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So Im 22 yrs old and Im coming up on my check ride for my private license , the goal is commercial but its pretty expensive My parents who are helping with most the finances are wanting me to look into getting my fixed wing as well to save money on flight time and also instrument training I always sort of planned on getting my fixed wing eventually but The goal is still to be a commercial helicopter pilot Could switching to fixed wing for building flight time and instrument rating have a negative or positive impact on my aviation career? I do plan on continuing to fly helicopters at least 1-2 times a week to stay proficient if I do end up working toward being dual rated

Hello everybody. I could really use some advice regarding my situation in how to best become a commercial helicopter pilot. I am Fixed Winged Private Pilot. I'm currently a sophomore attending a 4 year private university with a major in Criminal Justice. After losing interest in the Criminal Justice field, I'm back on track to eventually fly as a career, helicopters specifically. Is it necessary or recommended to have a 4 year degree to be a commercial helicopter pilot? Does an aviation related degree make better or can in just be in anything I might be interested in outside of aviation? In doing so, I'm also interested in joining the US Air Force. Should I complete my college education and possibly commission or enlist, or should drop out and enlist without facing a decent amount of student debt? I would love to serve, travel, and gain some life experience as I've always been wanting to no matter what. I also believe that the Post 9/11 GI Bill can be used towards rotary wing training at certain flight schools, would that be a benefit? I understand that this may sound complicated, but I could really use some guidance since I feel somewhat lost due to the fact that I don't have any connections in the professional helicopter industry. I would appreciate any feedback.Thank you!

Hello everyone, I'm a new member on this group. Looks like a great forum. I need some help. I wish to become a helicopter pilot and would really appreciate your guidance. (background:I'm in my second last year of engineering from India) I had the following few questions in this regard: Your help is much appreciated.  Which country has the best institutes for helicopter training?  Among the institutes in the recommended country which are ranked on the top?  Which helicopter should one train on?  Which is the best terrain for helicopter training?  Are there any special requirements for admission to the institute?  How and when can I start preparing for the admissions?  Are there any implications regarding LASIK eye correction surgery?  How is current job scenario for helicopter pilots?

Hello all! I would first like to say that this is my first post, and I have enjoyed reading as much as I can handle from this website as I can. (Also, I am new to the forum, bare with me) I am a high school senior to be from Columbus, OH, and will soon be turning 18 in September. I have been interested/obsessed with helicopters for several years now, and it really kicked off with career shadowing day my freshman year at high school, in which I got to bum around a local shop called Helicopter Minit-Men. We stay in touch with the owner and it is an excellent resource, as well as old man - young man friendship. I have also met and gotten to know a chief pilot at Due North Aviation, which is very close to Columbus. I liken him to the Mr. Miyagi of helicopters, in that he's just doing his thing in the middle of nowhere and that, now and again, that determined kid (me) comes out to bug him! I tell you this to show that I have been very proactive in my exploration of the helicopter industry, and that I wish to set myself apart from the kids my age that still don't know what they want to do... I know what I want to do. The main struggle is HOW to go about doing it! This is the year where we are to send out the college applications, and my main struggle is how to fit aviation in there? I am fairly smart (not to sound arrogant), and there is the possibility of going to college for an unrelated degree and forming a "backup plan" with it, and going through the civilian route of training for flight. I could also do an "aeronautical science" degree to finance pilot training via student loans, but that provides little backup plan. Then there is the possibility of WOFT, and with a CW3 for a neighbor just down the street (although he is not a pilot), I have a good resource and guide for this. I should also note that my family and I are tremendously respectful of and thankful for our military. However, my parents seem to change opinion very quickly when their baby starts talking about flying for said military... I should also mention that money IS a bit of an issue. I know, I picked the perfect industry to hope to enter... Any information or guidance you all can provide to me is GREATLY appreciated. I understand that I can get most information to make my decision by reading what is already written, however, I just hoped that you could give direction based on my situation as it stands.

Just a quick question here from a student pilot, and I'd like to apologize in advance for this somewhat stupid question: what is the difference between "check collective" and "pull collective". I figured out early on what the instructor wants when he tells me to check collective in an auto. Other than monitoring RPM and ensuring it stays in the green, does it mean anything else in terms of what I should be doing in an auto?

Greetings, I just recently got my CFII and went on my first job interview for an instructor position at the school where I have done most of my training. It did not go well at all. The critique that I got from the DPE for both CFI and CFII were positive and I know that he is honest and fair. The ground portion of my interview went well. I felt calm, organized and professional. However, as soon as we got to the aircraft for the flight portion, it was like I had forgotten how to teach and fly. I was flying with the cheif instructor with whom I had never flown with before and in a patter that I was unfamilliar with. He said that I was instructing well transitioning from the ramp to the taxiway(start up, taxi, air-taxi, quickstop, takeoff), then he flew the first pattern to show me where to turn (it is not a standard pattern). It was all down hill from there. His critique about my teaching from then on was that I was not authoritative enough, as if everything I was saying was like I was asking him a question. For instance, in my head I was thinking "starting my descent by lowering collective with right pedal for trim, looking for about a 500fpm descent rate. I want to keep my spot between the compass and trim strings for a nice normal approach angle" apparently came out as "should I start my approach here and does this angle look good?" This uncertainty led to several mistakes including not hitting my spot, and probably the worst autorotations I have done since I was a student pilot. Has anyone out there had a similar experience or maybe had a student display this type of student to instructor transition problem?