Going towards helicopters

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I have stopped in a few times and I must say, whoever is hiring the girls behind the desk is doing an excellent job.

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Yes John, they look excellent!
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However, most of them are from Denmark, Sweden and Germany. Many of the desk girls work there in exchange for flight hours and training flights. They are all working to earns some money towards their instructor certificates. For most of the european girls it is a dream to live and work in Florida for a few years, even if they don't earn so much money, they hope to meet a rich helicopter student someday ...
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I have done all my Flight Training(Airplane) out of TIX and have seen the school "grow up" from the beginning. There was a girl(I think her name was Liss?) who started at HAI at TIX as a cleaning woman and was helping in the maintainance hangar, she now is one of the busiest flight instructors(I think she is still instructing there, I last saw her this January).
 
I want to become an airline pilot, but my dad and brother are/were cops. As well as my grandfather. I figured I should become a state police helicopter pilot..and I even signed up for the lady pilot at career day at school. Then I figured I would rather stick to jets. and thats my story
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John, you may already know this, but Barry has a helicopter here in Lapeer that a guy (Randy) gives instruction in. They also deal Enstroms. If you are back in the area at any time, I'm sure Randy could give you some insight.
 
John, John, John
Skids are for kids ...
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Seriously I can tell you alot about flying helicopters but to be honest I'm not sure I could recomend it as a career. First of all helicopters are fun, fun, fun ... but fun don't pay the bills. I've worked as a helicopter pilot and because I was dual rated and also flying as a Cpt. on a jet so I made pretty fair money, but that is an exception. I work with a guy who had 12,000 hrs in helicopters ( Military background, logging and EMS ) and when we hired him as a King Air pilot he doubled his salary, he wasn't even making 50K a year, this after 25+ yrs in the industry.
Another major hurdle for you to overcome is the competativeness of out going Military pilots with thousands of hours in highly complex turbine machines, who by the way have cornered the market on networking opportunities in the helicopter business.
I would say pursue fixed wing or another high paying job and do the helicopter thing as a hobby, you will still love it and won't spend alot of money pissing into the wind.

I may be in BTL on Friday, I'll let you know and we can discuss this over coffee.

Jim
 
It took me a while, but I've finally realized that FOR ME there's much more to life than money. I'll thus be leaving my 6-figure income and the desk to which it shackles me in order to pursue the flingwing thing full time within the next year or so. Yes I have a family, complete with offspring. No, we won't be affluent any more. As my hangar therapist (the mechanic) told me, "Son, you don't choose helicopters...they choose you." I honestly cannot imagine doing anything else. But that's just me.
 
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"Son, you don't choose helicopters...they choose you."

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I had/have the same feelings. I am so obsessed with helicopters it is ridiculous. I would rather fly a helicopter than an airplane anyday. Having said that, the only way that I would allow myself to fly them for a living is if I knew that I would be perfectly content having no family of my own. If I did not have plans to get married and have kids I would definatley fly helicopters. You are coming from a completely different situation than myself (I am still a 21 college student), but you are planning on entering the same shotty industry that I was. I am sure that you have done your homework (perhaps even more than myself), but please realize that, unless you have tons of money to spend on flight training (buying lots of turbine time etc...), you will most likely have to move around a lot and you will make next to nothing and the jobs aren't 9-5 home every night type jobs. I don't say all of this to insult your dreams (as they are mine too), I just hope you think long and hard about what you are getting into. Hell, if you already have a six figure job, find a partner and get a helicopter together and fly for fun whenever you want. Read C650CPT's post above....he has been in the industry and just like every other person that I have talked to that flys helos for a living, he says [ QUOTE ]
helicopters are fun, fun, fun ... but fun don't pay the bills.

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Just please consider all of this and go to theJustHelicopters Forum and read the post that appear from time to time where people ask if there is anywhere that they can work for free, just to build hours. And read all of the complaints that the people there have about their jobs. And then hopefully you will then be educated enough about the situation to decide if you really want to do this or not. Remember its not about making enough money to live off of, its about supporting a family and meeting their needs and doing whats best for them.
 
It's pretty much all been said here already. I've got tons of time in them too but I now find myself in an airplane. And often longing for a helicopter!
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You have to decide if it's worth it to you. Some people are more beholden to the almighty buck than others. If you're one of them the odds are against you. It's not impossible to find a good paying helicopter job but it ain't easy either and you have got to be prepared to go wherever.

Your motivations are laudable though. Don't forget you could still do a lot of good in an airplane. Angel Flight is usually looking for planes and pilots. You might contact a group of your local Shriners. I belong to the Shrine and am a member of their Air Patrol. I've ferried kids with burns and kids going to have orthopedic work done in Shriner's Hospitals. Because of my work I don't often get to help, but man, when I do, it sure puts things in perspective.

Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done (getting a killer helicopter gig). It can. I know because I've done it. And anyone with brains, skills and determination can do the same.

Best of luck to you whatever course you decide to choose.
 
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It took me a while, but I've finally realized that FOR ME there's much more to life than money.

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It's all about the Money, Life that is. I hear what you are saying and in context of you haveing "made" it financially you may have money set back for life's unplanned expenses, but for a new / young pilot this may not be true. Life is expensive, I am sitting here with a bill for over $1950 for replacement appliances and if I were on my helicopter salary I couldn't replace them all this year.
Each person does have to decide for themselves, but if I'm asked for an honest opionion I must ( at first blush ) recommend against helicopters as a career track for non-military rated pilots.
As Agcatman said I find my self longing for helicopters ... on good days, no more skud running for me.
 
These are all good insights. It truly does boil down to individual situations and preferences. And clearly you have to do your homework (which is what John seems to be doing in this very forum). One thing to remember about the "family" thing -- unmarried folks are not necessarily the best situated to pursue lower paying jobs. To the contrary, as in my personal case, having a spouse with independent earning capacity very much bolsters my ability to pursue such jobs.

As for staying with my 6-figure income and going in with a partner to buy a helo...that would be nice, but I'd rather chew glass than continue in my present profession.
 
Call me nieve or just dumb but does it seem as though any one with experience flying helos is very negative about them?

Are helicopter jobs that bad? I think that people reading some of these posts might get discouraged b/c I think I am, what i'm saying is that you read horror storty after horror story from regional,135 pilots and now helicopter pilots whats the deal??
 
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Are helicopter jobs that bad? I think that people reading some of these posts might get discouraged b/c I think I am, what i'm saying is that you read horror storty after horror story from regional,135 pilots and now helicopter pilots whats the deal??

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Yes. All aviation jobs suck. You should find something else and reduce the amount of competition, um, er, leave those horrible jobs to other people.
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