Is 35 Too Old To Start A Career As Helicopter Pilot?

[Hueylover]

I have a wife, but no kids yet, so there is still some flexibility there for us. I know she would be very supportive, but having read a lot of comments about how hard the heli business can be on relationships, I certainly have my reservations.

 

The other night I spent several hours on Youtube, searching for, and watching, helicopter crash after crash after crash. Part of my 'testing the waters'.

 

Anyway, onwards... I'll have some more questions to post on here soon.

 

T.

 

So when you were getting ready to learn to drive cars, did you watch crash footage too?

 

in aviation, it's called AIDS:

 

A Aviation

I- Induced

D-Divorce

S-Syndrome

[helicopper]

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.

Mark Twain

[Cole]

So when you were getting ready to learn to drive cars, did you watch crash footage too?

 

...Yah, and? haha.

 

If youre watching youtube vids the best heli ones ive seen as far as a taste of everything were from 'warbird adventures' of california, ive it a search theres 4 in sequence of an intro flight.

[Petit-Lion]

If you start training at 35, you have a reasonable chance to start flying at 40.

I trained at 35, am 40, and will start flying next year, however, to do so, I am currently selling everything I own (anyone interested in a 3-appartment building on Plateau?) in order to buy a helicopter. And I will still have to demonstrate my motivation to a potential employer.

[sirlandsalot]

Greatslave in doing check rides for 9 days in the end of november. All low timers are encoureged to go and a 206 endorsment is not required however knowlege of the machine is beneficial. See greatslave heli website for details. Welcome to the new age of the helicopter industry! you could be flying by march if you had your license!

 

PS, petitlion do you live in Calgary?

[EC-130]

Greatslave in doing check rides for 9 days in the end of november. All low timers are encoureged to go and a 206 endorsment is not required however knowlege of the machine is beneficial. See greatslave heli website for details. Welcome to the new age of the helicopter industry! you could be flying by march if you had your license!

 

Oh Man, if only I had my license! I would love to work for them but I am too young to have a license. I hope to have it in 3-4 years. One reason I would love to work for them (aside from the fact that I have heard they are a great company) is that I love the EC-130 (if you hadn't guessed by my username ) and they fly it. I had a couple of questions about the check rides though, they said that low time pilots are encourged to come but lower down they say the minimum PIC time required was 1000hrs. To me, low time is 100-300hrs. Do I just have an incorrect understanding of "low time"? The other question is, they say "all candidates must possess... a valid commercial rotary license..." Does this mean just a Canadian license or does an American one count? If they are only looking for Canadian licenses, how hard is it to convert an American one to a Canadian one? I really want to work in Canada, for the most part the jobs are more interesting (in my opinion) and the scenery is great! Thanks! Hopefully Great Slave will have another one of these in 4-6 years...

 

BTW, what type of chopper are you hoping to get, Petit-Lion?

[sirlandsalot]

Greatslave is looking for pilots of all levels. 100 to 300 hrs is "low time" I know alot of low time that got their chance this summer, some flew 500 hrs in 5 months! I know a guy with somewhere around 1500 hrs who is flying one of the 130's right now. Greatslave is a top notch outfit, and if you have a good attitude, you will get a chance. If you get a US licence it is no good up here unless you get a coversion....which costs quite a bit of money. Call a canadian school like Bighorn Helicopters flight training and ask about the training. Cheers and good luck, I'll post a 130 pic for ya

[EC-130]

Greatslave is looking for pilots of all levels. 100 to 300 hrs is "low time" I know alot of low time that got their chance this summer, some flew 500 hrs in 5 months! I know a guy with somewhere around 1500 hrs who is flying one of the 130's right now. Greatslave is a top notch outfit, and if you have a good attitude, you will get a chance. If you get a US licence it is no good up here unless you get a coversion....which costs quite a bit of money. Call a canadian school like Bighorn Helicopters flight training and ask about the training. Cheers and good luck, I'll post a 130 pic for ya

 

Thanks for the reply, is it possible to come to Canada, do the nessecary ground school, do a few hours to get the nesseary expierice with the different rules&regs and then take the regular test to get a Canadian commercial license instead of a conversion? Speaking of which, around how much are they? (if you know) Thanks again. 500hrs in 5 months!!! :shock: :up: I'll look forward to the 130 pic!

[Cole]

The industry is changing at this point quite quickly... I know 12 pilots who recieved certification in 2007, only 2 arent flying and one of those is by choice the other turned down a ramp job to have his eyes fixed. The first one is now persueing different interests for the time being and the latter is renewing his medical to attend the great slave checkrides.

 

My hoping is that this trend will be at its strongest in, say, february haha.

 

Cheers, and good luck!

Cole

[Petit-Lion]

Wow! First good news I hear from the market since eons ago! Be sure I will go West as soon as my house sells!

 

BTW, what type of chopper are you hoping to get, Petit-Lion?

A R44, but if I can get a job without it, I may just buy an airplane. BTW, EC-130, it seems that you will arrive on the market at the right time. Things can only go better with time