REGA Switzerland
 

Hi,

Ski-ing season has begun and I'm sure I'll be seeing the helicopters of REGA landing on the swiss slopes again this year.

Now here's the question that I have had for a couple of years:

What does it take for a foreigner (European) to fly for them? I know the chances are very slim, but still.........

Perhaps someone could shed some light on this?

At the moment I'm flying for the offshore industry based in the Northsea but I would love to fly in the mountains someday....

CopterD

Give them a call!

Personaldienst

Schweizerische Rettungsflugwacht
Personaldienst
Postfach 1414
8058 Zürich Flughafen

Tel. +41 (0)44 654 33 11
E-Mail: [email protected]

Just make sure you are under 40 or no chance what so ever.

And make sure you spell Switzerland with a "z"...

1. At least two of the three languages spoken in switzerland fluent.
2. More qualifications and experience than the swiss applicants.
Including the special swiss mountain rating additionally to the JAR ticket. (count with >25.000€ to get it) High time external loads and high mountain flying.
3. Age below 40 years.

Switzerland is full of very experienced pilots fullfilling the needed mountain, external load and rescue experience. A lot of qualified pilots from Italia, Germany and Austria are also allways interested and ready to move.

If you are really hot, try at first one of the other swiss operators like Air Glacier, Air Zermatt, BOHAG,... and learn the business and make the contacts. But i afraid there is nobody interested on an offshore guy.

The Alps doesn't like beginners and the operators also not. The job is hot. Only single pilot ops. Accident rates are really high and the business is under much pressure.

Good luck!

Thanks for the replies!

I know it'll be tough to get in, time will tell...

I'll contact them when my PIC hours are 1000+ (total time 3000) and see what my chances are then......

Does anybody know how much they get paid vs offshore?

CopterD

Probably not enough!

Let's make this clear, REGA has no high accident rate! The accident rate of logging and utility operators are somewhat high in Switzerland.
The SHG (Swiss Helicopter Group) consists of Air Grischa, Heli Gotthard, Heli Swiss, BOHAG and Rhein Helicopter AG and they are working closely with REGA and any Pilot working for the SHG is automatically suitable to work for REGA. If you want to work for the SHG or REGA you must pass a test that was designed to select suitable Pilots for Swissair. This test is quite tough to pass. As previously mentioned in this tread, there are many Swiss pilots that are standing in line for a job with REGA. These Pilots are just getting tired of pushing their luck with utility work in Switzerland (wire strike is the most cause for accidents in Switzerland).
I myself got 2500 hrs. TT with 1000 hrs. twin time in Offshore ops and have now about 1700 hrs PIC. I have tried to get in with many operators here in Switzerland including REGA and even know many Pilots of REGA but have yet no luck as almost all operators opt for their ground staff that have been with them for years and know the operation. In some cases they (operators) will even pay for some of the training......
I myself have pretty much given up on the chance to get in with REGA since I will reach the magic 40 years of age in a couple of years.....and the cost of getting a mountain endorsement in Switzerland is going to be about £10000.
REGA was advertising for 2 pilot positions last year, one in Basel and the other one in Locarno. The job in Basel required to have 5000 rotations of underslung load and the other 10000 rotations of sling ops. This is something you will not get in Offshore ops (maybe on the short line but not long line)....
So, get out of Offshore and get your butt flying for a utility company if you ever want to fly for REGA or any other utility operator in Switzerland.
Good luck,

Bitmonx

Not that I am interested in the job, being that I am Canadian and a flatlander besides, but what is the story of the age 40 age limit. Is it for hire, retire or both?

Either way how can they legally enforce such a policy?

Just curious.

I think you will find this is to do with there retirement plan. You can fly with them till you are 55 I believe, then you get a VERY generous % of your salary paid each year from then on. They need to get a least 15 years of employment from you to make this viable I guess.
I'm sure the Swiss guys on here can give you the full details.

REGA AW109S Grand
 

Anyone know when REGA will get their first AW109S Grand? Will it be later this year or next?

REGA EC-145, how many left?
 

Having spoken to the AgustaWestland reps by the new Rega A-109S DaVinci last year at Helitech, seemed to confirm that the 109S wasn't just around to complement the EC-145 and to replace the old A-109K2 but to be the sole a/c of the Rega fleet.and replace the 145 entirely.

I was also told the 145 wasn't particularly brilliant at high altitudes (something I find a tad hard to swallow considering the Securitie Civile and Gendamarie in France utilize the 145 for this) for Rega and that the purchase was only interim.

However please could someone shed light on this as IMHO, the 145 is still a great rescue and EMS platform even in mountainous terrain and thought back 8 years ago, Rega wanted the 145 to replace the ageing K2

Many thanks

Rega initially purchased five units (HB-ZRB till HB-ZRF). I think they are starting to replace them once they are done with exchanging the K2s for the Da Vincis.

145
 

Yes, 145 is used by Gendarmerie and Securite Civile in French Alps - including Chamonix (Mont Blanc) area, but their operating weights are way different from REGAs 145, that is why in Switzerland EC 145 is considered as unsuitable for high (Swiss criteria for high is a bit different than most of us) mountains. They do HEMS operations, meaning a lot of stuff is taken on board, compared with Gendarmerie... which is more SAR style in high mountains. And don`t forget they had two fatal chrashes in high altitude with 145 (both in the same area) that were (this is rumor!) related with performance limits (tail rotor authority/LTE)
Agree that EC 145 is good HEMS and hoist rescue platform - but not too high. I had a chance to try it in Zermatt area few months ago and was positively surprised on performance, as I also always thought of EC 145 as underpowered machine for mountain ops.
Once 429 is flying around with hoist it will give a run for money to 145 methinks, as it will be cheaper and relatively more powerful than 145.
REGA is - from what I have seen during several visits - a very professionally run organisation and reasonably well funded too - almost every second adult Swiss is a supporter (patron) of REGA! So it has a very good reputation and people are queueing for the job.
Good luck with your dreamjob!

hoistop

Agree on the 145 once you go high-however how great it would be to have the 145 platform and 2 arriel 2 engines:ok: my thinking it will be like going from b2 hot and high to b3. if I am halve right it will be difficult to beat the 145 if 2 arriel 2's are fitted instead of the Arriel 1?

While it's a possibility (given the 4 SP options), I doubt it'll happen. Rega prefers to operate two types (to avoid an MX issue grounding the whole fleet), and a sixth EC145 was added to the fleet a year ago.

I/C

Hi Guys, I like many ultimately hope to fly utility and rescue work in the mountains, France/Switzerland/Chile/Anywhere really, I've been considering the doing the IR for career progression and hopefully to lead to some twin time but the more I read the more I have come to the conclusion that this money could be much better spent on mountain & long-line training (i get the impression that offshore twin time etc is considered experience in the wrong area to appeal to the mountain folk). I'm 24, enjoying instructing at the moment, and don't have too many responsibilities, so i'm keen to relocate and work my way up from "hangar boy" if thats the route in, could anyone who has perhaps been there advise me on how to maximise my chances of making the transition, for example the best companies to do the mountain/long-line training with (the Swiss Helicopter Group, SAF....)? which companies may be more likely to take on someone at the bottom than others?

I'm hopefully not a complete dreamer (if i am i still plan to give it a good shot :}), and I want to make especially sure that even from this early stage i make the correct decisions on where to spend money on further training etc that are most likely to get me into the mountains, and not to waste time and money on areas that will be of little benefit..

Thanks for reading, Any positive advice would be very much appreciated :ok:

Aucky

Rega claims innocence in Schumacher scandal*
 

Schumacher files: Swiss firm Rega requests investigation

* Note, that's the scandal relating to the alleged attempted sale of Schumacher's medical files, not the parking of his 248 F1 at Rascasse... :E

I/C