Helicopter training in Canada, worth it?
 

Hello Guys
searching the web I navigated through several helicopter flying schools websites in Canada. I noticed that the prices for a full commercial pilot license are very interesting (also because there's an "only" 100 hours of flight training required), sometimes including turbine helicopter endorsement, at around 60000 CAD.
Do you think it is convenient? What about the helicopter pilot jobs market in Canada? Can you easily find a low hours job?

And finally what are the cost and the difficulty to convert a Canadian CPL(h) into an EASA One?

Thank you
Rgds

And they can train you very reasonably ab initio in a lovely B206. No need to go down that 'other' route.

If you have work rights for Canada, and plenty of cash to last out until finding that first job.
I would say go for it.
But if you don't , stay away, it will cost you more in the long run

Don't worry, you'll find a job, everyone does (eventually) the question is, will that job be what you thought it would be?

,...and will it be worth what it took to get?

Quality of training is excellent in Canada, depending on where you train of course. You can get mountain flying experience, external load, turbine time if you want to, all within your 100-odd hours of CPL training. And you will most likely fly with experienced real world instructors, not 300hr CFIs. The question you have to ask yourself is what you want to do with your new Canadian license.

- Fly back in Europe? Then what is involved in converting that license to EASA? How much would it cost, and would you have to fly dozens or hundreds more hours to get to the EASA CPL minimum requirements?

- Fly in Canada? Then do you have a work permit or a viable way to get one?

Training is excellent, but you will be fighting it out with others who have the same 100 hours and chomping at the bit to get work. you have to go on what some refer to as the "Great Road-trip" in the spring to knock on doors and beg for work.

If you are under 40 and qualify for the temporary work permit you'll more than likely find that you'll end up wasting 2 years washing helicopters and flying about 10 hours per year, just to barely stay in the game, basically the carrot just dangles in front of you.

Is it worth it? that would have to be up to you, just remember there are 100's of eligible Canadians with fresh licenses out there trying to do the same deal.

Regards
H,

A long time ago, I was faced with the same question. I did a lot of research, made a lot of phone calls and in the end, decided not to pursue flying as a career. What made me steer away from it were conversations with helicopter operators regarding potential job opportunities. I asked: "Suppose I have in my hand a commercial license with 100 hours, would you hire me?". The conversations were quite honest. When you hear that an owner wouldn't recommend flying to his own son, it has to make you wonder about the career itself and your chances of actually finding a job after spending 60K to get a license you can't do much with. Of course, maybe had I went with it, I would have had a great career... I guess you never know until you try it out for yourself. If I could suggest anything, make your own phone calls and have a candid conversations with the guys that may potentially be your future bosses. I'm not trying to be a party pooper, but I think it is a good idea to listen to all sides of the story before making such a huge commitment.

A 100 hour pilot with external load and turbine time?! Wow, send him down to the States so we can all fight over him!

The helicopter industry for pilots is dying. If you are just about to start training to get into the industry, look to other things. The costs, struggles, and difficulties wont pay out, for the short amount of time left of the industry. Don't forget, the industry is flooded with laid off pilots all over the world, with very little positive outlook for future growth. Don't wanna crush your dreams, but the industry will never be what it was, and you won't be needed in this industry. It's about time people started speaking the truth.

,...yet the first line of the first article in the current Rotocraft Pro says, the pilot shortage is finally here!

The last issue of ROTOR also had a guy claiming there's a shortage,...and he claimed it was "World wide"!

Better get on the bandwagon while it lasts!

Heli driver is not a real job.

What shortage?
 

There is no shortage ! Stop the propaganda !!!!
The shortage Vertical is taking about is about very experienced pilot in a limited numbers of field.
If you have a lots of long line experience, if you have a specific twin engine experience, if you are highly qualified on a specific aircraft used for specific jobs, there you will have some opportunities, but anybody with 100 hours has no chance because it is even worst than before when you already had to prostitute yourself for a number of years to get something, who, for some guys, worked, and for other, did not.
You have better chance of becoming a mechanic than a pilot at this time, the maintenance side of aviation is requiring people.
Of course, school are business, so they always tell you that you will have opportunities because it is a business, nothing else, nothing more.

The training is crap ! that's the reality ! We are not prepared to work and every companies know that. This idea that 100 hours is enough to put you on the job is wrong and we have the proof every day.
Everybody who has done it know that when you finished school, you don't know anything about working with an helicopter. It is not only about flying time, it is also dealing with the immense pressure to please your customer and the company who hired you.
In aviation, you don't know what you don't know !
It looks simple and stupid, but a sad reality. As long as we are not preparing a student to be able to work, we will have this situation with no end in sight. People have to accept that you need a lot more than 100 hours and the industry has to partner school to change to all game.
But, unfortunately, we are very far away from that.
It is not the first 500 hours who is important, it is what you did during those 500 hours.
I have seen so many guys coming and spending all this money to end up doing something else at the end.
I have seen guys getting their chance and having their career destroyed after a crash or an incident.
Why? Were they stupid or incompetent?
No, they were NOT PREPARED FOR THE JOB!
So, instead of talking about pilot shortage, they should talk about what should be done to prepare pilots to work in this industry.

Is 500 hours a magic number for you? Because down here that'll get you a part time gig flying tourists around Vegas in a 44 for $12 bucks an hour,...if you're lucky.

We lowtimers bitch all the time about how things need to change. Thing is, if they really needed to change they would, but since the same old bull**** still (and will always) exist, seems like things are fine, and the only ones in the industry with a problem is us!

,...and the shortage is real this time,...I just know it!:ugh:

The shortage is real this time............... because I read it on the internet!

Wow! That gets me really excited now! I've only read about it in magazines, where on the internet did you hear such glorious news? :ok:

Is 500 hours a magic number for you? (r22butters)

No,it is not. 400 / 500 / 1000, it all depends what job you have to do.
But hey, as you said, if you are paid 12$ an hour flying a 44, why are they complaining about pilot shortage?
So, a pilot has the same level as a fast food employee? Seriously?
Why anybody will spend so much money to be told he will be a slave for, well, a number of years.....and nobody knows how big this number is.....
As long as this attitude will exist in the industry, more and more people will do something else.
So, they can complain about pilot shortage and aircraft down, good for them, I hope they will have more because nobody is interested in respecting a guy who has the passion and will to do this job but will be destroyed by this industry.