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-   -   What to do after CPL? (https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/258596-what-do-after-cpl.html)

jase.nz.pilot 5th Jan 2007 00:18

What to do after CPL?
 
Hi all, just after a bit of advice really.

I completed my CPL rotary back in march and since then have been studying towards a diplomia in management.
Now that I have completed all my studies I am looking for work or what my next line of study should be. I have been offered work as a loader/driver in NZ, however I reckon I still have more potential to study further and imporve my prospects in getting work as a pilot in the future.

My original thorts were to do a Instructors rating, however due to the large costs and the fact that everyone seems to be doing it I am moving away from this option.

This has left me with the idea of becoming a Liscenced Engineer, and consequently I am enrolled on a two year course to begin my engineering training.

Is there positions within the industry for pilot/engineers, and will they be around in the future?

Basically I am just trying to establish if this move will pay off and be a worth while investment to my career as a pilot.

Please add any thorts, or if anyone knows of a pilot/engineer I could contact that would be great. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Cheers

noblades 5th Jan 2007 20:07

I have met a lot of poor pilots, never met a poor engineer though. hindsight is 20/20. Good luck regardless

NB

fkelly 5th Jan 2007 20:36

I'd have to give it some thort before replying......

Whirlygig 5th Jan 2007 20:39

Something tells me you might be suited to being an engineer :}

Cheers

Whirls

gulliBell 6th Jan 2007 00:06

I'm confused by all this thorting....
If you can get a LAME in 2 years, you'll probably land a job in 2 years and a day (as a LAME, not as a CPL). Good luck.

spinwing 6th Jan 2007 06:54

Now I'm a bit worried .....

How you will you become a Licensed Engineer in 2 yrs ????? sorry but I hope NOT! ... (unless of course you have quite an extensive background in engineering mechanics and electronics).

You might well get on to an engineers training course but I would be very surprised if you would be allowed to even sit the "basics" exams prior to completeing said course.

I know apprentices may be able to sit engineering basic exams as part of their approved training course.... BUT they then have to get very specific time "hands on" prior to making an application for a license.

Don't kid yourself if you think becoming an engineer is going to be easier than becoming a pilot ... you can train a person to keep a 'copter the right way up in about 6 months (maybe even less) ...... to train a person to become a useful safe and responsible aircraft engineer takes YEARS (and a good heli engineer would take longer) just buying a toolkit does'nt mean much.

Most engineers will tell you that it will take near 2 years for you to learn what you can't touch, let alone learn what you may be allowed to touch.

You MUST get in touch with a rotary LAME and find out what realities are involved ....

Good Luck

bladepitch 6th Jan 2007 07:31

one thing you learn fast in management is "Time management".
spend all your waking moments looking for a start as a pilot , in fact when your asleep , keep looking.....

once you doing that then think about doing other course that will ad qualities to your resume.

time is of the essence! tick tick tick... ;)

all the best with what ever you do!


Agree some what with whirls

sir.pratt 6th Jan 2007 08:00

you need a munimum of 36 months engineering experience, maybe as much as 60 months, depending on your background/entry course before being able to exercise the privileges of an LAME

whopwhop 7th Jan 2007 01:58

Im sorry but I couldnt resist maybe you should go and study a bit harder for your diplomia :8
Its good your looking to the future but try and concentrate on one thing at a time instead of jumping all over the show.Although you may find it hard finding a piloting job (especially in NZ because the industry needs to take a long look at itself) just deciding to be an engineer may not be the best option (engineering WILL take longer), either way its a long road so dont expect things to happen overnight.
Good luck
I just thort Id throw my two cents in.

kylevp 12th Jan 2007 17:19

Not quite on the same subject, but it says to post questions like this in an existing thread, and this was as close as any.

I'm formulating my plan on how to get a CPL. I know you get eleventy million quesitons about this from all kinds of people, but I cannot find an answer to this question.

once I have my PPL, I've considered purchacing a helicopter and building hours in it myself. The advantage I see in this, is that I would be able to continue to fly on my own after I have my CPL without needing to take an instructors job which I may or may not be qualifed to do at that stage. Or maybe instruct, offering the added benifit of having my own bird to whatever school I go to work for.

My understanding of the costs would be something like : 10k / year for maintinance, 10k / year for insurance, + 60-70k for an appropriate helicopter. I have no idea what to expect for fuel costs. If its more than that, I suppose I could borrow.

If I owned my own helicopter, are there work oportunities available? If I forked out the extra cash for a larger helicopter like an r44, would I be albe to work once I got my cpl doing something other than instruct? If so, what kind of work could I do? Would I be able to find work with a smaller helicopter like an r22 if I only paid enough extra to get into that range?

Am I horribly off on my operating cost estimates? It crossed my mind, that there may be work available for anyone who owns their own helicopter. Is this the case?

A lot of questions from someone just starting, but I like to have a game plan before I get started. If this is in fact a good idea, and a good deal comes along, I'd like to be able to know weather or not I should jump on it.

Is all this a bad idea for some reason(s) that I have not considered?

Thank you for your time, and thoughts on this.

Bravo73 12th Jan 2007 18:10

Hello kylevp and welcome to Rotorheads,

You probably won't be surprised to hear that as good as your idea sounds, you aren't the first person to have it! And, unfortunately, if it was truly viable, we probably would've all tried it to get that first start.

The idea was actually raised recently by a gentleman called Kopterman. Now admittedly he was based in the UK and he was looking to buy a Jetranger but I think that a lot of the advice given will apply to you. Here's the original thread:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=246133


Hope this helps and the best of luck with it,

B73

EMS R22 13th Jan 2007 08:27

You have to decide what you want to do . If you want to go ag flying , load driveing is the only way to go .Decide what sort of flying you want to do and concentrate on that . Any thing is possible but it just takes time .:ok:


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