Hawk_Driver Posted December 26, 2012 Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocity173 Posted December 26, 2012 Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Pig Posted December 26, 2012 Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk_Driver Posted December 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Pig Posted December 26, 2012 Report Share Posted December 26, 2012 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F224 Posted December 27, 2012 Report Share Posted December 27, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk_Driver Posted December 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falko Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 http://www.firehawkhelicopters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=244 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Pig Posted December 28, 2012 Report Share Posted December 28, 2012 (edited) 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 December 28, 2012 by Flying Pig 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk_Driver Posted January 2, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2013 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pohi Posted January 3, 2013 Report Share Posted January 3, 2013 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 :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Elite Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Pig Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) 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 October 1, 2014 by Flying Pig 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razor Posted November 29, 2014 Report Share Posted November 29, 2014 Any updates Hawk_driver? I'm 'close' to the same position as you are in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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