birddog06 Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 New member. Just a general question about fixed wing time. I'm a new helicopter CFI slowly working to get my rotor time. I have 2000 hours fixed wing. Lots of stuff from teaching in 152's to Baron time. When going for a helcopter job, is any of this fixed wing time worth anything? Will the employer generally be a little more flexible about the minimums? I know this probably varies from job to job... I know this is a gray question, but any light shed on the subject from somone who has experienced it first hand would be helpful. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jehh Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 I can tell you from experience (because I'm in the same position), that it doesn't help for your first two jobs, but it does help after that. You'll still have to do the CFI thing to get to 1,000 total helicopter time, then you'll need to work in the Gulf of Mexico, or fly tours in Vegas or Alaska, to get some turbine helicopter time. That being said, I worked in the Gulf 6 months before getting hired into an EMS job, so it can happen pretty quick if you've already got fixed-wing turbine time (I've got a few hundred hours of it) to add to your helicopter turbine time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delorean Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Yeah, it counts toward state minimums for EMS work. Some states require 2000 PIC total with 1500 PIC heli, others 3000/2000. Some even want 500-1000 of turbine times, all of which can be fixed wing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkdriver Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Some companys also require X amount of hours in a helicopter in the last 12 months also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinrock Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 New member. Just a general question about fixed wing time. I'm a new helicopter CFI slowly working to get my rotor time. I have 2000 hours fixed wing. Lots of stuff from teaching in 152's to Baron time. When going for a helcopter job, is any of this fixed wing time worth anything? Will the employer generally be a little more flexible about the minimums? I know this probably varies from job to job... I know this is a gray question, but any light shed on the subject from somone who has experienced it first hand would be helpful. Thanks in advance! Often the employer doesn't have much say in the matter...the insurance company does! But your fixed wing time will always be there if/when the opportunity comes along requiring a dual rated pilot. In my case I was recently denied a job because I hadn't had factory training in a Bell 206. This right after I ferried a Bell 206L3 down from Canada for an operator and had just finished the season of crop spraying and 500 hours in the preceeding 3 1/2 months! Compound my confusion since I have over 9,000 hours rotor and well over 1000 of it in B-206 plus another 12-13,000 of fixed wing and many thousand hours of turbine! well worth the cost to go to any factory school like Bell or Eurocopter, spend the 5-7K and get the certificate showing attendance. Often it will get you a job even with low time just because you satisfy the insurance company!Rocky ATP ASMELS Rotor IFR, CFII/RAM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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