Is anyone here a helicopter pilot?

[Delthefunky]

Or involved in the industry in some way?

I'm starting in February and i'm trying to learn as much about the industry, PM me if you can.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Hack&Lube]

Question: How does one become a helicopter pilot?

seriously.

-lost soul looking for career ideas

[nfotiu]

http://www.rcheliclub.co.nz/barry.htm

[GoinAllTheWay]

Springbank Airport has helicopter training facilities, give em a call.

Originally Posted by article

Whereas scientists still have no idea what holds helicopters up.
"Whatever it is, it could stop at any moment," is their current feeling.

[photon]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

http://www.rcheliclub.co.nz/barry.htm

Awesome!

Wouldn't flying an airplane be more likely to get a job? What's the ratio of airplanes to helicopters out there flying, and how many former military helicopter pilots a year come out of the service looking for civilian jobs?

[BlackEleven]

Originally Posted by photon

Awesome!

Wouldn't flying an airplane be more likely to get a job? What's the ratio of airplanes to helicopters out there flying, and how many former military helicopter pilots a year come out of the service looking for civilian jobs?

When I used to live in Norway there was a demand for helicopter pilots. One of the biggest industries there is oil, which in Norway's case is all offshore. So they need helicopter pilots to fly personnel to and from the rigs. I imagine other areas with offshore oil (Scotland, Nigeria, Gulf of Mexico) would have similar needs as well. But, yeah, there's no way that could compete with the demand for commercial airline pilots.

[photon]

Of course a helicopter pilot might be more interesting, a commercial airline pilot seems like a pretty dull job to me.

[Mayer]

I'm a foreman for a treeplanting crew during the summer and we use helicopters all the time. Most of the blocks we plant don't have a road going in. I talk to the pilots all the time about it because I had some interest in trying to make a career out of it. Apparently it's really expensive to get the training (because flying time is expensive). Once your finished you start as a ground crew member (filling up helicopters as they need to in the middle of the job, just being a general helper). Once that company has a spot open up as a pilot, if you've done a good job you MAY get the call. This is how this company (Mustang Helicopters) works anyway.

It'd be a really sweet job though. They have a lot of fun it seems. And it pays well once you've done it for a few years. We had one pilot who was in the Canadian Military for 10 years...best pilot I've seen. He told me that depending on how busy the year is, he'll make anywhere from $90 000 to $140 000. Not bad.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by photon

Of course a helicopter pilot might be more interesting, a commercial airline pilot seems like a pretty dull job to me.

Nah.

Imagine the places you could see.

Sure, after a while it'll probably get boring....but I would love to fly a commercial jet for a few years.

[photon]

Places you'll see? You mean airports you'll see?

Better to become a customer service agent and then use your flight privileges to get cheap flights to those places.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by photon

Places you'll see? You mean airports you'll see?

Better to become a customer service agent and then use your flight privileges to get cheap flights to those places.

Pilots sleep on their planes too?

Know what you mean....but there is always a thrill in flying a big plane.

[photon]

Airports and hotels then I guess. My sister is a flight attendant and they don't get to see much.

And unless they let me try and barrel roll one of those puppies, what's the point?!

[Azure]

Originally Posted by photon

Airports and hotels then I guess. My sister is a flight attendant and they don't get to see much.

And unless they let me try and barrel roll one of those puppies, what's the point?!

Well you could try....once.

[alltherage]

You could be the next Captain Kirk Traffic Hellicopter, Captain Jean-Luc Picard!

[Thor]

Originally Posted by photon

Awesome!

Wouldn't flying an airplane be more likely to get a job? What's the ratio of airplanes to helicopters out there flying, and how many former military helicopter pilots a year come out of the service looking for civilian jobs?

In Canada I believe there is still a good demand for Helicopter pilots, with all the BC/Alberta Oil work, etc..

My brother started out training his commercial fixed wing license, then started training on helicopters and never looked back. He says its way more fun, and its a lot of work to get up the hours to get a shot at a good commercial flying job with an airline.

An ideal way to go is if you can join the Canadian Airforce, become a pilot, rack up tons and tons of hours. Join the civilian life, get right into a nice job.

[Kjesse]

Cool job if you can stick it out.

My friend from high school paid the full freight rate for his license, spent 2 years up north afterwards for mediocre pay and decided it wasn't for him. He moved home and got a decent trade job and is living happily ever after with a big student loan (as in big, I mean 3 times what I had going to law school - 7 years of school for me versus 2 or less for him).

Cool job, just remember a certain lifestyle comes with it. There aren't too many STARS jobs around.

I'd also be the first to say I wish I knew how to fly a helicopter.

[metallicat]

Does the Canadian military train pilots, helicopter and airplane, from scratch? Or does one need to be a pilot before entering the forces? I guess it would be an option if you were wanting such a career.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

Does the Canadian military train pilots, helicopter and airplane, from scratch? Or does one need to be a pilot before entering the forces? I guess it would be an option if you were wanting such a career.

Yeah they do, but you'll have to go through processes.

I believe a couple of them are,
a) you need a university degree
b) you need a certain rank (I believe? Although I know they train fixed wing with 2nd lieutents)
c) I've heard varying stories on this... but they require a certain personality.
d) commitment, contract. You can't just join, learn to fly, then quit. Although I know air cadets get to learn on gliders.

A couple of cool pictures when the military gave me a ride on the Griffon a few weeks ago,

[MarchHare]

Although I know air cadets get to learn on gliders.

Not just gliders but also single-engine fixed-wing aircraft as well. I was lucky enough to receive both my glider and private pilot's license through the Air Cadet program. I figure nearly $20,000 in free flight training was a pretty good deal in exchange for shining my boots and marching around a parade square a couple nights a week for a few years. If anyone read about Chris Hasler, the Canadian who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross a few months ago for service flying Chinook helicopters with the RAF in Afghanistan, we took our glider training together and flew our first solo flights on the same day.

As for flight training in the Canadian Forces, you can learn to fly as a 2nd Lieutenant (with no prior flying experience), but in order to enter the forces directly as an officer, you must have a university degree. Members who are recruited for flight training must also sign longer contracts than typical armed forces personnel since the training is so valuable and can easily lead to a very well-paying career in the civilian world. And yes, the competition is pretty fierce.

This may no longer be the case, but when I was in high school and considering a career in military aviation, there was also a height limit. Anyone over (IIRC) 6'2" was excluded because taller than that height would not allow for a safe ejection from the Tutor training aircraft. It was pretty devastating to me when I hit 6'4" around the age of 16 or 17.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not just gliders but also single-engine fixed-wing aircraft as well. I was lucky enough to receive both my glider and private pilot's license through the Air Cadet program. I figure nearly $20,000 in free flight training was a pretty good deal in exchange for shining my boots and marching around a parade square a couple nights a week for a few years.

As for flight training in the Canadian Forces, you can learn to fly as a 2nd Lieutenant (with no prior flying experience), but in order to enter the forces directly as an officer, you must have a university degree. Members who are recruited for flight training must also sign longer contracts than typical armed forces personnel since the training is so valuable and can easily lead to a very well-paying career in the civilian world. And yes, the competition is pretty fierce.

This may no longer be the case, but when I was in high school and considering a career in military aviation, there was also a height limit. Anyone over (IIRC) 6'2" was excluded because taller than that height would not allow for a safe ejection from the Tutor training aircraft. It was pretty devastating to me when I hit 6'4" around the age of 16 or 17.

I'm not sure about the height. I know a couple pilots, and I'd say they are 6'3 or 6'4 or 6'5. Not sure what they fly, though, but it was either the tutor or an F-18.

Lucky you, I wish I was in air cadets now. At some time in my life, I'd like to learn how to fly, although not a helo - helo's are tough to fly. I can barely walk and chew gum, so a normal tutor would be tough enough for me.

I don't know any 2nd Lieutent's that get to fly helo's. I have a couple friends that get to fly start learning on the tutors and got to ride shotgun on the F-18.