Do You Want to Become a Commercial Helicopter Pilot?

[Badwater Bill]

There is a guy here in Vegas who has the best program in the country
for anyone who wants to become a commercial helicopter pilot. I'm not
sure about all the details but you can get a commercial and
instructor's certificate here with 100% financing at a something like
5% interest rate. You go to school for 12 months. You fly the
simulators, the R-22's, the R-44 and the H-262 (Schwitzer 300) and do
a ton of ground school. You pass all the tests and the checkrides as
part of the guarantee.

You get a commercial, or a commercial and a CFI in 12 months and your
first payment to the bank isn't due until 18 months. The operation:

"Silver State Helicopters"

offers you a job on-line in a FAR 135 operation at low time since they
self- insure all the aircraft themselves when you finish at 12 months
of study and flight time. So, you don't have to worry about not
getting insurance until you have 1000 hours. You can start flying for
for free as soon as you are rated if you are good.

They are involved in Las Vegas strip tours, and are getting all set up
to do FAR 135 to the Grand Canyon plus charter to and from Los
Angeles...so they have slots for their own students who graduate to
fly 135 missions and build time. I understand they ordered three
Bell 207's last week. I might be wrong about the type since I'm out
of the loop, but it's a big Ranger with 4 blades. I thought they told
me it was the 207.

This program seems to work. I've seen a lot of young guys come into
the operation, build 500 hours of piston time, get transitioned into
the turbines, then build turbine time and leave to other jobs
throughout the country.

I'm not involved in the business aspects of this and don't know the
exact details, but if you are interested in changing careers and want
to call them, call Wally or Jerry Airola at 702-616-1967.

It looks to me like it works. They have large classrooms that are
full of students everyday. There are operations in Phoenix, Las
Vegas, Salt Lake City, and Merced California right now (and they are
expanding).

Check it out.

Tell em Badwater Bill sent you! Ha Ha.

BWB

[Jad]

does anyone here in Australia run a similar program... if so, i want
in!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Jad

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz *AT* adelphia *DOT* net> wrote in
message ...
> On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 04:58:08 GMT, (Badwater
> Bill) wrote:
>
> [snip]
> >offers you a job on-line in a FAR 135 operation at low time since they
> >self- insure all the aircraft themselves when you finish at 12 months
> >of study and flight time. So, you don't have to worry about not
> >getting insurance until you have 1000 hours. You can start flying for
> >for free as soon as you are rated if you are good.
>
> Forgot this part. Not entirely true. SSH does self-insure their
> hulls *BUT* once the student solos, the student is liable for 10% of
> any hull damage he/she causes. There is student hull insurance
> available in the form of a $250/year fee, payable prior to the start
> of the course and takes effect on the student's 1st solo flight.
> Until that point, any damage is the instructor's responsibility.
>
>

[Bart]

For clarification, theres no such thing as Commercial External Load,
its an External Load endorsement, and requires that you be working for
someone who has the proper certification for external loads other than training.

Also, theres no such thing as a "Turbine Rating." Once you have a private
you're allowed to fly any helicopter under 12,000 lbs. This DOES NOT
mean that you'll ever actually be able to fly a turbine ship though. Unless you
have "Factory Initial" training in "type" it is highly highly improbable that
you'll ever be actual PIC of a turbine ship. Factory Initial training in turbine types
generally costs at least $8,500 and goes up in direct proportion to the price
of the machine you're flying. Add to this that you'll be totally uninsurable
in any turbine type until you have at least 200 hrs in it, and you can see the
Catch-22.

Positions as anything other than a CFI are very hard to come by until you
are above about 1200 hours rotorcraft, and salaries at this point seem to
be lower relative a fixed wing pilot at the same point in his/her career.

I only mention this stuff because its important to go into this thing with your
eyes wide open and your expectations set at the proper level. It can be
very very frustrating, and it mostly has nothing to do with your skill or dedication.
Your career progression will be moderated more by insurance companies
than the FAA and FARs.

Bart

> When I graduate from the program, I'll have My Private, Instrument,
> Commercial, External Load, CFI and Turbine ratings. 175 hours of
> total time in R22, Schweitzer 300, R44 and then some time in a Long
> Ranger or Hughes 500. (I'm not sure if the 175 hours includes the
> Turbine quals or not - I don't think so 'cuz that was extra money.
> eheh) Suplementing actual flight hours is unlimited sim time, based
> on sim availability of course.
>
> >You get a commercial, or a commercial and a CFI in 12 months and your
> >first payment to the bank isn't due until 18 months. The operation:
>
[ some snipping here]
>
> I can't wait to start...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

[JIM105]

bart says:

>Also, theres no such thing as a "Turbine Rating." Once you have a private
>you're allowed to fly any helicopter under 12,000 lbs.

Actually it is any helicopter under 12,500 lbs. and remember there is no twin
rating for rotorcraft.


>This DOES NOT
>mean that you'll ever actually be able to fly a turbine ship though. Unless
>you
>have "Factory Initial" training in "type" it is highly highly improbable that
>you'll ever be actual PIC of a turbine ship. Factory Initial training in
>turbine types generally costs at least $8,500 and goes up in direct proportion
to the price
>of the machine you're flying. Add to this that you'll be totally uninsurable
>in any turbine type until you have at least 200 hrs in it, and you can see
>the
>Catch-22.
>

Don't totally agree, although it is usually the case, I have seen it otherwise.
Examples are if the company is sel-insured (rare, but they are out there), or
maybe an individual owner.


>Positions as anything other than a CFI are very hard to come by until you
>are above about 1200 hours rotorcraft, and salaries at this point seem to
>be lower relative a fixed wing pilot at the same point in his/her career.

Agree totally. Also look at the long-term return on investment of being a
helicopter pilot vs fixed-wing. There are virtually no helicopter pilots that
make what the senior airline captains make. That will not change.

I always here that there is more to this decision then money, and while that is
true, you owe it to yourself to look at all the options out there. I have been
flying helicopters for 20+ years now. I have a friend that went the airplane
route when I started flying helicopters. His paycheck is well over twice what
mine is, and I feel I have done well in this industry.

[joe]

;-)

> I know there are no guarantees, but just like the lottery, ya gotta
> play if you want to win.
>

[Ken Sandyeggo]

They're advertising hot & heavy in San Diego now. They took over
Civic Helicopters and make you feel stupid if you don't sign up for
the coming heli-pilot shortage and big bucks waiting to be scooped up
by their grads.

Ken J. - Sandyeggo




"Jad" > wrote in message >...
> does anyone here in Australia run a similar program... if so, i want
> in!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
>
> Jad
>
> "The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz *AT* adelphia *DOT* net> wrote in
> message ...
> > On Fri, 01 Aug 2003 04:58:08 GMT, (Badwater
> > Bill) wrote:
> >
> > [snip]
> > >offers you a job on-line in a FAR 135 operation at low time since they
> > >self- insure all the aircraft themselves when you finish at 12 months
> > >of study and flight time. So, you don't have to worry about not
> > >getting insurance until you have 1000 hours. You can start flying for
> > >for free as soon as you are rated if you are good.
> >
> > Forgot this part. Not entirely true. SSH does self-insure their
> > hulls *BUT* once the student solos, the student is liable for 10% of
> > any hull damage he/she causes. There is student hull insurance
> > available in the form of a $250/year fee, payable prior to the start
> > of the course and takes effect on the student's 1st solo flight.
> > Until that point, any damage is the instructor's responsibility.
> >
> >

[[email protected]]

The OTHER Kevin in San Diego <skiddz *AT* adelphia *DOT* net> wrote:


> SSH just made it a bit more affordable - and the fact their SD
> location is 3 miles from my house makes it damned convenient. :)
>
>

What is their hourly dual rate in an R22?



Dennis Hawkins
n4mwd AT amsat DOT org (humans know what to do)

"A RECESSION is when you know somebody who is out of work.
A DEPRESSION is when YOU are out of work.
A RECOVERY is when all the H-1B's are out of work."

To find out what an H-1B is and how Congress is using
them to put Americans out of work, visit the following
web site and click on the "Exporting America" CNN news
video: http://zazona.com/ShameH1B/MediaClips.htm

[Paul Johnson]

Paul, in Texas, writes:
Yeah guys, don't buy into the recruiters' lines about upcoming personnel
shortages. The shortage I heard about in A&P school in the early 80s was
delayed by about 15 yrs.

It finally started trickling in as the VietNam era guys started retiring. It
would have become a robust market if not for 9/11.

But, by ALL means if you love to fly & are fascinated with helos, ( & have a
chunk of cash to spend) then bygawd GO FOR IT !!!!! I just obtained my
Private Pilot add-on to my Commercial fixed-wing ratings on 22 July, 2k4.
I'm pushing 40, too.

> wrote in message
...
> The OTHER Kevin in San Diego <skiddz *AT* adelphia *DOT* net> wrote:
>
>
> > SSH just made it a bit more affordable - and the fact their SD
> > location is 3 miles from my house makes it damned convenient. :)
> >
> >
>
> What is their hourly dual rate in an R22?
>
>
>
> Dennis Hawkins
> n4mwd AT amsat DOT org (humans know what to do)
>
> "A RECESSION is when you know somebody who is out of work.
> A DEPRESSION is when YOU are out of work.
> A RECOVERY is when all the H-1B's are out of work."
>
> To find out what an H-1B is and how Congress is using
> them to put Americans out of work, visit the following
> web site and click on the "Exporting America" CNN news
> video: http://zazona.com/ShameH1B/MediaClips.htm
>
>