George Devore Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 Like everyone here, I'm extensively researching this whole helicopter school idea. I've traveled around and interviewed several, but it comes down to the question: Will I be able land a career with my minimal hours afters working as a flight instructor for a given time? After searching for days on helicopter job posting sites, it appears that the helicopter industry isn't in this extreme need that everyone claims that it's in. Yes, there are jobs available but the minimum qualifications all exceed what a school will offer. How's someone to get a job to pay off that heavy load when there's an experience gap between a career and what the school will provide. If there is an area of piloting that regularly accepts fresh students out of school/flight instruction where and what is it? It's this huge question that I have to have answered before I can even feel confident at all about applying for one of these schools. I appreciate anyone who may be able to help me with this. George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FauxZ Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 It's called paying your dues. Flight instruction is only part of it, the GOM or Tours is the other. Of course if you're willing to work more hours and accept some instability, you can also get on with a few other operators doing various work. I'm at 1000 hours and have been unemployed for almost 2 months now. End of the season, that's the way the cookie crumbles. I've called numerous companies and even stopped by quite a few and have had offers from at least one. Of course that offer was for ag work, where I'd be on the ground for up to a year before flying, and then flying every day for 7 months during the summer. With a family, I can't accept that position, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I've also talked with numerous operators who said I met their requirements, but didn't need anyone until at least January. So there are plenty of jobs, but no one is hiring for them right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Devore Posted October 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 I see I see. Well thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaredsega Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 well I dont know about all that. the stuff the other guy said.there is lotes of jobs all over its just that if you dont know someone even when you meet the MIN requirements they wont like you.it is a hard world in aviation. there is a bunch of jobs out there flying good AC and turbine machines with no more that 500Hrs. you just half to get out there and meet the operators and owners. witch is totally possible. start sweeping floors or washing coppters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 (edited) That's the great thing about flight school. You get to meet so many people that you will run into again and again down through the years. A lot of the jobs available get filled before the company ever has to advertise them. I can name at least 4 guys off the top of my head that recently got hooked up for work in both Vegas and the GOM just by keeping in touch with their old instructors/buddies from flight school. Most of the jobs that I've seen online are the jobs that require some quite specific experience so it isn't representative of the whole industry. Pick a school where you feel you're going to fit in at, and work hard to get your CFI certificate and by the time you have it you'll more than likely have something lined up. And if you don't then there's always the back door option of sweeping the floors for 6 months to a year(like jaredsega said). I know people that have taken that road also and it didn't even take 6 months for them to find themselves in the cockpit of a very sweet ride!! Edited October 9, 2008 by Darren Hughes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhhAndy Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 (edited) It's called paying your dues. Flight instruction is only part of it, the GOM or Tours is the other. Of course if you're willing to work more hours and accept some instability, you can also get on with a few other operators doing various work. I'm at 1000 hours and have been unemployed for almost 2 months now. End of the season, that's the way the cookie crumbles. I've called numerous companies and even stopped by quite a few and have had offers from at least one. Of course that offer was for ag work, where I'd be on the ground for up to a year before flying, and then flying every day for 7 months during the summer. With a family, I can't accept that position, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I've also talked with numerous operators who said I met their requirements, but didn't need anyone until at least January. So there are plenty of jobs, but no one is hiring for them right now.No one is hiring entry level jobs right now and cfi's are getting laid off...the economy is to blame, it will rebound in a few years. If you have 2500 hrs with 500tt and 250night your options are wonderfull. Edited October 9, 2008 by OhhAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFIAP5544 Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Fact is there is NO GUARANTEE OF LANDING A JOB.... It all boils down to SUPPLY and DEMAND. If you REALY want it you CAN get it. Guarauntees, THERE ARE NONE!!!! THAT GOES FOR ANY JOB FIELD!!!! IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT AFTER READING ALL THE REPLIES THAN FORGET ABOUT IT!! INVEST YOUR DOUGH IN REAL-ESTATE WHILE THE MARKET IS CRAP AND THEN IN A FEW YEARS BUY A HELICOPTER!! BUT flying is FUN and if you are addicted to it like me, things will probably work out! Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFIAP5544 Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 Oh yeah and ONE MORE THING! TO ALL THE FLIGHT SCHOOLS THAT USE THE VIETNAM ERA PILOTS RETERING AND CREATING A GAP as a MARKETING SCHEME, STOP LYING!!!!! I worked at a flight school and TOLD IT LIKE IT IS and EVERY STUDENT STILL SIGNED UP!! ""Its fun, awesome, exciting and a great way to spend life"" (Thats what I said and it works just fine to recruit new students and its the TRUTH" IF you are the CREAM OF THE CROP THERE WILL BE A JOB FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhhAndy Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 (edited) You know there is some good advice in the previous post, take the 65g's you were going to invest in school and place it in a good secure stock, now is a great time to buy. If you dont like the stock market, put it into realestate, also a very good time to buy right now. Either way you go "if your smart" you will come out way ahead in a few years. Take the money you made and pay for school with cash. Dont finance school right now because at the end you may owe 65g's to a bank at 10% interest and have nothing but a fun/stressfull previous 14 months to show for it. Yeah you'll have your ticket but what good is that if there are no jobs for you. You pay cash from money you make in the market, your not really out anything and you can afford to work your current job untill the right job in the right place in the right time comes up...this way your not stuck taking a job flying in hell for $10.00 p/hr in a 1965 piece of crap heli for a jerk...you get the point. Edited October 10, 2008 by OhhAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeletor Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 You know there is some good advice in the previous post, take the 65g's you were going to invest in school and place it in a good secure stock, now is a great time to buy. If you dont like the stock market, put it into realestate, also a very good time to buy right now. Either way you go "if your smart" you will come out way ahead in a few years. Take the money you made and pay for school with cash. Dont finance school right now because at the end you may owe 65g's to a bank at 10% interest and have nothing but a fun/stressfull previous 14 months to show for it. Yeah you'll have your ticket but what good is that if there are no jobs for you. You pay cash from money you make in the market, your not really out anything and you can afford to work your current job untill the right job in the right place in the right time comes up...this way your not stuck taking a job flying in hell for $10.00 p/hr in a 1965 piece of crap heli for a jerk...you get the point. You seem rather pessimistic there Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FauxZ Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 You seem rather pessimistic there Andy. He's a helicopter pilot. We're all pessimists. Think of flight school, how much time do you lean how to just fly the aircraft??? Not much. You spend all your time preparing for it to break or leaning how not to let it kill you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chopperjess Posted October 10, 2008 Report Share Posted October 10, 2008 "If something hasn't gone wrong yet, it's just about to!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawler Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 He's a helicopter pilot. We're all pessimists. Think of flight school, how much time do you lean how to just fly the aircraft??? Not much. You spend all your time preparing for it to break or leaning how not to let it kill you. so true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mechanic Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 The heli CFI situation seems to be simular to the fixed wing side, more low time CFI's than jobs. That was the reason I jumped into the heli side, plus the fact I have had the heli bug since a kid. There seemed to be a fast track to cfi hood a few years back, now it seems to be drying up just looking at the job ads lately. On the fixed wing side I've seen a lot of pay for training deals to choose from. I have been wondering if those type of deals may start popping up for heli training. The boatpix timebuilding deal seems to be very simular to what I've seen on the fixed wing side. They say time is logged PIC dual and they train you to fly photo missions. There use to be First Officer pay for training deals. I remember one that you could purchase different amounts of twin time flying out of the islands. Was kinda expensive but allowed you to bypass being a CFI. With the economy not being too great lately, you might see more groups purchasing a heli and hiring a freelance CFI to get their rating. I have been watching to see if heli prices are dropping a little bit, but cannot really tell anything by the ads I've looked at. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam32 Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 With the economy not being too great lately, you might see more groups purchasing a heli and hiring a freelance CFI to get their rating. I have been watching to see if heli prices are dropping a little bit, but cannot really tell anything by the ads I've looked at. Good Luck! I haven't noticed prices dropping at all. I wish they would, I'm ready to buy something cheap!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhhAndy Posted October 11, 2008 Report Share Posted October 11, 2008 You seem rather pessimistic there Andy.I dont mean to sound pessimistic, just realistic. It is what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jehh Posted October 12, 2008 Report Share Posted October 12, 2008 I haven't noticed prices dropping at all. I wish they would, I'm ready to buy something cheap!! The price of a helicopter is not the primary issue, it is the cost to fly it... The idea of two or three people going in to buy a ship instead of paying a school sounds great, but it really doesn't work very well. The reasons are long and varied, but mostly come down to the fact that you're cutting out one overhead and replacing it with another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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