Advances in mechanical monitoring of helicopters are reducing maintenance costs significantly, and this development also is helping to expand the role of these aircraft.
A large number of currently employed helicopter pilots came from the military; most were trained by the Army during the Vietnam conflict. These pilots had 1,100 to 1,200 hours of rotary time, mostly turbine, when they separated. Since the end of the conflict, the number of military pilots available has greatly decreased.
Qualifications
Pilots who wish to fly helicopters professionally have two options other than the military in order to become qualified. The first option is to obtain private and then commercial ratings, then find employment and build time flying as an instructor, flying charters, etc. One point to consider is that it is cheaper to get the fixed-wing rating first and then add the helicopter rating. The same hours and experience requirements that apply to fixed-wing operations hold true for helicopter operations except that you do not need the instrument rating for the helicopter ATP.
For pilots who already have fixed-wing ratings, an additional rating can be obtained by getting instruction in a helicopter and passing a check ride. However, many companies require a minimum number of hours in both helicopters and the aircraft type used by the company, in addition to the total flight time minimum.
While many companies require only the commercial and instrument ratings, additional ratings are preferred. Depending on the operation, an ATP may be required.
Unlike many airplane operations, a bonus is paid for additional ratings. For example, base pay may be calculated on a pilot's having a commercial license. Bonuses are paid for instrument, instructor, and mechanic's ratings. Additional bonuses may be paid for an ATP and for a set number of hours in a specific aircraft.
Aspects of the Helicopter Flying Job
In the past the offshore segment of the industry (flying for the oil producers, e.g.. Exxon, Mobil, British Petroleum) provided most of the helicopter flying jobs. With most of these operations, you will have a set schedule (two weeks on duty and two weeks off is common). Almost all the captains have an IFR (or instruments) rating. Flying time runs approximately 50 hours per month. Depending on the operation, pay can be very good or rather mediocre, e.g., flying duty for North Sea oil rigs has high pay commensurate with the hazardous duty.
In agricultural flying, the job is dependent on the crops. The work increases as the crops start growing and decreases during the harvest. It is not unusual for an agriculture pilot to be out of work during the winter months or to work in different geographic regions.
Agricultural flying also can mean a lot of travel - following the crops as the growing season progresses. Since many pilots are independent, they must find a new job each season. Stability is not one of the attributes of this type of flying.
Good news for helicopter pilots is that more corporations are utilizing helicopters for executive business flights, in some cases simply as a shuttle from the company's landing pad to the airport, in others as a way to avoid airport congestion completely.
Another source of jobs for helicopter pilots is with metropolitan police forces. In these positions, you must not only be well-qualified, but must also become a police officer. If you do not make it through police training, you lose the job regardless of your piloting qualifications.
Other opportunities flying helicopters can be found in news and traffic reporting, aerial photography/photomapping, pipeline patrol and aerial sightseeing tours. The TV news job is a glamorous one and often pays quite well, but you will have to learn to be a good newscaster as well as an aviator.
As avionics and systems of helicopters have developed so that they parallel the glass cockpits of airliners, the accomplished helicopter pilot has looked more attractive to airlines (by late 1989, American, Continental and Eastern all had tentatively begun taking a new look at the helicopter pilot). The best route from helicopter flying to a major or national airline remains that of acquiring a fixed-wing multi-engine rating, getting hired by a commuter airline, and building at least 500 hours of multi-engine time.
