No intrument ticket in the GOM

[cg1641]

Are there any companies in the GOM that does not require an instrument ticket? Or does anyone have advice on jobs with 1,500 + and no instrument ticket? Thanks for any help.

[Gomer Pylot]

Not that I'm aware of. Maybe some of the very small bottom-feeder companies, but all the major companies require an instrument ticket.

 

I suggest you bite the bullet and get instrument rated. It's required almost everywhere, both in the GOM and for most EMS companies. In order to be CAMTS certified, any EMS company must have all instrument-rated pilots, even if they're only flying 206s or similar. Without an instrument rating, you're just not competitive, and won't even be considered for most jobs.

Edited March 22, 2007 by Gomer Pylot

[delorean]

Some companies in the GOM don't require it. Rotorcraft Leasing is one of them.

 

Other options.....Temsco, Coastal, etc in Alaska doing tours. Sign up now because their season starts next month.

 

Some Vegas tour operators don't require one either. I'd bet all the Hawaii ones do though.

 

Best thing to do is to submit your resume to all of them and see what happens. Don't bother with EMS though--that's almost a must because of the insurance and CAMTS.

[Voluptuary5]

Sorry, but what's CAMTS?

 

 

-V5

[arotrhd]

CAMTS - The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services.

www.camts.org

 

In short, it is an independent air med standardization organization. Basically, operators file an application when they feel they have met the minimum criteria, go through documentation, have a QA program ready and then they get audited and then either pass/fail. If pass, they become a member and will be subject to maintaining levels of patient care, ops, med crew + pilot min qualifications, blah blah blah. If fail, try again or ??? Get CAMTS certified for med trans is analogous to TOPS for tour operators or HAI platinum program of safety (ok, the last would be a stretch). It shows that the operators are trying to go the extra mile, but it doesn't mean it always works. But it isn't a bad organization...they are very proactive, not necessarily reactive like others.

 

Good question.

 

-WATCH FOR THE WIRES-

[Voluptuary5]

CAMTS - The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services.

www.camts.org

 

In short, it is an independent air med standardization organization. Basically, operators file an application when they feel they have met the minimum criteria, go through documentation, have a QA program ready and then they get audited and then either pass/fail. If pass, they become a member and will be subject to maintaining levels of patient care, ops, med crew + pilot min qualifications, blah blah blah. If fail, try again or ??? Get CAMTS certified for med trans is analogous to TOPS for tour operators or HAI platinum program of safety (ok, the last would be a stretch). It shows that the operators are trying to go the extra mile, but it doesn't mean it always works. But it isn't a bad organization...they are very proactive, not necessarily reactive like others.

 

Good question.

 

-WATCH FOR THE WIRES-

 

Arotrhd,

 

I apologize. I forgot to say thanks for the info!

 

Thanks!

 

-V5

[Fly for food]

Get an instrument ticket - you don't want to have to work for the smaller companies in the gulf that don't care if you have one or not - usually you find there is alot of pther things they don't care about either.

 

Besides the IFR ticket is not there to allow you to fly into the crappiest weather, its there to help you get out of inadvertant IMC - and that my friend is why it is worth it's weight in paper.

 

Got to look at this much more pragmatically. The airport is fogged in, there are some low clouds above, and cruddy rain all the way to your detination. You may break out at the oil rig at 200ft with 3/4 mile vis. Can you fly this on an instrument ticket - maybe - but will you still make that decision to go - you got to be kidding.

 

FFF

[Gomer Pylot]

It all depends on the load (fuel available), the alternates available, and the way the weather is developing. You don't have to go back to the same place you took off from. If you can't fly to minimums, then you have no business flying at all. I've turned down flights with the weather better than minimums, and I've taken flights that I knew were going to be at minimums, at best. It depends on lots of things, and we get paid for using our judgement.

 

You're right in that the instrument ticket is just to get you out of a bind if you're flying light ships, but you will eventually be expected to move into IFR mediums or heavies, and without the instrument ticket you simply can't fly those. The companies that don't require an instrument ticket generally fly only 206s or similar, and expect you to stay in light ships as long as you stay with them, and don't expect you to stay that long anyway.

Edited April 7, 2007 by Gomer Pylot

[Fly for food]

It all depends on the load (fuel available), the alternates available, and the way the weather is developing. You don't have to go back to the same place you took off from. If you can't fly to minimums, then you have no business flying at all. I've turned down flights with the weather better than minimums, and I've taken flights that I knew were going to be at minimums, at best. It depends on lots of things, and we get paid for using our judgement.

 

You're right in that the instrument ticket is just to get you out of a bind if you're flying light ships, but you will eventually be expected to move into IFR mediums or heavies, and without the instrument ticket you simply can't fly those. The companies that don't require an instrument ticket generally fly only 206s or similar, and expect you to stay in light ships as long as you stay with them, and don't expect you to stay that long anyway.

 

 

True - you don't have to go back to the same place you took off from but usually fuel load determines where your alternate will be. It also depends alot on the company you are working for. Some like you to go no matter what, others, like the one I work for, take the view that the oil will be in the ground tomorrow so don't break your neck trying today if you don't have to. My company is also happy to let me make the decision, not the oil company or the helicopter base manager. I don't get pressured to fly, and that's why I think my judgement is actually what they are paying for.

 

Furthermore, in my experience - while I have all the skills and the medium IFR ship needed to fly to minimums, my passengers often don't have the bottle............who cares?, well, the oil company they work for cares - because sadly the oil company is more interested if you scare a passenger flying at 200ft and 3/4 mile vis than in weather it was legal to do it or not.

 

My main point is this - an instrument ticket, while hard to get, complicated to study for and by far the gardest of the checkrides has been more than worth its weight in gold. I am sure it has saved my life several times, and made me a better pilot. If I really didn't want to do an instrument ticket I think I would be considering jobs like tours or ENG - where clearly flying in the clouds deliberately is not going to happen.

 

FFF