With those hours I reckon offshore rotary is your/your friends only option.

Ok then Franz, if it's not the poster but a friend of his, wouldn't you think that someone with the experience he speaks of would know where to look, or at least have a better grasp on what position he could expect?

Call me Cynical!

Hey Cynical (not sure your new name suits you!), you're not the only one to be thinking along those lines!! :ok:

Reading previous posts can usually give one some insight!

Cheers

Whirls

I have TT 700, MP/ME 500, IR, ATPL theory, JAA CPL(H)
Any chance for me finding work?

Well if we're all touting for business here's my ten penneth

JAA CPL(H) & SEIR(H) with ATPL(H) Theory & FAA CPL(H) & FAA IR(H) & FAA (CFI) and UB40. I'm expecting shortly to get an IVA a CRB and maybe I could top it off with an ASBO.


R1tamer

Not many higher hours CPL's give much of a !!!!! about the low time newbies because they've been there themselves. There are one or two about who will try to help out but hey, surely no-one said this was an easy career to break into with limited time and no money, or did they. Maybe due diligence wasn't carried out before even starting on this route.

Lets not have any more posts about newbies looking for work. I maybe did it in the past myself but knowing what I know now, get some flying experience by instructing etc, network, and most of all, don't whinge!!!!

oh, and if you haven't got the money then why start in the first place. Also, please don't work for free.:hmm:

:E

"Also, please don't work for free.:hmm:"


You don't work now flying for free, that's old school!
You pay them.Paying for fuel is how its done now with the competition to fly.

And no I haven't yet, I'll be getting another loan to become an Instructor.
Number 2, you don't need the money. Here i can get any sized loan "interest free".

Paul (CPL-H) TT: 164Hrs

There's no harm in chasing a dream. I did it. Just be careful that those around you aren't badly affected by your singleminded determination to succeed. If you don't try it, you'll never know. I was prepared to take the risk if it all went pear shaped.
All you're doing is spending someone's money which you can't take with you when you die. You'll pay a lot more in taxes over a lifetime.

There will nearly always be a need for offshore pilots, for the near foreseeable future anyway. Think about what uses helicoters are put to. Will these be necessary/affordable in major recession? There'll always be those not affected by money issues who can afford to fly corporate but as it's generally a luxury it'll no doubt tail off a bit this year. The onshore boys will probably agree with that right now.
Cash strapped air ambulance/police forces might not be able to afford to run the heli's.
Instructors wil get less work as fewer people have any money to learn. The housing industry boom provided lots of people with surplus cash for ppl's/ self ownership etc. That must definitely be dryng up right now. Ask an instructor if things are quieter than this time last year.

Weigh up the pro's and con's. If you're 40yrs old, married with kids and a mortgage and looking for a career change, i'd advise strongly against it. If you're 20+, got the money to do it, no ties, then hey, why the hell not. Go have some fun trying.

People have gone into the training with wife and kids and come out smiling, although you do need their strong support. I started my CPL training at 33 and managed to secure a job with less than 300 hours. My IR was paid for, and I was lucky enough to get 3 twin type ratings too. If you want it bad enough and are willing to put the network time in ( I went to Aberdeen twice to hand my CV over personally), the rewards are fantastic!! I love my job, but I don't call it a job, I get paid to fly. There's nothing like logging your first hours, knowing your getting paid, instead of putting your hand in your own pocket! Also, the people that think your mad for starting, watch their face when you succeed :ok:

Seems the predictions are beginning to come true. :hmm:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=328511

Europe EU job prospective
 

Hello guys.
Since the job opportunities for low timers in Canada is at it's very worse I was wondering what are the job prospective in the EU for low timers.

AFAIK the minimum time required for a JAA licence is 155hrs with 50 PIC, so I would have to do an additional 50hrs of which 12 as PIC (since currently I have 105 hrs with 38 PIC) and do all the 12(?) exams for JAA correct? Also I am pretty sure an IFR rating would be mandatory for job opportunity.

I would like to ask the seniors working in EU what is the path I would need to follow to find a job in EU.
Also tips as the country in which to get the best hr/EUR, etc.

In case it's worth mentioning I would love to end up working in the North Sea or Air Ambulance but of course in the beginning willing to do anything necessary.

Thank you

Do you have a workpermit to work within the EU border ??
If not, it's a no go ..

- madman

It's the same all over the World. No hours no job. However Canada is probably one of the best places, where you can start out as a 'hangar rat' and work your way up. And having said that is Canada there are plenty of jobs for 500 hour pilots, which wouldn't be the case in Europe. Obviously the licensing system in Europe requires you to have a JAA CPL(H) which would cost you deerly.

....the thread..so you wanna be a helicopter pilot...gives the answer to your question.:ok:

It is the same everywhere, sometimes is who you know...

Good luck:)

Regarding first reply, yes I have a country citizenship who is part of EU therefore I am allowed to work in any EU country.

I have read posts regarding working in the north sea as a co-pilot, would achieving the required hours for the JAA licence + IR be enough to sign up with a company there?

Wage is irrelevant for me, as I really don't care until I will get myself some decent hours, but the question is, how exactly to break the ice in Europe? I have read the topics there Heli-Mad but as usual those are only general topics. It does not adress how to break the ice.

Canada is a no-go, as I have done 4 road trips totaling about 20k kms knocking on doors and nothing came up.

Stay in Canada and don't give up.

Keep going on road trips as long as you can afford to, however, PICK YOUR TARGETS, don't waste your time going and seeing a company that moves drills or flights forest fires (one is a highly skilled task, the other has contract minimum experience as required by the different forest fire agencies)

Look for companies that operate pistons and maybe a jetranger or two.

I forgot to mention PICK YOUR TIME OF THE YEAR, the first hiring peak is around FEB, MAR, then re peaks for fires at the start of MAY

Another newby seeking guidance?
 

Hi,

I hope im not just adding the same question to the pot here.......

Recently left career to pursue the flying bug and my plan is as follows..........

Currently undergoing ATPL(H) doing distance learning from home. Self flying my way up to 155 hours to complete my CPL. Currently mainly in R22's, but am also in the middle of Jetbox rating. At the moment am planning on going straight into IR once I have done my CPL and ATPL(H) ground work.

If all goes according to plan it would put me on 250 hours (ish) with B206 and AS355 rating, approx 65 hours of which would be on turbines.

I'd really appreciate some feedback ref what my chances are of being employed with a mere 250 hours. I have asked around most people I know in the idnustry, however I'm never sure whether they're working me from the professional angle as they want my business.

Would it be better to scrap the IR in favour of spending a year or so trying to scrape some commercial hours together?

I'm only mid 20's and single so would ideally be looking offshore in the medium term. Just need to know the best way of getting there.


Any thoughts appreciated! :ok:

mr bubblecopter,

that is a real bad plan, your chances of getting commercial hours are low.

either get your FI and build your hours/experience and do your IR further down the line, or take a greater risk and do your IR now and hope the offshore boys are hiring (but you need to be clear what you are going to do if they arent)

regards

CF

I do not understand why the hell these 200 hours guys want to get into the offshore flying straight out of school.

Is it greed? Big money, or the fact that you have fewer working days than days off per year?

It is surely not for the love of helicopters or being interested in flying helicopters with all the things these machines can do.

[duck and cover]

Because it is one of the few rotary jobs where low-houred / IR'd pilots can actually get a job; a job which will provide experience in order to be able to move on the the more interesting and diverse pilot roles.

Cheers

Whirls

Also a chance to get 600+ twin hours per year and earn high enough wages to pay off the huge loans taken out to get their CPL H IR...........

Mr Bubblecopter,

Admiable coming on here and asking around. Don't forget to ask around the potential employers (and I don't mean flying schools that do a bit of commercial on the side). Get the BHAB book and phone around the bigger companies. Talk to the hirers and firers.

Agreed. Also they look at what a cr*p deal instructors get (£20,000 pa and usually bugger all prospects/progression).

Oh, and some people just don't want to be instructors and all they've ever wanted to do is 'bus drive' on the north sea.

In an ideal world, low-time CPLs would be hired as onshore co-pilots, or do photo/survey flights, but that doesn't happen in the UK, and as said before, most of them have £30,000+ of debts to pay off.

Offshore was my first commercial job with the bare minimum of hours and no IR...but hey, who else will pay for an IR, type you on some of the most popular workhorses around, pay you a good salary, give you more than enough time off a year, and not give you grief for flying when the weather is crap.

Beats any 9-5 job hands down...and I've been there!

As for the work, I love it, gaining invaluable experience from the captains, and landing on a small rig at night on weather minimums is quite a challenge for any pilot (in my opinion anyway).

Yes, some people will find it monotonous, and there are more glamorous and exciting jobs out there I'm sure, and maybe one day I will try something different but, for now, I love helicopters and I love my job, go for it.

Another what if scenario I'm afraid please bare with me...

I'm a JAA ATPL(A) holder with 4600 total, 4300 jet airline pilot with 450 hrs command experience 737. 33 yrs old and am currently unemployed thanks to the economic crisis.

I've always had an interest in helis and now that I have some considerable time off I wonder if it maybe an ideal time to take the plunge and use the time to get more qualified. I figure the FW job industry is pretty crap atm and is unlikely to pick up for at least a year. I have another reason to go down the heli route which I wont go into here but does provide an extra incentive lifestyle wise (and no its not a job offer or contact!)

So from this thread I gather I will need to do 105 hrs hrs building, 30 hrs CPL(H) and a turbine transition (10hrs??)

Is that correct?
How about ground exams, what subjects will I have to do?
Roughly how long/much is this likely to cost (in Europe) (I appreciate thats a length of string question, but roughly)
Does my FW IR count or do I have to do a Rotary IR?
Will my background and FW hrs count for much when it comes to trying to get an Offshore job?
Whats the general feeling on tiltrotor aircraft in Europe, are they going to be adopted by operators?

I'm not looking to tread on anyones toes, so no PPRUNE style warfare please, just sound advice if you can muster it, many thanks.

<PS edit> What's a typical roster pattern for offshore flying and can anyone suggest names of commercial heli operators in Norway (I have a few, just wondered if there were any more)?

bump - anyone willing to comment please?

I think you will find all your answers in LASORS....haven't been down this route so i wouldn't know good luck.

Hi JJ, sorry but I am not much help on the specific requirements that you will have to meet, only Lasors, CAA or wiser members of Pprune can answer those for you.

We have recently seen a few very experienced airline guys join us (though they did have previous helicopter experience.) It is recognised that they bring with them a huge amount of ‘modern’ procedural flying knowledge and experience that we are keen to tap into.

Can you give us a clue as to what part of the UK you are in?

Cheers

TeeS

Pimp your CV
 

I've read and heared it over and over now;

Sorry not recruiting, sorry not qualified enough, sorry to low on hrs, sorry eyes aren't in company colours... :mad:whatever, you get where I'm going.

As a newby to the commercial helicopterindustry, low on hrs but with Cpl and IR it's next to impossible to find a job to jumpstart my flying career.

With my main goal in hindsight "Offshore" and limited funds what's the best way to go about? I would like to know how I can best pimp my CV for when these lean times come to an end.

Should I invest in a twin rating which pretty much is limited by the depth of my pockets and if yes which type?Or just any?
Or am I better off investing in MCC, HUET, First aid and whatever other courses that are recuired?
Increasing my hrs? Also an option but are the operators impressed with an additional 60 hrs SE piston or 20 SE turbine?:confused:


Any helpfull advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards, Troch

Investing in a Twin Rating is not very usefull, read the story about our ex-military guys with 2200 hours IR and twin rating who can't find a job.

In the current economic climate nothing works I'm afraid, there are simply not enough jobs. There's an abundance of experienced pilots so basically you can't do anything. The only thing you can possible do is get a FI rating and get your hours up that way, but then again the flight training industry isn't exactly booming either. I know it doesn't help but it is all there is to say really.

Troch, I wouldn't buy a course with an expiry date; an expired course attendance certificate means little to a potential employer. They will send an employee on the required courses and offset the cost as a business expense.

At least flown hours stay in your logbook forever.

Offshore
 

Trochilidae

What IR do you have if no twin rating? Was it done on the 206.

If offshore was your objective, have you been and visited the 3 companies or do you just post/email your CV. If you havn't then maybe you could organise a trip and see them all, and personally hand them your CV, it stands you out from the rest. I heard that one of them was looking for pilots, and with an IR you are much better placed than I was.

Hope things turn out okay for you and never give up.

Thanks for the input guys.

Although not much wiser it does kick-start the thinking process again.:ok:

Troch

traing or not to train? that is the question
 

hi all,
many thats to heli, lots of info but i need more if possible.
I love flying blah blah blah, and been going on different websites, schools, forums etc for the past 3 years (yes, many many many hours of reading,) i got used to the different names, initials etc too.

I have £110000 to spend on training, to do ppl, cpl/atpl, ir, type etc.(sorry to all the pilots about this, i know you shouldn't pay for the ratings and hours or doing it for free. i also know that the jobs should got to the more experienced pilots too).:(:{
( i only have 1 hour in helicopter and one in fixed wing and love more rotary side).
Simple question without making too many people offended :zzz: is

Which one (if any) should i do to obtain a job that pays over £20000+ in UK/Europe in this recession once i obtain all the ratings?
chances of work if i did do 250 hours with a IR and type etc?

I have no family to support and willing to go anywhere? I know some schools offering work after training with them but i'm very sceptical about this.:=

I don't fancy investing this money in a business (done that), just want a new career.
Any info would be brill, cheers

7heaven

If there were no jobs for doctors, I bet people would still go to med school.

100k to train, dam which craft to fly help?
 

Looking for replies from pilots / recruiters who are currently working or recently employed in IRL or U.K. in heli or fixed wing..:ok:
Please, I know the situation is !!!! for employment now so no need to tell me to stay at my present job forever!!!! Don’t need to much negativity cheers..:ugh:

Quick background: 32 yo mechanical engineer based in Ireland.
I am working now earning 52K euros, and planning to start training to become a pilot in the U.K. and Irl. Calculated to have 35k debt when done in <3yrs.
@ Heli 115,000 euros to get trained. Up to CPL/IR TT 250
@Plank 100,000 euros ready to apply for Ryanair (incl t rating 35k) TT 250

Outcome: **** all jobs at the moment yea, it will take me approx 2.5-3 yrs to be done.
Not sure which to fly, favourite is Heli but not much work in Irl.Most Irish heli's at Grand Canyon now. SAR work possibly, heard there were 5 or so qualified pilots with IR turning up at gate every week to seek work, a lot of ex RAF guys there too lots of competition to get in. Before I can apply need to log hours in North shore.
What is the situation now re N.S. I presume lots of pilots applying there too, chances in 2/3 yrs??? (Saw post re CHC requirements.)

Ryanair main employer in Irl, Aerlingus goosed, lots of pilots from Aerlingus with hrs looking for work- no shortage! O’Leary’s dubious re order for 200 hundred 800N.G's is uncertain...
Don't mind moving abroad for 1-2 yrs will probably have too..
Anyone please?

Sorry but the best advice at the moment is don't give up the day job, get a ppl, see how you like it. Do your own research on the job markets - don't ask here - go to the horses mouth.

If a non flyer were to read your post, they would be :ugh: the numbers simply don't add up. But since I am an aviator, I understand the dilema.

First job and 'getting in to the heli industry'
 

This is a fairly simple/general question:

I understand it is very difficult for the beginner copter pilot to land a job in the industry if they don't get hired by the school they trained for. Is this fact or fiction, maybe a bit of both?

I was thinking, if I didn't land a job, after all of this time and effort and investment, what would I do? All I can come up with is to join the military and hope they let me fly a copter. I am not sure I will ever be cut out to be an instructor anyhow, so I have been looking for alternatives, and the options looks grim so far. What do you guys say?

I've no idea about the civil side of Rotary flying tbh, but from what I've seen jobs are few and far between. As to the Military, even if you have got a flying license of some sort this doesn't mean you are certain of a flying job should you join. Looks like you'll have some fairly serious decision's to make
, Good luck.