Law Enforcement Positions for Expereinced Pilots

[puddy310]

Hey....This question is mainly directed at the guys who currenlty or and/or previously flew for law Enforcement Agencies. Of course I vaulue input from anyone who has information. I have read a lot of info on here about people trying to get into law enforcement flying with no prior experience. I am curious as to what you guys think the best options are for someone like myself...I have 1350 flight hours and 4 years experience as a police officer and sheriff's deputy...It seems like most agencies seem to want to hire from within and turn them into pilots.....So my question, what is the best option for trying to get right into a flying job(after the academy of course) without having to spend more time on the street. I do not want to sound like I am not committed to being an officer or deputy, I just want to utilize my flying ability right away since i already have 4 years of experience as an officer. Does anybody know of any agency that will hire someone as a pilot and fly right away? Is it even possible to expect that right away? Thanks for any advice...!

[BOATFIXERGUY]

There are some, but very few that hire pilots without putting in street time in their agency.

 

You might try to lateral to a department that has a LE wing, but most still want at least 2 years with them first before you can go to a special unit. I can only speak for my agency, and it was 4 years for regular officers, 2 for laterals with over 8 years previous LE experience.

 

Its tough I know. Good luck

[EC120AV8R]

Hey....This question is mainly directed at the guys who currenlty or and/or previously flew for law Enforcement Agencies. Of course I vaulue input from anyone who has information. I have read a lot of info on here about people trying to get into law enforcement flying with no prior experience. I am curious as to what you guys think the best options are for someone like myself...I have 1350 flight hours and 4 years experience as a police officer and sheriff's deputy...It seems like most agencies seem to want to hire from within and turn them into pilots.....So my question, what is the best option for trying to get right into a flying job(after the academy of course) without having to spend more time on the street. I do not want to sound like I am not committed to being an officer or deputy, I just want to utilize my flying ability right away since i already have 4 years of experience as an officer. Does anybody know of any agency that will hire someone as a pilot and fly right away? Is it even possible to expect that right away? Thanks for any advice...!

 

 

You will be hard pressed to find an agency that will hire you straight in as a pilot, unless you go with a federal agency like CBP. Most everyone else hires you as a Police Officer (or Deputy) first, and you work into a pilot spot. Unfortunately you will have to probably pay your dues as a line officer before you can transfer to Air Support. I did almost 13 years before i got a pilot spot. I would still encourage you to look around and perhaps find an agency with a severe pilot shortage, and maybe you could "fast track".

[helopilot2be]

Does anybody know of any agency that will hire someone as a pilot and fly right away? Is it even possible to expect that right away? Thanks for any advice...!

 

I have three words for you Maryland State Police http://www.mspaviation.org

 

However you don't have quite enough hours. They want 2000.

 

Click on careers on their page.

[puddy310]

I have three words for you Maryland State Police http://www.mspaviation.org

 

However you don't have quite enough hours. They want 2000.

 

Click on careers on their page.

 

Yeah...interesting that they hire civilian pilots..I guess that might be the new trend!

[puddy310]

You will be hard pressed to find an agency that will hire you straight in as a pilot, unless you go with a federal agency like CBP. Most everyone else hires you as a Police Officer (or Deputy) first, and you work into a pilot spot. Unfortunately you will have to probably pay your dues as a line officer before you can transfer to Air Support. I did almost 13 years before i got a pilot spot. I would still encourage you to look around and perhaps find an agency with a severe pilot shortage, and maybe you could "fast track".

Yeah..that is what I figured would be the case. Too bad I was not one of the lucky ones who got the department they worked for to pay for the training....

[puddy310]

There are some, but very few that hire pilots without putting in street time in their agency.

 

You might try to lateral to a department that has a LE wing, but most still want at least 2 years with them first before you can go to a special unit. I can only speak for my agency, and it was 4 years for regular officers, 2 for laterals with over 8 years previous LE experience.

 

Its tough I know. Good luck

 

Thanks for the info..I think you are right that it is tough...Thanks though..

[EC120AV8R]

Yeah..that is what I figured would be the case. Too bad I was not one of the lucky ones who got the department they worked for to pay for the training....

 

Having someone else pay for the training was definitely a blessing, it just took for friggin' ever to get there. That's the downside. But who am I to complain. Agencies like Md State Police (and others) that hire non-sworn pilots is always an option. As stated by 2be tho, you are going to have to have at least 2k hours and realistically, even more to get them to look at you.

[palmfish]

I saw this the other day on another forum...

 

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/sonoma/de...2FwddxPacket%3E

 

Another 2000 hour minimum (plus other stringent requirements).

Edited June 22, 2008 by palmfish

[fast03cobra]

I would also look at joining www.ALEA.ORG and start beaten on everyone's doors... I'd submit applications and see what happens. You never know.

[helopilot2be]

Yeah...interesting that they hire civilian pilots..I guess that might be the new trend!

It has actually caused some unintended consequences from what I understand. Many of the Trooper/Observer/Medics got into the Medic side with hopes of becoming a pilot someday. They actually recieve some training. However they now know that they are not going to be pilots and there is a shortage of medic/observers. And because of the occassional law enforcement mission there "has" to be a Trooper on board. They are trying several different things to get Troopers interested.

Chris

[Mkey]

Four years of experiance should definately land you a job.

[Kilkenny]

One of our pilots got hired as a pilot with only 300TT, with only 90 rotary. He was an Atlanta officer with only two years.

 

He pulled out his ALEA membership book and sent out resumes to every agency with an aviation unit.

 

One of our pilots was leaving, the position was open, he interviewed, he was hired.

 

Attitude is everything in airborne law enforcement.

[More_Cowbell]

Hey....This question is mainly directed at the guys who currenlty or and/or previously flew for law Enforcement Agencies. Of course I vaulue input from anyone who has information. I have read a lot of info on here about people trying to get into law enforcement flying with no prior experience. I am curious as to what you guys think the best options are for someone like myself...I have 1350 flight hours and 4 years experience as a police officer and sheriff's deputy...It seems like most agencies seem to want to hire from within and turn them into pilots.....So my question, what is the best option for trying to get right into a flying job(after the academy of course) without having to spend more time on the street. I do not want to sound like I am not committed to being an officer or deputy, I just want to utilize my flying ability right away since i already have 4 years of experience as an officer. Does anybody know of any agency that will hire someone as a pilot and fly right away? Is it even possible to expect that right away? Thanks for any advice...!

 

I was/am in a similar situation myself. Former full time PD/SO that decided to learn to fly helicopters. In researching training and the helicopter pilot career in general, I ran across an article that the SO I had worked at before had acquired a surplus OH-58. To make a long story short, I called up the Sheriff and wound up taking a reserve commission to fly. He was sorely lacking as far as pilots were concerned (he had exactly one, a local HEMS pilot with no prior LE experience). The Sheriff applied for and received Federal training grants as well as me arranging grants for career development thru my Indian Tribe. The rest I cover out of pocket.

 

You're way ahead of me on hours, by about 1200. I've only been at this for a few months. I'm just now working on my instrument rating and will go to Bell in a couple of months to get checked out in 206's before I get turned loose in the Kiowa. Then God help us all ... they thought I was scary in a Caprice! With your hours, they wouldn't even have to mess with writing up grants or jumping thru any hoops to help you.

 

It might be worth you looking into. There seems to be tons of surplus helicopters winding up with departments that don't have the experience or infrastructure in place to operate them, or at least operate them safely. When funding is put into the budget next year, the full time pilot slot has already been offered to me. I'm not interested in flying LE full time myself. For me, it'll be a great way to spend a couple of Saturday nights a month. But for you, reserving your way into a full time slot could be a way to do it without having to crawl back into a cruiser full time.

 

The only down side is that I am having to cover a few patrol shifts per month till I am rated. I don't mind it so much, in that I always loved patrol anyway. But, I am already remembering why I quite. Reserving is even worse with blue politics than working full time was. I just have to keep telling myself it'll be worth it the first time I get to chase somebody!

 

I actually logged on to VR to ask a LE related question ... but I guess after all this rambling I should just make a new topic.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[OH58A]

My unit uses both sworn and civilian pilots. Go to an ALEA conference and join the organization, you will learn a lot of valuable information and network with the right people. There are some agencies out there that have surplus OH 58s and have no business operating them. If you go to Bell School get checked out in a 58 if that is what you're going to be flying, it is NOT the same as a 206B. There are also companies that will send an instructor to train you in your own machine at your base. Good Luck.

[More_Cowbell]

... If you go to Bell School get checked out in a 58 if that is what you're going to be flying, it is NOT the same as a 206B. There are also companies that will send an instructor to train you in your own machine at your base. Good Luck.

 

If that's not directed to me, then disregard the following. But, I am doing the straight 206B3 factory course. For one thing, there doesn't seem to be much out there as far as training facilities operating the OH-58s. Secondly, the market use of the OH-58 is pretty slim. Like I said, I am doing this for the fun of it. I am heading straight for a civilian pilot career.

 

Bell does do on site training in the OH-58s. But, when you figure up the costs it winds up being about the same. I believe it's roughly $4000 plus $1350 or so an hour in the departments ship. It would be cost effective for three or four pilots. Just for me, the numbers don't really square up.

 

My main thinking is that by taking the 206B3 factory course up front, with one recurrency session during my CFI time, I will have the prerequisites after 1000 hours to attend Bell's Professional Pilot Course. Not really to land that first turbine job, but because I want to do it and I may not have the time between the GOM/Utility and EMS. That career transition is when I'm planning to go after an ATP.

 

As far as actual OH-58 training, I will do most of my turbine training in the 206B3. After Bell, I am taking some extended time off from my job to train full time for a couple of months. I plan on doing a week or two (25 to 50 hours) with Heliclass to get fairly comfortable in the 206 before heading to Western Operations. There I'll get the more in depth advanced training (a lot fairly LE specific) in the 206s as well.

 

When I come back from there, I do two week long ride alongs with two different LE agency's aviation units. A fairly large PD and the State's helo unit. The PD uses 500s, but the HP has the same model OH-58s that we have. So, I'll have close to 50-75 hours of 206B3 time before I spend a couple of days with the HP's (supposed to be a Bell certified OH-58) IP that will check me out on the OH-58.

 

That's my set in stone/chiseled in granite training syllabus outline, as of right now anyway.