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Posted

I've got two former instructors who work at Rucker right now. They like the hours and stuff, but it's incredibly repetitive as you can imagine. Basically you have to teach the entire private pilot suite of maneuvers, plus full downs and stuff, in 45 hours and change. And that's all you do.

Posted

It seems like a good way for a high time instructor to get some turbine time. It may be repetetive and boring, but so is flying tours I would imagine. One must build their turbine time somehow...

Posted

Yup, I spelled it out for the non locals. :)

Good one. LA sounds so much more exotic.

Posted

What are their general requirements to instruct at Ft. Rucker?

 

What I've been told is that their official requirements are fairly low... 1500 or so, but that they're being incredibly selective. Remember, you're also competing with guys who have had their fill of deployments and want to go back to Rucker to instruct. Both guys I know didn't even get a phone call until they had about 2-3k.

Posted

I am not sure if you are talking about the URS job instructing in a Bell 206 or the S3 job instructing in advanced military airframes (both at Rucker). I am a product of both as I have learned to fly UH-60's last year in Alabama.

 

I know the hours and pay are great for the PPL portion from URS. The minimums are officially 500hrs and a CFI(H). You can look it up easily on their website. I don't know if they hire many pilots with that low of hours. I know the hours are longer and minimums are higher for the advanced airframes while the pay is the same. The advantage is you get to fly with two engines and it's much more interesting (according to the instructors I have trained with). I am trying to increase my hours to get a job there ultimately. My family and I loved the nice people and great weather! My single friends hated the area. It was only 100 miles to the best beaches I have ever seen.

Posted

I was referring to instructing in the 206. Didnt know they would transition you in to larger airframes. I figured you would already have to be UH60 qualified to do that.

 

Retiring next summer from the PD where I work after 20 yrs. Fixing to start looking for that next job.

 

Five0

Posted

Okay. I didn't know your background so I didn't want to make any assumptions.

 

URS has the contract for primary training flight students in the 206. The job is ideal from my point of view. The students have to learn about the helicopter for half of the day in academic classes. The other half is where the instructors teach. This is why the hours are good. The teaching is repetitive and you are very limited on what you can do and where you can go (you are assigned a stage field each day). The instructors there for the most part have thousands of hours. Many of them are retired Vietnam UH-1 pilots. The students are prescreened and are motivated to learn (plus, they are getting paid to fly turbine helicopters).

 

As far as Enterprise, AL.... It is very inexpensive to live there. You can pick up a nice house for $125K-$200K. That is very affordable considering the job starts out at $72K. Once you get the idea that everyone is on a slower pace than the rest of America, you come to like it. Destin, FL and Panama City Beach are only 100 miles away. The city of Dothan, AL is only 30 miles away which is just like any city in the States with a shopping mall, Best Buy, Outback Steakhouse, etc.

 

BTW, they don't transition you to a larger airframe. Another company has the contract and you have to be experienced in the particular airframe (UH60, CH47, AH64, OH58D) to apply. You can switch from primary to instruments or Basic Warfighting Skills once you are hired at URS.

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