to the inductry and yet I have been able to fly/meet/learn from some very experienced people; all of whom have been very willing to share their expertise. I did not always see that attitude in the FW world.

I enjoy that just by being a helicopter pilot you are a member of a small, tight-knit community of INDIVIDUALS. What we fly, how we fly, and why we fly varies drastically from person to person.

I am in awe of some of the highly experienced pilots I have flown with and some of the contributors to this forum. Yet the relative distance between us low-timers and the high-timers is not so great. The right of passage to the pilot's seat is the biggest hurdle. Driving the family car for years does not get one in the seat of an F1 car, but flying a small piston/turbine helicopter can eventually get you in the pilot's seat of EMS, logging, corporate, etc. It is attainable.

Wow, hardly a post and now I can't shutup! Thanks for letting me share.

Merry Chistmas to all!

It's simple! Every other shmuck on the ground always looks up at this amazing flying machine, in awe of the people that are in it. And what an amazing piece of engineering it is. I feel priveledged to be able to fly one every day and enjoy the challenge that goes with it. I couldn't get out of bed every day to any other job but this!
snz