pilot83

Well the first kind of work you will start out doing is cleaning the bathrooms and sweeping the floors along with washing the owners vehicle. Next you might be put on some ground crew job if you are lucky and work 14+ hours a day for less than minimum wage. Yo might even be lucky enough to be told “ if you’re lucky I’ll let you fly my machine.” its a junk industry stay away

Yup I would definitely recommend fixed wind as well plus you don’t have to deal with clients who think they know more about piloting than you cuz they fly in a helicopter 3 times a year. Also you don’t have to lug a longline and bucket and all the other ops gear you have with you around on a fire. Them fixed wing boys literally walk around the plane jump in the front seat and punch in their route on the flight computer. They don’t have fuel calculations or have to load bags the just need to make sure to land and take off on the right runway and make sure to wake up when ATC calls them.

Do you like being treated like garbage and cleaning the toilets of rich owners who complain all day about not making money, Pilots being princess’ and how little you know about flying? Well young fella this is the career for you! Be prepared to be treated like junk for a bunch of years cuz your first comment from CSC1 is a rare one we have low time pilots when I am up to 1000hrs and they are still “not people” in owners eyes. Until you can make them money all year round and don’t smack a set of blades you are their personal slave. Over 15 years I’ve seen it all even upper management in companies taking bets on which low time pilot would quit first and which would stick it out. It has gotten better over the years but not much. Be prepared to put up with more sh*t than you can think of, Long days and junk pay, and be expected to move wherever a job is and jump at the drop of a hat. Oh and lastly hopefully you aren’t married or have a GF cuz you’ll be divorced or broke up within the first year.

Well ladies and gentlemen here we have a perfect specimen of a “sac o’sh*t.” Absolutely nothing to contribute to the conversation and attempting to bring into the mix their own personal beliefs based on Facebook facts and no knowledge whatsoever. Well simpleton you are an absolute f*ckin nothing male or female.

Hahaha

Quick everyone to their safe spaces. No jokes allowed.

Looks like you need to install a baseball card into your bike spokes too.

I agree Ive talked with pilots and engineers who have worked at companies for 15+ years and all of them say they have set schedules they are all VFR operators. What makes one different from the other?

I agree with Rotor, however ask the guy instructing you what it’s like to be on a campaign fire, or in a camp setting, or sitting on a pipeline for 10 hours and you didn’t bring your lunch cuz the client told you he’d only need an hour, two max and now your thinking about eating the rations from the survival kit cuz you’ve been there all day. If he’s never been in one of those situations I would look elsewhere. Anybody can teach you how to fly, but it’s the insights and experience I took away most from my initial training. Also go fixed wing!

Hahaha I’ve ran Jet (I think it was Jet, kinda smelled like it at least) in a machine that was so old I couldn’t even tell it was Jet from the tag, there was probably more rust than actual metal on the drum. I’m still here and the engine didn’t quit.

I agree with Shakey pay as you go that way for whatever reason you don’t wanna continue you don’t need to try and chase down the remaining money. Yup also agree on the duals topic as well.

The fun things they don’t tell you in flight school are as follows; 1. Don’t expect to fly as soon as you are done school 2. You better know how to sweep a floor and clean toilets cuz those will be your first tasks. 3. Expect to be paid [email protected] and work long, long hours cuz operators never take advantage of low time pilots. (They like to chalk it up to “show some incentive if you wanna fly my machine” ) 4. Make sure your instructor no matter how many you have has at least worked in the industry, not like some schools who would rather have more likes on YouTube than actually teach. Industry knowledge is very important. It’s easy to get a loan from a relative and buy a machine then buy a school. It’s the truly passionate people in this industry who have mopped the floors and cleaned the toilets a thousand times. 5. When your out of school and working keep studying learn FMs and hang around engineers. They are good to talk to. 6. Listen to other pilots and engineers, some like to hear themselves talk and some will take the time to really talk to you and pass on some of their mistakes so you hopefully won’t make the same as them. Im sure someone will chime in about something I’ve said but these are my pointers.

I have used it once to board a plane, I was in the midst of moving and had a temp paper drivers license. At first the agent said what is this a passport? despite on the front it clearly says aviation license, so after a minute or so he was like is this government issued? I replied I hope so cuz the guy flying the plane I’m about to get on has a similar one! So after another minute or so he was like ah ok sure go ahead. It was pretty entertaining.