44 replies to this topic

[Azhigher]

Congrats amigo! Happy you've finally found something. Care to share any details? What type of work will you be doing? 

 

In any case, don't blow it!

[takefootoff]

This could be an inspiration for us all.

[Pohi]

Wohoo!!!

Congrats Butters!

[RagMan]

Well I'll be damn. Congrats Butters. Indeed, don't screw it up.

[Whistlerpilot]

Have fun and be safe!!

[r22butters]

Flying Tours in a 44 back East,...and I absolutely hated it, so I quit. Turns out I'm much happier driving a truck for a living and just renting a 22 once a month or so.

[takefootoff]

Bummer

[Lindsey]

Flying Tours in a 44 back East,...and I absolutely hated it, so I quit. Turns out I'm much happier driving a truck for a living and just renting a 22 once a month or so.

...really?

[Insights_STG]

...really?

she's a troll.... don't mind her...   she just uses a lot of potty mouth humor and says a lot of racist stuff all the time.  if you talk to her, thats what you can expect to hear in the future.. 

 

goodluck butters!

[r22butters]

Well I guess I could elaborate a bit more...

 

Yes, I did hate the experience, and yes I did quit, but I suppose technically you could say, I was "encouraged to quit".

 

So anyway one day the boss calls me in early, so I lost a few hours of sleep, then quite frankly, I was still pretty much on West Coast time, so about six hours into my twelve hour shift, I got tired.  Too tired to fly, so when a flight popped up I turned it down (wasn't the only pilot there by the way,...though I was the only new hire old enough to rent a car!).  Next I know I'm called into the boss's office.  "Not getting off to a good start here are you?" he says in a completely unsympathetic voice.  I mention that its been six hours, if I could just take a half hour for lunch or something...?  "We don't take breaks here", was his response.  

 

Now as a truck driver I'm no stranger to working ten to twelve hours,..or more, and I will admit that these days I usually get tired a some point,...but then I just take a break, get rested up, and continue driving.  Can't do that here though?  When I expressed my concerns over flying tired (especially while carrying passengers) he simply said, "Suck it up and bear through it".  

 

Sure when I was in my twenties I could go all day no problem,...didn't even have to eat anything!  However, now I'm in my mid forties and just don't have that kind of energy anymore.  So either I quit, or he was going to fire me soon, and if I stayed any longer I'd of ended up having to pay him back 25k for the training (according to my contract),...which I don't have!

 

So there you have it.  I'm too old, I just couldn't hack it,...and there's no amount of money you could pay me to go back there!

 

 

Ok one more thing about my first job...

 

This place was surrounded by wires, I mean he literally could not have picked a more dangerous location to base a Tour operation!  If you don't hit one of them on takeoff or approach, there's also a guy wire inside the LZ just next to the pads.  So if your path to or from them is even the slightest bit wider that what they teach you, your going to snag it!  

 

So half a dozen R44s coming and going continuously on the same path in and out to a tight LZ surrounded by wires, all day in the heat and humidity with no a/c, all the doors on, and no hat (never found out why we couldn't wear a hat) to keep the Sun out of your eyes, or sweat from pouring down your face (not to mention the distraction of having passengers on board)?  I don't know how you kids can do that without a break, without getting tired,...because I can't!  

 

They say the wire we hit is most likely to be one we knew was there, and mark my words, one day someone is going to snag one of those,...and I didn't want it to be me!

 

I know what you're gonna say.  This is the "real world"!  I know, that's why I'm staying in fantasy land from now on!

Edited by r22butters, 30 May 2016 - 13:49.

[takefootoff]

Gee, I can't wait to get out there in the real world too...

[mudkow60]

My buddies who left the military to fly civilian all love it...

[RagMan]

Well it wasn't going to be all rainbows, butterflies and unicorns. I agree that flying without AC in a place like Myrtle Beach during the summer is totally ridiculous and I probably would not prefer to do that for eight hours a day for several months. Then again, if it was what I needed to do to gain some hours and advance my career, then that is what was going to happen.

 

This business isn't for everyone. Those who want it bad enough will suck it up, deal with the bs for a bit, and get what they came for. Afterwards, they will move up to greener pastures. Success doesn't come without hard work.

[r22butters]

Well it wasn't going to be all rainbows, butterflies and unicorns. I agree that flying without AC in a place like Myrtle Beach during the summer is totally ridiculous and I probably would not prefer to do that for eight hours a day for several months. Then again, if it was what I needed to do to gain some hours and advance my career, then that is what was going to happen.
 
This business isn't for everyone. Those who want it bad enough will suck it up, deal with the bs for a bit, and get what they came for. Afterwards, they will move up to greener pastures. Success doesn't come without hard work.

I suppose so, only flying Tours in a 44 isn't something I wanted to just "deal with", or "get through". Its a job I wanted. A job I'd always thought would be fun. Sure someday I'd hope to move up to turbines, but that was just about pay. I couldn't care less about flying a turbine, and before this experience would have been more than happy to fly a 44 season after season for years to come.

You're right though, this business isn't for everyone,...and certainly not for me!

,...and besides hard work is for suckers!

Edited by r22butters, 30 May 2016 - 20:41.

[Spike]

A contract position with a 25K training clause to fly a 44? That’s not a job you, or anyone else for that matter, should want… Or apply for.... Or be interested in…. Especially, at the entry level…..

[Fred0311]

I applied for that job once... When he told me about that in the phone interview I said thanks but no thanks. I can't imagine that being enforceable but I didn't want to work for someone who threatens his employees like that. I have a friend there now who is very unhappy with the job, but unfortunately the job market being what it is he had no other options.

Edited by Fred0311, 30 May 2016 - 23:43.

[RagMan]

Well keep looking around. There are better tour gigs out there flying R44s. It's not the end of the road for you, if it's what you want.

[terminal_velo]

This must be Helicopter Adventures. I haven't heard a good thing about them yet.

[r22butters]

Well keep looking around. There are better tour gigs out there flying R44s. It's not the end of the road for you, if it's what you want.

Personally I despise optimism, but if you insist,...fine.

On a positive note, during my four day drive home I did stop at White Castle,...yum, yum!

[Wally]

Personally I despise optimism, but if you insist,...fine.

On a positive note, during my four day drive home I did stop at White Castle,...yum, yum!

 

We don't have White Castles where I am, so my only knowledge is Harold and Kumar's adventure. Looks kinda like a Krystal, which I have eaten a few thousand of.

 

You have to fly when you have to fly, no matter how long you been doing the job.

"We don't take breaks" sounds pretty sucky. From that, everything is up.

Edited by Wally, 31 May 2016 - 13:16.