Voc Rehab

[danr_657]

hi im looking at doing flight training through va voc rehab i have two ideas for doing it i currently have a my ppl fw and was thinking of getting all my ratings up to CFII for fw wing and than doing the transition to RW I want to fly RW but I want to have a job flying with this economy i feel like this would be the best option because when all is said and done it cost about the same but i would be able to instruct in both the only problem is that im wondering if by being a fixed wing CFII if i would miss out on Rotary Wing jobs with schools that have both the school that im going to does all there training in s300's so Im not worried about sfar 73 and my weight 230 would make it hard to get a job instructing in r22's but doing add on's i would have a lot less rw time

 

Im wondering if I should go the way above or just do everything RW first and pay for FW myself later. that way i have more RW time i don't think VA will want to pay for FW add ons afterwards at least not as easily also if i do RW first i might have to pay for PPRW add on my self witch i could do but if the first way works better i would like to try it that way.

[ADRidge]

Honestly if you want to fly helicopters for a career, fly helicopters first. They're more expensive, and if you can get the VA to cover that, do it. The RW to FW add on is an easy one, and doesn't take much time.

[danr_657]

Thanks ADridge for your reply i guess what im looking for is if i would be screwing myself for a helicopter jobs because of having alot more time in fixed wing i want to get out of the work that im doing right now (A&P) at least full time ive always wanted to fly helicopters for a career but i would rather fly fixed wing than not fly at all im afraid that if i do rw only i might not find a job in this economy thats why i was going to do both

[rotorwashed]

If your going to use VA benefits, you should do it through a college. That way theyll pay for all your flight training including your ppl. If you want to get a job as a helicopter cfi youll need to start as a heli pilot. I doubt any flight schools are going to want to hire a fixed-wing cfi with a heli add on. Especially since most schools use the R22 anyway.

 

also, right now the va will pay for 60% of your ratings after private for vocation training, but starting in august they will cap that at $10,000 per year, which isnt a whole lot.

 

If I were you, I would get an associates using your va benefits and get your cfi training for free, then if you want add-on a fixed wing license and youll be much better off.

[Pohi]

Take a look at the job postings and that might answer some questions.

 

A majority of jobs list minimum hours of helicopter and helicopter PIC

 

5000 hours of airplane, and 600 hours helicopter still will not qualify a person for a 1000 hour helicopter job

 

Doing airplane teaching to pay the bills while slowly building helicopter time (even instructing helicopters) is an option, I know of people who have done it successfully.

 

My humble opinion is to do what you love.

 

Get a sugar mama to pay your bills while on the helicopter route :-)

 

Small disclamet however, I'm pretty much a big deal for the red team, almost MVP status, so take what you will with a grain of salt

[danr_657]

thanks for the info guys i know what you mean about jobs and what kind of hours you you have my worry is not getting a job as an instructor because the school im at needs airplane instructors more both programs im looking at would get me the training to be a CFII in helicopters its just the one way I could also get a job flying airplanes if there is no RW instructing jobs but im affraid that because of not having as much time in helicopters it would be hard to get a job instructing in them. I don't have anything against R22'a im just to tall to stay at a good weight to instruct in them

[Pohi]

That all depends on the school where you do training. I know several dual rated instructors who teach in both types at the same time.

 

You have legitimate concerns about the hours. The highest chance you have in landing a job is at the school you trained at, so I recommend asking the question to that school if you are dual rated with a rotorcraft add on if you will be able to instruct both.

 

Your helicopter instructing may start off slower in the beginning, but during the periods of low rotorcraft students, you will be able to still pay the bills from income earned on teaching fixed wing.

 

Besides that thought, who really knows. I would hire a pilot who is the most qualified to do the job I needed to have done. Sometimes that level of qualification has very little to do with hours.

 

I digress, I need to get back to my safety pilot duties before we hit a mountain.

[ADRidge]

I've contemplated doing the FW thing too, because things are so dismal right now on the helicopter side. From my research, I've found that the fixed wing side is almost as bad. I think there are more opportunities (banner towing, hauling skydivers, pipeline, etc) for FW guys than there are RW guys.

 

Like was mentioned previously though, most helicopter employers only care about helicopter time, so if you want a helicopter job, get those heli hours. If the school you're at now needs airplane instructors though, you may just want to go the FW route.

 

Pohi's advice is probably the most sound advice you've gotten so far. It certainly never hurts to be dual rated, but in my view, right now you have to go where the jobs are or it's just an expensive hobby.