TOP 10 HELICOPTER JOBS EXPLAINED
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- Опубликовано: 20 июн 2024
- I take you through the top ten most popular helicopter jobs or careers.
EMS helicopter pilot
Firefighting helicopters
Law Enforcement helicopters
Offshore oil and gas helicopter pilot
Tourism helicopter pilot
Utility pilot
Flight Training
Heliskiing pilot
Seismic Construction helicopter pilot
Corporate Pilot
I talk you through the expected wages and the amount of experience required for these jobs.
If you would like more info about the training that we offer at BC Helicopters you should visit:
www.bchelicopters.com/
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Gulf of Mexico offshore pilot here. Salaries in the gulf range from 50k- 150k. Also now the demand is pretty high so we hire at about 1000 hours. Also not just big helicopters. Some companies still fly B206 flying around 1 passenger all day.
Previously As a Flight instructor I made around 30k.
Quick question, what was you’re first job out of aviation school as a helicopter pilot? I’m 22 and finally have the money to start my career and want to know essentially what jobs I can do to build up to working offshore oil rigs
@@savge9849 most of our pilots first jobs range a lot. Flight instructors, crop dusting, tours are the most common. I was a flight instructor right out of school.
How do I get into being an offshore pilot? I really want to do it but I have no idea how
@@Smoke--- you would start by enrolling in a flight school. You would need to achieve commercial and instrument ratings. Then find a job that you can build hours, such as ag spraying or flight tours, or flight instructor. We typically hire around 1000+ hours. The process is daunting, but if you are willing to sacrifice debt for your certifications it’s doable. Or you can join the military and hope you get to be a pilot.
Veterans who’ve been flying their whole careers are first in line for the high end helicopter jobs, only makes sense.
There are pilots working in the tree planting industry (you probably know this since you are in BC) as well. Last summer the company I worked for (as a planter) had only heli access blocks, so the pilot would long line in trees, then drop off and pick up planters from all over the block. Flying in the heli everyday made me want to become a pilot, once I finished my mechanical eng degree.
Please make a video about how to get into helicopter flying! What to keep in mind, cost, risks, duration of the training, different licenses...
Oh this sounds like an amazing video
I wish bc helicopter a healthy and nice week.
Los Angeles Police pay their pilots based upon rank. Simply stated, even though the pilot is a Officer II they will receive Sergeant's pay, with hazard pay etc., an average of $132,000.00 annua . Your must be a sworn police officer first; then, apply to the Aero Bureau.
Great info as always, This channel rocks !!!! Helo logging , tuna boat , search & rescue , military ops !!!
Just a heads-up. Seismic is the use of sound recording as a geophysical exploration technology for oil & gas, mining, and searches for water. Portable drilling rigs allow dynamite to be exploded underground , the sound generated is recorded and computer processed and analyzed. Helicopters provide the critical mobility for all equipment used. More than 50 years in the seismic analysis business involving constant helicopter coordination
yes and have never seen a seismic drill moved with anything other than a 212. The drills are moved in 2 pieces
Fantastic video! Really informative and you answered a lot of my questions. Thanks so much. Really looking forward to the next video!!
I'm thinking about moving into becoming a Helicopter pilot Videos like this are super helpful into understanding what I'm getting into. Much appreciated!
My uncle is a pilot and he flies the Erickson air crane. Since we are also from Vancouver he firefights mainly in Canada but gets sent out to other countries because of his experience many hours he has inside a cockpit. In the winter the crane he flies is converted to lift for logging and putting together large structures. He says apart from the long hours he loves it for anyone wanting to get into it!
I really found this useful and informative!! I love videos like this!! As an aspiring pilot this answers a lot of questions! Stay healthy at BC helicopters!
Great content as always! Thank you!
Would you have something to tell us about the impact of the increasing use of drones on the heli industry?
PICs in firefighting make over 6 figures, SICs make $25 dollars an hour.
Really enjoyed the video, very informative. Thank you! I am looking to start my training come the beginning of next year and videos like this really help you to know your next few steps once you have complete your training.
Big fan and keep the videos coming! :) Thanks again..
This was an awesome vid!! So very helpful in my process of choosing a career
Saw your video after the Abbotsford flood in 2021 and your instructor video. It was decent and very justified. Just wanted to say/feel that I appreciate your investment and also involvement in this trade.
Thanks!
I wonder about low-hour pilots trying to break in to the industry, but having to compete against high-hour military pilots just getting out into the private sector?
It's even worst in France. Government is paying for the first 3 years of the salary of retiring military pilots when they find a job in a private company. So you are not only competing with 9.000 hours pilots, you are competing against 9.000 hours FREE pilots 😅
Well, at just under 800 Robby hours, the only job offer I got last year was drying cherries in an S58 :(
However, I'm pretty sure I'm only competing against other low hour Robby guys.
@@yahelbouaziz3767 In France, a military helicopter pilot with 9000 hours I've never seen one! At the best 25 years, ago they could have after 15 years in service around 5000 hours… 9 years ago in Canada, I've met a french ex army pilot, who just get his Canadian license and had "only" flown 1500 flight hours in 15 years in the army, most of his hours were on AS330 Puma...
@@lookingforwookiecopilot I would have been very happy, if as a low time pilot I had been hired to fly the S58....
@@lookingforwookiecopilot where do you live? I'm pretty sure the bare minimum outside of instruction is 1000 hours for insurance reasons. Some may be able to squeak by at 750-800 but I heard those are few and far between
Thank you so.much for sharing Im trying to pursue a career in Helicopter pilots and this was extremely useful. I've learned so much in the last few days of all the coolest jobs ever I've never known about that Helicopters 🚁 can be used for.
Could u do a video talking about the differences between CPL and ATPL and advantages and disadvantages
Very informative. Thanks!
Great content! Do you have any considerations in terms of the budget required to get a license? (How you did it for example, alternative ways to finance flight hours, etc)
Amazing video. Thanks for the content.
Great video, can't wait to become a pilot someday. You're gonna teach me.
Mischa thank you so much for this! Your breakdown is really informative and yes it is also specific to Canada but at least it really gives us a good overview of the industry as a whole.
I just got to the private stage and now I am in pause (self isolation) mode like everyone in the world before transitioning to instrument/commercial -----> CFII. I train out of Long Beach, CA so much of it is at sea level but I also planing to do some sort of mountain course in either Oregon or possibly Vancouver. So who knows how long it will be when I get through all of my training.
That all said, what I am hoping to do is eventually work as a camera ship pilot and possibly make it to working as an on-set stunt pilot. I am much older than most who try to make the career change so I do not know if I will actually get to doing the stunt work but that is my ultimate goal.
Also @1scooterpilot1 thanks for posting this about LAPD's Aero Bureau! I'm guessing you are part of that elite group.
Thanks!
Really good video, keep going! :) Our R44 made help for a lot of scene capturing for films 🎥 and serials, shows. Aerial photography, I mean.
Love it! Going to be a long time before I take the leap but I hope I see that day
Very informative video, thanks. Any ideas for building hours right after flight school?
in Ag, you can fly cherry trees to keep the chill off and moisture as well
Thanks for the summary.
Basically if you want to fly and enjoy it, don't become a professional helicopter pilot. If you choose to do so here's how it works:
- Be a student pilot, get your maneuvers rights
- Be a private pilot, keep spending that cash
- Become a commercial pilot, keep spending that cash
- Get your CFI privilege (it's not a certificate in FAA land)... keep spending that cash
- At some point another CFI will sign off on your teaching students and private pilots and at that point you can fly and pay no money -- but you have to be available near 24x7 when students want you to be there to fly with them. Hope they don't kill you.
- Once your flight hours reach whatever number your local insurance company wants (different in Alaska, British Columbia, Vancouver, PEI, Gulf Coast, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, etc.) you can apply for a job there. If you don't qualify -- don't worry, there's Florida and 7-15 minute flights with hot loading/unloading. After COVID-19 of course.
- Live in barracks and fly every day, same routine.
- Build up more hours and move to the next phase (Gulf oil rigs, etc.)
- One day you can be a corporate pilot on call 24x7 for some hotshot or an idiot like Donald Trump
If you get the idea there's no freedom here... well you get the idea. We all start somewhere with an expectation we'll be able to set our own schedule. That's true... to a point. Once you "advance" in the program, it's not.
Best of luck to you all.
Ehud Gavron
Tucson AZ
Great stuff as always 👍
Thanks for all the videos, you've definitely helped my interest in helicopters. FYI, the focus on your camera is often confused and doesn't know what to focus on.. you may want to check on that.
What a great video! It´s so valuable for us low time pilots to have an overview of the different career paths. The real challenge though is to build hours from getting the CPL to hitting that 1000 hours mark that makes you eligible for those jobs....if it was easy, everyone could do it :)
I’m only just starting to consider this as a career path. Been lost for a while on what I want to do and this clicked for me recently and now I can’t get it out of my head! My Dad and my brother and I have always been into aviation but for some reason I ruled it out thinking that most of these companies only like to hire ex military pilots (don’t know where I got that from but it discouraged me from even looking into it). But now that I’m 100% in and I have my finances worked out to get there, im so excited. But my question for you is, why is getting your hours up such a challenge? Is it strictly financial? Like if you had a million dollars to spend, would you just buy a small helicopter and rent hanger space and go fly every day or do you join a club of sorts that allows you to use their equipment? Or hopefully find a low level tourism job like the Grand Canyon where you’re flying idk 3-6 hours a day or whatever air time they get??
Thank you, this information is great. Im thinking to go into this.
Always love your content.......
Wow, what an amazing infotainment packed video! The salaries are much higher than I thought, sounds like Canada is the place to be!
Sorry they killed all the exploration for oil n gas. I know I did it for over 25 winters. The Canadian gov hates Energy......
Thanks for the info!
My ideal dream was to be an private airplane and/or helicopter pilot. Life happens and those dreams got sidetracked. Now at age 60, I am living for myself, however, health issues may sidetrack me again. Hopefully, I can work these issues out. My advice to future pilots, follow your passions early and not wait for anything or anyone !!!
This was excellent! Tnx!
Definitely thanks for the video.. .and I will share this around ..I have a few family members who might be interested in flying helicopters
Oregon is the Mecca for anyone interested in flying heavy-lift helicopters. An estimated 85% of the world's heavy-lift industry is located here. I've seen several newly minted pilots transition from Robbies straight to Skycranes as SICs. As with many industries, it helps to bring additional skills. HTSI, which flies S-64s, would like it's new-hire pilots to have a CDL to help with their fuel trucks.
If you're 140lbs or less, I hear you'll be in great demand as an instructor in Denver CO, the mile high city.
By the way, there is a heliport (61J) in downtown Portland located on top a parking garage. A hoot to visit.
You've seen people go from Robbies to Skycranes?? Damn... I'm going through Leading Edge in Bend right now (delayed for obvious reasons) but about to finish Instrument then start on commercial. How many hours do they normally look for, for an SIC position?
@@logono7 HTSI was hiring straight from Corvallis Aero, our local helicopter flight training school (no longer teaching helicopters, they sold them all) HTSI was conveniently located right next door, but have since relocated to Aurora OR. The one caveat is that you might be driving a fuel truck a lot more than flying. One fellow gave up after one fire season when he logged only four hours as SIC. He did not like driving trucks. If one can suffer through this initiation rite you'll eventually end up flying more than driving. I personally had to give up flying due to eye problems, blind in one eye. So I'm out of the loop as to hiring practices these days. .
Agriculture is probably #1 in Australia for time building. Everything from working stock to spraying to use a giant hair dryer on fruit trees. Fire ant control is big right now in South East Queensland. Everyone stay safe and healthy.
I can’t stand fire ants! I’d love to kill some via helicopter.
Hey mike! Are you Australian? I’m curious cause I used to live in Australia for 8 years when I was younger just under my Dad’s working visa then had to leave once I turned 18 or get my own visa. But I remember for an American worker to get a visa for Australia you have to apply for a job that is on the countries “needs” list. My Dad is an ER Doctor so that’s always on the list. But I’m wondering if a pilot is ever on there? Especially with the rise in ultimatum operations like mining or wind turbines and then unfortunately the rise in bush fires too..
Thank you for your videos 👍
In terms of unique jobs, I understand that lots of R22s are used in Australia for mustering on large cattle stations etc. I believe it is very dangerous low level work and also very low paid entry level work.
I used to be a heli-portable specialist for seismic. Many years ago out of Calgary.
How was the pay
Thanks for your answer if you get my questions,have a great day.
Just subscribed great job loved to do that to old now .
Great content thank you
It is a very difficult industry ! up and down all the time, so starting can be a nightmare and you need luck. You can only choose when you have experience and find what you like. At the beginning, you will have to take what is available, when it is available and you never know for how long. it is not for everybody. It is an interesting job, but people have to be aware of the difficulties to progress. It is an industry really dependant of the economy.
As long as you have potential. you will find work, just be prepared to sweep floors, clean toilets or anything else you are asked to do for minimum wage,
Awesome!!!!! Thanks
For offshore work in the Gulf of Mexico, there are plenty of single engine and light twin helicopters used in addition to the bigger ships. I flew on BO-105s, EC-135's, and A-109's mostly (company policy didn't allow flying on single engines). Bell 206's are everywhere. For larger platforms doing crew change, AW-139's, S-76's, and even S-92's are common.
What is the typical work schedule for an off shore pilot?
@@bella1207ful 7 on 7 off
In Lapland of Finland Sami people (natives) use helicopters as part of team to gather reindeers as they are living freely in the forest / hills.
I had a buddy who has about 8,000 rotaryhours, and a couple hundred fixed wing. He started out and went the CFI route to build his time. He eventually ended up doing some really unusual helo jobs: one was flying off of tuna boats in the Pacific ocean. He would go up, see where the schools of tuna were, then he would radio the ships captain and guide them to the tuna. This was in the middle of the ocean, and WX was a factor (as was precise control work) to land in high sea/wind conditions due to a finite amount fo fuel and no alternate landing sites. He did a lot of power line patrol, which he felt was the most dangerous job he had. He was one of the two pilots flying the helicopter in the movie "Combat", in which Vic Morrow was killed. According to him, the pyrotechnics guys blew off an explosive as they were coming in on a very low pass, and debris from the explosive hit the rotor. Rotor piece separated and killed the actor Vic Morrow. FAA ruled it was NOT pilot error. My buddy was lucky to get out alive, as helo was destroyed. So there are entertainment/movie filming jobs available. Another 9-5 type job is traffic/news work with local radio/TVs stations.... good work but if you are only reporting during rush hour, then you end up working early morning and late afternoon hours and usually nothing in between. Had another friend who was a retired cop and he enjoyed it a lot.
Hey Mischa, very informative video. Have you ever thought of getting a flight simulator for your school? This could help students practice when they're unable to fly.
Well think about you net this hours in the shopper not on a Trainer ! How much cost a Trainer ? Micha only makes money when G2 in the air ! Yes I have Trainer build for myself at in my Garage , but Corona will be not for ever !
Pilot Peego Microsoft, as you know is coming out with a cutting edge new sim this fall, mfs2020, we hope the add a helicopter, has real weather and real high end scenery, perfect for a virtual reality experience 🚁🚁🚁
Aerial surveying. I’ve done aerial surveying in an md500.
Misha, you have forgotten to talk about tuna helo pilots... It can be a good start for a career, but no mistake, these companies like others, want experienced pilots as well. They give a chance to a low timer, when there are no experienced pilots around...
please make a video of those first 1000-2000 hours and how to conquer them as a freshly made pilot, it is that what would keep me from doing the licence as paying many thousands for it puts me in dept and then nobody wants to hire me? seems like a nightmare..
Some of the questions are too big for him guys remember he is just a trainer he would of to bring in people from various departments to spake to something's or go on do the research wish can take up a lot of time
Thanks man!
Ok I have tons of questions hope you will be patient enough for me
1. How much does Helicopter Training or Lessons cost and how long does it take? (From start until getting licensed )
2. How much to keep a helicopter eg, Airbus H145 , buying, insurance, maintenance, service and upgrades if necessary in a year? (the whole details please)
3. How do you calculate Hours if you having your own helicopter that you bought right after getting licenced ?
Im interested in having my own helicopter for private use or maybe do business at the later stage if opportunities presents but thats my plans
thanks for sharing
Cattle mustering in the outback of Australia is supposed to pay really well... I think it's really difficult to enter though.
Hi, I think that another opportunity to get those hours is getting into the fisheries industry, like a Tuna Pilot. Here in the Pacific and around the world is a good job, low salary and some risk. I'm talking about 48000 $ a year
Thanks sooooo much!!
Here in South Africa, people use heli’s to do al sorts of stuff with animals in the wild.
Darting, counting, hunting and tracking. Probably anti-poaching reasons as well.
I’m not a pilot, though. I’d love to try it, though
Seismic Heli Portable Exploration is the meanest hardest most dangerous work in the oil patch.
Google it. You'll see
Hey! Love your videos, would you be able to tapk about some low time stepping stone jobs to help build to that 1000-2000hr mark? I was planning on doing my fixed wing but after i found your videos i have seriously considered changing to rotary. In fixed wing, it is very common to become a CFI to build hours, but as you said that’s not the case for rotary. Would some smaller tourism companies consider you around 150-200hrs? Its a lot of $$$$ to pay per hour from 100-1500
Company's insurance won't let you carry passengers with that low of hours.
hey Ben, quite in a same situation here, considering both fixed and rotary, cant decide really. This vid helped me to open my eyes to possible options, though have to take in consideration how it would be here in central Europe. Cheers buddy and wish you all the luck!
In the states its most common to become an instructor right after your training with around 250+ hours, that is both CFI and CFII for instructor ratings. Before this video I was under the impression that Canada was similar in transition from student to instructor but now i need to double check that...
For law enforcement pilots you do have to be a cop at least in the US you have to be a higher ranking police officer before you can apply to be a law enforcement pilot useally it takes at least 2 years of police experience before you can apply to be a LE pilot
Im not a pilot. One cool new job is diffrent kind of mapping services with optics that scan the environment in 3d. A substantial portion will prob be done by drones but there will most likley always be jobs for human pilots as well. I dont know if it was with Lidar or a kind of lidar, it was using ground penetrating radar, which scans an environment and look for what kind of materials make up the ground from ground level down to 10m 30ft below and then makes a 3d map of it. Some researchers used this tech when flying over a heavy forested area some where in South America and discovered an up until then unknown ancient city buried down in the ground. I think that what be a cool job.
I am form Pakistan and I like l your videos
In the near future, do you think drones and other unmanned aircraft will have a major impact on the job market?
The California Highway Patrol is similar to LAPD. Pilots make around $140,000 a year. Must first complete two years as a road offficer.
Electric utility helicopter patrols are probably one of the most dangerous mission and require a greater amount of hours. Flying in the wire environment can be routine patrols or after storm damage assessment. Voltages usually start at 13kv and go higher than 750kv . Flying 20’ to 30’ above conductors usually puts you around 150’ and below. There are a ton Of hazards when flying that low, especially in urban areas. You usually are flying In unfamiliar airspace. I would not fly these missions with low hours like was mentioned. You only make a mistake in that wire environment one time.
Defense contractor (mercenaries)...great pay ($1000+/day) if one has the right security clearances and experience. Tuff life, hardship and hazardous, but the pay/benefits are exceptional.
Great info! Thank you!
I have a buddy who flew helos for Las Vegas Metro PD. I asked him if I could get hired on as a pilot with Metro. He said no, all the Metro pilots are pulled from the rank and file of LVMPD. Being a sworn law enforcement officer is a prerequisite to flying for the agency.
I don't know if other law enforcement agencies have the same requirements.
You forgot military Helo pilots!
Most departments are like that. The only way to get on a PD as a pilot right off the bat is previous experience. Most allow officers from anywhere in the dept with the proper certs/training to become a pilot. And slots are limited, only large departments like Vegas, NYC, LA, etc have multiple aircraft.
To be a helicopter pilot, what types of aptitude test is usually tested on assessment or selection day?
What are some jobs a pilot freshman out of school could expect to get? I'm planning on going to BCIT and you graduate with your commercial license with around 300 hours
I'm amazed how many options there are out there, at least for the high time pilot. ;) gotta get going in racking those hours up. Can only hope I can try some of these things but alas, although helicopters are pretty useful and used for the most amazing things, here in Iceland, the market is a bit small and not as diversified. Agricultural spraying, crop drying, forestry work, and firefighting with aircraft aren't even a thing here. The police does not operate a helicopter (although the Coast Guard does) and we don't have a military. But flying for ICE-SAR before I hit 40 would be a dream come true. Gives me 6 years to prep. Maybe do a stint in Canada? :D
There are loads of opportunities if you are willing to travel ;)
I didn’t realize there were so many different jobs
Game counting on a Private Game Reserve is BRILLIANT.
Great
Now this is a guy passionate about helicopters
Parabéns!
I think I like this but am in Jamaica ware its limited only the JDF I see flying
I am a helicopter pilot and live in Russia. Some time ago I and my family decided to move to Canada. And wile we realise our plans It would be useful to know What tipe of helicopter It would better to have for start. Which of them are the most popular in Canada?
Sounds like I', moving to Canada!
Wow that was an excellent information video,my question for you is even if I don’t speak very good English it is possible for me to have my pilot license and what do I need for that?also can anybody buy a helicopter?
You forgot the insurance requirements for some of these gigs... most of the jobs involving the transport of passengers is VERY high!
Search and rescue too
How many hours should you have before having a reasonable chance at a heli skiing job?
How do new pilots go from the 100 hrs it takes to graduate and get their license to getting the 1000+ hrs it takes to land a job in these careers? What sort of middle steps are taken to accumulate hours?
Hi~i’m from korea.thank you for your video:) i have a Question. Is there any foreigner helicopter pilot in canada?
I'm not a pilot but I was curious if defense contract companies are looking for pilots? Black water, Executive outcomes etc.
Not without military experience and security clearance.
What are you Hours ??
Im 2200+ as an AME for the Canadian Forces , fly many fling wings , and endorsed to train to fix them also !! spill your
How many hours, need to become a entry level helicopter pilot.
Your a bit high with your prices for low timer. But... as you said for the first 1500h you really have to take what you get and sometimes just oartially as you can not afford to live with that kind of pay, if any...
I would like to hear about real word Autorotation's. By that I mean, unexpected, under 500' AGL, over a city, over a forest, over water, or at night! Nobody ever talks about that!!!!!!!
Where do you go, what do you do or not do, how do you pick your spot?
For example, I was told over a dense forest to terminate your flair at tree top level then pull back hard and let the helicopter fall tail first down through the trees to absorb the impact and offer some protection to the pilot.
WHY don't Instructor's talk about real word incendents???
We all can do Auto's at the Airport, planned ahead, set up perfectly, no pressure, but that's not real world!!!
Yeah I'm curious about that myself
Probably because , as with any gravity defying device, there are parameters that even a helicopter cannot adjust to. Physics are not kind to autos at low altitudes and slower forward speeds. Outcomes in these situations are not positive and are typically out of the control of any pilot, even high hour pilots. (just my opinion)
Just sharing my view. As a flight instructor we do talk about this in scenario based training situations to students but I'd admit it's not something we generally talk about.
Yes Walter that is also what I heard from an ex military helicopter pilot tail first flair over the tree tops, but in all honesty these guys are trained to fly at tree top level.
And as an ex glider pilot YOU WILL ALWAYS be considering options to land regardless of what aircraft you fly. What do you think airline pilots do all the time as they fly... yes you guessed it keying in the next available airport to land in case of an emergency. You should take a trial flight and can pick their brains on these types of questions as these get asked all of the time in the training room.
How many hours have you accumulated
Which school did you go? What are the best pilot school in BC? Thanks a lot!
I don't know which the best is, but BC helicopters looks pretty good because it is this guys school!
How many hours do you have as an instructor