Career Opportunity After School

[cart6902]

I began training at Specialized Helicopters located in Watsonville, California after obtaining my private license from another school. The chief pilot/owner, Chris Gularte, accessed my career motivations and got to work right away finding me a job. After training for barely a week, I was contacted by an aerial application operator willing to take me in and train me for the particular field. The owner picked up my commercial training tab while I worked from the ground up, obtaining the necessary foundation for this very demanding field of aviation. Chris also tailored to my training needs for this field which has prepared me for this high risk, demanding flying. It was the hard work and reputation that Chris put forward that jumpstarted my career as a helicopter aerial applicator. It is no wonder why Chris has had a 100 % hiring percentage for his students. He works to get their "foot in the door".

[Trans Lift]

Impressive, especially in this economy, to be able to get someone to pick up your commercial tab.

 

Are you going to have to instruct to build time or go straight into it. Insurance companies are usually the problem for low time pilots in that environment. Our insurance company requires 1000 hours, 500 on type and 500 ag.

 

Best of luck! It is a great side of the industry to get into and the most lucrative!

[permison]

Something smells a little fishy to me here. This sort of opportunity is unheard of in recent years. There must be more to this story. What are you trying to tell us? Go to Chris Gularte because he can guarantee you a job? Not sure if this post is a ad for Chris Gularte or just someone telling everyone how lucky he is. Seems a little fishy to me.

 

If true you are the luckiest SOB on the planet.

[cart6902]

Something smells a little fishy to me here. This sort of opportunity is unheard of in recent years. There must be more to this story. What are you trying to tell us? Go to Chris Gularte because he can guarantee you a job? Not sure if this post is a ad for Chris Gularte or just someone telling everyone how lucky he is. Seems a little fishy to me.

 

If true you are the luckiest SOB on the planet.

[cart6902]

I will finish my commercial while also working as a loader/bird dog/office worker. All these jobs will give me the foundation to start flying in this industry. In response to Permison, I am not here to sell Chris Gularte. I am sure there are other good helicopter schools out there. I am just letting everyone know that there ARE some opportunities out there. I appreciate Chris working hard to get me this opportunity. As to Trans Lift, I am finding the work very hard/demanding but also very exciting and rewarding. Best of luck to you in the industry!

[Vindicated0721]

This post is odd..

[apiaguy]

i just threw up in my mouth... just a little bit. Wow, not even finished training and already a job. I'm so excited I'm going to start my helicopter training tomorrow... this was the reassurance I needed to go ahead and put down the whole 65k in advance.

[Chewie]

i just threw up in my mouth... just a little bit. Wow, not even finished training and already a job. I'm so excited I'm going to start my helicopter training tomorrow... this was the reassurance I needed to go ahead and put down the whole 65k in advance.

 

[helistar]

The guys been given a job doing ground work in exchange for some training. This sounds kind of like the program a school in Colorado was pitching to several companies a few months ago and if Chris Gularte has figured out how to get it done then that's great news in this economy.

 

To me, it sounds like someone's planning for success... hehe I just couldn't resist saying it one more time

 

cart6902 congrats on finding a away to achieve your goals in this economy and if you get a chance to train in one of their glass cockpit Robinsons let us know what you thought it...

[The Guardian]

Nothing wrong with being in the right place at the right time AND being able to seize the opportunity. Good luck and watch out for flying cows!

Edited April 30, 2010 by The Guardian

[kodoz]

Cart, you won the lottery.

 

Silverhawk is trying to ship their grads over to India and S Korea: word is a few have gotten hired in SK over the years, but haven't heard anything about successes in India.

[helonorth]

I began training at Specialized Helicopters located in Watsonville, California after obtaining my private license from another school. The chief pilot/owner, Chris Gularte, accessed my career motivations and got to work right away finding me a job. After training for barely a week, I was contacted by an aerial application operator willing to take me in and train me for the particular field. The owner picked up my commercial training tab while I worked from the ground up, obtaining the necessary foundation for this very demanding field of aviation. Chris also tailored to my training needs for this field which has prepared me for this high risk, demanding flying. It was the hard work and reputation that Chris put forward that jumpstarted my career as a helicopter aerial applicator. It is no wonder why Chris has had a 100 % hiring percentage for his students. He works to get their "foot in the door".

Let me see if I have this straight: an ag spraying company is paying for your training?

I'm just wondering why they would do that. I once worked for a sprayer that would work me into flying after spending a couple years driving, but he sure wasn't going to pay for my commercial. I'm skeptical. Why would they do this?

[Vert_ED]

Hrmm,

 

1) Generic Name

2) Post count total = # of Posts in this thread

3) Paragraph format:

-Intro of the company/service being advertised

-Statement of similarity to target audience

-promises of unrealistic success mixed with lots of buzzwords

-oh, by the way, it's free statement (They paid for it)

 

I'm not buying.

[Eggbeater]

Yeah I highly doubt this story as well; no operator will pay for training without a guarantee of making their money back, ie signed contract. And signed contracts like this are hard to enforce...

[adam32]

I'd like to know what ag company? I know a lot of them in the area...

[rotormandan]

How many years do you have to commit and for how much salary when you start flying?

[Goldy]

Geez guys, maybe this guy got genuinely lucky? Someone has to win the lotto now and then.

 

Poor guy is a newbie here and getting accosted. I'll put on my rose glasses and congratulate him in his new career.

 

Goldy

[helonorth]

Geez guys, maybe this guy got genuinely lucky? Someone has to win the lotto now and then.

 

Poor guy is a newbie here and getting accosted. I'll put on my rose glasses and congratulate him in his new career.

 

Goldy

You'd have a better chance of winning the lottery than having some operator pay for you to get your ratings. What happens if for some reason the guy loses interest, quits, loses his medical or any thing else happens so he can't (or won't) fulfill his obligation? Nobody pays for you to get your initial ratings. Nobody in their right mind, anyway. As was said, training contracts are mostly unenforceable.

Edited May 1, 2010 by helonorth

[Falko]

Yeah I highly doubt this story as well; no operator will pay for training without a guarantee of making their money back, ie signed contract. And signed contracts like this are hard to enforce...

 

I am working for an operator that hires 150hrs commercial pilots and teaches them how to do Ag ops in helicopters. First of all you spend 1 or 2 seasons as a loader and whenever the winds are too high for spraying they give you Ag flight lessons. Since YOU ( as a low time pilot) received flight training from the operator,you will get paid less. You may not be as efficient as an experienced ag pilot but the operator is still making a good chunk of money. Sure, the operator is taking a risk but obviously it works out just fine. And yes, they do ' in some cases' pay for your commercial ticket but that depends on your personality and if the owner likes you.

[horsefly]

Ok, I know that the original post sounds too good to be true, and maybe wasn't phrased in the best way. But I'm one of the instructors this guy is flying with and I can tell you it is true. He's one lucky s.o.b. and I'm jealous as hell that he has someone else paying for his commercial ticket and already has the promise of a job. He happened to be in the right spot at the right time.

 

That said, I'm not jealous of the work he is having to do to get this opportunity. He sometimes has to cancel lessons because he was up at 2:00am to go to work, and days off are dependent on the weather. He works long, hard hours, and most of his pay is the flight training. So it isn't exactly 'free' flight training.

 

I'm both jealous and happy for him. I wish I had that kind of luck.

[Trans Lift]

.

Edited May 4, 2010 by Trans Lift

[helonorth]

I still don't buy it. Nobody buys a cow when there's plenty of free milk. Any ag operator will pick up a pilot with a commercial. It's the next three years that's the tough part.

Edited May 1, 2010 by helonorth

[Trans Lift]

I still don't buy it. Nobody buys a cow when there's plenty of free milk. Any ag operator will pick up a pilot with a commercial. It's the next three years that's the tough part.

 

There might be plenty of free milk but that doesn't mean its good milk.

 

If they like you and think you will fit in and you are what they are looking for, why wouldn't they do it?

 

It is rare and you have to be extremely lucky but fair play to him!

Edited May 4, 2010 by Trans Lift

[JDHelicopterPilot]

This thread demonstrates that prospective employers look for more than just "hours". A lot of pilots don't understand this and assume (incorrectly) that if the have tons of hours or a good flying background they should or will get the job.

 

It's a lot more than that. Attitude, good references and willing to learn it the companies way makes a big difference. A lot of pilots show up and say "At __________ we did it this way...." They don't want to hear that or even sense that.

 

JD

[Runon]

W..e..l..l.. (sigh) unfortunately that turned from - "hey look at this great opportunity" to having to defend everything that was said.

 

I mean this in a very constructive way - Self fulfilling prophesy - is when you believe so deeply and try so hard that you make it happen. It's also your worst enemy when you believe it can't happen - so it doesn't happen(at least for the pessimist).

 

I'm very glad I read this thread though - I know by a lot of responses exactly how not to go at trying to land a job.

 

PS - Helicopters & Planes are the result of "idiots" who wouldn't give up when everyone "knew" it couldn't be done.