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Do you know of anyone that has worked a tour season for TEMSCO that has lived out the season in a camper/RV? I know that living in the provided housing is all part of the experience, but my wife and I would really like to get the full experience (including the drive from the lower 48 to Juneau/Skagway). Having our own place, even if it's only a fifth wheel camper, is a must with my wife and dog. As we think this through, the questions that keep coming up are, "Are there affordable RV camping options for an extended stay?", "Will we be able to navigate the ALCAN during early spring and mid-fall", better yet "When exactly are new TEMSCO recruits required to be there for the start of the season/training and when does it end?". Flying for TEMSCO is at least another 2 years away for me as I am a relatively fresh CFI. However, with how tough it is to find information on this specific subject, I thought getting started sooner is better than later. Thanks in advance for any insight. -J

My name is James I've been thinking about the prospect of starting a helicopter tour business. I am in the infant stages however I have been doing some research and I am starting to get an idea what all is involved. I am personally not a pilot. Most of the forum threads I have been reading are tiered towards the pilots discussing the wages they get from the tour companies and which from the sounds of it, they are not always that great. What I want to do is discuss this business side of things with someone who has either owned a helicopter tour business or has worked within one to know the inner workings of the business. As I said, I am in the beginning stages so I just want helpful information at this point. My initial idea would is to partner with an experienced pilot and to take care of 100% of the financing and back end work. I would possibly get my license at some point but I am more interested in the business then flying. I would want to do it professionally and right with regard to properly maintaining the aircraft so the pilot/partner would need to have the experience necessary to facilitate proper maintenance and repairs one way or another. I've done helicopter tours in Vegas before and I absolutely loved it. The price per head back then was $180 and up to 5 passengers were in the air at one time for 15 minutes each. Time is lost between flights so even if you consider only flying 1-2 tours per hour, an average of 5 hours or more per day, it should gross $4,500 per day. I realize there are seasons and weather to consider so I would calculate for downtime. The specific market that I have in mind would be non stop and I'm great at marketing so I have no doubts about filling tours. To my knowledge, it does not exist In the market to the capacity I would be interested in doing it. I have read that some cities limit the amount of flights per day. I'm not sure but there may be cities that do it allow tours at all and/or have tighter restrictions. I want to know exactly where to start to find this information out. My email is jfineman1@yahoo.com if you would like to DM me or we can communicate publicly in this thread.

Welp, CFII complete over here. Now the real challenge starts: Finding a job in a place thats worth living in, where I wouldn't be stuck flying 90 hours a year. So, I've come to the conclusion that a road trip is best. Drive to every place in the region, give them a hard copy, and schmooze. But here is the problem: How do you get in contact with these people prior to visiting? Ive emailed a few ("Hello X I will be visiting your area on 12 DEC, I was looking to meet up with you and talk about the school..."), but haven't gotten any significant responses. So it comes down to networking... The "its not what you know, its who you know" conundrum. But outside of my small school, I really don't know anyone. How does a guy try to build up a network when he's at the first floor? Ive got a great network in my old job (its easy when you're working), but nothing in my new career. Any tips on the road trip? Scheduling, visits, etc? Have you seen anyone come in for an in-person resume drop off who made a serious gaffe? Thanks yall

I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet with the chief pilots from Liberty and Helicopter Flight Service in a little bit. Just looking for some information on the two companies. How was it working for them? Pay? Schedule? Advancement opportunities? How was the management?