Potential Pilot In Training

[marblearch]

If you like working 42 days straight and then getting a week off to scramble home and pay your bills, kiss your wife/girl;friend and pat the kids/dog on the head then this is the career for you.

Don't be taken in by all these 'life is wonderful posts'. You will work endless hours for no money at the beginning but if you keep with it, in a few years you will have 'experience' and will work endless hours for a little money! I'm a base manager so I have it pretty good. It took me a long time to get here and these jobs are few and far between, but I look at our new pilots and they are all over worked and under paid. Oh and if they are really lucky they will put in all that time and come fall, guess what? Oh your laid off cause things have slowed down. There is no loyalty in this profession whether your a hundred hour wonder or a 10000 hr do everything guy.

 

If I could do things over I would have done something different like be a tool and die guy. Ask these guys how many of their kids birthdays they've missed over the years cause they were sitting in a tent living their 'dream'.

 

Don't get me wrong the job has perks for sure and I still love the flying part. It's the rest of the B.S. that goes along with it that sucks. I'd way rather be at home to put my kids to bed every night than sitting out in some camp or ****** hotel hoping I get to fly more than two hours tomorrow.

 

Do your research before you spend all your money on something that doesn't even guarantee you a job. It took me 5 years to get my first job. Something to think about.

[pilot5]

Hmmm! Perhaps its time to take a break. But before you do let me know as I would like a full time base position.

 

P5

 

 

[helicopterjim]

Don't be taken in by all these 'life is wonderful posts'.

 

Hey Jacques! Do you think all that "wonderful" stuff we thought we did was all just a dream? I am pretty sure that flying in Peru and Mexico and Australia and all across Canada and everything in between was real but now I'm not sure ...

[Guest jacdor]

Hey Jacques! Do you think all that "wonderful" stuff we thought we did was all just a dream? I am pretty sure that flying in Peru and Mexico and Australia and all across Canada and everything in between was real but now I'm not sure ...

 

 

Don't tell me it includes all those beach resorts we lived in while fighting forest fires in France, Spain, Corsica, must have been dream I suppose.

 

I will ask my wife if she was dreaming as well when she came up and spent a big part of those summers in St Tropez , Nice, you know the French Riviera. She loved Australia.

She's been to beautiful places in Canada as well.

 

That was all real Jim don't believe everything they say.

 

JD

[jas600]

"Do your research before you spend all your money on something that doesn't even guarantee you a job. It took me 5 years to get my first job. Something to think about. "

 

Marblearch

Point taken....

I am still in the process of weighing out the pros and cons of all of this and so if you can point me to any other resources to help me research this decision further, I would really appreciate it

Thanks

[hybrid]

Hey Jacques! Do you think all that "wonderful" stuff we thought we did was all just a dream? I am pretty sure that flying in Peru and Mexico and Australia and all across Canada and everything in between was real but now I'm not sure ...

 

 

Yeah, I agree HJ. You left out the best places though like High Level, Ross River, Pickle Lake, Wabasca, Qikitarjuaq, South End etc., etc., ........

[Guest jacdor]

Yeah, I agree HJ. You left out the best places though like High Level, Ross River, Pickle Lake, Wabasca, Qikitarjuaq, South End etc., etc., ........

 

 

Been in all those places you wrote there, excepted for South End ???? never heard of it

 

I was in Pickle lake just this summer, lots of fun, good people

 

JD

 

[Elvis]

I was in Pickle lake just this summer, lots of fun, good people

 

 

My last tour in Pickle Lake was 1975 and it sucked.

[hybrid]

Been in all those places you wrote there, excepted for South End ???? never heard of it

 

I was in Pickle lake just this summer, lots of fun, good people

 

JD

 

OK, JD point taken. I guess the point is that their is some BIG negatives in this business, but their is some BIG positives.

 

Bottom line jas600 is do some major research before you lay down your $60,000 + on a commercial license.

 

For example I have been told by more than one pilot with 40 + years in the training business that your chances of finding a job as a commercial helicopter pilot is less than 20%. Some people on this site might dispute that figure, but there is little doubt in my mind that it is a fact. Research it and any other facts before you lay your money and lifestyle on the line.

 

[bs205]

I C U Iceman, BIG stuck peddal 4 U 2morrow LOL

Livin the dream!!!