Question about helicopter career

Zeldman

Zeldman

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Future Speedo Zeldman
A lady at church told me her grandson wants to be a helicopter pilot. She is wanting to know what a helicopter career is like, as in what happens after training, how to get the first job and what to expect for a first job.

I already told her first thing to do is check health and meds for disqualifiers, and I can help her with that. He is 13, 14 years old, has good grades, mischievous prankster and is always eager to learn.

Anyone have any suggestions/questions I can share with her.??

(of course I realize that next year he might want to be a brain surgeon or a double naught spy...)
 
TCABM said:
Army/Navy/Marines offer the best and cheapest RW training programs.
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Curiosity got me to my local helicopter flight school's web page which resulted in my incredulity at their hourly prices. I thought that fixed wing was expensive , hah... I'm not sure who can afford this training out-of-pocket; I'm assuming that often the cost is somehow passed on to some government entity (police, nat'l guard, military?) or via some kind of scholarship?
 
Zeldman said:
Anyone have any suggestions/questions I can share with her.??
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Have her get him a discovery flight with one of the local/regional helicopter providers. Once he's older and appears committed then the remaining questions can be answered.
 
Baked Potato said:
…I'm not sure who can afford this training out-of-pocket; I'm assuming that often the cost is somehow passed on to some government entity (police, nat'l guard, military?) or via some kind of scholarship?
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I have no idea, but the costs seem on par with getting your PPL in an SR20 and enough folks do that, so I expect it’s loans.

I guess it’s slightly cheaper if you’re just doing the add on.
 
I second the idea of having someone else pay for it.
Too expensive to get the required time for a serious job otherwise.
 
There’s a track in Sevierville, TN at GKT that does zero to CFII. Not sure on cost, but I assume it’s outrageous. I knew a guy that went through it and after, I believe 500TT, he went to Bell to get trained for the 206 and built his time doing scenic helicopter rides at one of the tour companies there. Not sure if it still works that way, but something to consider.
 
Like most flying jobs, until you get plenty of hours the jobs are limited and pay is crap. I looked at doing it 18 years ago, pay was pathetic.

If I were young again, I'd go the military route to fly helicopters.
 
My nephew spent a lot of time in submarines. Now Uncle Sam is paying his way through a 141 program. I don’t know his plans for afterwards, though. My first CFII learned to fly helos in the Army, and ended up flying for a tour/sightseeing company while also ATC at a center. While he was doing all that, he got his fixed wing ratings, went the CFI-I route and now he’s flying regionals.
 
TCABM said:
Army/Navy/Marines offer the best and cheapest RW training programs.
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I did mention this but I don't think grandma was impressed with this idea at all. I will suggest it to the kid and see what he thinks.
Baked Potato said:
I'm not sure who can afford this training out-of-pocket;
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Grandma can. I think she can fund the United States Bullion Depository, aka Fort Knox, if needed. The kid will never go without. I know that sounds bad but he is a real go getter.

Bell206 said:
Have her get him a discovery flight with one of the local/regional helicopter providers. Once he's older and appears committed then the remaining questions can be answered
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I think this might be the best idea for right now.
 
Maybe ask around at some 141 places to see if they have any kind of placement office with good industry connections.
 
Zeldman said:
Grandma can. I think she can fund the United States Bullion Depository, aka Fort Knox, if needed.
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Last I checked any good heli job required a good chunk (more than fixed wing) of turbine time. That gets expensive fast, regardless of grandma's gold bullion.

Hence why a few of us recommended having Uncle Sam pay for it.
 
Bell206 said:
Have her get him a discovery flight with one of the local/regional helicopter providers. Once he's older and appears committed then the remaining questions can be answered.
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I don’t know how it would translate into helicopters, but if he’s a go-getter and still interested after a discovery flight, it might be worth a periodic lesson to get a jump on things for when he’s old enough to solo…one of the best students I ever had was 13 years old, and spent enough time chair flying between lessons that I never had to show him something twice.

Of course, he hadn’t discovered cars or girls yet.
 
MauleSkinner said:
I don’t know how it would translate into helicopters, but if he’s a go-getter and still interested after a discovery flight, it might be worth a periodic lesson to get a jump on things for when he’s old enough to solo
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In general, from what I’ve experienced, if the kid gets pumped after the helicopter ride the better route would be to get his PPC and time in airplanes by 17. You have more training flexibility and can do a lot more foundation building in a fixed-wing, regardless of grandma’s cookie jar value. Then if helicopters are still his priority select the rotor training based on what he wants to pursue.
 
AV8R_87 said:
Last I checked any good heli job required a good chunk (more than fixed wing) of turbine time. That gets expensive fast, regardless of grandma's gold bullion.

Hence why a few of us recommended having Uncle Sam pay for it.
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I've known several civilian trained helicopter pilots that have successful careers and none of them paid for turbine helicopter experience, their employers provided it.
 
Bell206 said:
In general, from what I’ve experienced, if the kid gets pumped after the helicopter ride the better route would be to get his PPC and time in airplanes by 17. You have more training flexibility and can do a lot more foundation building in a fixed-wing, regardless of grandma’s cookie jar value. Then if helicopters are still his priority select the rotor training based on what he wants to pursue.
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Thanks, I was just wondering about this. I'll mention it to grandma.
 
If he really wants to get a jump on things, get a private glider cert a year earlier than anything else and build up some flight time understanding air currents and weather. Then the helicopter rating could be a private pilot add-on.
 
Fixing to be a bunch of very experienced helicopter pilots on the job market. The Army is going to RIF aviation career fields because of reduced survivability of helicopters due to drones. I think it's around 10% of pilots.
 
A long time ago I looked into helicopter flight school, I lost interest when I learned I'd be in debt and unhirable (technically I guess uninsurable is a better way of phrasing it) until I got my hours as an instructor.
Years later I talked to a helo pilot about how he got his hours, he bought his own helicopter and went to work.

If grandma has the money that may be one way of doing it.

I know a veteran who told me he can use is GI bill to go to helo flight school, he already had his PPL.
If the kid can't get into military flight training (this would be my first choice) he could join, learn a trade to carry him over while he's getting hours as a civilian, then use the GI bill to go to flight school when he gets out.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Fixing to be a bunch of very experienced helicopter pilots on the job market. The Army is going to RIF aviation career fields because of reduced survivability of helicopters due to drones. I think it's around 10% of pilots.
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They already closed a lot (most? all?) of the Reserve units. The Chinooks at my airport flew their final formation early this month.
 
If you're going to go on a non-college helicopter track, Army is the way to go. Spend three or four years getting your E5 stripes, and it's probably easier to get in to the WOCS helicopter program than it is to get in to aviation as a regular commissioned officer - at least that was how it was when I was in. Most Army helicopter pilots are warrants.

That program was open to me when I was an E5, except I didn't have the required vision. If one was to enlist with the intention of going through the program, a 15 series MOS (helicopter mechanics and crew chiefs) would be ideal.
 
Sac Arrow said:
If you're going to go on a non-college helicopter track, Army is the way to go. Spend three or four years getting your E5 stripes, and it's probably easier to get in to the WOCS helicopter program than it is to get in to aviation as a regular commissioned officer - at least that was how it was when I was in. Most Army helicopter pilots are warrants.

That program was open to me when I was an E5, except I didn't have the required vision. If one was to enlist with the intention of going through the program, a 15 series MOS (helicopter mechanics and crew chiefs) would be ideal.
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Afterwards, the GI benefits will help with a degree?
 
Matthew said:
Afterwards, the GI benefits will help with a degree?
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Yes, if not used for other stuff. Also, many forget/don’t know there’s a pretty generous tuition assistance program on active duty and ANG also has some pretty good TA options/ed benefits at the state level.
 
TCABM said:
Yes, if not used for other stuff. Also, many forget/don’t know there’s a pretty generous tuition assistance program on active duty and ANG also has some pretty good TA options/ed benefits at the state level.
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My nephew got his degree online during active duty in the Navy. He's now in a flight school: finished his PP, and IR, now working towards his commercial in helicopters.
 
that uboober steveo got his pilot training via GI bill after his stint in the coast guard.

Army Reserves got their aviation units axed in one swoop, it's been a bloodbath for army manned aviation. We're next in usaf pilot training. Frankly, I'm not sure there's a 40 year career window there for helos for the young man. The best days of manned aviation are behind us.
 
It takes 2,000 hours to be competitive / insurable in the civilian market for a “good” helicopter flying job, but even then, the QOL can suffer and wages have stagnated for seemingly decades. The FW route has proven much more lucrative. I enjoyed my career flying helicopters (8 years in the back, 18 years up front); however, flying FW for a living now sure beats work.
 
I've had people ask me about their kids and getting flying experience, and have always helped the best I can. If anyone asked me about their kid/grandkid going into helicopters, I wouldn't actively discourage them, but I would suggest that they look into the risks around flying helicopters. I don't know the numbers and I may be being unfair, but the commercial and military helicopter flying that I'm aware of seems pretty dangerous to me. The other impression I have, also possibly incorrect, is that compared to the AF and pilots, the other services treat helicopter pilots nowhere near as well, where they're doing work that is at least if not more dangerous.
 
Albany Tom said:
I don't know the numbers and I may be being unfair, but the commercial and military helicopter flying that I'm aware of seems pretty dangerous to me.
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Dangerous compared to what? Rotorcraft make up less than 15% of the overall aviation industry so its very difficult to make any general comparisons to the rest of the industry on a number of levels. As to safety, depending on what matrix is used, you'll find Part 91 recreational flying has a higher accident rate than commercial helicopter ops. Regardless, one has to really want helicopters in order to succeed which goes for mechanics as well as pilots.
 
Albany Tom said:
I've had people ask me about their kids and getting flying experience, and have always helped the best I can. If anyone asked me about their kid/grandkid going into helicopters, I wouldn't actively discourage them, but I would suggest that they look into the risks around flying helicopters. I don't know the numbers and I may be being unfair, but the commercial and military helicopter flying that I'm aware of seems pretty dangerous to me. The other impression I have, also possibly incorrect, is that compared to the AF and pilots, the other services treat helicopter pilots nowhere near as well, where they're doing work that is at least if not more dangerous.
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I spent a career in Army Special Forces, and we all considered riding in helicopters the most dangerous thing we did.

It's not that helicopters are inherently dangerous. But military rotary wing operations often involve multiple risk factors all at once: night, low level, high speed, NVGs, weather, terrain, heavy loads, etc.

I have worked with helicopters from all 4 services (no USCG). All are good at what they do. IMO the Army is the most broadly capable, but also the most blue collar. Helicopters are a niche activity in the Navy and Air Force.
 
Matthew said:
How much of a commitment do you have to make to get a benefit like that?
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It depends on whatever sign on bonuses are in effect at the time but I guess currently it as @TCBM says. I assume I had to complete my enlistment term to get my college benefits but I don't remember. It was a fixed allocation, I want to say $15K but that covered state school tuition and room and board, mostly. I'm sure it's a lot more now.
 
Update:

Talked to grandma and the kid last night. My mistake, the kid is 15 and turns 16 next June. He has no interest in the military. He was very interested in the fixed wing first suggestion, as was grandma. I may have suggested trying a career in bush flying in Alaska, and he really enjoyed hearing some of my adventures. I told him he can fly rotor in SE Alaska in summer and fixed wing up north in winter, and his reply was, "Cool.!!"

My suggestion of college first went over well with grandma, not so much with the kid.

So next is schedule a fixed wing discovery flight and see what he thinks after that.
 
Ed Haywood said:
Fixing to be a bunch of very experienced helicopter pilots on the job market. The Army is going to RIF aviation career fields because of reduced survivability of helicopters due to drones. I think it's around 10% of pilots.
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Interesting
 
The guy that taught me to fly helicopter for the commercial add on is a great dude. Got his ratings through the GI bill.

We work at the same legacy airline now. We both really liked flying helicopters but the quality of life and the ROI with airline is hard to beat. If I didn’t like flying jets I would still be in helicopters but I like them both so I’ll take the bigger paycheck and better schedule.
 
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