This just makes me want to cry,...or become an airline pilot :(

[r22butters]

Now that I can no longer fly for fun, it seems that if I ever want to fly again, I have to get hired to do so,...which sucks balls 'cause I really don't want a flying career anymore!

 

I would actually love to take this job, a part-time flying gig sounds great, but $10-$15 bucks a day!

 

Even when I had just one months experience driving a semi I was able to get a part-time job driving one just four hours a day for $100 bucks a day!

 

I realise R44 tour operations aren't huge money makers and entry level pilots have to pay their dues and all, but we should be worth more than a burger flipper!,...or at least equal to an entry level truck driver!

 

,...shouldn't we?

 

 

 

I don't know,...if the job included a place to stay, then,...maybe I could make it work?

 

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

 

Need a part-time tour pilot for the off season to fly tours 1-2 days per week. Average 1.0-1.5 flight hrs/day. Opportunity to move up to full-time flying beginning early Spring 2020. If needed, we can also offer some ground time hours working in hangar and ground crew, etc. to supplement non-flying days. $10/hr plus tips.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

 

Prefer 500TT Rotor & 50 PIC in R44

Will consider 350TT & 25 PIC in R44

[choppaguy84]

I read about that. Flying a helicopter is worth more $$. I've been trying to get started for years but life keeps getting in the way. $10 an hour in Florida cost of living??? No thanks. We're worth more than this.

[Chewberta]

Its sad to read that piloting a helicopter, which requires a significant investment, is as remunerated as other activities which do not involve similar skill level, demand lower monetary outlay and carry little to no responsibility.

[adam32]

Sadly, a low timer that thinks "being a helicopter pilot" is the coolest thing to tell the girls in the bar, will take that job with a smile on his face since his parents will be paying the rest of his bills.

[Chewberta]

Sadly, a low timer that thinks "being a helicopter pilot" is the coolest thing to tell the girls in the bar, will take that job with a smile on his face since his parents will be paying the rest of his bills.

So true. If therere offering 10 its because some will eventually bite into it, otherwise theyd be forced to up the ante

[Hobie]

In the short term this operator may think he is getting a good deal using a cheap pilot. I wonder out loud that the pilot knows he is being taken advantage of and may not be treating the equipment as well as it needs to be nor being 100% committed to the job task.

 

What I mean is he may not be 100% focused on situational awareness and may become sloppy, complacent, etc, possibly contributing to a crash.

 

Like the videos we have seen with the pilot fueling while boarding pax, coming in low and hot, etc.

[octagon]

I don't understand the economics of this. An R-44 is worth around three quarters of a million dollars these days, how does it make economic sense to put the machine in the hands of a pilot who will accept $10/hour in wages? I guess there are highly skilled, experienced pilots who are retired and just want to fly?

[r22butters]

I don't understand the economics of this. An R-44 is worth around three quarters of a million dollars these days, how does it make economic sense to put the machine in the hands of a pilot who will accept $10/hour in wages? I guess there are highly skilled, experienced pilots who are retired and just want to fly?

What exactly is your complaint here?

 

That the R44 should only be flown by experienced pilots?

 

- or -

 

That a pilot who is willing to fly for $10 bucks an hour must be a lousy pilot?

 

,...because I gotta tell ya. If I were in Florida making a good living off of my dream job (monorail driver) then I would take this job ('cause the sh*t pay wouldn't matter) just to get some air time for an hour or so every week,...and I am neither an experienced nor lousy pilot!

 

Just because this industry treats its young like dog sh*t, doesn't mean we are dog sh*t!

[octagon]

Sorry, butters, didn't mean to sound like it was a complaint or anything. Your explanation makes sense. I just have never seen an industry with this dynamic before, it's really strange to me.

[r22butters]

Yes, this is a pretty f*cked up industry.

 

I do wonder though, what the passengers would say after one of those five minute flights over the beach, if they learned that their pilot had just made only 0.83 cents for his efforts?

 

,...yeah, it takes a while to come to grips with just how little we are worth in the beginning.

[urs151]

I don't understand the economics of this. An R-44 is worth around three quarters of a million dollars these days, how does it make economic sense to put the machine in the hands of a pilot who will accept $10/hour in wages? I guess there are highly skilled, experienced pilots who are retired and just want to fly?

Just curious? What other machine would you put a pilot in for $10/hour? From my understanding, once you go turbine, the insurance rates go through the roof and small tour companies can't afford it

[takefootoff]

Stop egging Butters on, we can't afford to loose him to the airlines.

[supergokougt]

What about unpaid internships?

[r22butters]

What about unpaid internships?

Last time I talked with these guys they said the first three months were "unpaid". then $20/hr (not clock hour) thereafter.

 

I don't know if they still do it that way, but this is as close to an upaid "internship" as I have ever seen.

 

JOB DESCRIPTION

 

R44 Helicopter Tours of Los Angeles and Malibu. Photo flights. Great time building and experience for building up enough hours to move on to turbine jobs.

 

JOB REQUIREMENTS

 

Minimum Commercial pilot preferably CFI and CFII. We require a minimum of 500 rotorcraft hours to start. Preferable 100 hours in the R44. It is important to be near KVNY. Flights do come up quickly and pilots do need to be on call at times. Pilots do need to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the USA. Please forward all resumes and questions to mail@liteflighthelicopters.com. Please do not call the number on the website.

 

EMPLOYER

Lite Flight Helicopters

Lite Flight

 

Van Nuys Ca CA 91406

United States

By the way, this is a recent ad,...you just have to wade through three pages of HEMS ads to find it.

Edited September 25, 2019 by r22butters