FREE R44 TIMEBUILDING

[NatHelSol]

Okay guys and girls, I may have been misleading a bit. I will be giving away the flight time in the Houston, TX area but I will not pay for lodging.

 

There is a potential for up to 60 hours or so in about a 14 day period.

 

Requirements:

 

Commercial Helicopter Pilot

Must have R44 Endorsement

Preferably Have RHC Safety Course

Preferably 300 TT Helicopter

 

 

Email me with questions or resumes etc.

 

Thaddeus@HeliHogHunt.com

[WolftalonID]

Email sent!

[gary-mike]

Oh no! You are taking away all the jobs guys are paying $300+ an hr to do!

 

Thanks for posting a truly great opportunity, I wish I qualified!

[eagle5]

So what does this classify as, volunteer work or a really, really, short internship?

[Matt321]

So pay to fly to Houston, pay for meals and lodging, and work for free. For 14 Days. Sign me up.

[JohnLeePettimore]

Yet another case of a guy who truly deserves a thumbs up for being a stand up guy who wants to help out the up and coming pilots. My hat's off to you, good sir.

[eagle5]

So, any takers?

[Flying Pig]

This isn't directed at any particular post... just a thought... or a few

 

The only ones I take issue with are the people who come on here and offer a list of made up endorsements like we have seen in the past. That really irritates me. Ive heard stories where pilots showed up to interviews with made up endorsements in their logbooks that they actually paid for because of some CFI taking advantage of them to pay for a ferry. If you are looking at this as anything beyond free flight time, then I think the point is being missed. Lets face it... nobody "needs" a 300hr pilot for anything. And when you are done... nobody will need a 360 hr pilot either.

 

The helicopter industry isn't unique, but the theme in the RW world is that the day you have a license we are suddenly of the belief that we are marketable. I think schools don't do any favors in that area. As we all know... a 300-500-800 hr pilot, unless they got some sweet deal and ended up doing something besides being a CFI doesn't really have any skills beyond maybe ferrying or some casual tours. For the most part, you have been flying your R22 or R44 pretty much like a Cessna 172. Ive been a CFI in both FW and RW. In the first few hundred hours, I hate to burst anyones bubbles, there really isn't much going on between the two beyond just learning and refining basics. Sorry to say, the 5hr long line class didn't really teach you anything. Your 5hr MD500 transition course didn't do anything except artificially boost your ego (I know because I was that guy) No, just because you flew an R22 does not mean you can "fly anything" despite what your CFI told you.

 

Industries covering the spectrum of professions have unpaid interns, volunteers trying to work to gain experience, Fire Depts and police departments have volunteer Reserve Officers trying to gain experience for the next round of full time hiring. Everyone knows this when they get into flying helicopters, but at the end, new students still stand at the FBO after everyone is done congratulating them on passing their CFI wondering why nobody will hire them like somehow their story was going to be different. The market is saturated with entry level pilots all scraping to find a way to get ahead somehow. The helicopter world is no different than any other product. An over abundance of supply drives the prices down. So considering pilots are working for free to get ahead tells me the market is pretty saturated at the entry level. When I live on a lake stocked with rainbow trout Im not going to go to the store and buy it.

 

So when a guy comes a long who says "I have 60hrs of flying I need done, but you'll need to cover your food and lodging" I don't see an issue with it at all. And if he's willing to bring you on with 300hrs TT, Id say your chances are good that its going to be some low skill level flying, but chances are it going to be something you haven't done before. And more than likely you'll leave with something more valuable than the 60hrs..... and that is something on your resume, a contact in your cell phone, a new Facebook friend and a future reference, and something beyond entering the traffic pattern 500ft lower than a Cessna 172.

 

So in the end, email the guy, find out what the deal is and work out an agreement and in the end, its always buyer beware. I will say... as a newer pilot I was boned more by people who said they were willing to pay me, where the volunteer time-building I did pretty much ended up being what it I was told it would be. So who knows.... I figure in about 6 months Ill be coming up on 2000 turbine helicopter, 1600 airplane and Im still open to volunteering some time if its doing something unique and interesting in a new place. I can tell you, if I was in Houston, Id be calling this guy and seeing what the deal is. If it was interesting, Id burn some vacation time and hit it if it met MY needs.

 

Some of the advice I've taken from a senior pilot I know is that you haven't arrived in this industry until your employer needs you more than you need them. And the guy who told me that had about 15,000hrs. He laughed and said "someday Ill be that guy." ​

[eagle5]

A 172 past me up the other night on approach, I was going so slow I may as well have been in a hover. Then I did my usual vertical takeoff with a 90° pedal turn and went around again. Then I tried that backwards takeoff I read about. If a 172 can do that then I got the wrong certificate, 'cause they're a butt load cheaper to rent!

[R22139RJ]

@FlyingPig, I'm insulted you think of my instruction time with you as a 172 traffic pattern

 

Hindsight, obviously I should of chopped the throttle on you.

[Flying Pig]

You didn't treat me like the other girls

[CharyouTree]

If I had the Robinson endorsement, I'd be on this in a heartbeat. Damn.

[eagle5]

I looked into it. Its giving 3 minute rides at a festival/rodeo. Seems to me it'd take a hellavalot of those to add up to anything close to 60 hours in just 2 weeks, especially if you're sharing time with him?

[Jaybee]

I looked into it. Its giving 3 minute rides at a festival/rodeo. Seems to me it'd take a hellavalot of those to add up to anything close to 60 hours in just 2 weeks, especially if you're sharing time with him?

 

So he wants a tour pilot to give tours, for free.

[Flying Pig]

Id think it could be done. There was an airshow at my airport and they had 2 44s here doing laps around the pattern. In 2 days I think they did about 20+hrs. I think the only time they shut down was for gas and pee breaks.

[Jaybee]

With collective activated Hobbs on the 44 we fly non stop every day 9 hours a day and average 6 - 6.5 hours on the Hobbs down here in Florida.

[Pohi]

I'm with the flying pig on this one. I have a flying job and I'd still do some commercial work just for the pure fun of doing something different.

 

I still love to fly and have enough money to pay my bills. Given the choice of sitting home watching TV on my off hitch or cruising around in a friends helicopter, the choice is easy for me.

[Jaybee]

I don't agree on this one. Ride hops at the fair is exactly what a 300 hour pilot should be doing. I've helped my flight instructor as a ground crew when he gave the 3 minute hops after his airshow. There is no reason you can't make 800 - 1000 dollars per hour giving ride hops. There is no reason you can't pay an appropriately rated pilot. Ride hops are neither exciting or challenging it is no different then a lap around the pattern except add the screaming kids but for most 3 minute hop ops they don't get headsets to scream into

[Jaybee]

I don't agree on this one. Ride hops at the fair is exactly what a 300 hour pilot should be doing. I've helped my flight instructor as a ground crew when he gave the 3 minute hops after his airshow. There is no reason you can't make 800 - 1000 dollars per hour giving ride hops. There is no reason you can't pay an appropriately rated pilot. Ride hops are neither exciting or challenging it is no different then a lap around the pattern except add the screaming kids but for most 3 minute hop ops they don't get headsets to scream into

[Flying Pig]

OK... I wouldn't take vacation to give rides for free But thats just me

[Jaybee]

Yea if it was like 10 hours in a Skycrane or a Huey I would take vacation myself. Ride hops in a 44, no.

[Pohi]

I understand your point of view, Jaybee. Each person has to figure out what is worth their time and what isn't. I see this as an opportunity for someone to get some valid experience for free, rather than paying someone $300+ an hour to ferry their aircraft to somewhere it was already going to go.

 

I'm not going to give anybody crap about offering to give people free time in their aircraft, even if it's 3 min at a time for two weeks. Who knows, maybe the owner will get confidence in the pilot after a few days and send them out on their own the rest of the week, or next time they are doing rides has the pilot do it by themselves and pays them. Or, maybe you simply make a good friend (who happens to own a helicopter).

 

I believe that opportunities are made, and something small can be built up into something bigger.

[Flying Pig]

Heck when I was doing instructing in FW we would give rides on the weekends and I still got lunch and $10 a flight for laps in a 172. but again, I enjoyed it and wasn't actually doing it for the money.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Flying Pig

[Jaybee]

I understand your point of view, Jaybee. Each person has to figure out what is worth their time and what isn't. I see this as an opportunity for someone to get some valid experience for free, rather than paying someone $300+ an hour to ferry their aircraft to somewhere it was already going to go.

 

I'm not going to give anybody crap about offering to give people free time in their aircraft, even if it's 3 min at a time for two weeks. Who knows, maybe the owner will get confidence in the pilot after a few days and send them out on their own the rest of the week, or next time they are doing rides has the pilot do it by themselves and pays them. Or, maybe you simply make a good friend (who happens to own a helicopter).

 

I believe that opportunities are made, and something small can be built up into something bigger.

 

First thanks for the civil response

 

I just don't see how in my experience with giving tour rides (which is not the end all be all... ) that he couldn't afford to pay. The company I work for works a county fair once a year. They clean up. I have a real hard time believing anyone gives ride hops at the fair and can't afford to pay someone. I guess its possible but as I said I don't believe it. It is easier for me to believe they are taking advantage of a situation ( a needy pilot ) to further their profit margin. I say this knowing it is possible I am wrong but I doubt that I am.

[NatHelSol]

Ahh, now that I e gone through 20+ emails of interested individuals...

 

I'll explain.

 

There's a lot of truth in just about everybody's responses.

 

I'll explain my angle.

 

1. I could do all 96 hours in September myself.

(In TX heat I'd be dead by October)

 

2. There are pilots who transition from FW to helicopters and don't even have the hours to instruct with their brand new CFII. (200)

(I expected more emails from these types)

 

3. Does anybody have a clue what adding a 200-300 hour pilot to a helicopter policy that had aerial hunting coverage?

(Hint: It's a lot)

 

4. If someone needs or desires flight time, and I have a job in which they realistically can fly, they can have the hours. (3 minute hops can be done by just about any commercial helicopter pilot, unless they're large in size)

 

5. I'm expanding - and like many have mentioned, the guy or girl that I have come down will be the first name I go to.

 

All that being said, check out the websites. Like our facebook page.

 

For anyone that's curious - one of the very first 2 or 3 people to email me got the gig.

 

I could've had 1,000 hour plus pilots with worlds of knowledge experience blah blah blah...

 

I chose someone with far less than that. I chose based on resume content and the time they took in their email.

 

I got a lot of - "hey I want the free flight time" emails.

 

But I also got one that took the opportunity for what it was and approached me professionally.

 

I get all kinds of people wanting to fly for me. Some have 200 hours, some have 2,000.

 

www.HeliHogHunt.com

 

www.NationalHelicopterSolutions.com