Career route

[Richard]

Hi my name is Richard Elizee.

I am a Senior in High School, and I am about to graduate in less than 2 weeks.

Now is the time to get really serious about my future career, and the path to it.

Earlier during the year, I tried joining the US Army, but got DQ'ed for scoliosis.

My dream was to become a UH-60 black hawk pilot.

Now that I can't join the US Army, I am wondering what would be the right path as far as Civilian Helicopter Aviator.

Yes I can go to airlines, and make the big BUCKS, but I'd like to help people in need.

This is why I am considering choosing the path of a MEDEVAC helicopter pilot.

Now what is the best path to attain this goal?

Is there any schools that offer college degrees in Helicopter Aviation?

Should I go to school for fixed wing aviation, and than move on to rotary aircrafts?

Any suggestions, or inputs will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank You

Richard Elizee

[AngelFire_91]

Well first off, let me start out by saying Hi and welcome to the board. Everyone here is great, and there is wealth of knowledge here, so we should get you pointed at least in some direction. Now, with that said though, there is no real one best path to take, and everyone here is going to probably tell you something different. So if your looking for us to make your decisions for you. It's not going to happen, sorry. But we will do our best to present the options to you.

 

Yes I can go to airlines, and make the big BUCKS,

Don't count on making big bucks when going to the airlines. Yeah, the numbers look good on paper, but that's given you can make it past Forloughs, layoffs, and your sitting high seniority for one of the majors. It can be done, and if you put all your time and effort into it, you would eventually be making some descent money, but don't expect to be making cash in the bank working for a feeder airline as a First officer. I know a lot of people that worked for well known airlines, that are now just teaching private students on weekends, because they've been forloughed.

 

This is why I am considering choosing the path of a MEDEVAC helicopter pilot.

Now what is the best path to attain this goal?

Sorry to say, there is no one best path. People get there from all different ways. Most likely, you'll work through Private helicopter, commercial, Instrument, Instructor, and Instrument Instructor. Then you'll teach for a while to get the hours, then either go to a tour operator (Temsco, Papillion, USA Heli, etc...) or go to the Gulf flying oil rigs (Air Log, Era, etc...) There are some different options out there, but these are the most common. Then after your stent there, you'll start applying to Medical operators. These are some of the most common routes, but of course, not the only route.

 

Is there any schools that offer college degrees in Helicopter Aviation?

Yes! Do a search on here as this topic has been covered in depth in some other threads. In all honesty though. I would suggest getting a degree in something other then aviation, or if you want, do something like aviation management. That way, if later on down the road you decide you want a different job, or can't do the Heli thing anymore, you have something to fall back on.

 

Should I go to school for fixed wing aviation, and than move on to rotary aircrafts?

I would strongly suggest doing all Heli if you can pull it. The reason for this suggestion is, Hour requirements. I went the Fixed wing first then Heli add-on route, and now I have the ratings I need for a job, but I don't have the helicopter hours. I love flying fixed wing and currently my job is in fixed wing, but it's not where I want to ulimately end up, and I'm having a hard time transitioning over to Rotor wing because of hour requirments and I would have to drop my cushy livable pay fixed wing job to non-livable Heli instructor pay to make the hours.

 

I hope this has helped you some. I'm sure there are others on here that have better advice, but just remember there is no one perfect route. The best I could suggest is go out, talk to as many people as you can, and gather as much information as you can to help make your decision. Welcome to the wounderful world of aviation, and we are here to help. Please feel free to ask any more questions you might have, or PM me if you have specific questions for me. I'll try to the best of my ability to help.

 

Kevin

[Tawler]

Informative post Angel -- thanks !

[Wally]

Hi my name is Richard Elizee.

I am a Senior in High School, and I am about to graduate in less than 2 weeks.

Now is the time to get really serious about my future career, and the path to it.

Earlier during the year, I tried joining the US Army, but got DQ'ed for scoliosis.

My dream was to become a UH-60 black hawk pilot.

Now that I can't join the US Army, I am wondering what would be the right path as far as Civilian Helicopter Aviator.

Yes I can go to airlines, and make the big BUCKS, but I'd like to help people in need.

This is why I am considering choosing the path of a MEDEVAC helicopter pilot.

Now what is the best path to attain this goal?

Is there any schools that offer college degrees in Helicopter Aviation?

Should I go to school for fixed wing aviation, and than move on to rotary aircrafts?

Any suggestions, or inputs will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank You

Richard Elizee

 

There isn't any single 'best path' to becoming an EMS pilot. My suggestion would be that you consider the educational and professional qualifications for any job you want and consider that the minimum your plan should accomplish.

 

Generally, EMS pilots:

Have a minimum of 2000 hours PIC (typically, twice that at my program);

Between 200 and 400 hours night, unaided;

IFR- rated, ATP preferred;

Degree preferred;

Successfully complete pre-hiring interview.

 

If you haven't already, take a look at some programs, visit some bases and get to know some people in the industry. Every company has it's own approach to the job, each program fine tunes that, every base has it's variation on the SOP, and everybody does that a little differently.

[helonorth]

There isn't any single 'best path' to becoming an EMS pilot. My suggestion would be that you consider the educational and professional qualifications for any job you want and consider that the minimum your plan should accomplish.

 

Generally, EMS pilots:

Have a minimum of 2000 hours PIC (typically, twice that at my program);

Between 200 and 400 hours night, unaided;

IFR- rated, ATP preferred;

Degree preferred;

Successfully complete pre-hiring interview.

 

If you haven't already, take a look at some programs, visit some bases and get to know some people in the industry. Every company has it's own approach to the job, each program fine tunes that, every base has it's variation on the SOP, and everybody does that a little differently.

Let me see if I have this straight. You have to "successfully complete (a) pre-hiring interview"

before they will offer you a job? Sorry.

[Wally]

Let me see if I have this straight. You have to "successfully complete (a) pre-hiring interview"

before they will offer you a job? Sorry.

 

Yeah, and being sober's considered a plus...

[helonorth]

Yeah, and being sober's considered a plus...

That EMS crowd is tough bunch! Another sage bit of advice, though.

 

I have my own list of interview "don'ts".

 

Do not:

 

1) Sexually harass the receptionist.

 

2) Refer to their helicopter as "one bad-ass chopper".

 

3) Call from your prison cell and request a phone interview.

 

4) If you make it to the flight portion and are unfamiliar with the type, start pushing buttons

and asking "hey, what's this do?"

 

5) Wave a lottery ticket in front of them and say "as soon as I hit, I'm outta here!"

 

6) Keep vaguelly referring to "the incident".

 

7) Ask if anyone would be offended if "occasionally", you brought hookers to the base.

 

8) Start telling Vietnam stories if your under 50 years old.

 

9) Tell them safety programs are a waste of time and energy and not to expect you at any

of the meetings. Ever.

 

10) Ask them if there are any good strip clubs near the base.

 

My advice to the original poster: Get your ratings. Start instructing. Go to GOM or fly

tours. Apply at the EMS operator of your choice. Good luck and I hope you have access to

a lot of money. Seriously, I have a friend that did all his training in less than a year,

instructed for about a year and a half, went to the Gulf for a little over a year and is

now flying a Agusta 109 in a nice EMS program. He did it all in 4 years. Lots of

opportunity right now.

Edited May 19, 2008 by helonorth

[romanweel]

My advice to the original poster: Get your ratings. Start instructing. Go to GOM or fly

tours. Apply at the EMS operator of your choice. Good luck and I hope you have access to

a lot of money. Seriously, I have a friend that did all his training in less than a year,

instructed for about a year and a half, went to the Gulf for a little over a year and is

now flying a Agusta 109 in a nice EMS program. He did it all in 4 years. Lots of

opportunity right now.

 

I'm still in the early stages of this route, and it is what I personally intend to do, but I have a word of caution for the one starting out, for what it's worth. Yes, there's lots of opportunity once you have lots of hours, but the beginning can be a little rocky. To "Start instructing," one must find a job as an instructor. Know anything about Silver State? In the not-so-distant past, this company released a large number of relatively high-time CFI's into the instructor job market pool. I don't know about other parts of the country, but around here that means that employers have a choice between hiring 200 hr "I just finished my training" CFI's, and ex-SS CFI's with several hundred hours. Some employers won't touch the Silver State ex's anyway, but they do have the choice. It is possible that by the time you finish your training, the whole situation will have blown over. But maybe not. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

In any case, if you possibly can, I'd recommend training at whatever school you want to teach at (and if that school has a policy of not hiring their own students, be very very wary). Treat your training process as a very long job interview (ie, work hard and be friendly and remember that safety is always #1). Even if your school can't hire you at the end of it, you'll get a good recommendation out of it, and that may make the difference. If they like you enough, your school may try to help place you (they probably know more people in the training industry than you do).

 

Good luck with all

[helonorth]

I'm still in the early stages of this route, and it is what I personally intend to do, but I have a word of caution for the one starting out, for what it's worth. Yes, there's lots of opportunity once you have lots of hours, but the beginning can be a little rocky. To "Start instructing," one must find a job as an instructor. Know anything about Silver State? In the not-so-distant past, this company released a large number of relatively high-time CFI's into the instructor job market pool. I don't know about other parts of the country, but around here that means that employers have a choice between hiring 200 hr "I just finished my training" CFI's, and ex-SS CFI's with several hundred hours. Some employers won't touch the Silver State ex's anyway, but they do have the choice. It is possible that by the time you finish your training, the whole situation will have blown over. But maybe not. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

In any case, if you possibly can, I'd recommend training at whatever school you want to teach at (and if that school has a policy of not hiring their own students, be very very wary). Treat your training process as a very long job interview (ie, work hard and be friendly and remember that safety is always #1). Even if your school can't hire you at the end of it, you'll get a good recommendation out of it, and that may make the difference. If they like you enough, your school may try to help place you (they probably know more people in the training industry than you do).

 

Good luck with all

 

I didn't say it was going to be easy, but it IS what he is going to have to do. If he is a good stick and can get along with people, he will get a job. He may get picked up

by his flight school or he may have to scour the country, but he will get a job if he really wants one.

By the time he gets his ratings, SSH will be just a bad memory.

[romanweel]

Of course he'll get a job if he's a good pilot, works hard, and goes after it (and has some flexibility), and I definitely don't want to discourage anybody. Just a little voice from the bottom of the totem pole over here: know that (like anything else) no one's going to just hand you your first job. And maybe this situation will be just a bad memory by the time current students finish, but it may not. I'm watching friends of mine struggle right now, good pilots who worked hard in school and are working hard now, continuing to buy flight time to stay current, but they can't get launched because they're not competitive without at least 300 hours RW. Maybe that won't be the case in a year, maybe six months, maybe two years. I'm not a prophet, I'm not going to guess, but I do know that that's the case now.

 

That said, congrats on graduating, Richard! And welcome to the magical world of freedom, adventure, and flying blenders! Truly, best luck.