is the career worth the price of admission?

[DEEZALL]

ok.....almost exactly 6 years ago, i asked the same question....then i mentioned buying my own helicopter for the training...WOW... i dont think i got one positive reply! i think that was my first and until now my last time posting on here. at the time i was 44.......ya.....that makes me 50 now!! anyway...i bought my own helicopter ( which saved me about 40 grand in training), then sold it... i am sitting at 1200 hours right now pic. i am now about ready to start trying to get into the job market. i dont know what will happen, but i do know if this is a passion for you.....then do it!!! i would have regretted it for the rest of my life if i would not have at least tried!

why didn't you keep the heli and make a living with it? It was a 2seater? what kind was it? how did it save you that much money? most of the ones I've researched average at $210/ hour with insurance and pilot fees its the average $250/hour around here. you still had to pay a pilot for the time. in reality how much did it really save? because the thought has crossed my mind. Which doesn,t include the interest on the loan. unless you used an experimental, in which i was under the understanding that getting your ppl,cfi,cfii cpl had to be in faa certified machine? haha the more i learn the the more i realize i know nothing about this industry.

[richeh123]

i sold the helicopter after i got my cfi.....so i only ran up a little under 350 hours. been instructing, and flying anything anyone will allow me to do to build time. It was a hughes 300c with 3 seats. it saved me money because once i got my private my friends and whoever else would come along id fly around if they paid for fuel. i also did some tours sitting along a busy stretch of high way to offset more of the cost. ( yes i applied for my part 91 when i got my commercial) i ended up selling the helicopter for what i paid...so there was no component time lost. i had my maintenance and insurance is all. i had alot of luck....no problems! i never said it was easy or going to be easy but it can be done if you want it bad enough!

[r22butters]

i sold the helicopter after i got my cfi.....so i only ran up a little under 350 hours. been instructing, and flying anything anyone will allow me to do to build time. It was a hughes 300c with 3 seats. it saved me money because once i got my private my friends and whoever else would come along id fly around if they paid for fuel. i also did some tours sitting along a busy stretch of high way to offset more of the cost. ( yes i applied for my part 91 when i got my commercial) i ended up selling the helicopter for what i paid...so there was no component time lost. i had my maintenance and insurance is all. i had alot of luck....no problems! i never said it was easy or going to be easy but it can be done if you want it bad enough!

 

Hmm, when you said you were, "about ready to enter the job market", it sounded like you spent the last six years just joyriding around for 1200 hours?

 

Gotta tell ya that woukd have been something! At my financial best I was joyriding around two hours a week for a few years and believe me it gets boring pretty quick, couldn't have imagined doing it four hours a week for six years!

 

Anyway, you sold it for what you paid? That seems to be on par with the stories I've read about others who have done what you did.

[ByteFlighter]

Many moons ago when I was, I think 18, maybe 19, during the second week of my ground school class at Sierra Academy they showed us a film that displayed this very scenario.

 

,...I quit flight school the next day!

 

That job just seemed way too boring, no matter how much they make!

 

 

Right. Good choice. Making money and traveling the world is a stupid idea. Its totally cool though, one less person I'll have to share profit with

[r22butters]

Right. Good choice. Making money and traveling the world is a stupid idea. Its totally cool though, one less person I'll have to share profit with

You mean, share a cockpit with!

[DEEZALL]

i sold the helicopter after i got my cfi.....so i only ran up a little under 350 hours. been instructing, and flying anything anyone will allow me to do to build time. It was a hughes 300c with 3 seats. it saved me money because once i got my private my friends and whoever else would come along id fly around if they paid for fuel. i also did some tours sitting along a busy stretch of high way to offset more of the cost. ( yes i applied for my part 91 when i got my commercial) i ended up selling the helicopter for what i paid...so there was no component time lost. i had my maintenance and insurance is all. i had alot of luck....no problems! i never said it was easy or going to be easy but it can be done if you want it bad enough!

That make more sense then the way ! was looking at it. Building hours on someone else's dime is the way to do it ..... so I hear! Where did you find it? I definitely would like to look more into it. There may be a successful plan of action there. And it will fall into my end game if I were consider that avenue. Especially if it saves or earns back $40k in training!

[DEEZALL]

How would a flight school in Canada translate to FAA guidelines. I ask because you can go from "Wow a helicopter!" to Commercial pilot in 100 hours minimum. With out night flight(cfii). Here is where it gets interesting. because of the exchange rate for CAD and USD currency the training is about $20k cheaper for almost 200 hours. Their basic commercial cost is $57K CAD or $45K USD Kould this be something I should consider? I have decided whether or not I become a professional pilot for hire or what ever I will have tried and could still be a pleasure pilot. It's a fast pace training for 4 months straight. I've conversed with the facility a little by email. They say everything will translate to faa guidelines after a written test. a valid med or basic med and an interview with an FAA rep. Are they Blowing sunshine up my arss to get my money or is this a viable lead?

[richeh123]

stay away!! you cant work up there being a american.....its not impossible, but almost. lots of hoops to go through. whats your plan when you get a commercial? no one is going to hire you with 100 hours. its hard enough to find work with 1200 hours with all the proper licenses ....not just a commercial. if your going to do this.....go to a busy flight school. get all your ratings, spend 2-3 years of instructing! there is no easy way around this.