Pay for cost of employment check ride?

I don't know were some of you guys are getting your statistics on the lack of helicopter jobs. For the past few years every guy I know getting out of the Army who was seeking a RW flying job was able to find one. Sure the jobs are in middle-no-where-Mid-West but they're out there.
 
av8tr1 said:
I am looking to pick up a side side gig doing helicopter instruction with a school. Its brand new school. They have one instructor with zero given. Just got his CFI with another school. They were considering me for a part time chief instructor position. They don't have any students and no program so part of the job would be to build a program. I'm cool with that as a side gig for the helicopter time and I can pick my hours.

Had an interview today and they want me to pay for a employment check ride. I have to pay for the helicopter at $400 an hour (DOC is around $200 so I am paying the customer rate no less). Then pay for a check airman who doesn't work for the school to do my check ride because there isn't anyone there who can do it.

Anyone ever heard of this? This a run don't walk in the other direction?
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Damn! Mark this thread for posterity. Unanimity in response? On JC? Unicorn Thread.

And, to the OP's question, btw ... NO!!!
Consueala NO NO.png
 
av8tr1 said:
I am looking to pick up a side side gig doing helicopter instruction with a school. Its brand new school. They have one instructor with zero given. Just got his CFI with another school. They were considering me for a part time chief instructor position. They don't have any students and no program so part of the job would be to build a program. I'm cool with that as a side gig for the helicopter time and I can pick my hours.

Had an interview today and they want me to pay for a employment check ride. I have to pay for the helicopter at $400 an hour (DOC is around $200 so I am paying the customer rate no less). Then pay for a check airman who doesn't work for the school to do my check ride because there isn't anyone there who can do it.

Anyone ever heard of this? This a run don't walk in the other direction?
Click to expand...

This sort of practice has South Florida written all over it.
 
Major red flag and that's just the tip of the iceberg with them.

Say thanks but no thanks.
 
The flight school I work for, as a part time CFI and very occasionally as a commercial helicopter pilot:
- has hired new CFIs (out of the army, as well as fresh 200h instructors)
- has paid for their Robinson transition (e.g. the R44 PIC endorsement, min 5h)
- has paid for some of their fixed wing CFIs to fly 2 states over to Colorado and get proficient in mountain flying
- supports high school kids (a handful every year) to obtain their PPL at no cost to the student (through donations from the school, instructors and community)

So yes, there are good schools out there. They all have their problems, but don't pay for an interview. I know in the helicopter world people pay to build up time as commercial pilots (like helicopteracademy - taking boat pics from a heli). That is not as frown upon as it is in the airplane world. Still, that's their business model, and you know what you get into. However, to claim to be this good company, pay you as a chief pilot, then short change you for a few hundred dollars, that's just... cheap.
 
This was clearly a test which you failed. They also want you to build the program. You should have responded, "well the first step to building a successful program is not requiring your potential employee to pay for their own check ride." Boom. Hired. Check ride paid for.
 
NovemberEcho said:
This was clearly a test which you failed. They also want you to build the program. You should have responded, "well the first step to building a successful program is not requiring your potential employee to pay for their own check ride." Boom. Hired. Check ride paid for.
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Or.....

"Can I put it on my company card?"
 
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