Cost for hours?

[jdrescue]

I'm looking into helicopter flight schools here in Texas. I was wanting to see if anyone (who's currently a helicopter pilot), could estimate how much it would cost to get 2.000hrs flight time, with 1,000 in command and 500 turbine, with 100 in night?

[BOATFIXERGUY]

A small fortune!

 

Are you really serious about buying 2,000 hours of flight time? I'll buy the birds... lets go fly!

[arotrhd]

OK, I'll bite....for the grins and giggles.

 

Figure an R-22 will run ~$180+/hr. An instructor will be another $35-55/hr, for, say a couple hundred hours. The turbine time will easily start at $700/hr. You do the math.

 

If you really have the cash, buy a used 206 or H500 (also cover insurance & DOCs), get yourself a good instructor and do some awesome round the world cross countries (or fly the the complete periphery of the Texas border 4 times). You'll have it all in a year with a sore and bruised a$$ to prove it.

 

-WATCH FOR THE WIRES-

[NorCalHeliKid]

Is this a serious question?

[BOATFIXERGUY]

It's only about $750,000.00...

 

Of course that's about 1500 hours in an R22...and that's 1500 more hours than I would want in a 22.

[NorCalHeliKid]

I'm looking into helicopter flight schools here in Texas. I was wanting to see if anyone (who's currently a helicopter pilot), could estimate how much it would cost to get 2.000hrs flight time, with 1,000 in command and 500 turbine, with 100 in night?

I get it now. The question you really wanted to ask was, "Where's the EASY Button?"

[jehh]

He wants to be an EMS pilot, but has not figured out yet how the business works.

 

That is ok, it is a very common misconceptions to lay people as to how this all works, we explain it a dozen times a week.

 

It actually wouldn't cost as much as you might think... $70K for the first 200 hours, $260,000 for the next 1,300 hours of R-22 time, and $70,000 for 500 hours of turbine time flying traffic in LA. That is only $400K.

 

To the original poster, you only pay for the first 200 hours, then you become a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) and work as an instructor for a year or so to build up to 1,000 hours, then you move on to commercial work for another year or two to get to 2,000 hours.

 

You need to go visit some schools if you want to do this, we'd all be happy to explain it.

 

Fly Safe!

[Guest pokey]

Edited March 9, 2008 by pokey

[bqmassey]

I'm looking into helicopter flight schools here in Texas. I was wanting to see if anyone (who's currently a helicopter pilot), could estimate how much it would cost to get 2.000hrs flight time, with 1,000 in command and 500 turbine, with 100 in night?

 

I assume you saw a job you'd like to have, and want to know how to get it. If that's the case, you need to understand that paying for 2000 hours probably isn't the best way to go about it. Flying is more than just logging hours. The hour minimums just make you an eligible candidate, they don't get you a job. Paying for 2000 hours and flying yourself around for all of that time won't really impress employers. The employers are going to want to see that you've flown different kinds of commercial missions and have a wide variety of experience. They'll want to see that you've worked as a pilot before and were able to keep the job.

 

So, what nearly every wannabe pilot has to do, and what you'll probably have to do, is pay for your flight training (first 150-200 hrs) and a little time-building (another 0-100 hrs) and then try to get a job. It definitely won't be EMS and almost certainly won't be turbine, but it will be a job. You'll probably being flying tours, aerial photography, pipeline patrol, agriculture, or instructing in smaller piston helicopters until you get to 800-1200 hours. Then you'll be a candidate for a turbine job. Flying to offshore oil rigs is a common entry into turbine ships. You'll fly these bigger helicopters until you qualify for the job you REALLY want.

 

That's how it works for a lot of people, and you'll most likely have to follow the same path.

 

Honestly, I think if you showed up for an EMS job with 2000 hours, 1500 being in an R22 and 500 in the cheapest turbine ship you can find, all being private flying, you'd get laughed out of the office.

 

Where in TX are you? If training in Houston is an option, I can recommend a few flight schools to look into.