Is it a good time to begin a career as a helo pilot?

[JonnyUSMC]

Just looking for advice on whether I should begin a professional pilot career with the economy the way it is.

[adwr070621]

Just looking for advice on whether I should begin a professional pilot career with the economy the way it is.

 

its definetly a good time, use your gi bill, get paid

[permison]

its definetly a good time, use your gi bill, get paid

 

What rational do you have to back up this being a good time?

[apiaguy]

It is only a bad time if you expect to make any money....

 

But it's never a bad time to start... someday you might have a career

[lvchopperpilot]

There are 3 questions that I always ask to people with this question:

Do you have a family?

Do you have a mortgage?

Are you comfortable with your financial situation to be able to afford the training or a loan payment?

 

If you answer "No" "No" and "Yes" then go for it!

 

If you answer "Yes" to the first two questions, you have to answer some tough questions as to what are you going to do when your training is complete.

 

You definately need to "Yes" to the 3rd question, otherwise wait.

[helonorth]

Now is a lousy time to get into helicopters. Too many instructors, too few students. Not much

work for anyone with less than 2000 hours. Get your private if you have to and wait it out.

Even if things were better, $60-70k in training, followed by teaching for peanuts, followed by a

$53k a year job doesn't add up to me. And the GOM and tours ain't hiring.

Edited August 7, 2009 by helonorth

[Goldy]

Just looking for advice on whether I should begin a professional pilot career with the economy the way it is.

 

Just when exactly, is it a good time to pay 75K so you can get a job making $15 bucks an hour and get to work 4 hours a day, if you're lucky. That is not exactly what I call a payback. There are 4 kinds of helo pilots:

 

1. Those that traded years of their time and efforts for training. We call that the military route.

2. Rich bastards that can afford to pay for time and probably own their own ships.

3. Super hard working young people that eat on $2 a day, work 2 full time jobs, study till midnight just so they can fly once a week and advance their training.

4. Suckers that buy into the dream, take out loans they can never repay and never fully understand the commitment ahead of them. Most drop out along the way.

 

The question is not if the time is right, the question is which of the 4 are you ??

 

Good Luck and Fly Safe,

 

Goldy

 

PS- I'm probably a lot closer to a #2, and I wish that years ago I had taken advantage of #1..

Edited August 8, 2009 by Goldy

[bossman]

Get your private.

You'll always be able to say "I'm a helicopter pilot". Use the private to build toward a career if that's what you want.

Compared to the number of people in the world, not too many can say "I'm a helicopter pilot".

Hang out at the airports in your spare time. Make friends with the mechanics and pilots. Something always seems to happen sooner or later. You'll pick up hours. This keeps you in the loop.

[mechanic]

PS- I'm probably a lot closer to a #2, and I wish that years ago I had taken advantage of #1..

 

Ha, ha, Ha.....

 

Thats good Goldy....

 

 

I am an almost #4, wishing I had been a #1 too. Was already in the USAF at the time, so I have really kicked myself for not trying to find an Army Warrant Officer to convince to help me change over, since we had several CH47 pilots on station with us.

 

I only took a loan to cover PPL, COM, CFI. Cost was only 34K for 160 hrs at the time. I had to drop out due to life getting in the way, had think 30tt hrs. I have opened my own biz now, about 2 months ago. Its going a little slow due to the drought conditions and economy here. But, I am able to pay all my bills on time so far, thank God.

 

Looking back I started all my research and such way back in 97', started flying in 04', had to stop in 06' and still not back in the air yet, ugh..... Hope to get back into the saddle and finish soon one day. Also would like to find a nice priced R22 in good shape to buy at some point a long the way.

 

It can be a long hard road, new guys, not to say it isn't fun, it is, but fun doesn't pay the bills. Silver State really seemed to mess up a lot of things in the training industry. They hurt students, schools and the loan institutions. I have a Key Loan, later I was cut off due to all the SSH's problems. I never missed a loan payment either. Course I am still paying, but 380 a month is a lot better than the 1000k a month some of the SSH's students were gettin into.

 

JonnyUSMC,

If you can use the GI Bill and you can afford to make the payments on the difference on the loan you may require, with out being a heli pilot?? Then I would say go for it! If thats what you want to do...

 

Good Luck!!

 

P.S. Ooops, didn't mean to make such a long post.. Been a while since I commented so much, he he..lol..

[Spike]

Just looking for advice on whether I should begin a professional pilot career with the economy the way it is.

 

A re-post from elsewhere.

 

Truthfully, there has never really been a *good* time to become a helicopter pilot. Granted, the few years back before the economic downturn, “low timers” were advancing into turbine jobs quicker than normal thus creating a vacuum, but this in itself should be considered an exception rather than the norm. Unfortunately for a lot of folks, the economic bubble created many falsehoods within a wide variety of industries and the helicopter industry was/is certainly not immune.

 

Back in the early 80’s, I overheard the owner of the flight school I was attending tell a fellow ex-Viet Nam pilot “you can’t shoot a gun in the air without hitting an ex-Viet Nam helicopter pilot”. Up until then, I thought becoming a professional helicopter pilot was possible. From that point on, I began to doubt my choice in careers. Furthermore, anyone who knew anything about aviation told me I would never get a job flying helicopters (because of the abundance of ex-mil pilots) and I was basically a fool for handing over the thousands of dollars for helicopter flight lessons. Basically, the reality was, the odds were totally against me.

 

Please do not interpret this opinion as a cheerleading session or a “follow your dreams” speech, as some have put it. Make no mistake; this business is tough to break into. It always has been and more than likely always will be. However, I can say without a doubt, there’s nothing special about this fool…..

 

The sayings “it’s not what you know but who you know” and “being in the right place in the right time” are key elements to success in this business…….

[v15x]

Is now a good time to start a career in anything that will take an initial investment?

 

Just got your MBA? You have a good chance of being unemployed right now.

Dropped 40 grand on your undergrad? You're probably going to be looking really hard for that 1st job ... getting paid less than you thought.

If you're just starting a career in this economy, you're in for a tough haul. I don't care what industry you're in.

 

If you're in a position in which you want/need a high figure salary, I'm going to say aviation may not be for you. I think there is potential, but you're better off going to business or law school. I consider flight training like a liberal arts degree. A lot of people are going to say it's not worth it and that you'll end up asking, "do you want fry's with that?"

 

I agree with Goldy somewhat, in that if you're barely making it right now ... I would not look to aviation as a career change savior. You need to be in a stable financial situation to swing it.

 

I made the decision to start flying while I was sitting in traffic looking at shiny new Audi's, BMW's, and Cadillac's. If someone can drop 50 grand on a car, just a car ... then I could drop 60 grand on something that won't end up in a junkyard. In my mind, I just made a trade and decided that I would sell my truck, pay off my dept, and drive a beater. I figure, if I never have a car payment, then I'll pretty much break even after 10 or 15 years. To me, that was something I could live with.

 

If you're going to go the flight school route, there is opportunity out there, but you need to be focused and realize that it's not just about showing up and getting your CFI and then getting handed a job just because you have 1000hrs. Work hard, be professional, and remember that your interview starts on day one of flight training. You'll be surprised at the number of people that just don't get it.

 

I do miss that truck ... but I do get paid to fly, so I consider that an even trade

[HeliZach]

I too was one of the guys the really wanted to fly helos, looked around at all the shiny cars and said "who needs to spend 50k on a car when i can spend a lil more and get a career!" I did it, got my PPL and CPL while in college and working a lousy third shift job. Then I fell into Goldy's number 3 category where I worked my butt off, spent little, and flew little. Then I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and went route 1, the military. It's not for everyone but the military is paying off for me big time. I'm in the Coast Guard now, currently in flight school in Pensacola, flying the T-34C and waiting for helicopter advanced training. I couldn't be happier. I have job security, lots of fun, and a 50K+ pay check. It's something to seriously consider if you want a career as a helicopter pilot. Entry does have its own hurdles, but they are well worth it.

[BOATFIXERGUY]

Just to play devil's advocate...

 

None of us got into flying to get rich. Many of us are on second careers and I can tell you I made nearly three times what I do now before. Many other pilots on this forum will tell you the same thing. So why do we do it? Simple, because we love to fly.

 

Go out and try a discovery flight at your nearby airport and see if you like it.

 

John

[RotorWeed]

2. Rich bastards that can afford to pay for time and probably own their own ships.

 

Goldy

 

PS- I'm probably a lot closer to a #2, and I wish that years ago I had taken advantage of #1..

 

Why do we have to be labled "Rich Bastards" if we can afford to own our ships?

[Hovergirl]

Why do we have to be labled "Rich Bastards" if we can afford to own our ships?

 

Just because the rest of us are insanely jealous, no other reason. And if you let us come flying with you, you are terrific guys.

Edited August 10, 2009 by Hovergirl

[rcreager]

This has been scary, ensightful and uplifting to listen to. I am in love with aviation....no doubt about it. I have been, and always will be. I want to be paid to fly. But then again i don't want to eat ramen for the rest of my life. I have a great attitude twords work and i know this is really what i want to do. Thanks for the words of advice everyone. Hope i can keep my head above water long enough to get a descent job.

[Gomer Pylot]

One thing you might want to consider working on is spelling and grammar. It may seem like a small thing, but if you can't handle basic English, your resume will be much more likely to get thrown into the trash pile. It's somewhat understandable for a non-native English speaker on an anonymous internet forum, but when you're looking for a job, it makes a difference.

[Goldy]

Why do we have to be labled "Rich Bastards" if we can afford to own our ships?

 

I figured the self depricating humor would be appreciated by those younger pilots who think that those of us that happen to own a helicopter must just be "Rich Bastards". I'm really not rich at all !

 

And Hovergirl can come fly my ship anytime...course, I can hardly even fit in the thing anymore, which is why I fly the 44! If only I could get the nose extended another foot so I can get some legroom..Robinson needs to come out with a R44 Stretch model !

 

Goldy

Edited August 11, 2009 by Goldy

[JonnyUSMC]

Hey everyone,

I really appreciate your advice and input. I'm getting out of the military in a few months and I am trying to find out what career path I am going to take. From the research that I have been doing I believe I have found a way to get my training paid for without being in debt. The new Post 9/11 GI Bill apparently will pay for me to get a degree in aviation as well as pay for my flight training. I'm still not 100% on this subject so any input would be great. I would like to find a flight school and an aviation college in the state of Florida that work hand-in-hand with one another so I can use the GI Bill. I'm aware of some of the schools like Utah Valley but I would like to avoid out of state tuition. Any insight on this matter would be great. Upon returning to the states I do plan on doing a discovery flight. Any suggestions on where?

[lyrikles]

Hey everyone,

I really appreciate your advice and input. I'm getting out of the military in a few months and I am trying to find out what career path I am going to take. From the research that I have been doing I believe I have found a way to get my training paid for without being in debt. The new Post 9/11 GI Bill apparently will pay for me to get a degree in aviation as well as pay for my flight training. I'm still not 100% on this subject so any input would be great. I would like to find a flight school and an aviation college in the state of Florida that work hand-in-hand with one another so I can use the GI Bill. I'm aware of some of the schools like Utah Valley but I would like to avoid out of state tuition. Any insight on this matter would be great. Upon returning to the states I do plan on doing a discovery flight. Any suggestions on where?

I'm also in the military and getting out soon (November). I don't know much about Florida, but so far the schools I've been able to find that offer a degree including flight time (and fully covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill) are:

• Portland Community College flying at Hillsboro Aviation in Hillsboro & Portland, Oregon
  
• Central Oregon Community College flying at Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, Oregon
  
• Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado (I don't know much about this school)
  

The VA will cover the full tuition and fees of the Aviation programs at each one of these schools. I've contacted the Aviation program directors of PCC(Larry Altree) and COCC(John Miller) and both are very friendly and helpful. According to both Larry and John, the VA has agreed to cover (at minimum) the average time it takes a student to complete the Aviation Degree at each school (which is above the FAA's minimum required time), so unless you have difficulty completing a rating in a timely manner, you should be paying very little to nothing out of pocket. Check out this article for some additional information.

[crashed_05]

Hey everyone,

I really appreciate your advice and input. I'm getting out of the military in a few months and I am trying to find out what career path I am going to take. From the research that I have been doing I believe I have found a way to get my training paid for without being in debt. The new Post 9/11 GI Bill apparently will pay for me to get a degree in aviation as well as pay for my flight training. I'm still not 100% on this subject so any input would be great. I would like to find a flight school and an aviation college in the state of Florida that work hand-in-hand with one another so I can use the GI Bill. I'm aware of some of the schools like Utah Valley but I would like to avoid out of state tuition. Any insight on this matter would be great. Upon returning to the states I do plan on doing a discovery flight. Any suggestions on where?

 

If you're going to use the new GI Bill, in-state or out-of-state tuition won't matter. It'll be 100% covered anyway.

[JonnyUSMC]

I'm also in the military and getting out soon (November). I don't know much about Florida, but so far the schools I've been able to find that offer a degree including flight time (and fully covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill) are:

• Portland Community College flying at Hillsboro Aviation in Hillsboro & Portland, Oregon
  
• Central Oregon Community College flying at Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, Oregon
  
• Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado (I don't know much about this school)
  

The VA will cover the full tuition and fees of the Aviation programs at each one of these schools. I've contacted the Aviation program directors of PCC(Larry Altree) and COCC(John Miller) and both are very friendly and helpful. According to both Larry and John, the VA has agreed to cover (at minimum) the average time it takes a student to complete the Aviation Degree at each school (which is above the FAA's minimum required time), so unless you have difficulty completing a rating in a timely manner, you should be paying very little to nothing out of pocket. Check out this article for some additional information.

 

Hey thanks for all of the info. I'll be sure to check into this.

[RkyMtnHI]

Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado (I don't know much about this school)

 

I can tell you a little about the school and the helicopter operation that is affiliated with it. Many aviation focused people from around the Denver area go to school at Greeley.. it is a very good school and not too far from us. Many of my good friends attended there, mostly for fixed wing stuff tho. One bad thing i can tell you about Greeley is that it's a cow town (literally) and smells pretty bad in the summer.. guess you get used to that tho.

 

The helicopter op is a good one and has a good solid relationship/track record with the VA (unlike other schools i know of). Something you should look into before you enter any VA program. Front Range Helicopters is run by Don Griffith, a super nice guy that owns his two 300s and a Bell 206. The operate out of Fort Collins, Colorado which is about 10 miles from Greeley i think, i know it's quick in a R44 from airport to airport. They also have a satellite office at KBJC but don't have any helicopters there yet, not sure what Don's goals are for our airport but it will be a good op what ever he does. Don is one of the guys that insists that no one put down large sums of money...

 

just in case you haven't gotten this yet; NEVER EVER GIVE A FLIGHT SCHOOL A LARGE SUM OF MONEY!!!!! PERIOD!!!

 

aloha,

 

dp

 

hope that helps.

 

dp