Flying for science?
 

Greetings all,

With my private and required commercial solo hours under my belt, and starting instrument training, my thoughts are turning again to what I'll be doing when I'm all done with training (I know, I know, instructing, but after *that*). One nice thought would be to find a way to work my prior background (BS in physics, grad coursework in computer science, fluid mechanics and meteorology). Is there anyone who flies for scientific/engineering research? This could be test flying or instrument platform flying, plus there are probably things I haven't even thought/dreamed of... is there anything like that out there that I could shoot for?

Squirrelflight have I got a job for you: Squirrel (!) pilot in Antarctica supporting scientists and science experiments from around the world. The required steps are as follows:

1) Get at least 1,000 hours as a CFI or something like that (make sure to log lots and lots of night hours);
2) Get a Job with PHI flying in the Gulf of Mexico (now you're logging turbine time);
3) At the earliest opportunity, apply for an internal transfer to their Air Evac EMS subsidiary (now you're flying a Squirrel in your home town and you're logging mountain time);
4) Bide your time...;
5) When an internal job opening comes up for a position in Antarctica, apply.

It'll take you a number of years but this is no joke post. Following these steps will indeed lead to possibly the most unique scientific research flying job in the world. And it's within your reach. Good luck.

That sounds a lot like what I'd be looking for.

Thanks for the reply!

Possible job
 

Check out the NNSA, a branch of the DOE, when you reach about 1,000 hrs PIC in turbine.
They might have a job for you.