Galadrium

Nicely done!

Have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C. It is very unlikely that your helicopter pilot journey from training to employment will go as planned. Prepare for the unexpected. If you are easily frustrated or require instant gratification this career choice is NOT for you. This forum is full of people who have just as much passion as you do for flying helicopters and many are unable to find employment after completing their training. Have a good financial plan and avoid going into debt for this. Think outside the box. Best of luck!

I hear really good things about the King FIRC. Unlike a lot of refresher courses, you actually get asked about helicopters, instread of how you should teach stalls in a airplane.

Enstrom Helicopters. Made in Michigan for over 50 years, They've recently increased their production capability and have a new training helicopter on the way.

Last time I ferried a helicopter I GOT PAID to do it. Is anyone honestly shelling out this kind of money to do straight and level flying?

I would say a variety of different experience builds the best pilots. As previous respondents have mentioned, it really depends on what sort of job that particular pilot will be doing. I've built most of my time doing rides, photo/video work, and later as a CFI. I'm feeling pretty well rounded to do a variety of different tasks. However, a specialized job will probably require specialized training.

It seems to depend on the thread. If its a boatpix thread he's flying commercial operations. If it's a training thread hes doing the basic flight maneuvers. Guess you have to learn how to fly circles around boats before you can learn straight and level.

I need to start selling flight time in our helicopters in 100hr blocks and "hiring" the purchaser to fly me to work and back every day. It would be excellent "experience." Oh wait, I have these things called "ethics" and "integrity." They always get in the way of making money in this industry.

Exactly. Anyone else notice that the people shilling for this company are all equally inept at using English grammar?

This whole thread had me cracking up. Shameless self promotion + cornball advertising = minutes of online entertainment.

It really depends on the individual's current situation. As with any career, the younger you are the better. Most people have no idea of the level of financial and personal sacrifice the this career path involves. I could write a book on this topic just based on my own personal experiences. Running a flight school, I get calls from people every day who have the desire to be helicopter pilots, but unfortunately lack the means to pull it off financially. The really sad thing is that this is already the case before they ever set foot in an aircraft. They might actually turn out to be really good pilots, but often their poor financial planning and situation make that decision for them. Many people I talk to are already seriously financially overextended, to the point that they can't even afford their first discovery flight. With all that being said, now is usually a better time than later if you are thinking about starting down a career path. Just be aware of the obstacles and don't get up to your ears in debt. This career path is well suited for single individuals with no dependents. Having a family and other obligations doesn't make it impossible, but it usually adds to the challenge. I always tell people to do plenty of research, know what they are getting into, then try to be the best possible pilot you can be.

Nothing like flying an Enstrom cross country. I just did it myself a month ago from NH to OH.

The private written test is a piece of cake. Just remember, you can miss thirty percent of the questions and still pass.

A wire strike maybe?

This will not be a problem. No worries.