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Employment for a new Guard Pilot?


Hawk_Driver

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I've reviewed many of the previous posts regarding entry level employment for low hour guys. I was curious what my options are as my situation varies slightly. The State of NJ put me through flight school and I owe them time. I also love my unit and I'd hate to abandon them.

 

I graduated Army Flight School 04/2012. I have both my commercial and instrument rotary ratings in the S-70. I have 320(40 NVG) military hours in the Jetranger, OH-58A/C and the UH-60A/L. At the moment I'm just an RL1 D/N guy accumulating hours towards my PC ride.

 

I spent a lot of time searching for employment opportunities and sending emails to anyone who would listen. I came up with a whole lot of nothing. I decided to apply for the NJ State Police with the goal of becoming a pilot. I'm currently 3/4 of the way through the 10 month application process but unfortunately there are 8,000 of us remaining and only 300 slots for hire. All hires are chosen by lottery, so chances of being awarded a slot are very slim.

 

So my question is where can I find entry level employment as pilot near my unit? Obviously there are helicopter jobs but i'm not even close to having the minimum hours. What is my best course of action?

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Not sure how "active" your Guard unit is but I'd say it would be at least 10-15 yrs to get enough hours for a professional pilot job. I know S-70 Firehawk positions have a pretty low hour requirement for SIC but I think it's mostly seasonal stuff. I'd say your best course of action would be to get your CFI ticket and find somewhere local to instruct. Do that for a few years and then you might have enough hours for a Part 135 spot.

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Once you get in with the NJSP I would think your chances of getting into a aviation would be decent. They have AW139s and some other stuff. Provlem with LE aviation is that uou generally need to wait for an opening first. Have you joined ALEA? Join and make it a point to go to the conferences. Your best bet would be to get your CFI and work part timethat way. If your goal is to become a trooper pilot you need to set up for the long haul and plan on being s road cop for a few years. Word will get around about the UH60 pilot working the midnight shift (you). But make sure you go in with the mindset of being a trooper first and foremost. You may want to research around if you havnt already. A group like the NJSP could have hoards of military pilots waiting for their turn also.

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Thanks for the reply. Our battalion commander is actually an 18 year aviator with the NJSP, so I'm pretty well spun up on the process and the two year road requirement. I was an MP in a past life and being a trooper first and foremost is definitely my plan.

 

However as I stated previously, very slim chance I get in. Absolutely awesome if it all works out though. I'm mainly thinking back up plan, I want to be a Police Officer and I want to be a Pilot so obviously large departments with the option to lateral into aviation are preferred. I am also very comfortable pursing a career as civilian pilot.

 

In the meantime it would appear getting my CFI is my best course of action? I'm vet and I understand that pays a certain percentage of flight school? Can I use the post 9/11 to assit with my CFI?

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My hunting partner and close friend recently retired as the MN DNR Chief Pilot. He had no luck finding qualifed rotor guys. And that was for a $100k a year job as a game warden pilot counting critters and catching bad guys.

 

Great job, good equipment (2 OH-28c's and an Enstron 480 + eight fixed wing airplanes) and low cost of living areas.

 

A Lt.Col. early in my guard rotor wing career talked me out of airborne LEO flying. I wound up at Northwest Airlines and retired off the B757 at age 48, long story, but things worked out OK. Bottom line, I made good money, no one shot at me and at 54, I am thinking that EMS or flying helicopters in the Gulf would be a great way to end my career.

 

My advise, build time, have fun and concentrate on being the best you can be where ever you are working.

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Roger. So short of a deployment, I'm looking at securing a CFII and getting a job as an IP with a local flight school.

 

I just thought there might be another way to build time, even if the pay is laughable. I mean we all love to be paid to fly, but not many of us would turn down free hours right? I guess in the meantime I'll look into some of these aviation conferences as well. Thanks for the info.

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I had an aquaintance who checked with Firehawk. There was no shortage of UH 60 pilots contacting them for work. Same with Columbia with their 46 and 47 pilots. The biggest issue was that they werent looking for low time SICs. LA County is also plastered with apps from military pilots looking for the 6 figure pie in the sky! :)

Edited by Flying Pig
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I looked into Firehawk and that was what I discovered as well. I did sit down with one of the local flight schools today and it sounds like getting my CFI is the way to go.

 

Does anyone have recommendations for low interest loans? That or is there a smarter way to pay than loan/credit card?

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The best way, in my opinion, is to pay as you go and train only as fast as your current finances allow. Odds are that you will have a really hard time paying the loan back on a cfi salary.

 

Do you have the GI bill as an option? That would be the cheapest way :-)

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  • 1 year later...

Definitely dont discount the smaller agencies with air units. Everyone thinks "I gotta be a trooper!" when in fact you may have smaller agencies with aircraft and limited pilots. But sounds like you have a good resource for the NJ Troopers thats for sure!

 

It may benefit you to get in touch with your local sherifs dept also. my local sherifs dept has 2 oh/58's and they have 3 volunteer pilots which are trained by the unit but it is a strictly volunteer unit.

it would be something you could add to your resume that you are also volunteering as a LEA Pilot in your off time.

 

Good luck.

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Just make sure you check out the Mx and how the unit operates. Many times all volunteer units are in a total state of disarray, to include "volunteer" mechanics who come in and turn wrenches when they are bored. As an LE pilot Ill be the first to say there are agencies out there running OH58s that need to be in museums... or on gunnery ranges as targets for MK19s and M240s. Not in the air with people in them, and the agency running the air unit knows absolutely nothing out aviation. They just know that their Sheriff gets to tell people he has an "air unit"

Edited by Flying Pig
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