Ready to be a helicopter pilot but not ready to buy into the hype of silver state etc.?

If i don’t graduate from one of the accademies that hire their own students what do I do to get employed as a pilot with minimum hours. I just don’t want to get burned financially by these companies that require big loans, but want a job after I graduate. I want to do this as a career. Thanx people !

Sorry for the long answer, but there is a lot you need to think about before pursuing this awesome, but challenging, career.

First, I suggest spending some time on the following helicopter industry websites, and especially their discussion forums. You will find answers to many of the common questions there.
http://www.verticalreference.com/
http://www.justhelicopters.com/home/default.asp

I also recommend doing some reading on the following website. There is a lot of good information here, especially under the “Flight Training” and “Flight School” sections.
http://www.helicopterflight.net/

You can find flight school listings here:
http://www.verticalreference.com/helicopterreviews/showcat.php?cat=2

Choosing a Flight School:
There is no one best school out there. There are many good ones, and there are some bad ones. It will be up to you to find out if the school is good or bad, and you should do A LOT of homework before starting. Consider the following:

- There are many schools that allow you to pay as you go. Avoid the schools that require full payment for their entire program up front.
- Make sure the school will have enough aircraft and instructor availability to meet your needs. You don’t want your training to take longer because you are unable to fly as often as you like.
- Many schools hire their own graduates, but do not assume that you will automatically get a job with them after graduating. There may not be enough positions available to accommodate all graduates. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL GET A JOB WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR TRAINING.
- Many schools do not require a 70k contract to begin training. The school should work for you, not the other way around.
- Meet the instructor you will be flying with. Often being compatible with your instructor is more important than being compatible with the school.
- You don’t need to fly airplanes to be a helicopter pilot.
- Consider the type of aircraft they fly. The Robinson 22 and the Schweizer 300 are the most common. Investigate the differences between the two. Some people prefer one or the other. Look beyond your initial training and consider that first instructing job too. Robinson’s are more common, but sometimes meeting insurance requirements is harder. I personally recommend flying the Schweizer.
- Plan ahead carefully for the expense of training. Paying is the hardest part of civilian training. Some schools are set up for Sallie Mae or other loans, but make sure you understand exactly how they work first, and pay attention to the details of the loan terms lest you get screwed. You should know exactly what it will cost and when you have to pay.
- With regard to safety, you can always check if the school you plan to attend has any accident records. Go to the NTSB website, and do a search with the name of the school, and see what comes up.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp
- CAVEAT EMPTOR, when looking at ANY flight school.

On Training Aircraft:
The two main civilian training aircraft are the Robinson 22 and the Schweizer 300. Investigate the differences between the two, as there are pros and cons to each. Some people prefer one or the other. I personally prefer the Schweizer, and highly recommend it. Be sure to look a step ahead and consider the types of flight instructor positions available for someone with experience each one. You might also ask yourself which one you feel safer in.

Once you get to 1000 hours or so and start looking for a “real” pilot position, which one you flew becomes much less significant. Also, you can always consider getting some experience in both during your training.

Civilian or Military:
You will also no doubt also get this answer from someone: “Join the army, it’s free”, like it’s the easiest thing in the world. The military is an awesome option for many people. It is not ‘free’, but they do pay for your training. Remember, not everyone who joins the military automatically becomes a pilot, so find out about that first. Civilian or military, you will be making a huge commitment and it will take a great effort to finish. Understand fully every aspect of what you are getting into before you start.

Financing
If you plan on civilian training, you should expect to spend in excess of $60,000. Please avoid the schools that want full payment for their entire program up front. Most schools allow you to pay as you go. The financing possibilities are few and far between, and incurring such a large debt has risks. You should plan carefully and do your homework before sacrificing your financial security. Like the answer above stated, it may be better to work hard and save up to pay for training rather than getting a loan.

Here are some financing ideas to investigate:

These two offer loans for training, but they may not be adequate to cover the entire cost, especially in a helicopter. I also understand that their interest rates are rather high:

Pilot Finance
http://www.pilotfinance.com/pages/539359/index.htm

AOPA
http://www.aopa.org/info/certified/funds.html

Sallie Mae offers student and career loans. Check if your flight school is set up with them:
http://www.salliemae.com/

Also look for aviation college programs like Utah Valley State College. You train at a flight school of your choice while doing UVSC’s online classes. You don’t need an aviation degree to be a pilot, but you may have better financing options through them:
http://www.uvscaviation.com/

Finally, some time ago “Av8trxx” posted this answer to a question about financing. I don’t know if any of those would be useful for helicopter training, but she gave a lot of links and you might find something.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq7i4GHLyl0yH3OCoJhuEcXty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070701133902AAft6XS&show=7#profile-info-u7532iNeaa

After Training
With a commercial certificate and 150 hours, few, if any, employers will hire you due to your lack of experience. Most people therefore get a flight instructor certificate as well. The options for building experience without instructing are few and far between, so plan on being a flight instructor for a while. Instructing will usually be your first job until you have about 1000 hours of flight time. The most common steps after instructing are working offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, or flying tours in Alaska or the Grand Canyon. These will jobs will allow you to build time in turbine (jet) aircraft.

You’re making a huge investment in time, effort, and money. Give this decision the careful consideration and research it deserves. Aviation is an awesome and rewarding career, but you can get burned if just dive in head first. Talk to pilots, research schools, get information from several different sources, figure the costs, and go into it fully prepared and knowledgeable about every possible path towards your goals. Don’t start until you can prove to yourself that the path you have selected is the right one.

Good luck!

Michael Moore’s ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’ – Pilots on Food Stamps

Amend title VIII of Public Health Service Act to expand the nurse student loan program, to establish grant programs to address the nursing shortage, … to provide for a nurse faculty pilot project. $9.89 The BiblioGov Project is an effort to expand awareness of the public documents and records of the U.S. Government via print publications. In broadening the public understanding of government and its work, an enlightened democracy can grow and prosper. Ranging from historic Congressional Bills to the most recent Budget of the United States Government, the BiblioGov Project spans a wealth of gover…

To amend title VIII of the Public Health Service Act to expand the nurse student loan program, to establish grant programs to address nursing … to provide a nurse faculty pilot project. $9.88 The BiblioGov Project is an effort to expand awareness of the public documents and records of the U.S. Government via print publications. In broadening the public understanding of government and its work, an enlightened democracy can grow and prosper. Ranging from historic Congressional Bills to the most recent Budget of the United States Government, the BiblioGov Project spans a wealth of gover…

Chase-Durer Men’s 224.2BR-BRA Trackmaster Pro Chronograph 2nd Edition Stainless Steel and Black Ion-Plated Watch $699.50 Racing watch, Swiss quartz movement, Polished silver-tone hands, numbers and markers with luminous accents, Black and white indices, Yellow numbers, markers and indices, Analog date display, Brushed two-tone stainless steel unidirectional bezel with black numbers and selector buttons, markers and indices, Brushed silver-tone stainless steel case, Brushed black stainless steel crown, Brushed/polish…

Chase-Durer Men’s 779.4BEB Conquest Sport Chronograph Stainless Steel and Green Rubber Watch $595.00 Showcasing a durable stainless steel and rubber design, the Chase-Durer Men’s Conquest Sport Chronograph Stainless Steel and Green Rubber Strap Watch is built for endurance. Constructed with a black stainless steel case, the timepiece includes a stationary stainless steel bezel and a green rubber and stainless steel wristband secured with an adjustable buckle clasp. A scratch-resistant sapphire wi…

Chase-Durer Men’s 850.2TSS Crossfire Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch $895.00 …