jimbo2181 Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Just when you start thinking you could have everything an employer could ask for they just keep asking for more and more. Anyway I am in a position where for a job (where I would like to stay forever) I need actual IFR time. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good ways to get it built up through an employer? It seems like the gulf would be the only choice but I dont know if they will hire someone directly into a IFR seat and I really do not want to start at the bottom to work a year or two to get to the hours I really need to get. Thanks ahead of time, Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick1128 Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Just when you start thinking you could have everything an employer could ask for they just keep asking for more and more. Anyway I am in a position where for a job (where I would like to stay forever) I need actual IFR time. I was wondering if anyone knew of any good ways to get it built up through an employer? It seems like the gulf would be the only choice but I dont know if they will hire someone directly into a IFR seat and I really do not want to start at the bottom to work a year or two to get to the hours I really need to get. Thanks ahead of time, Jim Hood time counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo2181 Posted July 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Hood time counts. Unfortunately no it doesn't. Need ACTUAL IFR time, not simulated or hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenmaster Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Unfortunately no it doesn't. Need ACTUAL IFR time, not simulated or hood. How many hours? You could always take the fixed wing route with an instructor - if the future employer would accept that. Getting actual IMC is a real eye opener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHelicopterPilot Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 I am looking for actual time as well. I wonder if they would accept that? Fixed wing actual IMC vs helicopter actual IMC. I am already fixed wing rated so that is easy. I think I will ask some of the employers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo2181 Posted July 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Yes they will accept that. And it is a hundred hours. And no I am not going to pay for that. Hate to sound like an old hag but I am tired of spending my own money to meet some stupid demand. I agree actual IFR time is a necessity but 100 hours will not teach me anything more than 10 would. I would not go IFR alone before having actual time but at some point a company that knows I want to spend the rest of my time with them should be willing to invest in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Yes they will accept that. And it is a hundred hours. And no I am not going to pay for that. Hate to sound like an old hag but I am tired of spending my own money to meet some stupid demand. I agree actual IFR time is a necessity but 100 hours will not teach me anything more than 10 would. I would not go IFR alone before having actual time but at some point a company that knows I want to spend the rest of my time with them should be willing to invest in that. You'd be surprised what a different pilot you'll be after 100 hours of instrument vs. 10. If you have any airplane ratings, try to find a job flying freight (Airnet is always hiring). If you don't, then maybe consider getting a Commercial Airplane rating. Good luck. ~Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomer Pylot Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 (edited) What they're looking for is someone with many years of flying experience. Demanding AI time is a way to do it, because it takes years to build that much AI time in most cases. The quickest way to get it might be flying freight, but it will still take years, because there just isn't that much actual IMC to be found much of the year, in most places. Employers, if they know what they're doing, will be suspicious of relatively new pilots with lots of AI time in their logbooks. It's not that easy to get, especially in helicopters. It's also common for job requirements to be written for a specific individual. If you want to hire your brother-in-law, or your buddy, and the company requires the job to be posted publicly, you can take his qualifications and write the requirements so that only he qualifies. It happens all the time, in every industry, not just aviation. Edited July 7, 2008 by Gomer Pylot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 If you're looking for AI and don't want to wait around for clouds, get a SIC job with an operator on the North East Coast, somewhere like New York. You got clouds pretty much every day. I'm "SIC" of it!!! Sorry, I had to put that in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo2181 Posted July 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 If you're looking for AI and don't want to wait around for clouds, get a SIC job with an operator on the North East Coast, somewhere like New York. You got clouds pretty much every day. I'm "SIC" of it!!! Sorry, I had to put that in there! Know of any specific companies where I could hop on as SIC for a year or two and build that time? Also Gomer. It is for a very large company and the requirement is company wide so I don't think it is a save it open for a buddy requirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Know of any specific companies where I could hop on as SIC for a year or two and build that time? Also Gomer. It is for a very large company and the requirement is company wide so I don't think it is a save it open for a buddy requirement. I'm kinda new to this area so I don't really know that many operators off the top of my head apart from maybe US Helicopter that do the 121 flights from the heliports to the 3 major airports. They do 2 pilot IFR in the S76's. I don't know how many hours they require for SIC though or if they're hiring. How many hours you got incidentally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C of G Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 maybe US Helicopter that do the 121 flights from the heliports to the 3 major airports. They do 2 pilot IFR in the S76's. Sorry for the hi-jack, but out of curiosity, do you know that they are 121? I thought they were operating 135. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Sorry for the hi-jack, but out of curiosity, do you know that they are 121? I thought they were operating 135. Thanks. I was told by 1 of my instructors when i first started flying a couple of years back that they were the only 121 helicopter operation around. I never thought to look much more into it. But they do operate scheduled flights as well as charters and is partnered with Delta & Continental which also backed up the whole 121 thing for me. But having said all that, I just checked their website and under the factsheet link it says that they operate 135, so go figure. Now I'm just confused. But that's not unusual!!! I never realized you could operate scheduled flights on a 135 cert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Can anyone confirm whether or not you can operate pre-scheduled flights similar to the way an airline does on a 135 cert? Or do you need 121? Just to satisfy my curiosity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C of G Posted July 10, 2008 Report Share Posted July 10, 2008 Can anyone confirm whether or not you can operate pre-scheduled flights similar to the way an airline does on a 135 cert? Or do you need 121? Just to satisfy my curiosity. Yeah, Part 135 covers scheduled flights. Off the top of my head there is a reference to flight time limits in 135.265 for Scheduled operations and .267 for unscheduled. To be honest, I don't know the breakdown or benefit of being 121 and at what point you have to convert. Maybe someone else can add to that? The reason for my orig. question was not to nit-pick, but for the requirement of an ATP on interstate scheduled transport. It would be the only operation I know of that would make use of a helicopter ATP. I forget who tried the 121 Helicopter thing in the past. It didn't work out. Of course, having Continental as the operator and keeping it limited might make it feasible. As to Jimbo's question: If you were to give a 2 year committal to most Gulf companies, you might be able to get your instrument time. I don't think a one year committal would do it. I'd get in quick before the fallout from the EMS and 121 side, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo2181 Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Helijet operates 121 between Canada and Seattle. But they are a Canadian company not American. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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