Interesting - Helo Pilot shortage

[Rino]

     I've been out of aviation for about 3 years now, but I do remember fling-wing training was very very expensive.  As has been noted about
$300 for light piston helos, and I seem to remember about $1500 an hour for a Bell 206 up in NJ.  Sometimes it pays off though.  There was a
very nice blonde who paid her own way through Sikorsky school while flying a Be-90 right seat. It didn't take long before she showed up across
the ramp in AT&T's Sk-76B making very good money.

     I think she maxed out all her credit cards to the tune of around $15K for the rating.  I'm also not sure if she had some sort of agreement
with the chief pilot at AT&T, as she got that job very soon after passing.  I guess it didn't hurt that she was hot either 

[Babalonian]

Here ya go Selino How's the packet coming?
Seems younger Generations not interested in flying Helos.
http://now.msn.com/money/0509-helicopter-pilot-shortage.aspx


                                                                                                                                                  Oz
                                                                                                           

They're smart - helicopters don't fly, they're so ugly the earth repels them.

[B4Buster]

They're smart - helicopters don't fly, they're so ugly the earth repels them.

naw, they just beat the air into submission.

[Seanaldinho]

Queers cant hover though 

[Seanaldinho]

I live a good hour and a half away from mother rucker and they are pushing out pilots like crazy. I see Apaches and chinooks alot using the old Aux fields from eglin.

[Reschke]

Selino what part of Florida? I will be down with my buddy who lives in Navarre around Memorial Day weekend and he is trying to get me a flight on an MC-130 for a training run that he is scheduled to fly one night to drop some SF and Rangers into Eglin for an exercise down there. He flies out of Duke which is right across the highway from the 7th SF compound. Plus that part of Florida is in my sales territory as well.

[Ruah]

if I were 15 years younger. . .

[Seanaldinho]

Selino what part of Florida? I will be down with my buddy who lives in Navarre around Memorial Day weekend and he is trying to get me a flight on an MC-130 for a training run that he is scheduled to fly one night to drop some SF and Rangers into Eglin for an exercise down there. He flies out of Duke which is right across the highway from the 7th SF compound. Plus that part of Florida is in my sales territory as well.

I live 5 minutes up the road from Duke LOL

[cut67]

Im becoming a Warrant Officer for the Army

[flight17]

Down in florida at one school it was ~$300-350 per hour for a freaking Schweiser 300 (Hughes 300). It was going to be over $15k for the entire training course and i believe that was for just a private license.

[RTR]

Commercial rating on helicopters up here is over 50K nowadays.

Private will set you back a cool 25 to 30K.

You have to really want to do this.

Couple that with the ever increasing restrictions put on low hour helicopter pilots by our customers (industry) and it makes it hard for a new pilot to gain hours and experience.

All adds up to a shortage, as us older guys are slowing down and looking to be home more and or retire. It leaves a big gap.

cheers,
RTR

[Sonicblu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50MbPACZF-4

Ten of these guys crash and burn a year.

Looks like a hoot to me though.