Your First 1000 Hours

[Daz]

 

 

"... but nobody wanted to hire a guitar man"

 

 

Well played, sir! Consider me knocked off my pedestal (happens all the time; lucky for me it ain't far to fall).

 

 

Signed,

 

Swingin' Little Guitar Man

 

 

[Flash]

Hey, terrible sorry for hi-jacking the thread, but I would like to hear a few advices if the following can e done:

Is it possible to finish a degree, while also working in the industry? I know most jobs, if hired, start in the spring (when school term ends), and they finish at fall (mostly), when school begins again?

My question would be, should I concentrate finishing my degree first, and then try again my luck in this industry, or is it possible to do both? I have spent quite a bit of time and money and wouldn't want to just quit school.

Your input is highly appreciated.

 

And Daz, keep at it. You already broke the ice by lifting off from the 100hrs plateau, it can only get easier from here.

[Bell-powered]

resume? I sometimes think that people take one look at my resume and pass me off as a white-collar computer nerd. I have a lot of diverse skills from past jobs, but my current work experience paints me as an office-type; when I'd be much happier on the shop floor. I'm not sure if I should discard much of my technical certifications and experiences, or how I should tilt my resume to show my aviation aspirations.

 

hard to say as everyone who looks at your resume will be different. What I did was leaving out things that wasnt relevant, and get them to ask me about it, that way I can sell them my past much better than if its written on paper.. I partly got my first gig because they needed someone to do the inventory of stores deparment. All you need is an inn.

Show up at the door well groomed and have aspiration when you talk, get them excited about you, who you are and what you have done.

Whether you trained at abc helicopters or def helicopters doesnt really matter, what matters is wheter they can see themself put a million dollar machine in your hands... so its all about selling a product, YOU!

[swirlingeddy]

E-mailing a resume is better than nothing. Phoning is better than e-mailing. Visiting a base manager/ops manager/cheif pilot is better still but if you REALLY want to get hired MOVE to a helicopter hot spot like Fort Mac, Fort Nelson, FSJ. Move even if you have to get a different job at first. Target a town with multiple helicopter companies (preferably busy ones) and just BE there. Kiss some hands and shake some babies, learn the location and BE there. Make the rounds once a week and something will come up-just not between October and January. Push your chips in and make it happen. Bet on yourself. Too many half hearted efforts from major metropolis centers. Helicopters excel in remote areas and pilots need to be in those areas as well until they have the juice to leave them. The first thousand may be the toughest, but the 2nd hundred is DEFINATELY the hardest hurdle-and you have that! Good luck.

[deuce bigalow]

E-mailing a resume is better than nothing. Phoning is better than e-mailing. Visiting a base manager/ops manager/cheif pilot is better still but if you REALLY want to get hired MOVE to a helicopter hot spot like Fort Mac, Fort Nelson, FSJ. Move even if you have to get a different job at first. Target a town with multiple helicopter companies (preferably busy ones) and just BE there. Kiss some hands and shake some babies, learn the location and BE there. Make the rounds once a week and something will come up-just not between October and January. Push your chips in and make it happen. Bet on yourself. Too many half hearted efforts from major metropolis centers. Helicopters excel in remote areas and pilots need to be in those areas as well until they have the juice to leave them. The first thousand may be the toughest, but the 2nd hundred is DEFINATELY the hardest hurdle-and you have that! Good luck.

 

 

This is exactly correct. Pick your company/town......move there......and make yourself known. Eventually it will be time to hire a newb and they will get to choose between a newb they know and 490 they don,t. Worked for me. In spite of the owner taking a dislike to me and declaring he would close shop before I got a job. The look on his face when he saw me climbing out of the co-Jo seat on one of his aircraft because I got hired by a base manager at other town was priceless. Got my first thousand hours there.

[Brock_Landers]

I agree with Eddy 100%. That is exactly how I got my first job with 100 hours and then flew my first 1000. But that was after living in FSJ working pipelining for a year, crossing my fingers that the ops manager would remember my name.

[Ryan]

I got my start with Helijet in 2005 as ground crew in Victoria. In '06 after getting my IFR and night ratings I was very fortunate to get on the flight line as a very green co-pilot with a whopping 140 hours total.

 

My first year I flew about 750 hours on their scheduled service between Vancouver and Victoria. The start of year 2 had me flying on their EMS contract and I got a little over 250 hours that year. Year three had me back on the scheduled service and then flying tours off Grouse Mountain that summer in a 206L. The 4th year was a mix of EMS and scheduled service work before I got the call from CHC that fall. I had applied a year earlier with them and they now had an opening for a co-pilot so I was off to the races.

 

Gave Helijet a month's notice I was leaving, then joined CHC in December '09. Got put into the meat grinder at West Palm Beach, ate a steady diet of Humble Pie and I somehow came out the other end intact. Got upgraded to S76 Captain close to a year ago now. Life is good.

[sirlandsalot]

sure do agree with Eddie, it really comes down to who wants it the most??

 

what are you willing to sacrifice to be there??

 

The guy who stands on the door step day in and day out show he wants it more than the guy who shows up on a road trip every 6 months for sure. But the guy on the door step has probably left all his friends and moved to town he doesn't like just to get the job....who would you hire?

 

 

Good story Ryan, I remember when you where flying van to vic.. :up:

[Daz]

Moving IS in the cards. We moved to Vancouver so my missus could go to nursing school, and once she's done in a year or so she's keen to move wherever I need to go.

 

But, that leaves this summer... Maybe I'll get lucky - if not, we'll bug out and head north next year. Both of us are sort of keen to see what the north is like, so maybe Yellowknife or Whitehorse is worth a look (or anywhere with helicopters and nursing jobs).

With her as a registered nurse, at least one of us will have a steady income

 

Cheers,

 

Darren

[twinstar_ca]

i remember reading Ryan's flight training blog... well done, man!! :up: