What type of flying Do You Do?
Interesting question as I have spent most of my life in helicopters and fixed wing yet only have about 400 hours.

I own and publish two aviation publications, Heli Ops Intl which is a worldwide civil helicopter industry trade magazine and Check Six which is a military aviation trade magazine. Most of my time is spent travelling to all corners of the globe shooting man and machine doing what they do best, working.

Did get my licence many years ago in a Hughes 300 but let it lapse because business requirements necessiatated.

What types did you fly?
Got about 400 hours but that was years ago. Still get some good stick time in various makes and models.

Where do you work?
Between the North Pole and the South Pole.

Most memorable flight?
Would have to be two of them. First one was in Florida doing an air to air shoot with a flight of F-16s for Check Six. Our photo shoot went tits up and we ended up having a midair over the Gulf of Mexico at 25,000ft., The aircraft we hit crashed into the ocean and the pilot ejected. We had severe damage and after doing an emergency landing at Homestead AFB the engine flamed out as we taxied to a standstill. Rammed home just how unforgiving this industry is if mistakes are made. That was an eye opening learning experience.

Second was rotary wing and we flew five EC120s, an EC130, an AS350-B3 and a BA from Jo'Burg to Nairobi. 1500 miles in two days and over some amazing countryside. We were between 50ft chasing giraffes around in Zimbabwe up to 11,500 ft for photos in front of Mt Killimanjaro in Tanzania. Totally awesome flight.

One thing I didnt like was flying at 10,000ft in a Bell 206B with John Eacott to Mt Hotham skifield. Wayyyyy tooo high in a helicopter for my liking.


Thing I like Most About This Job?
Meeting the variety of people and their unique personalities. Its a great industry, with some great people and the tales they have to tell. Being able to see first hand helicopters being used in all facets of the industry, for all different tasks has given me a good understanding on this industry. One thing I have learnt is no one pilot is better than the other, you are all just different from each other, with your own unique talents and personalities.

The other thing I love about my job is being able to capture the beauty of aviation on film and sharing it with others around the world.

Hobbies:
Rugby and anything to do with aviation.

:E

Neville is one of the best aviation photographers in the world - and widely regarded as the best helicopter photographer.
See some examples of his work on the 'Rotorheads Around the World' thread.

Heliport

What type of flying work do you do?

- General charter in the Canadian Rockies, including Light, intermediate and meduim Heli-ski, class D fixed line rescues, animal capture, etc, etc, etc

What types(s) do you fly?

- Bell 206, 206L3, 407, 212, and 350 series

Where?

- Golden BC Canada, in the Rockies and interior ranges from the USA border to Jasper

Previous jobs?

- All over western Canada and the Arctic on lights and intermediates


Military / ex-Military?

- all Civvie hours

How long have you been flying?

- since 1979

How many hours?

- about 14,000

I'm just a crop duster, most of the time. Several years back I got R/W rated and now do some spraying and in the winter like to go offshore (GOM). Great therapy after a long crop dusting season. Wish the money was better.

My main ride is an Ayres S2R G10. Its a 510 gallon 940 H.P. Garrett with only one seat. In a typical season I'll fly it 700-1000 hours from February til early November. I also fly a B47GA spraying, but not nearly as much as I'd like to. In the GOM I fly B206's.

I live and fly in Louisiana but I'm originally from Texas.

Started out flying KIng Air on corporate job. Kind of boring so I found a way into ag.

No military.

I grew up in an aviation family. Have been flying all my life. Soloed on my 16 birthday.

This is my 21st season crop dusting and I still love it. There are days (many) when I start at daylight and land at dark without a restart; but, even after a season of those kind of days, when the spring starts to roll around I'm ready to start another one.

I've flown a little over 16,000 hours

Who's Who
 

I currently fly in the Gulf of Mexico (S-61, B 412, BO105), have done it for the last 4 yrs and I like it very much.
Initial training was in the early 80's, FW for a Southern European Air Force, absolving compulsory service.
Worked in S.Europe, Carribean, Noth and South America.\, mostly tours, EMS and as a CFI.
Best flight ever was chartering a BO 105 LS from Los Angeles to Puerto Rico. It took me 6 days and lots of film.
Licenses are ATP CFII RW and a FW ATP that I would like to actually use every once in a while.
This is a very refreshing rotor forum. Very professional and friendly people. No collegue's bashing. Very minimal union polemic.
Keep it up!

1.What type of flying work do you do?

At the moment I'm part of a 4 pilot operation 3 full time and a very competent part time Canadian lady who can hold her own against anyone with a long line
We have 3x SA 315B's a H 500 ER and an AS 355N that will be traded on our new AS 355N in about 4 weeks.

Our work in the twin includes all the general stuff
Passenger carrying tourist VIP etc
Hotel rooftop cat A ops
Movie production,photography (last one was womb raider 2)
Power line inspection etc etc

Our Lama work consists almost entirely of long line ops and I dare to say that I think our Lama's are the best presented and maintained I've seen.

Two of us will commence HT power line insulator washing in October in the 500 until our C.P. gets up to standard.

2.What types(s) do you fly?
Endorsed on B205/204 B206 H500 AS350 SA315B AS355N B47 H300 R22

3.Where?
Hong Kong and mainland china and a little in bit on oz on the fires

4.Previous jobs?
Australia ,Papua New Guinea ,Indonesia ,Hong Kong ,China.

5.Military / ex-Military?
Civvy only

6.How long have you been flying?
Since 1986

7.How many hours?

about 9000

humbly yours and fly safe

1.What type of flying work do you do?
Right now I'm doing corporate flying for one individual. Usually
2 pilot doing IFR or VFR.

2.What types(s) do you fly?
Currently doing S-76C+. In past lives went through the Enstrom, Bell 206 series, Hughes 500 (the old days before the identity crisis), BO-105, Agusta 109, Bell 222, AS 355, and some I'm sure I've forgotton.

3.Where?
Western U.S.

4.Previous jobs?
As the name implies, EMS for 10+ years, CFI, Charter, Offshore, Photo, really just the normal stuff we all go through in this career.

5.Military / ex-Military?
All civilian.

6.How long have you been flying?
Started airplanes in 1976, then made the mistake(?) of taking a helicopter ride in 1983. Got hooked then and there and have been enjoying it ever since.

7.How many hours?
I'm somewhere around 6,500 now. Ten years of EMS flying 100-200 hours/year, pretty much killed my dreams of being some 30,000 hour guy, but that's okay.

Great forum here, I really appreciate seeing that the US is not the end-all of helicopter aviation. Very easy for this boorish American to forget that! Oh and by the way, I do wear gaudy Tropical shirts and Bermuda shorts whenever I go on vacation elswhere in the world!

Public Safety Aviator i.e. law enforcement/fire/search&rescue

Area of operation California :cool:

RW 204,Super205,206,212,Hughes 500D,E,MD600,OH6,S61,EC120B
R44 Bell47
FW-C210,Be36,Baron,Merlin,King Air,Sabre 40

Civilan background however 1000hrs as HC130H Loadmaster ARRS

Hours Lots 10,000+:confused: Kinda lost track after 4,000 whos counting. Hey and not just flying circles around the flag pole neither!

:p

I presently own a helicopter flight school and charter operation. We operate and I fly, Enstrom 280, B206 & A109's.

Previously I've been a Military Pilot, Airline Ops Manager, Oil & Gas Industry logistics consultant.
Owned and sold (for a profit) a couple of charter operations.

Many many types including, Bulldog, Chipmunk, JP, Hawk, Tornado, PA31, BE20, J32, S76, AS365

Started flying in 1986. Always wanted to fly helicopters but was forced onto fixed wing, at the earliest oportunity converted to rotary and never looked back. Total hours just over 4,500.

1.What type of flying work do you do?
EMS (IFR), ENG, & Fires are the main ones.

2.What types(s) do you fly?
B205, AS350/355, BK 117, EC 120, B206 recently,
& B212, B412, S-70, and some single engined fixed wing stuff in the past.
But my favourite is/was the Huey Gunship!

3.Where?
Oz nowadays. Have flown in Oz, NZ, PNG, Cambodia, Thailand, & USA. Always loved it.

4.Previous jobs?
Lots! Have seen a bit of everything except off shore and seismic. Not yet mastered anything!!:8 :8

5.Military / ex-Military?
Started off civillian, went military for a bit, then got better again!!
(I hate those Mil Vs Civ arguements because I start to come apart at the seams :} )

6.How long have you been flying?
Since 1986. But still feeling young on this forum!

7.How many hours?
'bout 5000 ish. Always had very low flying hours per year jobs for some reason.

What type of flying work do you do?
Helicopter Offshore Oil Support

What types(s) do you fly?
Bell 206, Bell 212, AS-350

Where?
Gulf of Mexico, Alaska

Previous jobs?
Helicopter Test Pilot, OAS fire fighting, survey, external loads, VIP/Corporate, ENG

Previous types?
A-109, BH-204/205, BH-47, H-500, SK-55, SK-58, SK-76, AS-355, SA-365 and Hiller 12

Military / ex-Military? (Which? What types?)
U.S. Army in Vietnam, Huey's

How long have you been flying?
Airplanes since 1955, Helicopters since 1964

How many hours?
12,000+

I am also a A&P mechanic and have owned 11 different airplanes including several that I built or rebuilt.

What type of flying work do you do?
Airmedical Transport

What types(s) do you fly?
BK 117A4

Where?
US/New England

Previous jobs?
Just about everything at one time or another...
Corporate, Utility, Offshore, Training, Ag, etc.

Previous types?
S55, S58, S61, S62
AS350, AS355
B47, B206B/L, B222B/U, B430
BO105, BK117A/B
TH55, OH13, OH6, UH-1A/B/C/D/H
ENS F28A


Military / ex-Military? (Which? What types?)
Yes/Yes.....US Army Class 69-31
RVN 70-71

How long have you been flying?
(see above) Jan1969

How many hours?
19K + (R/W)


Amazing how we form pictures of each other based on numerical data?

Have we lost the thread? Where was it? I thought I saw it just a bit ago.

I was chatting the other day with a pilot who works locally with another EMS crowd, and (though he is10+ years younger than I)
he was describing his recent trip to Flight Safety with one of his new hires as going to school with his son. Our newest pilot is 20 years younger than myself. Do you think this is what the song lyric, "Look at life from both sides now" was getting at?

I just tell those who ask or are interested, (not necessarily the same people) that it's the intangibles of this job which make it special...because it certainly hasn't been the compensation.

I think of Mao's 'Long March'...
Shackleton's journey...
the Marathon, rather than a sprint...
tolerance as opposed to fear, and many many souls left along the way.
All this and whimsy in the midst of an overnight shift...

Type of flight
Mountain rescue and fire fighting

Type of helicopter
AS 355 N and 212

Where
Comunity of Madrid Fire Dept.

Previous
B47, B 206, B 204/5, B 212, BO 105, BK 117, CH 47 CHINOOK, AS 350, AS355, AS 316, AS 319.

How long flying
Since 1978 in the Spanish Army until 1994, then Civilian Market

How many hours
Over 6000

As Blender pilot don't care that much about being anonimous.

Feel very confortable and happy to have the possibility to share time and knowledge with you all. Have to say that I like much more learning that teaching for I think I have a lot more to learn than to teach.
Buen vuelo
;)

What a huge range of experience and people we have on this forum - outstanding! The pond size is enormous, here is another little fish to add to it.

What type of flying work do you do?

Personal transport for a businessman and his family

What types(s) do you fly?

Bell 47 Soloy, UH-1H, S-76B

Where?

NSW, Australia

Previous jobs?

Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor of a company in Sydney. All the usual charter stuff, powerline inspections, film work and such.

6 years with the state police air wing - as John Eacott said, the flying was great but the politics drove pilots away.

Previous types?

Bell 47 / T, UH-1B,D,H Bell 204/205/206/407/212
BK 117, As 350, EC 120, A 109
R22, Enstrom 28, H500
And a bunch of planks

Military / ex-Military? (Which? What types?)

RAAF for 15 years, mostly Hueys on hash&trash, Bushranger gunships, SAR
Plus about 1000 hrs instructing on Macchi jets

How long have you been flying?

First solo 1969 (plank) 1973 (helo)

How many hours?

Bit over 12000

Great fun to be paid for doing my hobby!

Great fun to be paid for doing my hobby!
 

Extremely well, of course......;)

Wow, all i can say is...wow...

first off...great forum..it's a mind full of information and interesting stuff...
second off...sorry if this is an incorrect post to this thread, but been reading through all of your experiences...max respect, and any newbie, like myself trying to break into the flying side can only be in awe off the experience you guys have, and oh how i'm inspired to even try harder, even if the pay is a bit naff for the first x years....is it all about money anyway? If anything i am more convinced that a desk job is not my bag (baby yeah), even if i have helped design/develop helos in the past. I'm a Geeky Aero engineer!!! It's a bit addictive this forum stuff ain't it?

For the record,

don't fly (yet)
:{

no types
although have seen the Tigre, NH90, EC145 prototypes frequently flying past my office window, ahh those guys in their orange test flying suits....what inspiration. Together with EC135, BK117C2, EC120, BO105 (giraffe) does this count for anything? :P opps there goes my anonymity i think.

no mil ex 6 months too old when i applied for a helo flying job

45mins in a R22 as a sample flight..graduation present - hooked!
:O you can all laugh now ok so i only sat in the passenger bit but still. whilst i am here, why are R22's seemingly so hated by everyone?

based in munich germany until i get the money to finance training!


keep at it guys, i love it...

Reading through and seeing the Pics makes most non flyers green with envy. They don't know how lucky they are.:{

Bonkerjones: I'd go further than that and say even those in the trade who do some awesome helo work, have got to be impressed by what others do. Couple this thread with that of the pictures of what helo pilots do and it adds up to some astounding helicopter life out there :eek:

What type of flying work do you do?
-currently, offshore oil support

What types(s) do you fly?
-current Bell 212, end. R22, R44, MD500, B206, B412, SK76

Where?
-West Africa now

Previous jobs?
-Canadian military, instruction, VFR charter, check and training, ambulance

Military / ex-Military? (Which? What types?)
-see above

How long have you been flying?
-summer 1991 first lesson

How many hours?
-3200

Most memorable?
-the people I've worked with
-recovering from 80% RRPM in an R22
-doing the HUET for real
-trying to pass a military jet course knowing I just wanna fly helicopters
-flying over Labrador all alone with unlimited vis and no sign anywhere that human beings even exist.

Recovering from 80% RRPM in an R22...
 

If you wouldn't mind, you should tell this tale as part of the "Scariest Moment in a Helicopter" string. I haven't met anyone (alive) that has recovered from 80% RRPM in the Robbie. Do tell!!!

Currently Civil Search And Rescue

The venerable S61n :ok:

About as far west you can get in Europe (not mainland), without getting your feet wet!

Royal Navy then Sultan of Oman’s Air Force, for 8 years, then the North Sea for 11 years before sanity got the better of me!

Have flown the Chipmunk, Hiller 12E, Whirlwind HAS 7 (with the rotary piston engine), Wessex 5 (commando and SAR) and Wessex 3 (Anti-Submarine). The AB205, Bell 214B and AB 206. On the NS, the AS332L and L1.

Obviously ex-military.

Have been flying since the age of 16, (1968 to show how old I am!), started on gliders with the Air Cadets.

Just coming up to 12000 hours, I’m pleased to say that with SAR you get a lot less hours flying and more duty time, but the flying is a hell of a lot more challenging/interesting.

Have recognised ex-rotary booty, he was the driver of a 47, when I was ‘invited’ to fly in the litter à la M*A*S*H, my first ever trip in a helicopter!. 2nd trip was better, in the bubble! Also recognise Thud and Blunder from my time in SOAF.

This afternoon was out training with an inter-island ferry and on RTB the weather was absolutely brilliant, I’m being paid to do this, so don’t tell the bosses. Mind you, at 2 am on a really sh***y night, trying to get over a trawler changes my point of view!

Helicopter pilots work in places most people only dream about seeing! (sometimes).;)