Aviation BS and Photo Thread

Agree it's a ton of $$ compared to fixed wing.

Here's a sheet right off the manufacture page...of course it should be noted the hourly cost excludes initial capital expense of the purchase and is insured not as a trainer.

 

I just looked at that school, did not know we were talking about helicopter training. Could be a fair price. I pay $100-$120 hour for a Cessna 172 to take the grandkids up. To go back in time, Cessna 150 rented for $7.00/hr and the instructor was another $3.00/hr when I took flying lessons in 1964. I use to teach aerobatics for $15/hr in the 70's. Wife and I had a 7KCAB Citatbria and the operating cost was $17 and change/hr back then, now the gas would cost $40/hr now. Of course a Coke was a nickel and gas was around 30 cents a gallon when I was learning to fly too.

 

V1 rot8- That's awesome. Sounds like you had a cool career. When I learned how to fly, it was 55/hr for a 150.

 

Im not saying you can't find a job after putting yourself through civvie flight training, but I am saying that the wait is long and often never ending for many people.

All the following is YRMV. These are my opinions of what I've seen throughout my career, as most of my friends are helicopter pilots and we follow each others careers over the years. Exceptions always exist but I would never recommend to somebody that they will succeed as the "exception".

Your best chance for success is from what I've seen is get hooked up with a cropdusting operation or some other company where you can get flight time on the side (in a part 91 operation of some sort). Another good option is a small company that does instruction and charters on the side in a market that has a good amount of traffic. Instructing is the tried and true method to build time but it will be grueling to get to the magic 1000 hours. In my view getting through the instructing phase of your career is akin to a pyramid scheme, as to teach how many students through 1000 hours of flying just to make one viable commercial helo pilot (you) is, well, a lot of other peoples broken dreams along the way. Some guys will make it through. Many wont due to exhaustion of funds, interest, medical, life events, etc. 1000 hours will get you in the door at tours or offshore, but they generally don't hire every one that walks through the door. Tours and offshore are highly dependent on the economy. Hours are long in those industries (14 hour days!), pay is generally good for offshore. Good is a relative term. 60K -120K depending on tenure and vfr/ifr. EMS is more stable, more stable home life, and pay is mediocre 50-80K. Expect to have at least 1500 hrs and probably need at least 2000-2500 before an EMS company will consider you. Utility jobs pay the best from what I understand, the jobs are extremely hard to get because for some reason, the companies don't want to do mission specific training, they want to hire someone already with the qualifications/certifications for the job, whether it be hours in type or longline experience or forest service carded, things like that.

Go to JSfirm.com or justhelicopters.com and look at the job postings, and compare them to the resumes....many jobs open for long time, yet many pilots looking for job. There is a mismatch between the experience that the pilot pool has and the specific mission experience that the companies demand, hence many guys waiting around looking for jobs for months or years, and companies with open positions that they just cover by giving overtime to their current pilots.

I was Chief pilot in my last job for 5 years...every open position that I put up would get 50-100 resumes, with experience levels all over the map, and hard to find a suitable candidate. (mostly due to location).

Lastly, if I had to do it all over again I would buy an airplane and fly for fun and have a more normal 9-5 job. Once you get in your 40's and you body starts breaking down, every yearly trip to the flight surgeon is a gamble. Better be ready to financially retire at any point.

 

Thanks for the input ! Btw, where are you at in Nebr ? .. got some family scattered about in that state.

 

This guy is dead on...and is good reason to start young. Not only is it spendy to learn the pay is shit in the beginning. I'm not sure and sure not asking but, you need to either have a boat load of cash or live ultra lean.

Not attempting to discourage but, it's not an easy road.

 

Had some fun working on this piece of history

 

Very nice airplane.

Reminds me of a vintage I used to get to play with...another great looking flying machine.

 

SNJ/T6 FWF Mx

 

I was in Youngstown, OH and met some old dudes that were rebuilding these...

I love Beech Staggerwings !!!

 

This one (the one I posted) is a restoration too (I know you can tell by looking). My only problem with Beech is the damn swing control wheel. Buddy has a V35 I have rode & flown and even though everything works...just odd to me. That said, I love it.

 

Do you give a long look at the tail during preflight ? I never liked the AD on the tail

You have to appreciate the engineering of that V tail Bonanza ... outside the box

Like this ...

 

Here's what I have to offer. She's fat but I love it

 

This specific tail has had the terminating action accomplished. I'm with you on having issues with structural problems (tho operator induced for the most part IMO), not cool.

 

Nice, my work airport has them based here too...just recently replaced the C5s. Very cool bird.

 

Looks like the 'deid. I fucking hate the 'deid.

 

Where the CAPS handle usually sits, the Cirrus Vision had the emergency O2 so don't think it has CAPS.

I saw the 400 being built in my hangar when I was working at Wallops Island... Neat little airplane for sure.

 

I have a buddy that used work at their ABQ facility. Cool deal had it worked out and not a bad job for him...while it lasted.

 

Agreed, but this was at Ali