From 0 to Commercial Helicopter Pilot

[lemmingjames]

Hello,

Fancy a career change and becoming a commercial heli pilot has picqued my interest.

Therefore, im just wondering if anyone has gone from 0 to becoming a commercial heli pilot?

Ive got a friend who flies for the coast guard (?) after a stint of doing oil rigs and has suggested, to start making any sort of money, id need to invest 100k in training to get all the relevant acronyms.

I guess my questions are, upon qualification, how easy is it to find work afterwards? I appreciate that i might have to work abroad for work but is it a case of ended up in the arse end of nowhere in Africa/Alaska/Siberia to build up a portfolio? Do companies prefer those from a military background or doesnt it really matter?

Are jobs few and far between in this country so you'd need another flexi job?

Thanks

[RSTurboPaul]

lemmingjames said:

Hello,

Fancy a career change and becoming a commercial heli pilot has picqued my interest.

Therefore, im just wondering if anyone has gone from 0 to becoming a commercial heli pilot?

Ive got a friend who flies for the coast guard (?) after a stint of doing oil rigs and has suggested, to start making any sort of money, id need to invest 100k in training to get all the relevant acronyms.

I guess my questions are, upon qualification, how easy is it to find work afterwards? I appreciate that i might have to work abroad for work but is it a case of ended up in the arse end of nowhere in Africa/Alaska/Siberia to build up a portfolio? Do companies prefer those from a military background or doesnt it really matter?

Are jobs few and far between in this country so you'd need another flexi job?

Thanks

Have you considered looking for a flight simulator, one of the ones you actually walk in to not the ones on a PC on your home office desk , to see if it's something you'd like / could do?

100k is a lot to sink into something you fancy doing but are not totally sure about... lol

[jeremyc]

Try this previous thread: Becoming a commercial helicopter pilot

Or perhaps this one: Ask a helicopter pilot anything

[Paul Lazzaro]

Have a long browse on pprune.org and then ask question on there if still needed.

[lemmingjames]

jeremyc said:

Try this previous thread: Becoming a commercial helicopter pilot

Or perhaps this one: Ask a helicopter pilot anything

Thanks, i thought id seen something 'recently' about this but couldnt find it

Paul Lazzaro said:

Have a long browse on pprune.org and then ask question on there if still needed.

Thanks for the link, ill check it out

[Jandywa]

You’re probably looking at around 18 months from 0 to a commercial licence - full time. It can be done quicker than this but if you go down the integrated route you’re at the mercy of instructor/aircraft availability, which in my experience was a major source of delays. I was fixed wing rather than helis so it may differ slightly but as a round figure that won’t be far wrong.

I can’t comment on heli job prospects either but when I qualified (end of 2020) there were none. There was some sort of nasty virus doing the rounds unfortunately. It is obviously a much better job market now but jobs in aviation always take the first and largest hit when any large world event occurs. Bit doom and gloomy but something to bear in mind. On a bit more of a positive note though, flying is awesome, unbelievable fun and incredibly rewarding. If you can forge a career out of it, as the saying goes you’ll never work a day in your life.

[lemmingjames]

Yeah siko replied on yhe other thread about it being 6-18 months so guess it kinda suits on that idea really.

Apparently there's more jobs coming out now though

Was away with 2 american airline pilots. Apparently massive shortage of pilots out there but imagine its hard to get trained up.

Guess I'll stick to what I'm doing and emigrate somewhere to apply my trade