bishop

Wow what a great idea. Does look like it makes the helmet awkward for longlining or moving your head around. Do you have a pic wearing the helmet?

Well said, You can't fault an individual for continuing to pursue flying even with a past like this. If anything I say good for him because it can't be easy to get another shot with a criminal record with so much competition assuming he is upfront with his past? As for the employer, if they want to avoid this then it's their responsibility to screen potential employees. If they choose not to then then it's obviously not a concern to them.

No offense taken. You're right it is difficult and many people will choose to finance the course. Today's society wants it now and wants to pay for it later. Which is fine I guess but is also one of the reasons we are experiencing a recession. Anyone pursuing financial aid for a commercial licesnse should seriously do some research as to what they can expect upon completion and educate themselves as to what they are committing to, which is hard to do. That goes for all educations in my opinion. Go house shopping in Phoenix or Florida right now to experience this first hand. While you're there stop by your local Starbucks and ask your barrista how their business degree is working out for them. I don't want to sound like a downer because flying is a great experience and a rewarding one on many levels. After listnening to the schools narcissitic sales pitch on what it's like to be the "heli hero" also consider what it will be like to be working an odd job with a $1000 month loan payment because that is the reality for many. If you're prepared for either situation then I say go for it. If you're truly prepared you will succeed.

"thats great that you were able to, the reality is most people don't have 50+ in their back pocket." I'm sorry but I take offence to this statement. When I decided to pursue this career I had nowhere close to $50,000 in my "back pocket". I worked my *** off for 3yrs/sacrificed many luxuries and saved every penny to put myself in a position to do this because I truly believed that it was the right way to succeed at this. If I can do it anyone can.

Something to think about for anyone considering gettting their license Student loan 50,000 @ 5%interest = $23872.77 paid in interest over 8yrs = $73872.77 paid for license while making monthly payments while possibly not even working in the industry. Paid for out of pocket 50,000 + $25,000 (25hrs with Icefield earning your Mtn. Course which you will have forever) = $75,000 Simple math, and I'm not saying one way is better than the other. This is not a easy industry to crack and you're gonna pay for your start one way or the other. I think it's best to maximize your investment in this career short term as well as the long term and if you can receive added value to your investment then I believe you'll be ultimately, farther ahead.

I wouldn't recommend anyone financing their license. I paid for my license out of my pocket. It took longer to put myself in a position to do it this way but it also put me in a position after my training to not be pushed/stressed pigeon holed into making decisions. Debt always limits your opportunities/choices. With the amount of unemployed low time pilots I think it's a pretty big gamble to finance your license. I know that not everyone can do it this way but in my opinion if you can't afford the process of getting your license and sacfifising financially for at least a 1-2yrs afterwords until you've built some hrs up you have no business being in this business.

I think it is irrelevant to a 100hr pilot whether or not working here is good/bad for the industry. It's easy for a 5000hr pilot to sit here and pass judgement on this company. But as a 100hr pilot your opportunities are very limited starting out. It's great if you can find a flying job out of school but realistically many don't. Because of this working for Icefield is a real opportunity that a fresh pilot would be foolish not to consider. As mentioned in a previous post this company lays out it's pilot format upfront before you start working for them and Ralph will not withold any information from you if you ask the right questions. So going into an interview here you have the power to know everything you need to and make the decision whether it will work for you/can make it work for you or know upfront that it won't work for you. It's an opportunity and as a 100hr pilot what more can you expect. Just be realistic about what their expectations are as well as yours. "If you know you're being manipulated then you're not being manipulated"

Settle down Shakey, someone's got some anger management issues WTF? I think AH1 was just trying stick up for a company that has been historically slagged on this site. Anyways can we get this post back on topic about letting foreigners work in this country like yourself?

Good point AH1. I just received my tax forms from Icefield yesterday. Which clearly state this is a training facility as well. So what difference does it make where you get your Jetranger endorsement from? I opted to get it at Icefield. It was cheaper quicker and I was given the opportunity of employment afterwards. So what's the big deal? I don't see it as buying a job more like training I needed in order to have a job anywhere in this industry. I don't get alot of the negative comments on this company from people of have heard bad things. It is what it is. It's not like this company is saying they're some kind of revolution to low time pilots. They're running a bussiness in a way that works for them and offering low time pilots an opportunity. And although it might not be for everyone an opportunity is all a 100 hr pilot should be interested in. If you don't like it or you can't make it work then find something else. It's pretty simple. DJB

Wow, did this ever get off topic. After reading alot of your posts Cole I wish you luck in this industry you're going to need it. Your a##kissing apology doesn't mean alot to the people that read your previous posts on this company. You have a pretty big mouth for someone with what 40hrs PIC? Anyways, to any 100hr pilots out there contemplating Icefield I will also share my first hand experience as I also work there presently. From day one everything that was told to me by ownership was followed through on. There is no hidden agenda - the bottom line is if you work hard it will be rewarded. You pay for your training which is tax deductable and once finished immediately start flying passengers commercially. If you do not have a good work ethic you will not succeed with this company. Hard work and long days are a prerequesit with this job but the payoff of course is that you will build your hours faster than alot of other places. It is also excellent experience as a 100hr pilot to be flying at altitude in the Rockies. All I know is that I will be going back to Icefield this season and I am looking forward to it. One more thing to Cole ... You should come out this year 'cause I'm gonna need someone to wash my windows DJB