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Any Helicopter Pilots Here?

nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,061 ******
edited February 2004 in General Discussion
Current, that is.

I don't fly, but I was thinking about learning to fly a helicopter. Only thing is, I can't afford to buy one, or even rent one a whole lot, so the ideal thing would be to get a job flying one.

Might be cool to fly for an air ambulance service. If I spend a bajillion dollars getting trained, what are my chances of getting hired, as a new pilot?

SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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Comments

  • ibffsteveibffsteve Member Posts: 582 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm not a pilot , but being on a fire department I've had a chance to talk to our local Life Flight pilots. The ones around here have many, MANY hours flying , I think all where pilots in Viet Nam., Not to dicourage you but I think your chances a VERY slim in finding a job like that as a rookie pilot, But I think it would be an awesome job though.
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  • FrogdogFrogdog Member Posts: 2,912 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm not a pilot, but I'd bet you'd have a real hard time beating out ex-military helo guys for jobs.
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  • flat8flat8 Member Posts: 887 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I fly airplanes, but I have also met heli pilots who have landed jobs with paramedics, police, fire, etc without a whole bunch of experience. Check around with local schools, and you may be surprised what you find.

    HOWEVER, heli lessons are pretty expensive. It's a much more costly ticket to get then your basic airmans.
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  • hallchinaladyhallchinalady Member Posts: 142 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Last time I checked (about 7 years ago) it was 5 times the price for Heli lisence than for a private pilots lisence.

    I learned at a young age; Don't say "I can't"; say "I'll try!"
    loader_raising_shovel_md_clr.gif?SSImageQuality=Full
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  • kuhlewulfkuhlewulf Member Posts: 591 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Do you have any ratings yet? You will need to go to rotary flight school and obtain first your Pirvate Rotary Rating, then get your commercial rotary, and Intstrument rating. Some Air Ambulance companies may also require more, like ATP(airline transport pilot)rating. This invovles a lot of cash for training. Check with some of the schools and see what the cost is and what sort of recruitment/job placement they have.

    James
    royalthaiarmy.gifrtaflag.jpg
    Do your troops train with live cobras? ROYAL THAI ARMY DOES!
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  • 11thcanopy11thcanopy Member Posts: 448 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Wondering if it would be to your advantage to look into a flight school such as Flight Safety International.

    Understand they have palcement service for their graduates.

    Of course, that employment might be agricultural crop control, maybe in another country.

    As someone mentioned in another post employers prefer pilots with mucho hours.
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  • plains scoutplains scout Member Posts: 4,563
    edited November -1
    Contact the aviation department at the University of North Dakota Grand Forks ND

    "A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I
    advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives
    boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the
    ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no
    character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of
    your walks." Thomas Jefferson
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  • mpolansmpolans Member Posts: 1,752 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've got a whopping 1 hour in a Robinson R-22. FWIW, it would probably be cheaper and easier to get your fixed wing ticket, then cross over to the helo stuff. Helicopter time is incredibly steep compared to fixed wing, even for the "cheap" R-22.
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  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,742 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If anyone here IS a helo pilot, they won't be flying the commanche, the army allegedly just cancelled the program after 8 billion invested...


    I agree with those that said a private pilot would be hard-pressed to beat a military pilot for this type of job.
    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
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  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    nunn: So far, I think that would be a NO.
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  • bambihunterbambihunter Member Posts: 10,742 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    affirmative DWS! [;)]
    Fanatic collector of the 10mm auto.
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  • mpolansmpolans Member Posts: 1,752 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    On this bit, I'm not sure how it is for the helo pilots, but I know the commercial airlines are going to be looking for a lot of pilots over next several years. This is because they have a mandatory retirement age of 60. Lots of the Vietnam era guys are facing mandatory retirement. 9/11 put a temporary dent in the need for pilots, but long term, there's going to be a fairly increasing demand since more people are flying than ever before.

    quote:Originally posted by ibffsteve
    I'm not a pilot , but being on a fire department I've had a chance to talk to our local Life Flight pilots. The ones around here have many, MANY hours flying , I think all where pilots in Viet Nam., Not to dicourage you but I think your chances a VERY slim in finding a job like that as a rookie pilot, But I think it would be an awesome job though.
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  • robomanroboman Member Posts: 6,436
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Night Stalker
    Nunn,

    If'n you don't mind signing a several year contract, for the Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) Course, or more commonly referred to as our Army "Flight School, well.... we just might be able to get you into 9 months of IERW and s top-off of an advanced Aircraft Qualification Course (AQC) in either the UH-60 Blackhawk, the CH-47 Chinook, or the AH-64 Apache.

    Whatta ya say, wanna sign away a few years? Did I forget to mention that the current Active Duty Service Obligation (ADSO) for IERW and AQC is about 5 years?

    So, do you want to join the ranks with us Army Rotor-Heads?

    NSDQ!

    "Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying who shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me." -Isaiah 6:8


    Sounds like a lot of fun actually. [^]
    signew.JPG

    "The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long..."
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,061 ******
    edited November -1
    I don't think the Army will accept me at 51.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • cletus85cletus85 Member Posts: 2,104 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    http://www.hurtwood.demon.co.uk/Fun/copter.swf

    Practice this for a while [:D][:D]
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