Anyone Else out there fed up with not being able to start a career in Helicopter Aviation?

[Wally]

Not quite what I was getting at.

 

If you know the right people, then that means they know you too. I was pretty much saying what you elaborated on.

 

Yeah, I know you know.

My thing is, "I just didn't know the right people" sounds kinda past tense whiny, crying in your beer. I've had the crap kicked outta me in this life and it's less painful in retrospect if I know I was completely out-classed but gave it my best versus wishing I'd put the extra effort in to win. The cliche was "they can kill me but they can't beat me".

[SBuzzkill]

You gotta slog it out for a while working in aviation. I know the fixed wing industry is a bit different, but most guys I know spent their first 5 years going from CFI to flying turbines, getting furloughed going back to being CFIs, getting side jobs as janitors and line guys, going back to CFI, back to turbines, etc.

 

There were maybe two guys that went straight from CFI into steady turbine jobs. One of them spent his first year flying Cessnas up in Alaska for a bush company and met people up there that gave him a job down here in the states flying Pilatus.

 

The other guys who spent much of the last two years working random jobs finally got back flying. A few of them are flying for Horizon Air, one of them is flying Caravans, and another has left aviation for a steady good paying job as a contractor in a naval shipyard. He is contemplating going back to the airlines.

 

My point here is that flying any sort of aircraft for a job is a commitment that many people are not willing to make. It's not a steady industry, and you have to be willing to put up with that in order to "make it" as a pilot. It's not up to the flight schools to tell you that, it's up to you to do your research before commiting your financial well being and your time. And you have to love flying.

 

Have a family already? Probably not a good idea to try and break into the industry. Single, flexible, willing to move anywhere and obsessed with aircraft? Go for it.

[Fred0311]

Ok, here are my thoughts,...and keep in mind, these thoughts are more a question, than a statement.

 

Nobody borrows money to become a pilot? They borrow it to become an "employed pilot"?

 

The only reason anyone goes beyond the Commercial, is because flight schools tell them that even though there is a shortage of pilots, you will have to get additional ratings, i.e. IR, CFI, CFII, before we will hire you. Then they tell you, we can get you a loan to pay for it all, that way you can get through quickly enough to take advantage of said "shortage"! (just like when they say, "we only hire CFIIs",...and of course, they use the more expensive R44 for their IR training,...but don't worry, the loan will cover that too).

 

In other words,...the only reason you spend more money to get an IR and CFII, is because the school knows it can make more money if they say they only hire CFIIs. Then they can make even more money if they use the R44! I mean,...why else get a rating you most likely will never use, and if you do, it will be so far out that you'll probably need more training, and in a different aircraft!?

 

Then, after graduation, this CFII finds himself using his newly purchased skills to flip burgers!

 

So, should he really be responsible for paying back a loan that was taken for "specific job training", that didn't provide that job in the end?

 

Should he sue the flight school for misleading him with lies about the job market?

 

You don't go to Wyotech to become a mechanic,...you go there to become an "employed mechanic". So, if after graduation you cannot find a job as one, do you have any rights for recourse?

 

Personally, I was making my payments, until I lost my job,...and if I ever find a way to stand on my own two feet again,...I will resume them. However, I refuse to live in a cardboard box, while working at McDonalds 70hrs a week, just to pay off a loan that didn't provide what it promised! (and yes, I know,...I'm just a lowly Commercial Pilots, but back during the "shortage", you didn't have to be a CFI (it was just another option),...at least that's what they led me to believe).

 

Anyway, these are the thoughts of Butters.

 

ok butters this one kind of got my blood boiling. you enter into an agreement with a bank. they give you money and you give them back more then they gave you later on. nothing absolves someone of that obligation. bankruptacy be damned its called responsibility. and if its the only job available you ought to be flipping burgers for 70 hours a week. your post smacks of the welfare mindset.

[r22butters]

Fed up with arguments based on misinterpretation and misunderstandings,...Butters has left the building!

 

Have a nice day.

[Trans Lift]

My thing is, "I just didn't know the right people" sounds kinda past tense whiny, crying in your beer. I've had the crap kicked outta me in this life and it's less painful in retrospect if I know I was completely out-classed but gave it my best versus wishing I'd put the extra effort in to win. The cliche was "they can kill me but they can't beat me".

 

Neither did I at first, I am the only aviator in my family, but I do know people now. Knowing people from flight school and that I have met just being in this industry, has helped me get other jobs that I probably wouldn't have got, let alone heard about. This was what I was getting at, so calm yourself!

I don't think many people have a chance at being successful in this industry with just a commercial unless they KNOW somebody who can give them a chance, whether it is family or a friend of a friend. If YOU had read what I initially said correctly, YOU might have understood what I was saying!

Edited December 12, 2011 by Trans Lift

[Francis Meyrick]

Duh...

I have re-read this thread several times, and I confess to wondering what happened to the various posters. Did you guys find jobs? Whatzzupp??

I wish I could be, but I don't think I can be much help at all, other than perhaps to mumble some general Moggy musings...

1) At age 62, I stillI absolutely love to fly. In the same simple way, real immature and adolescent like, I almost get a fit of the giggles sometimes at pulling pitch and heading off into the sky. They PAY me for this? Suck-ers! Flying is wonderful, like riding a good motorbike down a rolling road, early in the morning, through the quiet countryside. That's 44 years since I went solo in a fixed wing, with many years I never could fly, but always returning to the skies. What is my point? Duh. I guess I'm trying to say that many pilots burn out on the joy, and become soul-less and sometimes embittered automatons, but it really doesn't have to be that way. I scribble on my blog about flying, and the sheer fun of it, and i'm always amazed people actually read all that guff, but, for what it's worth, the link is www.chopperstories.com

I guess what I'm saying is, that if you have that bug, I feel for you, and I fervently encourage you to pursue your dreams, regardless. Damn the naysayers, damn the pessimists, damn and rot the cynics, just GO FOR IT, young Skywalker, just GO FOR IT.

2) Yes, there was some awfully misleading salesmanship in recent years. The former owner of Silverstate helicopters is not alone in his screaming guilt at fabrication and false promises.

3) Yes, you sign up for a loan, do it with your eyes wide open.

4) But, hell's bells, there are an awful lot of people working as chopper jockeys!! Thousands of the little rascals, buzzing around. And there are an bunch of helicopter pilot jobs being advertised. Sure, a cynical recruiter will nonchalantly show you a stack of resumes a foot high on his desk, but what he forgets (when he says pilots are a dime a dozen) (lying drunk in the gutters of New Orleans) is that the various applicants have written hundreds of letters, and poured their resumes in every letter box they can find. My point: an apparent pilot GLUT becomes a pilot SHORTAGE very quickly. My employer (Gulf of Mexico, Bell 407) employs a cool 750 pilots. They are currently trying to hire 8 a month. In the ten years I have worked there, I have seen it range from a requirement of 1,500 hours plus turbine time at one extreme down to guys getting hired with 800 hours Robbie time. Swings and roundabouts. Then you have an awful lot of old farts like me, who are not going to be flying forever. (until they rip my medical out of my clutching fingers). There is a whole new generation coming along.

5) The military is being cynically gutted and demoralized by our looney Liberal Appeasers (watch Iran) and is turning out less and less pilots. That may change with a BIG BOOM. but not likely soon.

So for my two cents worth:

A) NEVER, EVER GIVE UP ON THE DREAM - PERIOD

THINGS CHANGE QUICKLY

C) YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE. YOU WANNA BE A SAFE, OFFICE BOUND, PAPER PUSHING INDUSTRIAL MINION WITH A PAUNCH, OR DO YOU WANT TO STAKE IT ALL AND HAVE A SHOT AT FLYING THE SKY, AND RISKING LIVING IN YOUR GIRL FRIEND'S CAR??

D) Guys, let us know how it's working out for you. Chin up, brother. A lot of us have been there. Stone Broke... I slept rough in London, many years ago. No fun.

Lastly, for what it's worth, probably not-a-lot, a cuppla links to some blogs... Keep the dream, keep the dream...!

Over the Waves, Alone

Of Helicopters and Humans (7) The Road of Light

A Blip on the Radar (part 10) "Burning the Garbage"

A Blip on the Radar (part 16) "Shithouse Etiquette"

Cops and Robbers (6) "About to fall off a mountain"

 

Moggy

[Francis Meyrick]

Duh...

I have re-read this thread several times, and I confess to wondering what happened to the various posters. Did you guys find jobs? Whatzzupp??

I wish I could be, but I don't think I can be much help at all, other than perhaps to mumble some general Moggy musings...

1) At age 62, I stillI absolutely love to fly. In the same simple way, real immature and adolescent like, I almost get a fit of the giggles sometimes at pulling pitch and heading off into the sky. They PAY me for this? Suck-ers! Flying is wonderful, like riding a good motorbike down a rolling road, early in the morning, through the quiet countryside. That's 44 years since I went solo in a fixed wing, with many years I never could fly, but always returning to the skies. What is my point? Duh. I guess I'm trying to say that many pilots burn out on the joy, and become soul-less and sometimes embittered automatons, but it really doesn't have to be that way. I scribble on my blog about flying, and the sheer fun of it, and i'm always amazed people actually read all that guff, but, for what it's worth, the link is www.chopperstories.com

I guess what I'm saying is, that if you have that bug, I feel for you, and I fervently encourage you to pursue your dreams, regardless. Damn the naysayers, damn the pessimists, damn and rot the cynics, just GO FOR IT, young Skywalker, just GO FOR IT.

2) Yes, there was some awfully misleading salesmanship in recent years. The former owner of Silverstate helicopters is not alone in his screaming guilt at fabrication and false promises.

3) Yes, you sign up for a loan, do it with your eyes wide open.

4) But, hell's bells, there are an awful lot of people working as chopper jockeys!! Thousands of the little rascals, buzzing around. And there are an bunch of helicopter pilot jobs being advertised. Sure, a cynical recruiter will nonchalantly show you a stack of resumes a foot high on his desk, but what he forgets (when he says pilots are a dime a dozen) (lying drunk in the gutters of New Orleans) is that the various applicants have written hundreds of letters, and poured their resumes in every letter box they can find. My point: an apparent pilot GLUT becomes a pilot SHORTAGE very quickly. My employer (Gulf of Mexico, Bell 407) employs a cool 750 pilots. They are currently trying to hire 8 a month. In the ten years I have worked there, I have seen it range from a requirement of 1,500 hours plus turbine time at one extreme down to guys getting hired with 800 hours Robbie time. Swings and roundabouts. Then you have an awful lot of old farts like me, who are not going to be flying forever. (until they rip my medical out of my clutching fingers). There is a whole new generation coming along.

5) The military is being cynically gutted and demoralized by our looney Liberal Appeasers (watch Iran) and is turning out less and less pilots. That may change with a BIG BOOM. but not likely soon.

So for my two cents worth:

A) NEVER, EVER GIVE UP ON THE DREAM - PERIOD

THINGS CHANGE QUICKLY

C) YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE. YOU WANNA BE A SAFE, OFFICE BOUND, PAPER PUSHING INDUSTRIAL MINION WITH A PAUNCH, OR DO YOU WANT TO STAKE IT ALL AND HAVE A SHOT AT FLYING THE SKY, AND RISKING LIVING IN YOUR GIRL FRIEND'S CAR??

D) Guys, let us know how it's working out for you. Chin up, brother. A lot of us have been there. Stone Broke... I slept rough in London, many years ago. No fun.

Lastly, for what it's worth, probably not-a-lot, a cuppla links to some blogs... Keep the dream, keep the dream...!

Over the Waves, Alone

Of Helicopters and Humans (7) The Road of Light

A Blip on the Radar (part 10) "Burning the Garbage"

A Blip on the Radar (part 16) "Shithouse Etiquette"

Cops and Robbers (6) "About to fall off a mountain"

 

Moggy

[Francis Meyrick]

Not heard from any of you guys. Sure would be nice to know if it's working out for you newbies. From where I'm sitting, on the shores of the Big Puddle south of Louisiana, I would say things are booming. I keep saying, as far as chopper jockeys is concerned, there's an awful lot of the little blighters gonna be needed in the next few years....

 

Keep the dream!

 

[Whistlerpilot]

Hey Moggy thanks for all your humourus and informative writings. I have never flown tuna boats but did have the chance to land on container ships steaming at 20 kts. Pretty sporty getting the backlash behind the containers with a 25 kt wind. I found all your pilot advice really helpful and highly reccommend that any helicopter pilot read about your experiences.

 

I started flying in 2007 and over 3K now, but still find so many new and challenging things to do in helicopters. I'm working on my instrument rating now, having been a bush pilot thus far.

 

Your links and advice would be worthy of a dedicated thread. I've been a regular VR reader and occasional poster but seems like there is a constant stream of newbies who would benefit from your helicopter writings. I used to enjoy R22 Butters devils advocate posistion, hope he didn't give up flying even if he gave up on VR.

 

Thanks for your positive contribution and encouragement to keep following your dreams. I'm sure glad I did!

[SBuzzkill]

Hey Moggy,

Just another pilot coming here to say that I love reading your work. At the end of the day it all boils down to loving the smell of fuel, the sound of rotors, and the beautiful feeling of leaving the surface of the earth for a couple hours at a time.

Edited January 25, 2014 by SBuzzkill

[Francis Meyrick]

Yep-yep-yep. To fly is GOOD.

"The loving smell of fuel", or

"I love the smell of Jet-A in the morning."

The sound of rotors, or

"Poetry in motion".

Love it.

I think I feel some of these posts above were "poignant", because I identify with the struggle. Been there, Been really, really gutted thinking/fearing I'd never fly again. Been broke.

Oddly enough, "the tougher the road up the hill, the harder the slog, the better the view..."

(the more the taxes...)

I can't do a whole lot, but anybody that needs a bit of encouragement, is very welcome to contact me on Facebook, and I'll be happy to show you around my base, chit-chat about what I do for a living, show off my beautiful baby, swop war stories, and request permission from the higher ups to show you around the workshops. I've done that for quite a few guys over the years, and it's been a morale boost for them. Otherwise you're just mindlessly sending resumes off into the Black Hole of Nothingnes, and nobody gives a tuppence, and you're begining to wonder if you're in some weird Sci-Fi movie, and you're the last human left alive. Right?

Don't get me wrong, I'm just a low ranking, tax paying, helicopter jockey, and I have less than ZERO "pull" or anything like that, but in the past I have always managed to get permission to show guys around. Bosses are ex-pilots, and they also know well what it's like for newbies...

Again, if you're struggling, don't give up on the dream !!

 

On the subject of poetry, well, doggerel actually, (or "Moggerel"), here's a link to a few:

(if you are a REAL poet, for flip sake, cover your eyes)

The Blade of Damocles

I miss the Darkness of her Light

Here is a sociological study about pilot pre-flight preparation, early in the morning:

I looked in the mirror this morning

Here is a cautionary tale for when you go for your next FLY-ing job interview:

"Come into my Parlor, said the Chief Pilot to the Fly"

Here we have an insight into Proper Pilot Etiquette off duty, in bars. (Yes, HE was a pilot, of course...)

Yer cat...

More insight into the psychological profile of a truly Professional Pilot

"A streak of M....."

"I crave a drop..."

And finally, if you're still with me (what is YOUR problem, eh?) here's some space travel:

"Into this rushing, cyber world..."

 

Have fun, fly safe, be nice to living creatures and mad poets.

 

Moggy

[tech22]

I wonder about butters. I loved hearing his input. BTW I started reading these forums in '07. A lot of negativity out there. But there are a lot of guys like me. I started flying Jan 08 and now have 2600 hours and am very excited about the future. Just give it all you got and anything is possible.

[CavGruntXIX]

Moggy,

 

Thank you very much for your positive input. I'm a brand new student pilot with a whopping two hours of flight time under my belt. Your writings here have provided some needed inspiration this morning.

 

In two weeks I'm moving my family to Utah, I've heard nothing but negative talk from a certain few people on this forum and yet never heard any negative thoughts from current students or graduates of the school. Perhaps they are too busy enjoying flying to have time to whine online about a school they haven't attended?

 

Anyway, thanks again for the positiveness!

[Francis Meyrick]

Cool. Positive is good. Onwards and upwards, murmured the actress to the Bishop.

Funny what you say. I was a bit surprised at the story one of my co-workers told me. He was at flight school, and having a really hard time of it with finances, and family. Not exactly one hundred per cent support from the Oberleutnant Frau wifey. During this struggling time he went to some whoopey-dupey seminar at Heli-Expro. Supposedly career orientated. You would think it would be encouraging, or at least "sympathetic". He says -bitterly -it wasn't. Far from it. Negativity in full force. He told me he left completely depressed, ready to QUIT & SLIT.

QUIT helicopter school and SLIT his wrists. I asked him what they told him. He said basically that if you want a stable career and make money, you're wasting your time. What? He thought about it long and hard, decided not to slit his wrists, and ploughed ahead. Regardless. Now he's real happy, ploughing furrows in the Oil Fields down here. Making money, paying back his loan.

What can you conclude? I wasn't there, I don't quite know what was said at Heli-Expro. But the impact on my co-worker is clear: complete discouragement. I'm lost. Why would they talk like that? Again, there are thousands of the little rascals buzzing about. Some are happy, some are not. Some are "glass half full" types, some are "WAH-WAH-WAH-POOR ME!" types. I have no way of really intelligently giving you an idea of likely "hiring demand" over the next few years. Question: Can anybody? Eh? We just don't know what Insurance policy/legal changes may boost or hurt EMS. We don't know the price of Oil, and therefore the related exploratory activity. We don't know if this Lefty-looney Administration in Washington will quit pandering to car-driving, oil guzzling, trendy "Green" voters, (dopes) and stop bloody well buggering about with the nasty Oil and Gas Industry. Will they allow the US to become the major oil exporter the US could be? Who knows.

To an agree, with ANY career, any field, you makes your choice and takes your chances. But it's not as if you are going to end up being a highly UN-employable expert in sixth century Ming Dynasty Chinese porcelain! There are a LOT more jobs going for us rotor nuts than in such a sheltered "niche" profession. Wanna be an expert in Monarch Butterflies? You like butterflies? Cool! I like butterflies too. And blowing soap bubbles. Go for it. But don't expect that there are hundreds and hundreds and thousands of jobs waiting for frickin' first class Monarch butterfly experts.. Right? You can't say that about chopper jockey-ism. Lots more demand. Yes, it varies. But there are a LOT of them little rascals around. .

As for stability. I have been here ten years. I fly a first rate, classy, beautifully maintained bird. They wash it, wax it, love it. I'm the undeserving lucky SOB, that gets to fly it. If it breaks, they fix it. I fly 550 -600 hours per year. Week on, week off. Last year, 2013, with work-over (about $26,000 worth) I grossed about $118,000. More than anything, I appreciate the stability this employer has afforded me. It's give me a chance to build up a string of rental houses.

Am I happy? Do I cheerfully get up to go to work at 04.30 in the morning? Well, hell, no! Not the first, grumbling, five minutes, anyway. But after that first coffee, and that first whiff of burned Jet A, and that first upward nudge on the collective... I's a-happy. Very happy.

Make sense? Keep the dream...!

[Spike]

During this struggling time he went to some whoopey-dupey seminar at Heli-Expro. Supposedly career orientated. You would think it would be encouraging, or at least "sympathetic". He says -bitterly -it wasn't. Far from it. Negativity in full force. He told me he left completely depressed, ready to QUIT & SLIT.

 

By the sounds of it, your pal may have gone to an AA convention rather than a HeliExpo. To wit, the main purpose of HeliExpo is to promote and sell the helicopter business. Furthermore, I can attest, I have never heard a presentation/seminar/committee meeting/training course or whatever, where they discouraged in the manner you suggested. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite 100% of the time, so-much-so, it could be said, they are OVERLY optimistic with their views….

Edited February 10, 2014 by Spike

[pilot#476398]

I just saw a news story (well the tail end of it) that made me think of this old thread that keeps resurfacing.

 

It was about people trying to get into a crime lab career. The guy in the field said that he hates to see all these students in trade schools learning a skill for a field they'll never be able to get in to. Also noting that if he did ever have an entry level job open up, he'd get hundreds of resumes for just the one position. The students when told this said they didn't care and would pursue it anyway.

 

I couldn't help but see the parallel here,...it made me crack a smile!

Edited February 11, 2014 by pilot#476398

[Francis Meyrick]

@ Spike. Greetings. I think we can probably agree that excursions to either side of the spectrum (Way too pessimistic or way too optimistic) are hardly helpful to the earnest newbie looking to invest truly awesome amounts of money and commitment. However, would you agree with my point that it's awfully hard to guess-timate demand for chopper jockeys for the future? And that so much depends on yet to be determined economic and political factors?

If you have an overview, I'd be interested in how you see the future.

[Francis Meyrick]

@ Pilot #476398. Greetings. Not often, but Yes. It happens.

 

You'll hear a figure bandied about a lot, of 1,500 hours. How-ever. Nothing is cast in concrete. A friend of mine got on with 860 hours, no turbine time. Another got in with just over 900 hours, again, no turbine. Both were committed, and both are making excellent careers. Also, note that through Facebook contacts and my website I get a lot of chatty emails, and guys with way MORE than 1,500 hours PLUS turbine time, who can't even get a whiff of an interview. So how do recruiters think? If I knew that, I'd be a consultant.

Just kidding. Seriously, you know living locally helps a lot. (commitment). And convincing the guy with the stack of resumes on his desk that YOU want to s-t-a-y. It costs a fortune to train a new pilot. You have to pity the recruiter. Thankless job. He has to plan months ahead. And guess who cops it when the supply chain breaks down. Or people take a very expensive turbine transition.... and quit! That happens as well. Sixteen hundred committed guys with their tongues hanging out, an overdraft up the Wazoo, gasping for an interview, and the lucky chap that got it, only wanted the turbine transition, and promptly scuttles off. What? Pity the recruiter...

But lest I depress you, just look at the jobs being advertised. Stacks of them.

[Spike]

 

If you have an overview, I'd be interested in how you see the future.

 

The future will be the same as it has been in the past, and that is, the supply of pilots will always exceed the demand. That being said, if one concerns himself/herself about the economic or political environment, then they’ll be behind the 8-ball. This is why I always suggest, train and become qualified as quickly as possible and enter the market. Ala, he who hesitates, it lost……

[Francis Meyrick]

"The future will be the same as it has been in the past, and that is, the supply of pilots will always exceed the demand."

 

Sweeping generalization..... Nope, I don't see that AT ALL. especially qualified, experienced guys, with maybe some turbine time. Put it this way, if you've got 1,000 to 1,500 (say) genuine, prove-able helicopter hours, 50 turbine hours, and assuming you don't sport a purple Mohican, a stud in your nose, and "I love Lucy" on a pair of day glow orange boxer shorts, I would be real surprised if you couldn't score some decent job interviews within a couple of months. The more experience the better, obviously. I've seen our EMS side struggling for years to fill all the slots. And Oil and Gas seems to lose 'em as fast as they can train them. There was a time you would have to spend ten years as a light ship pilot before you could hope to "upgrade" (ha!) to a two crew IFR school bus. Those days are long gone. I've seen new hires go straight into mediums, many times.

 

I don't buy what you're saying. It's got to be real tough scoring that first break. That first job. When you've got 500 to 700 hours. But once you get going, and you're a good, solid stick, who is reliable, enthusiastic, obliging, happy to fly, safe, gets along with customers, and not a fly-by-night Purple Rainbow Chaser....there's some employer somewhere, who is going to love having you.

 

My two cents.

[Spike]

Back in the mid-90’s I was a DO at a medium sized flight school. At that time, the majors were tough to break into without a couple thousand hours or, fresh out of the olive drab green uniform society. R22 CFI’s were not viewed as a valuable commodity in the slightest. Even so, I knew things were changing when a 1000 hour CFI walked into my office and said he landed an interview at Phi. I was shocked but not surprised when he was subsequently hired (he was a solid pilot) and after that, the overall “culture” of the GOM operators began to flow as low-time CFI’s were sucked up by the bucket loads. However, as time passes, the flows will always ebb, which it did a few years later as fewer pilots were hired as minimums rose, -yet again. This business ebb and flows. This is how it’s always been. And sure, organizational employment strategies, like keeping a base short staffed or transitioning into a medium sooner, will always be seen as an indicator of a “need”. However, everyone knows that any company, in any sector, can fill their seats today if that’s what they chose to do……

 

In any case, I appreciate your enthusiasm and agree jobs are available for the taking. This is great news for those who have the desire and again why I always suggest getting qualified as quickly as possible. That is, so you are ready to ride the flow when it occurs….

Edited February 14, 2014 by Spike

[Francis Meyrick]

Greetings, Spike...

 

1) "This business ebb and flows." Agreed, for sure. Some bunch of years ago, I got (playfully) dragged and manhandled into a Helicopter Company, one pilot on each arm, and asked if I had a Commercial. "yes?" They offered me a job right there. I had about 700 hours helo. "I take it you are short?", I asked, amused. "Short, borderline desperate" was the answer.

Times change, change is constant.

 

2) "However, everyone knows that any company, in any sector, can fill their seats today if that’s what they chose to do……"

You know it's not that simple. Employers can't just wave a magic wand, make a business decision TODAY to fill their seats, and off we jolly well go. "Hallelujah, the seats are full, and pass the ammunition..." The scheduling of training and finding the slots for training alone can be a nightmare. As an example, "Flight Safety" is booked pretty solid pretty well all the time. Others are way more au fait with what's happening there, but I think I'm right in saying it's a massive ongoing headache. During the months long wait, other trained people are quitting, for whatever reason.

 

All in all, I say that if you are a hard worker, patient, determined to make your way, you stand a very good chance of making a good career as a future helicopter pilot. I don't agree with the gloom and doom that holds that the vast majority of Commercial graduates today are pre-destined to flip burgers, and sweat the rent, or "quit and slit".

 

In the October 2013 issue of Rotorcraft Pro, Lyn Burks, who has much more of an over view than this humble scribe, was asked what he sees as the greatest challenge facing the helicopter industry today. His reply:

 

"I know it has become a cliche, but I still believe it is the looming threat of a helicopter pilot shortage. Many thought the Vietnam era pilots - our biggest generation of pilots - would mostly be out by now as they hit their early to mid 60's. With better health and poor 401(K) performance, they are sticking around longer than projected. However, with the inevitable departure of that generation, increasing global demand for helicopters in emerging markets, and a historical reduction in trained pilots, it is not a matter of if a shortage will come, but when."

 

If somebody is reading this thread, debating his $$$ investment in a helo career, then I would caution him/her that the future is, well, the future, uncertain, but....I would still cheer him on.

 

Go get 'em, Tiger.

 

[Francis Meyrick]

Not quite on topic, but since I quoted Lynn mentioning "poor 401(K) performance" I would like to slip in an anecdote. I asked the President of my Bank a couple of years ago, what he thought of the stock market today. His reply"

 

"THE BIGGEST CASINO IN THE WEST...!"

 

I thought, well, F#@!k that, and started buying rental houses.

 

Sorry, that was totally OFF TOPIC, and I humbly bow my head.

 

[Hobie]

You are a crack up Moggie! Thanks for all your insight and positivity. Really enjoy reading your tales on your site.

[Francis Meyrick]

Funnily enough, my wife says I'm crackers as well. I guess it must show then. Tisk, tisk.

 

Mind, she's still upset from the day we moved into a new house, and she was hob-nobbing at the gate with some women who were our new neighbors. "My husband is a pilot, y' know..."

I was bored. Mischievous.

So I opened one upstairs bedroom window and shouted down:

"I AM NOT PSYCHOTIC...!!"

She buried her face.

I shut the window.

Then I opened the other window, and yelled:

"...AND ME NEITHER...!!"

 

I had to cook my own dinner for a week. Shucks.