Helicopter Pilot

electric69 · 24-05-2006 12:54am #1

Hi all. I have just finished first year in college (for the second time) i dont really know if i am going to pass the exams.I still dont really know what i want to do. As a backup plan i am thinking about training to become a Helicopter pilot. It is something that i have always wanted to do and i know that i would be interested in doing. I have a friend of a friend who is now living in America and he owns a Helicopter training centre. I would be looking for both a private and commercial licence.I have been told that the price is approx $13,500 for both licences at his centre. Just wondering has anybody any knowledge about this as a profession or even more helpful is anybody a Helicopter pilot and could give me some advice. cheers

testicle · 24-05-2006 8:05am

The PPL will allow you to fly worldwide, but the CPL will only allow you to fly commercially in FAA regulated airspace, as far as I am aware.

Bam Bam · 24-05-2006 6:00pm

don't you first have to qualify as an aeroplane pilot before you attempt it as a helo pilot?

TempestSabre · 24-05-2006 7:20pm

Try over on http://www.pprune.org.

If it were me, I'd go for it. You've nothing to lose. Except your time and a bit of money. At your age why not. Take a year out of college and see how that goes. Get your friend to get you a working visa, and give you a job, so you can work while you are training. If it doesn't work out, you can go back to college or even start something else.

Tom Dunne · 24-05-2006 7:27pm

Bam Bam wrote:

don't you first have to qualify as an aeroplane pilot before you attempt it as a helo pilot?

Nope, you don't.

I got a helicopter lesson for Christmas and I asked the pilot the same thing.

nearlyhappy · 24-05-2006 8:38pm

tom dunne wrote:

I got a helicopter lesson for Christmas and I asked the pilot the same thing.

What was that like? Fun? How long was it....reccomend it?

Thinking of getting one on topgifts...

Thanks

nh

Tom Dunne · 24-05-2006 8:56pm

It was incredble. Apart from the fact I nearly killed myself and the pilot.

We were heading west, he had shown me the pedals and now asked if I wanted to take control. The key to these things is slight, gentle touches to the controls. I of course buried my foot onto one of the pedals. The 'copter lurched to the right and I was literally facing the ground. And this was at 1,500 feet.

I was shaking for 2 hours afterwards.

Great fun, though. Amazing experience, and highly recommended.

nearlyhappy · 24-05-2006 9:07pm

Cool, think I'll go ahead so...

Nh

cinnamon · 25-05-2006 10:22am

hi, my brother is training to be a helicopter pilot. He has nearly 40 hours done now. He trains in a private heli place in Galway. It's very expensive. What he did was work all week and fly at the weekends, but he had a lot of trouble with the weather. If it was too windy they wouldnt go up, because it was too dangerous for an inexperienced pilot.

Oh and about the plane flying thing, most heli pilots take the p!ss out of plane pilots calling them "planks" because you need a great deal more skill to fly a heli than a plane!

My bro is obsessed with Flight Sim and this helped him with his heli flying.
If you want to ask him any questions i can pm his email address, if you like

Good luck with the flying

TempestSabre · 25-05-2006 10:51am

Weather is a big problem when training in Ireland. Thats why it can be cheaper in the US you get all your training done all together instead of spread out over a long period. Read Chicken hawk a great book about a Vietnam Huey Pilot.

BendiBus · 25-05-2006 10:57am

TempestSabre wrote:

Weather is a big problem when training in Ireland. Thats why it can be cheaper in the US you get all your training done all together instead of spread out over a long period. Read Chicken hawk a great book about a Vietnam Huey Pilot.

Problem about learning in America/South Africa or wherever is that you return with a valid licence and no experience of Irish conditions. When I was taking lessons in Weston, the instructors told me they spent a lot of time 're-training' pilots who'd never experienced rain/crosswinds etc!

Having said that, the overall cost is still probably lower if you learn the main flying skills abroad.

Not sure how hard it is to get lessons in the US since 9/11

eth0_ · 25-05-2006 11:20am

Isn't South Africa another mecca for student pilots?

BendiBus · 25-05-2006 12:56pm

Sad reminder today that learning to fly is a serious business

Fatal Crash in Westmeath

qwertz · 25-05-2006 2:53pm

Well, shouldn't it be?

BendiBus wrote:

Sad reminder today that learning to fly is a serious business

Fatal Crash in Westmeath

cargrouch · 25-05-2006 6:00pm

TempestSabre wrote:

Read Chicken hawk a great book about a Vietnam Huey Pilot.

Excellent book! Just don't get carried away on your first lesson after reading it!

electric69 · 25-05-2006 6:45pm

BendiBus wrote:

Problem about learning in America/South Africa or wherever is that you return with a valid licence and no experience of Irish conditions. When I was taking lessons in Weston, the instructors told me they spent a lot of time 're-training' pilots who'd never experienced rain/crosswinds etc!

Having said that, the overall cost is still probably lower if you learn the main flying skills abroad.

Not sure how hard it is to get lessons in the US since 9/11

I may decide to live in america for a few years if i can find a well paid job from the qualification, so the weather conditions may not be a too important.

There is no problem with getting the licence as regards security following 9/11

daveg · 26-05-2006 9:44am

I looked into this recently and found that a private licence costs about 15-20K in Ireland. However to make a living from it you need your commercial licence which cost over 100K in Ireland. Is it really only $13K for a commercial licence in the States?

TempestSabre · 26-05-2006 11:39am

daveg wrote:

I looked into this recently and found that a private licence costs about 15-20K in Ireland. However to make a living from it you need your commercial licence which cost over 100K in Ireland. Is it really only $13K for a commercial licence in the States?

Where did you get those figure from Daveg?
Heli time is what, 170-200 an hour I'm guessing?

Zulu · 26-05-2006 11:48am

How much could a helicopter pilot expect to earn? and surly there's a serious limit to the jobs no?

Tom Dunne · 26-05-2006 12:22pm

TempestSabre wrote:

Where did you get those figure from Daveg?
Heli time is what, 170-200 an hour I'm guessing?

Ha, if only.

420 Euro I was quoted at a well known west Dublin Aerodrome. Multiply that by the 40 hours needed, plus classes plus exams. It comes to at least 20k.

That put an end to my dream fairly lively.

electric69 · 26-05-2006 12:25pm

the average price in america would be approx $200 an hour.when i complete the course that i am looking at i will have both a private and a commerical licence.

cinnamon · 26-05-2006 6:13pm

tom dunne wrote:

Ha, if only.

420 Euro I was quoted at a well known west Dublin Aerodrome. Multiply that by the 40 hours needed, plus classes plus exams. It comes to at least 20k.

That put an end to my dream fairly lively.

It costs E320 in Galway
http://www.executive-helicopters.com/

If you work all week and go twice a month, it is doable

daveg · 26-05-2006 6:37pm

Can't remember where the figures came from tbh. I think it was actually reading a previous boards thread tbh.

-Al- · 27-05-2006 2:10pm

You'll need to get yourself an instructor rating on top of your commercial licence, a low time CPL is pretty useless without it, no one will higher you.

Most people who do it Ireland go to the UK for there instructor rating, becuase you only need 285 as apposed to 300 hours in ireland (I think these numbers are right, can't be too sure)

45 hours is the minimum time needed for a PPL, depending on how regularly you fly and how quick you learn, this could go up to 60-70 hours so budget for more.

Don't forget to add money for books, exams and a medical. (you'll need a class 1 for a commercial licence, class 2 for a PPL)

If you do go to the states and you want to fly in europe see if your school does a JAA course, the FAA licence is cheaper but you can only fly in the US.

The price from most places when you count just the flying or have to add accomadation and living money comes to near 100,000

From what my instructor told me you only get payed per hours you have flown and can only legally fly so many hours a month, when you get an instrumnet rating then you get a salary, but an IR is about another €30k

Good Luck with whatever you decide.

CaptainSmith · 21-07-2006 1:24am

<Quote>
Oh and about the plane flying thing, most heli pilots take the p!ss out of plane pilots calling them "planks" because you need a great deal more skill to fly a heli than a plane!
</Quote>

We might be planks but they dont risk putting 125 lifes behind a heli pilot!

Honestly, if in Dublin, try www.eirecopter.ie accross the country have a look at www.flyinginireland.com for others, or ask them on the forum!

I've tried heli's, they are great craic, actually took my first flight on one, highly entertainly for me, the instructor, less so, but enjoyable all round, go for it!

Regards

CaptainSmith · 21-07-2006 1:26am

Another approach is apply to the A I R C O R P S if you are under 25...

learnerplates · 21-02-2007 3:03pm

Glad to see there's so much knowledge about on the helicopter pilot licence subject.
Where have people gotten licences outside of Ireland?

I too would like to get a helicopter pilot licence (or even a plane licence) but I could never see myself doing it in Ireland, weather, cost, too much time when doing it part-time etc.
I'd much prefer to do it in warmer climes and at a full-time basis.

The old SSIA is maturing soon and i've tinkered with the idea of taking a year out and spending the cash on helicopter licence, but where? I'd like to include some more adventure in the time too, surfing etc, no location is too distant. Somewhere with some partime work, bar work or whatever would be perfect.

BostonB · 21-02-2007 6:18pm

learnerplates - How did you even find this thread after 6 months?

On PPRuNe Forums the general opinion is that getting a Heli Job is much much harder than a getting an airline job, which is hard enough! And they pay isn't as good. If you even get paid at all.

Mind you they might just be putting you off.

learnerplates · 21-02-2007 6:33pm

it was keyword search for helicopter pilot that found me here.

If I were to fly commercially (helicopter or plane) I wouldn't have any interest in the big guns, I'm thinking more of having the pilot licence (preferably in heli) which can accompany me with other opportunites, a skill to help me acieve other things, wildlife I'd hope, the whole airline thing doesn't float my boat at all. Small craft for me.

mick.fr · 21-02-2007 10:29pm

In my country (France) many young guys who want to become a helicopter pilot after living cert, will actually enroll in the Army (Or Air Force).

The 2 main reasons :

- You have nothing to pay to get your license.

- The day you want to quit to work for a private company (Commercial), the insurance company will actually accept to cover you at a very reasonable price. Why ? Because you have the experience to fly with all kind of weathers, ...

In France, almost no company will hire you if you do not have a military background, because you might be weak with delicate situations, plus the insurance will certainly not even insure you.

I do not know if this is the same here ? But that makes sense to me. No ?

learnerplates · 22-02-2007 10:05am

Too late for me I'm afraid, I don't think they'd accept me now at 32. I think the airforce/army is quite different here too, from what friends have told me they're not willing to teach you too much. Anyway that's a different thread.

Any more experience with pilot licences in greener fields?

Pabloescobar · 22-02-2007 11:04am

http://www.pprune.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=23

loads of info re training in the above link should answer most questions you have

paddylonglegs · 11-03-2007 10:59pm

Yeah really interested in doing this lads.just wondering would the bank sort you out with a loan and pay it back through part time work on the side?Have got a birthday present lesson in two weeks so will let you know if I'm still enthuased by it then.Is it really 400 blips for a lesson?good girl,good girl!

BostonB · 12-03-2007 12:29am

I think if you are not going to go the traditional route and into the airlines and prepared to accept that you are not going to make a lot of money. Then there seems to opportunities in the smaller companies all over the world. But that's fixed wing twin turbo props and the like. Helicopters seem to be much more rarefied though.

learnerplates · 12-03-2007 10:23am

It's too expensive here in Ireland, I'd prefer to do it fulltime and in a country where the weather is dependable and pleasant. Any recommendations on locations?

Helicopter Pilot

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