Low-Hour Employment

[Aucky]

Hi Guys (and Girls of course),

 

I apologise in advance to all those more experienced in the heli-industry, who i'm sure will have been asked this question numerous times before, in person and on these forums, however i am not being lazy here, i am simply having difficulty in finding the information relevant to my question.

 

I am a newly qualified JAA commercial pilot in England, with around 200 hours total time mostly in 22's and 44's and i'm about to do the EC120 type rating. I am only 22 and so i'm looking forward to embarking on a long (and fingers crossed safe) career in the industry. I read many postings on there forums about pilots with 1500 hours or so looking for jobs, but requiring 2000 etc... but few about pilots who are looking to build their hours from 200-1500, and the options (or lack of) for such pilots in the industry.

 

I am aware obviously that many people, if not the vast majority go into instruction, and the odd charter job (in the UK anyway). But at 22 i cant help but feel wonder if people may feel i am a bit young to be their instructor, with many students at the flying school where i have done my training being old enough to be my father and training for ppl pleasure flying etc... Dont get me wrong, i am not saying i have a problem with getting on well with people older than myself as it has never been an issue for me at all, in fact quite the opposite, but i feel slightly apprehensive that this could be different when their life is in my hands. So i am wondering about the possibilities of alternate routes.

 

So I am in a position where I have few ties, and I am happy and in fact would love to travel to the US/Canada/Australia/NZ etc... and was wondering if there are many other hour building routes out there or employers who may be interested in someone like my self. I had heard something for example about logging in the US, and also about co-piloting jobs, but that is all i heard, hence my trying to find out more now.

 

Apoligies again to those who have been asked this many times before, but i feel that any replies could be helpful to others as well as myself, and i can think of no better to ask than you lot.

 

Kind regards, and safe flying!

[helonorth]

If you are not a U.S citizen, I have been told your chances are nil for getting a green card to

work here as a helicopter pilot . My advice is to stay where you're at and start building hours.

You are young, but if you are a good instructor, you should do fine. The CFI market is tight

here, and now even worse because of something called Silver State Helicopters (don't ask).

Will the 120 rating do anything for you're career? If not, get your CFI (or whatever you call it

there), and skip it. I have heard (as you well have, also) that North Sea offshore operators are

hiring at 300 hours with an IR. I realize it is incredibly expensive rating to get, but the pay

for offshore is double what it is here. It may be worth it. I have heard of "sponsorships" to

get a work visa here, but it is as rare (or rarer) than a green card. My opinion. Maybe

someone has some better ideas. Good luck.

[JDHelicopterPilot]

I agree with helonorth. In the U.S. the low time jobs(200 hours-1000) are almost exclusively going to be as a CFI(flight instruction) As helonorth said that market is tight right now and only time will tell how long it will be that way. Unless you are already a student here at a school and working hard so the school will hire you, getting a CFI job will be very hard.

 

I would look around closer to home and see what options you have. I am not familar with the JAA process but if you don't have an instrument rating of sorts I would get one if possible. I too have heard the North Sea is looking good for new pilots. You may have better luck up in Canada. My understanding is that it's more common to start not as an instructor there but doing other operations.

 

I hope this helps some, keep in touch here and let us know how things are going.

[Aucky]

Thanks for your feedback guys.

 

I have been thinking about the instrument rating and offshore side of things, i fully intend on completing an instrument rating in a few years however after visiting the top uk IR instructors and sitting in the sim with them during lessons etc.. (i loved it) they weren't discouraging, however they strongly suggested going away and building some turbine experience, and especially if possible some twin experience, because otherwise young inexperienced pilots like my self can find the course, turbine (let alone twin) conversion & test (completed usually in a twin squirrel here in the uk) all quite a lot to handle in a very short space of time. This is partly why i want to become acquainted with the 120 and turbines in general ASAP. I also know people who have completed the £35,000(minimum) qualification, and then sadly not done to well in interview for the offshore jobs. So perhaps the interview should be my next step. One other slight hitch being that i will need to take the IR theory exams again as the ATPL exams that i have taken only have a validity of 3 years here for the completion of the CPL(H) and IR, and since i have been doing the CPL alongside college the three years has been kind of unrealistic to also get the experience necessary for the IR.

 

Thanks a lot for your info on the US market, i know now that i shall have to skip that off my list for now i guess, shame though as the flying there sounds great fun form the people I know who trained there. I am still keen to find out more about what other countries have to offer, other JAA states included such as spain, portugal etc... or NZ/Australia (or anywhere for that matter as i love to travel) where the flying can be slightly more demanding (and at the risk of upsetting any uk pilots, more rewarding than the usual uk VIP charter). So if anyone has any information on the availability in other countries for low hour pilots then that would be most appreciated.

 

Thanks again for your help. Safe Flying.

[Chopperjess]

My instructor has been working on his green card for a while now. However, he is employed, and has been employed here working. Sponsored by the companies he works for. He came here, learned here, and got a job here. So I wouldn't count coming out here completely out. It's not unrealistic. I can try and get you his email, or get some info from him if you'd like to talk to him and get some info from him.

 

Fly safe

 

Jess

[helonorth]

My instructor has been working on his green card for a while now. However, he is employed, and has been employed here working. Sponsored by the companies he works for. He came here, learned here, and got a job here. So I wouldn't count coming out here completely out. It's not unrealistic. I can try and get you his email, or get some info from him if you'd like to talk to him and get some info from him.

 

Fly safe

 

Jess

Is he sponsored or is he here on a J1 visa? Big difference. I'm guessing he's on a visa. Loads

of Europeans doing it. They are allowed 24 months to train and work ONLY as instructors. A

employer may sponsor a foriegn citizen if the can show that after extensive recruiting and

advertising that they cannot fill the position any other way. Not happening.

Edited April 1, 2008 by helonorth

[FormerCoachTurned1LT]

So when all the flight schools and such say that Vietnam-era pilots are retiring, leaving the industry with a shortage of rotary-wing pilots, is that all a load of crap? I was considering a career switch, but I make a fairly decent living as an active duty military officer. Am I better off looking at flying for a hobby? I did about 5 hours in an R-22 so far prior to deploying to Iraq where I am currently.

[67november]

So when all the flight schools and such say that Vietnam-era pilots are retiring, leaving the industry with a shortage of rotary-wing pilots, is that all a load of crap? I was considering a career switch, but I make a fairly decent living as an active duty military officer. Am I better off looking at flying for a hobby? I did about 5 hours in an R-22 so far prior to deploying to Iraq where I am currently.

 

There's no shortage of helicopter pilots, there is a shortage of "Experienced" helicopter pilots.

[CFIAP5544]

There's no shortage of helicopter pilots, there is a shortage of "Experienced" helicopter pilots.

 

 

Yeah deffinately "Experienced Pilots"! Good luck getting the experience! If you can get the training through the military you are much better off!!!

 

If you do your training as a civillian you are going to spend a pile of money and probably not get a job because you don't have TURBINE TIME or LONG LINE EXPERIENCE!

 

It is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET EXPERIENCE THESE DAYS!! The industry has gone back to pre-helicopter boom hiring practices.

 

Recomend you get a financial education and learn to run your own business so you can buy your own chopper and fly for the reason we all want to fly!