Getting A Feel For The Industry!

[hypnotikal]

what are the advantages of being type endorsed on dif. helicopters.

is small craft better to be endorsed on then larger helicopters?

Is it better to look for a larger company when starting an ame rotary apprentiship and get a broader range of expeirence on dif. types of helicopter and then branch off, OR to start with a smaller company that is more speacialized and get a good name and work up? What kinda pay is expected for a rotary AME apprentise....i know the apprentice doesn't get paid much but what kinda path is best for pay...there are maintenance overhaul facilities that deal with small and large aircraft, and there are companies that has just have one type of helicopter. Is it better for pay and expeirence starting out early to work with one type of aircraft ex. Astar350 and get type endorsed? or where is the money in rotary?

 

Any Info is welcome thanks

[Longstranger]

just get a job wherever working on whatever type of heli, i think its best to start on lights but thats just my opinion, a type endorsement is a waste of money unless your licensed and the shortage of guys right now its a waste of money to buy your own cause i guarantee someone will buy you a course when you get your license. DON'T work for free or i will hunt you down, and expect to get paid between 2000 and 2500$ a month as a apprentice with some flight pay if your away from base.

[Fenestron]

go big or go home i say.

 

big has it's advantages, big helicopters carry more sh*t, which means you can carry more sh*t, like porn, booze etc (tools if your a keener), which in all likely hood will be your saviour on many occasions. Big companies also let you slip into the shadows where you can dog it etc without much attention. Gives you more opportunity to make use of that "extra baggage" we talked about earlier.

 

If you want to start off on robbies, that's your call, but we'll all call you a wuss and assume you're light in your loafers.

[hypnotikal]

thanks for your input ..

does anyone have a preferred company they would like to work for or have worked for as an AME and why?

[Longstranger]

thanks for your input ..

does anyone have a preferred company they would like to work for or have worked for as an AME and why?

 

from what i've heard, campbell helicopters in vancouver and i hear their DOM is a really nice guy, named Adolf i think

[arctic_front]

Adolf is long gone...new DOM is Al Signh..also a very nice fellow...and Campbell is looking for apprentices. Laura Siemens is the contat person. (604) 852-1122 hope that helps.

[HighSkids]

Don't rule out the "mom and pop" type of heli companies. Can offer lots of freedom and great oppotunities. But they can be painful places to work if you show up during the "growth" phase of things.

As for type and size...whatever you can get, at first. You'll figure out what blows your skirt up pretty quickly. Good luck.

[hypnotikal]

Don't rule out the "mom and pop" type of heli companies. Can offer lots of freedom and great oppotunities. But they can be painful places to work if you show up during the "growth" phase of things.

As for type and size...whatever you can get, at first. You'll figure out what blows your skirt up pretty quickly. Good luck.

 

 

 

What do you mean by "mom and pop companies" and why would a growth phase somewhere be painful.

[HighSkids]

I meant smaller, family owned...less than ten machines. I've worked for a couple and found it to be very rewarding. Once I had demonstrated I wasn't a complete hazard in the hangar, they gave me loads of valuable experience that a lot of guys wouldn't have gotten till much later in thier apprenticeship. But, that said, those smaller companies, especially newer ones, haven't figured out a lot of personnel problems. You might get loads of experience, but hardly any time off. Which sucks. Or, even worse, you might not get a good experienced engineer to learn from. That also sucks. If your small three jetranger operation decides to buy 2 astars and a couple 500's and they haven't beefed up they're numbers of staff you'll get burnt out pretty quick. I've never worked for anyone big, like VIH or Canadian, but I've heard there are just as many pros and cons for them too.

[new guy]

highskids is right the experience that i'm gettingas an apprentice is great. it's a smaller company with 10 machines at 4 bases. at the base i'm at there is 6 machines 2-350b2,2-350ba,1-500, and 1-206. it's nuts at times and also slow at others there dose not seem to be anything in between.

 

a pice of advice that i got when i left school was to go to lights first and then to mediums or heavys. the reason was that all helicopters are much the same the larger the machine the more back ups they have. on lights an apprentice may be given the chance to trouble shoot problems or will be able to have some imput on a problem than on the bigger machines. this is due to the cost differance in lost money in down time. and also if the bigger machines are parked looking for a new contract you can go back to the lights and still make money to pay bills.

 

again this was just advice that was given to me and it would not have matered it a company that only ran mediums had have offered me a job i still would have taken it.