Does anyone fly a helicopter for a living?

[The motor guy]

What does it take to get a commercial helicopters license? Can you go to school for it at your own pace while you still keep your current day job? What is the work/personal life balance like?

 

[StarCaller]

https://www.pilotmall.com/blogs/news/how-to-acquire-a-helicopter-license-step-by-step

 

[The motor guy]

Looks like I have a school about 45 minutes away.

 

[RoadDukie]

Looks like I have a school about 45 minutes away.

You're halfway there!

Do it if you have the desire.

 

[The motor guy]

You're halfway there!

Do it if you have the desire.

I have lots of questions lol

 

[The motor guy]

Like who employs helicopter pilots? I don't really want to move for a job. We have a hanger just 10 minutes up the road from me and another small airfield 45 minutes the other direction. Then I have a dog too. Looks like some of these jobs you do 14 days on, 14 days off, can you bring your dog along too?

 

[The motor guy]

I would think they could pick you up at the local heli pad and then you fly it wherever the job is

 

[RoadDukie]

Sorry to say... forget your pooch, most anything to do in commercial aviation will require odd work schedules and relocation every four months for the first year or two.
But!... getting up into the ether is a hard drug to kick.

 

[tbm5690]

Medivac and sightseeing tours account for a large portion of civilian rotorcraft jobs. No, they won't pick you up for work and your dog has to stay home.

 

[captainbeandip]

I remember when all of the tv news stations used to have a helicopter
for traffic reports and breaking news stories. I live in the Minneapolis area, and I think they all stopped using them around 2000 or so.

I know news helicopters are still common in the big cities like NY, Chicago, and LA, but I'm guessing not anywhere else?

 

[Donald]

How big a helicopter? I have an RC one. Does that count?

 

[Pablo]

Pipeline inspection
Forest and water management

Law enforcement at every level

We have a micro airport across our road. Used once or twice a year for BP training

 

[skyactiv]

You need to know if you can pass a medical, vision and background checks before entering training.

 

[Hall]

I don't really want to move for a job. We have a hanger just 10 minutes up the road from me and another small airfield 45 minutes the other direction. Then I have a dog too. Looks like some of these jobs you do 14 days on, 14 days off, can you bring your dog along too?

I would think they could pick you up at the local heli pad and then you fly it wherever the job is

Sounds like you need to get your license and then buy your own helicopter to suit your lifestyle.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Like who employs helicopter pilots? I don't really want to move for a job. We have a hanger just 10 minutes up the road from me and another small airfield 45 minutes the other direction. Then I have a dog too. Looks like some of these jobs you do 14 days on, 14 days off, can you bring your dog along too?

IMO I would consider whether you want to compete against former military pilots with thousands of flight hours. The maintenance cost is really high on these things as well.

Uses: LEO/Medivac/major TV stations/Forest Service/Ferry service (ex, NYC, Gulf of Mexico)/Sightseeing (Ex, Hawaii, Grand Canyon).

 

[Astro14]

Most of the helicopters near me are piloted by military pilots. We have the largest navy base in the world, and the navy keeps lots of helicopters. There are also Coast Guard helicopters, army helicopters, and Marine Corps helicopters occasionally.

Most level one trauma centers will have a medevac helicopter. These jobs are extraordinarily hard to get and it’s not something that you pick up and then walk into with a few hundred hours, to be competitive for most of those jobs you have to have thousands of hours, and the former Army, Coast Guard, Marine, or Navy helicopter pilots are the kind of guy they’re looking for.

However, we do have traffic and news helicopters in the local area - the Norfolk area is a bit over 1 million people, those jobs abound, but they are known for their odd hours, demanding schedules, and low pay.

You can learn to be a pilot at your own pace, but that pace is gonna take many years. Because if you’re not available to fly when the weather is good, it’s gonna take you a very long time to build the hours necessary to get a commercial pilots license, you need at least 250 hours to get a commercial.

To be very honest, helicopter pilots don’t make a lot of money. There’s a lot better money in commercial aviation, but it’s gonna take you years, and over $100,00, to get started on that path, and another decade after that to get to where the good money is.

 

[The motor guy]

Sounds like you need to get your license and then buy your own helicopter to suit your lifestyle.

No, I was just wondering how the commuting part worked.

 

[The motor guy]

You need to know if you can pass a medical, vision and background checks before entering training.

I can

 

[The motor guy]

IMO I would consider whether you want to compete against former military pilots with thousands of flight hours. The maintenance cost is really high on these things as well.

Uses: LEO/Medivac/major TV stations/Forest Service/Ferry service (ex, NYC, Gulf of Mexico)/Sightseeing (Ex, Hawaii, Grand Canyon).

I wouldn't be buying one, just flying it.

 

[Cujet]

A horrible and wonderful machine:

Although not our helicopter, this happened at our hangar.