Raptor50 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 To the experienced ones out there, I have a couple questions. I am a 4000hr ATP fixed wing pilot with 121, 135, and CFI experience. I am interested in the idea of flight instructing and perhaps down the road, build a 1000RW for a commercial RW job. If I were to earn my commercial and instrument RW ratings, I estimate I would have about 70 RW hours and about $20,000 invested in training. I know one should not assume, but I will assume 4000tt FW and 70RW will not get me a RW job, even a CFI RW position!! Am I correct on this? I have heard to teach in schwiezers you must have 150RW, robinsons 200RW, so how can I gain an additional 80 hr RW for schwiezers or an additional 130 RW hrs for Robinson? My second question is down the road after instructing in RW, let's say even just 300 RW, do you think the RW commercial job flight time requirements would be lower than average for a fixed wing pilot with high total time or are the RW flight time requirements pretty much fixed? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apiaguy Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 1... you don't need 150 rw to teach in schweizers.2.. No, the commercial job requirements will not change for a high time FW guy on the RW time requirements... that doesn't mean that the FW time is worthless... it just means that for somebody you don't know to hire you, you'll need their flight time requirements. It may be possible to get in with an operator because of your extensive FW experience and start flying RW with fewer hours than would be required by somebody that is RW only time.3.. flight time experience levels are only "fixed" by the operator... some operators insurance will specify minimums, but I have seen that even those are flexible with a little more money... operators just don't want to pay anymore when there are plenty of pilots to fill the spots they need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r22butters Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 1... you don't need 150 rw to teach in schweizers. 50hrs TT helicopter35hrs PIC helicopter15hrs PIC S300 (I belive they're Sikorsky now?) For a Robbie:200hrs TT helicopter50hrs R22 I think that's right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pohi Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 IMHO, depends on what you are doing. I have a friend who is possibly in the same position that you are talking about. I wouldn't exactly consider him high time, but he has the airplane ratings with about 5k hours of time in jets like Lear and citations, and a commercial helicopter add on rating and perhaps 100-150 hours. He mostly does corporate flying at the moment but wants to fly more helicopters. He is working on getting a job flying both. However, he did get offered an EMS job flying for a company who has king air and 206. The chief pilot said that until he gets 300 hours helicopter he can't fly those, but once he gets there then they can transition him over. So, it is possible, and with the right job you might be able to use that fixed wing time to slowly work your way into a helicopter position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raptor50 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 50hrs TT helicopter35hrs PIC helicopter15hrs PIC S300 (I belive they're Sikorsky now?) For a Robbie:200hrs TT helicopter50hrs R22 I think that's right? Ok, so am I understanding you correctly R22butters, typical minimums to teach in S300 helicopters are just 50 hours? If I choose to seek training in R22s, how could I possibly bridge the gap between having approximately 85 RW after commercial add on, instrument, and CFI to meeting the 200hr RW requirement? Ideally, my neighbor would have a nice helicopter with a helipad in his yard and he'd ask me to go flying all the time, but of course that is just a dream! Any suggestions? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeroscout Posted January 29, 2012 Report Share Posted January 29, 2012 Depending on your wherewithal, you could buy an assembled kit helicopter, fly some hours on it till you have the requisite amount, and then probably sell it for close to what you bought it. There is Boatpix, but I have only heard about them, and most of it wasn't complimentary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r22butters Posted January 30, 2012 Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 Ok, so am I understanding you correctly R22butters, typical minimums to teach in S300 helicopters are just 50 hours? If I choose to seek training in R22s, how could I possibly bridge the gap between having approximately 85 RW after commercial add on, instrument, and CFI to meeting the 200hr RW requirement? Ideally, my neighbor would have a nice helicopter with a helipad in his yard and he'd ask me to go flying all the time, but of course that is just a dream! Any suggestions? Thanks I was just quoting 61.129©, 50hrs in helicopters for the Commercial, and 61.183(j), 15hrs PIC catagory/class for CFI. Whether or not someone would hire you with just that amount is anyone's guess? As for going the Robbie route, you'll just have to "bite the bullet" and pay for it. You could possibly buy a Mosquito (helicycle) , I think you can get them already built for around 40k?,...or there's Boatpix (probably the cheapest "time-building" around). My advice would be to talk with Bristow Academy about flying the S300,...or Colorado Heliops (I think they use it as well?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatpix Posted January 30, 2012 Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 Everything you have ever heard from someone that went through the BOATPIX program is complimentary. But you have to talk to someone that is in the program and has a company credit card and all that but they are not on these forums. The program is that you pay for r22 time at $200/hour and for each hour you buy into the program you get an hour in return as a paid pilot. The inurance requires 300 hours helo, cfi(h) and 100 hours on the boat photo program and you fly in sunny Florida or California and usually with free housing and a TON of good times. Check out www.r22.us which is an advertiser on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r22butters Posted January 30, 2012 Report Share Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) Just out of curiosity... You need 35hrs PIC in helicopters for the Commercial. If you cannot log helicopter PIC time until you have a helicopter rating, how do you get all that PIC time? Do you get a solo endorsement for all of it?, or do you have to get the "Private" first? Edited January 30, 2012 by r22butters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pohi Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 It can be done either way. Fly until the solo endorsement, then solo the 35 hours, or get private certificate first. All depends on the situation, and/or personal preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotorrodent Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 It can be done either way. Fly until the solo endorsement, then solo the 35 hours, or get private certificate first. All depends on the situation, and/or personal preference. ...nah... one is better off getting the Private Certificate, then, you don't have to fly PIC under the direction of a CFI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotorrodent Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Just out of curiosity... You need 35hrs PIC in helicopters for the Commercial. If you cannot log helicopter PIC time until you have a helicopter rating, how do you get all that PIC time? Do you get a solo endorsement for all of it?, or do you have to get the "Private" first? I would recommend that you do the Private first. Too many folks push for minimum times on ratings, whereas going from FW to RW, there are things that you will be glad for the 35 hrs if not more! I did the FW to RW, Private, Commercial, CFI, & CFII, all add-ons. After all of that, I had about 160 hrs. Glad for every minute of "experience" in rotorcraft... It saved my life on more than one occasion : ) Read my quote until it sinks in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pohi Posted February 1, 2012 Report Share Posted February 1, 2012 ...nah... one is better off getting the Private Certificate, then, you don't have to fly PIC under the direction of a CFI. That would be your personal preference :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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