New Guy Here

[McTwist]

I have read through all 34 pages or the training forum and decided to sign up and post some questions.

 

I am currently a truck driver making a very good wage each year, I am also 20.

 

My parents said they would be happy to pay for helicopter school, all they want to see me do is do some education after high school and not be a truck drive, right now I am 3rd gen truck driver.

 

Now for a couple questions.

 

1. I am in Canada and have been researching extensivly on flight school. I am looking at a few where I can get slinging and long lining endorsements, Mountain flying, Night rating as well as Bell 206. But reading through all this forum I am starting to realise I am going to need 1000hrs before I can even good job. Should I go for all the endorsements first or work my way through them while teaching?

 

2. I have truck driving to fall back on to make cash, but I am wondering if when schools say 3-5 months to get commercial liscence as a full time student, does full time mean Mon-Fri 8-5? If it doesn't I can make cash on the side driving.

 

3. I would love to go in everyday and learn on the flight sim almost as much as on the real thing is there any disadvantages to this?

 

4. Getting an instructors rating and teaching, is this a good way to go vs getting on with a company and doing grunt work for the most part and some flying till I become full time pilot for the company?

 

5. I am partial red/green color blind. It is so very slight that after a trip to an optomitrist he said it is very un-noticable, how will this affect a class 1 medical will I have to do the light test if I get the opinion form the optomitrist that I am ok to fly?

 

I am going into this to be a successful and rewarding career which is fun everyday, I do not mind working long hours or 7 days a week hence being a truck driver. I appreciate you input on my few questions and I will add more as I think of them.

[McTwist]

No one??

[BigSky]

No one??

 

If you want answers you need to ask about paying off a loan, will you have to move, or silver state helicopters. Then you will get tons of heated opinions.

[Voluptuary5]

1. I am in Canada and have been researching extensivly on flight school. I am looking at a few where I can get slinging and long lining endorsements, Mountain flying, Night rating as well as Bell 206. But reading through all this forum I am starting to realise I am going to need 1000hrs before I can even good job. Should I go for all the endorsements first or work my way through them while teaching?

 

2. I have truck driving to fall back on to make cash, but I am wondering if when schools say 3-5 months to get commercial liscence as a full time student, does full time mean Mon-Fri 8-5? If it doesn't I can make cash on the side driving.

 

3. I would love to go in everyday and learn on the flight sim almost as much as on the real thing is there any disadvantages to this?

 

4. Getting an instructors rating and teaching, is this a good way to go vs getting on with a company and doing grunt work for the most part and some flying till I become full time pilot for the company?

 

5. I am partial red/green color blind. It is so very slight that after a trip to an optomitrist he said it is very un-noticable, how will this affect a class 1 medical will I have to do the light test if I get the opinion form the optomitrist that I am ok to fly?

 

I am going into this to be a successful and rewarding career which is fun everyday, I do not mind working long hours or 7 days a week hence being a truck driver. I appreciate you input on my few questions and I will add more as I think of them.

 

First it depends on whether you are going to be doing your training in the US or Canada. Can't speak of Canada but a little about the US. These are my opinions so take them for what it's worth:

 

1. Do the minimums. You'll get the training you need on the job, when you need it, and usually at the operator's expense. No need to pay for it yourself. And plus, how could you possibly anticipate the work you will be doing in the future?

 

2. Most schools tend to be at your own pace and so ultimately up to you. If you're driven, well...if you're not, well...

 

3. Never been in a sim but people here tend to frown-down on 'em. I'm sure they have their place but the name says it all, "Simulator" (as in NOT the real thing).

 

4. In the US, there is very little exception (if any) to going the CFI route (or of course, Military). I've heard it may be different in Canada (can be hired for some jobs with relatively low hours) but you should ask Westcoaster or Volition (or others) for sure on how things work up North.

 

5. Don't know but check the FAA website for the exact medical regulations. You might also want to search on these forums for color blindness. I know it has come up here before.

 

Hope that helps at least a little,

 

-V5

[Wally]

...

3. I would love to go in everyday and learn on the flight sim almost as much as on the real thing is there any disadvantages to this?

 

Simulators don't fly like the real thing. A big part of the new pilot thing to be overcome is experiential(?), so my instincts would be to use simulators moderately, if at all, pre-solo. There's a world of difference between the smoking, shaking, hot and noisy "real thing" and the best simulators.

They make excellent procedures trainers, however. Systems knowledge, emergencies, are often best practiced on sims. You don't want to learn anything on a sim you have to unlearn to function in the real world.

 

4. Getting an instructors rating and teaching, is this a good way to go vs getting on with a company and doing grunt work for the most part and some flying till I become full time pilot for the company?

 

I've read about people who worked their way up from a non-flying position, but never met one outside the service. Teaching is the most intense flight training available in the civilian world, I heartily recommend it if you can DO it. You can starve trying it, though.

 

5. I am partial red/green color blind. It is so very slight that after a trip to an optomitrist he said it is very un-noticable, how will this affect a class 1 medical will I have to do the light test if I get the opinion form the optomitrist that I am ok to fly?

 

Can't speak to Canadian requirements and I don't know what a "Class 1 Medical" is in Canada, exactly. If it's equivalent to the US airline, Part 121 physical required 1st Class, I'd advise you not to apply unless you had definite plans to work at that particular specialty. It's physical evaluation overkill for most jobs, and once a problem's uncovered, it's YOURS forever. Then you have to prove it isn't an issue.

Which gets to being "partially color blind"??? Not certain how serious your partial color-blindedness is, but if you can function effectively (pass a commercial Class 2 medical) in spite of a theoretical impairment discriminating between light of "x" and "y" wavelengths, I'm not certain I'd mention it. If you can't pass that test, you'll need to demonstrate ability. Was I you, I'd have a talk with an aviation medical examiner about that issue before I did anything. It's not an uncommon issue, but I have no experience...

[Sparker]

As a truck driver you are probably used to being gone... You can really make a ton of money as a helicopter pilot if you don't care about being home... I would go get your medical before you put down any money on training.