Looking at starting a career as a chopper pilot, help needed

As the title states, I'm looking at becoming a helicopter pilot. I've looked at a few places to take lessons to get the necessary licenses and I'm ready to pull the trigger, but my parents are concerned about one thing.

What's the job outlook for a pilot who's just gotten his commercial certification and necessary ratings?

I've spoken to some people, but they were all employed at the companies I was looking to learn from. So there is obviously some bias. I need someone who's in the field to help me out here please!

Any other tips are much appreciated!

 

It's pretty tough. Many, perhaps most, helicopter jobs require you to go somewhere for months on a contract.

If you want to live at home, you will be looking at EMS or news gathering as a career destination. Both of those are pretty competitive (many helicopter pilots would like a job where they can live at home and work regular hours).

If you are young enough and serious about it, I would look into joining the Army and getting your training there. That is excellent training, will save you a LOT of money, and will make you much more employable. And, if you decide after spending time in the Army that being a professional helicopter pilot is not for you, your experience will still be valued when you apply for non-flying jobs.

 

Kieran- Remember one thing, too. The military is training hundreds of helicopter pilots a year. When those pilots leave the service, they look for civilian flying jobs, for which they are highly qualified. For the inexperienced, that means you start at the bottom and the pay is very low.

Not exactly the same for fixed wing pilots because the airlines now need more pilots than the AF can create. Again they start at the bottom on the pay scale and you would not believe how low the pay is for feeder airline pilots. They quickly move up to better paying jobs, however.

Maybe better to let the military train you? In the AF, all the helicopter pilots are officers with reasonable pay and you would be eligible to get out after 10 years, probably as a junior major. Or stay to 20 as a Lt Col, still be in your early 40s and get a civilian job then with AF retirement pay as a supplement to your pay. Not a huge retirement, but something steady to help you until you are stabilized.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

good advice

you wont get a job with the ink still wet on your ratings in the helo world or fixed wing world especially post Colgan Air.

 

Thanks guys.

Not keen on going down the military path, but if that's what I have to do I'll do it.

 

I wouldn't plan a life career as a pilot. Drones are here now and the will be the future of aviation.

Go make some money and buy a helicopter and fly it yourself.

 

A bit of a thread hijack, but I disagree about drones. They have their uses, for sure, but are unlikely to replace piloted aircraft for the majority of things piloted aircraft are used for now-- passenger and cargo transport.

 

True, but I can't ever see the general public trusting a drone with their life thousands of feet in the air.

 

I turn the autopilot on about 20 seconds after takeoff and I turn it off about 20 seconds before I land. I don't even fly my own airplane. The only reason it doesn't takeoff and land on it's own is the FAA won't allow that software YET.

You bet your butt that it's just a matter of time before a robot handles every part of the flight and there's just an engineer sitting there watching and making sure all goes well.

 

I respectfully disagree with any drones being the majority of aviation in the near future. It just doesn't seem like a viable option yet, I know for one I would not trust any such computer over "human judgement", ever.

Even if drones do become more active, I would think they would require "experience" in the aviation field. Thats where pilots still come in, not engineers.

 

You just drive through the middle of thunderstorms and the like, if that's where the autopilot wants you to go? Don't ever search for smooth air, change altitudes due to icing? Keep the autopilot on during engine failures, etc?

 

In his lifetime drones will not take over. Go Army.

 

I love to see guys like you in the sim for a PC or PT when I fail your automation.

I dont know what you fly or for whom? but your skills can't be very sharp with that methodology.



Cheers

 

I would like to respectfully suggest you read about QF32. One of the newest and most modern airliners was flown and safely landed by an experienced crew despite a significant number of structural and control failures. This is why we have, and will continue to have, experienced pilots in the cockpits of commercial aircraft.
This post has the damage list for QF32 - http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=140060507&postcount=60

 

You create waypoints around thunderstorms. All could be done from the ground.

Icing is a non factor. Turn on the ice equipment.

Engine failures can easily be handled by autopilot. In fact, at sim school, you are trained to use the autopilot for most every situation. Hand flying is usually discouraged.

 

I go to FlightSafety every year. Automation Failure is not a large cause of aviation accidents. Weather and Pilot Error are the number 1 causes of aviation accidents.

 

I never said there wouldn't be a pilot on board. I wrote engineer but I meant a guy who could both pilot the aircraft and manage the automation. My point is that the number of commercial pilots in the workforce will continue to decline as more advanced technology is employed in these aircraft.

If "pilots" play such a huge role in the future of aviation, the how come all tech aviation related involves getting rid of the pilot?

 

Setting aside the drone/UAV discussion, let's discuss the benefits of military aviation training.

I spent 21 years in army aviation and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. IMO, military aviation training, regardless of service, is superior to that of the civilian market. Military aviation is run to exacting standards of technical competency, discipline, continual development of skills, and personal growth and responsibility.

Deciding which service to join to pursue an aviation career comes down to a what type of flying/mission you like and which service needs aviators at the time. US Army and USMC helicopter pilots generally perform attack/close air support missions, utility/troop transport missions, or scout missions. USAF and USN guys primarily provide utility/transport support.

Transitioning to a civilian career is another issue. As noted in earlier posts, rotary-wing jobs in the civilian market are varied in type, salary, stability, and location. TRUTH 1 - you will never get rich flying helicopters or planes. The airline industry is not what it used to be. Even the top pilots don't make the money or enjoy the benefits they used to.

Friends of mine have flown for TV stations, police departments, medevac companies, and even long-line logging up in the mountains. These can all be great jobs and provide enough money to support your family if you have reasonable expectations and enjoy the work.

Experience (flight hours and environments) and training will garner the best jobs. I think the military is the best place to get that experience. And, BTW, there is a lot to be said for serving your country.

Just my opinion. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

 

I agree with the other posts, except that drones will take over any time soon.

I thought about getting out of the service when I was a Lieutenant and looked into flying helo's on the outside. Back then, the pay for a civvie helo pilot in San Diego was about $12/hour for news/traffic and $40K/year for EMTs. To make any real money, you had to move to the gulf coast to fly oil rigs or to the midwest for logging.

I say join the service, doesn't matter which one, and enjoy the greatest experience (flying) known to man. And the pay and bennies don't suck either...

 

The drone/UAV/automation thing would be an interesting separate thread. Mods?

 

I'm not saying the drone thing is going to take over tomorrow. I am saying that if I was an 18 year old trying to decide on a future for myself, commercial pilot would not be on my list.

However, being the guy that knows how to work on and develop all the drone/uav/automation stuff would be on my list because it is the future.

 

find an army guard unit to join that has what you want to fly. I suggest a lakota unit since its a military version of a civilian ec145. Also all of the other pilots in the unit are usually employed in the area and flying with them gives you a foot in the door. course if you are used to eating on a regular basis i suggest you use the money for training on an mba and lease your own. I would still do the guard path no matter what. I spent 14 years on active duty and in the guard. you get to do static displays at schools and airshows, transport organs and blood to hospitals, help during floods etc... that way you can have a regular job that pays enough to eat and still get your rotary freak on the weekends.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. A lot of you are suggesting military, but does the Coast Guard also offer training?

 

+1

 

Yep, and their basic is a walk in the park.