"Not going to get rich flying Helicopters"

[auto360]

I come from the "Over the Road" trucking industry and always here older drivers tell new drivers this. Now as I'm doing research for my career in flying I'm hearing the same slogan. Yeah-No kidding. But thats not exactly true. You just won't get rich over night...and that includes most jobs!!! Its called living below your means and investing in such things as an IRA at the minimum. My last year in truck driving I made just over $52,000. I was ok with that. Sure more would be great but in due time. GOM starts off in the $48,000 range. GREAT! Over time pay...even better!! I have learned to not judge people on 1st impressions but when I hear that "won't get rich" I imediately think that this person has made mistakes in life and possibley does not have good finacial understanding or simply likes to blame others for their problems. I know alot truckers that whine and complain and it gets SOOO old. I for one would love to be able to fly till I'm 70. I may want to be flying a little more on my terms and maybe not "80 hr" weeks but still. So to those that use that slogan I ask you please think about it before saying it, many times your stating what "we new people" already know and it makes you look old and spiteful. Let the person asking the questions decide what they can handle finacially. Sorry, maybe I'm taking this too literally but I have heard it too many times.

[CYGNUS I]

It's not about getting rich now is it? It's about the dream, the freedom, getting to do what you've always wanted, and doing what most will never fathem. Not being able to wait to get up and go to work the next morning. Yeah I might not get rich but so f-ing what I'll be making more than I was in my previous endevors and loving evey minute of it. Thats a great life in my opinion!

Later

[Superman]

I’m sure you’ve all heard how to make a small fortune in Aviation………

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start with a big one.

 

 

Clark

[Autorotator]

You seem to sound a little "spitefull" yourself. What was the point of your post, to end an age old phrase? Anyway, I don't think there are to many of us that are in it to get rich flying, but in it for the love of aviation. The money is decent, but should be more for the risk factor. I don't fly fixed wing but I'm pretty sure it's harder to keep a helicopter in the air than it is an airplane. There is no time for coffee. Another thing, nobody flies 80 hrs a week. I'm done.....for now.

[Voluptuary5]

Here's a great quote getting to your point about helicopters being harder to fly. I think I've seen it on here before but none-the-less, it is still fun to read every once-and-a-while.

 

"The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by its very nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by a deliberately incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance to this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter."

? -Harry Reasoner's Comments, ABC Radio circa 1970

 

-V5

[Guest pokey]

It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance to this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter."

? -Harry Reasoner's Comments, ABC Radio circa 1970

 

-V5

 

 

Harry was 'kinda' close. I like to think of ALL the forces, controls, pilot, stresses,materials,metallurgy, engineering, testing & everything else, work in perfect harmony together, and they "usually" do.

 

helicopters DO glide Harry, just with a different ratio fom say a glider, jet airliner, cessna.

[auto360]

Oh NO...I'm not trying to be spiteful. Its just I hear it so much that I'm not sure why because I guess when I meet a pilot I expect to hear how much they love flying. I mean, you don't just fall into a pilots position, alot of hard work and money involved. So when I hear that phrase it makes the pilot seem negative which I hate to hear because I want everyone happy. When someone asked me about trucking I always told them how much I love it. Although, just because I love it doesn't mean its for eveyone. I don't try to convince others to do it, it just suited me. Most likely it probaly just boils down to to an individuals attitude towards life itself. And, you ask the point of the post...well, I was curious to see what kind of responses I would see. But me angry...NO WAY!!!

[auto360]

You seem to sound a little "spitefull" yourself. What was the point of your post, to end an age old phrase? Anyway, I don't think there are to many of us that are in it to get rich flying, but in it for the love of aviation. The money is decent, but should be more for the risk factor. I don't fly fixed wing but I'm pretty sure it's harder to keep a helicopter in the air than it is an airplane. There is no time for coffee. Another thing, nobody flies 80 hrs a week. I'm done.....for now.

 

 

Autorotator,

 

I put that "80 hr" weeks in their as just an exageration. What kind of flying do you do? Do you fly in Ok? How long have you been flying? But as me being spiteful...just pissed at myself for not saving the money up sooner for school.

[Autorotator]

I guess I took your post the wrong way, so for that, I appologize. I fly corporate out of OK. We have 30 stores over different states including, MO,AR,KS,TX, and OK. I fly buyers and execs around. Good gig. I am a fairly new newbie, I've been flying accident free since 2003. By the way, it's never too late to start a flying career. I don't know how old you are but I didn't start until I was 25. I was going to school with a guy that was in his +40's, and ended up being my commercial instructor. Sounds like you've saved up some money and are ready to start your new career, good luck. Later

[r8z^]

I guess I took your post the wrong way, so for that, I appologize. I fly corporate out of OK. We have 30 stores over different states including, MO,AR,KS,TX, and OK. I fly buyers and execs around. Good gig. I am a fairly new newbie, I've been flying accident free since 2003. By the way, it's never too late to start a flying career. I don't know how old you are but I didn't start until I was 25. I was going to school with a guy that was in his +40's, and ended up being my commercial instructor. Sounds like you've saved up some money and are ready to start your new career, good luck. Later

 

 

I want to become a helicopter pilot because I love helicopters and It is my dream. I originally wanted to go into the Army to get the free training, but didn't qualify. So now I must sacrafice a lot in order to save up my money and chase my dream.

 

I am thinking about becoming a truck driver myself. It's a totally different lifestyle but you can save up a lot of money living on the road, from what I hear.

 

Rich or not, I don't care.

[mechanic]

Found this listing on the JH site.

 

Position: Oil Industry Pilot Posted: 5/30/2007Company :

Excaliber Support Services

(p) 337-893-1088

(f) 337-893-8841

(e) landryteam@aol.com

Contact Person :

Chris Landry

 

Job Location :

Louisiana Job Description:

Bell 206L Commercial Instrument Required First Class Medical Required Min. 2500 hrs Total Time Sling/Longline Experience Required (1000 hrs Longline Preferred) Job in Houma, LA Area Starting Pay, $82,500 annually

 

And, this one on VR site.

Position Description: SKY Helicopters, Inc. has another full-time CFII position open in Dallas, TX. Applicants must have passed the RHC Safety Course and have an SFAR 73 sign-off. Preferred candidate has experience in both R22 and Schweizer 300CBi helicopters. SKY conducts Instrument instruction in the R22 IFR, 300CBi IFR, and the FLYIT Helicopter simulator. Part of the job includes photo flights, tours, and aerial survey work in the DFW area. Salaried position starts at $36,500 and increases with experience. Benefits include health insurance, paid holidays, and lots of flight time. Send résumé to: HR@skyhelicopters.com or fax 214 342 8616.

www.skyhelicopters.com Contact FAX: 214 342 8616 Contact Email: HR@Skyhelicopters.com Contact Phone: 214 349 7000 Contact Name: Connie Pyatt Website: http://www.skyhelicopters.com Job Location:

[auto360]

I want to become a helicopter pilot because I love helicopters and It is my dream. I originally wanted to go into the Army to get the free training, but didn't qualify. So now I must sacrafice a lot in order to save up my money and chase my dream.

 

I am thinking about becoming a truck driver myself. It's a totally different lifestyle but you can save up a lot of money living on the road, from what I hear.

 

Rich or not, I don't care.

 

 

r8z,

 

As you know I used to drive OTR for 11 yrs. Yes, you can normally save money faster if you drive then you can having an equally paying "normal" job.

I can help you if you. I have been putting together an outline for people interested in truck driving that I believe will help them immensley when considering a job as a truck driver. My goal in this is to help as many potential people as I can by giving them a head start and most importantly what to expect plus it can save them thousands of dollars in mistakes. Anyway, if you like, e-mail me at Gotroks@aol.com and I will help you the best I can. You can be my first customer

[Phil77]

heard that some of the senior, senior, senior captains flying part 91 for the big pharmaceutical companies here in the northeast (NJ, PA, NY) make +/- $180k a year.

certainly having "a few" thousand hours in S-76's and some seniority.

[Crusty Old Dude]

Oh NO...I'm not trying to be spiteful. Its just I hear it so much that I'm not sure why because I guess when I meet a pilot I expect to hear how much they love flying. I mean, you don't just fall into a pilots position, alot of hard work and money involved. So when I hear that phrase it makes the pilot seem negative which I hate to hear because I want everyone happy. When someone asked me about trucking I always told them how much I love it. Although, just because I love it doesn't mean its for eveyone. I don't try to convince others to do it, it just suited me. Most likely it probaly just boils down to to an individuals attitude towards life itself. And, you ask the point of the post...well, I was curious to see what kind of responses I would see. But me angry...NO WAY!!!

It's funny that you brought this quote up. I was just thinking about it today and I agree. How many things can you do and "get rich" anyway?

 

The statement comes, I'm guessing, from the amount of time and money that needs to be spent even learning how to fly, and the "internship" of an additional amount of time at very low pay prior to earning said $48 to 51K. That isn't a lot of money, but consider all of the various college students out there that have accrued $40K in student loans for a 'business' or 'liberal arts' degree and then don't use it. OR they start at $42K a year and get the 3% annual raise for the next decade...while the HVAC guy that spent about a year of training and another several as an apprentice now earns $45/hour. (this is an EXAMPLE ONLY of a profession that might not cost a lot in training $$ as much as it takes apprenticeship. But you DO get paid as an apprentice.)

 

There are so many students that I graduated with that racked up $23,000 to $28,000 in student debt, and then took jobs at $10 to 15.00 per hour for the NEXT DECADE before wising up and moving. Or they just lacked focus and a good resume/interview skills. I personally worked with a guy who went from a $12.00 an hour job to one paying about $65,000 a year but languished for about 8 years due to lack of direction (ambition too?).

 

It's all about drive, ambition, and having focus and a plan. It's also weighing very heavily the amount of debt that can be quickly accrued when pursuing this career. Going into a full $70K of student debt to get into this career field without a clear plan of paying at least 1/2 off very quickly can prove to be a very poor return on investment unless you're beginning very young (an opinion not a "fact").

 

There's no "getting rich" in many professions, and yet many professions do cost several thousands of dollars in education to even get involved in them. Flying just happens to rack up the costs in one years' worth of time. There are no $10,000 VoTech flight schools out there...the entry fee is steep indeed. But consider what you are doing. You are eventually piloting someone else for a living. It should take a lot of time, practice, and money to do something like this. Plus you are FLYING A HELICOPTER for a living. You are also being paid $51,000 a year (plus OT) to fly something that costs your employer no less than $300.00 an hour to operate (or $X to lease, or whatever). And if you don't like what so-and-so pays, then go find another job. You'll only get into demand more with more time and experience. Don't like the salary? Negotiate more or go to another company.

 

Enough of the soap box. This comes from a guy who already climbed the ladder once and moved many times to make the career what it is now. Sacrafice is a REQUIREMENT for anything worth obtaining. There are few professions that make a lot of $$ up front, cost little to get into, and/or do not require any sacrifice. They just aren't there...

Edited June 6, 2007 by Crusty Old Dude

[mechanic]

Crusty Old Dude,

That was a good point and post. I would like to add my few cents worth. As a mechanic I have many avenues of lines of work to get into. I could work just about anywhere I wanted.

 

A mechanic helper from our shop went to UTI Houston, Tx and took the Auto/Diesel Tech Course, was about 12 months, and the cost was nearly $29,000.00. He can get free update training for life, though. He was making $12.00 hr in school and now after graduation, is making $14.00. A state trade school in 87' was gonna cost me about $16 grand for a AAS in Automotive, I went in the Air Force instead of paying $16 grand. I recieved a free 4 month trade school in light and heavy trucks plus a year intern program, and was paid the whole time. I now have about 39 crds towards an AAS in Automotive that cost me $000.00. And, 17 crds from a local Jr. College that cost me about $1,200.00, the cost of the GI Bill.

 

I stay here in the country, get home from work in about 6 min's, have more work than I can do. But, down side is I am nearly topped out at $15.00 an hour plus over time and bonuses. My home taxes are only about 300.00 per year. So all in all I think its a wash vs. living in a bigger more expensive city with longer commutes and higher realstate prices and taxes. It eats away the higher salary you would make. A friend of mine wanted me to come to Houston and make $25.00 at a Rental Dealer, he has a 4 hour a day commute! At only 50 miles total, I don't think so. My sister is learning about that now, living by herself in Houston area. I am to the point to make more I need to change careers or open my own business, thats where the Heli's come in to play, LOL.....

 

P.S. Forgot to mention, I know a guy that recieved an Ag Engineering BS from T A&M and was making $15.00 an hour repairing farm tractors?!? Why get an Engineering Degree and do Voc work?? Is beyond me.

[zemogman]

My home taxes are only about 300.00 per year.

 

OMG --- --- I live in the wrong place. In Miami, FL...my property taxes are $3000 / yr. and I'm on the low side of the curve with all the new home prices thru the roof.

 

I know...nothing to do with the post --- Sorry! ---

 

Unless you rename it "Not going to get rich flying helicopters in Miami while paying property taxes" ---

[mechanic]

I live in the wrong place. In Miami, FL

 

zemogman,

My Sis in law lives in the Kissimmee area. I have been there several times. Matter of fact just was there about 3 weeks ago. But anyways, there have been several large ranchers move from the Orlando area to here in my county. They have been buying thousands of acres with the large amounts of doe they recieved from their ranches in the Orlando area, since land prices are pretty low here compared to other places. Some of the Orlando Ranchers have bought upwards of 4000 acres! Housing developement is booming between Disney and Orlando... Matter of fact, I have a welder outside that I need to be looking at instead of typing this, lol... It came from the Orlando area.

 

 

 

Later

[zemogman]

Florida will be the new L.A. ---- Development is non-stop!!! --- Lots of stuff going on in Central Fla. like you said...

 

Truth is I love Miami (for now)...plus I'm one of the few, the proud, natives in the MIA.