I am looking into flight school, and I was wondering if anyone here is a commercial pilot either fixed wing or rotocraft?
My former chair was planning to open a flight school. Want me to contact his to see if it was done? He was an instructor.
I have a "commercial" glider rating. Lots of fun! I recommend looking into the Light Sport Pilot route. It is pure aviation at its roots and the folks you fly with aren't all airline pilot wannabes. You can get a Sport Pilot license in airplane, glider, gyrocopter, ballon, airship, weight shift paraglider, ultralight,etc. If you ever want to go for your commercial pilot license, the hours logged should count. If you desire the airline pilot route, ATP Flight School: Airline Pilot Training & Pilot Career Development has an accelerated program. Problem is, if you don't get on soon with a commuter airline, you will need to have 1500 hours in the near future according to the new FAA Aviation Act of 2010. The commuter airlines pay is terrible! Fly safe!
I am trying to figure out what would be the most adventitious route for getting the most amount of time for the least amount of cash. My goal is to obtain a commercial helicopter license and fly EMS/ Life Flight. However, in order to become viable for these positions, I need anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 hours on average. I was thinking I could get my private pilots license for fixed wing, build some hours that way on the cheap, and then go through a rotocraft add-on and build the rest of my time that way. I know there are some restrictions on the amount of hours in each category that are transferable, but I know not all of the hours have to be in a helicopter; considering single engine fixed wing runs considerably cheaper than helicopter time. Another opinion is too re-enlist as a Warrant Officer, which I have not ruled out either, but I'm trying to keep my opinions open and develop a back-up plan in the event I don't get selected for military flight school.
Most of the Life flight pilots I know are prior Army helicopter pilots that have logged numerous hours. Very competitive to say the least and the money is not that great! You need to talk to a local life flight helo pilot and pick his brain. Getting a commercial instrument fixed wing is costly but a helicopter rating is double that! However, if you can get a commercial fixed wing then you can get a rotorcraft add on in 50 hours. Most helicopter pilots will build flight time flight instructing then flying oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico or tours in Las Vegas if they go the civilian route. Having both sets of ratings gives you more flexibility to fly fixed wing or rotorcraft if the market is slow in hiring. If you go the warrant officer route you may want to consider the National Guard. A lot of folks are retiring now so the window may be open. I was in an air ambulance unit and helicopter jobs were hard to find in the civilian sector. Most of the warrants in the Guard were school teachers, cops, etc with a few working for the FAA and 1 or 2 flying air ambulance. Like I said, very competitive! It is a good idea to get your private pilot first and see how you like aviation. You may consider buying a small aircraft such as a Cessna 150 or Luscombe that burns auto fuel to build your hours. There is a saying in aviation, if you want to make a large fortune into a small one, invest in a aviation.
I am friends with two life flight pilots, both prior Warrant, and neither of them have any insight on building time except the NG, tours, CFI, or crop dusting. One of the pilots is a CFI himself and gave me the idea of going fixed wing to build time and then transition into the roto add on to save money.
If you get the flying bug, you'll find a way to build hours! Good luck! --"Aviation is a great job but a horrible profession".
Try some of the pilot boards like these: Airline Pilot Central Forums Flightinfo.com Hangar Thirty Thousand Feet - Aviation Forums and Communities
What are the things that are like a paraglider but the pilots have a motor strapped to their back with a big fan prop? Would that be a powered paraglider? They fly those on the beach near my house and it looks like a total hoot. Do you need a license for one of those? I have been wanting to try one.