How to Become a Commercial Helicopter Pilot
Author: Terry Sullivan

The road to becoming a commercial helicopter pilot and
getting that dream job may be longer than you think If
you would like your career to involve flying in the gulf,
tours, emergency medical services, corporate work,
agriculture, or something along those lines, there are a
few details you should pay close attention to before
embarking upon your career as a commercial pilot.

The first realization is that after you have completed your
initial training and hold that well earned Commercial Pilot
certificate, you will have a minimum of 150 flight hours.
The FAA minimum requirement under Part 61 to qualify for a
Commercial certificate is 150 hours of flight time. You
will most likely have somewhere between 150 and 180 hours
of flight time. It is the exception rather than the norm
for new pilots to complete their certificates/ratings with
FAA minimums.

You have created the foundation for your career by
successfully obtaining your Commercial Pilot certificate.
At this point, you should hold a Private Pilot certificate,
Instrument rating and Commercial Pilot certificate. These
ratings are the very minimum you will need to work
commercially. You are, however, probably not qualified
enough to go after that dream job just yet.

Research the requirements for commercial pilot jobs. You
will notice that 1000 hours is typically needed for entry
level positions - with one exception. This one exception
allows new pilots to be employed with low hours. Let's
explore the 1000 hour requirement first.

Insurance companies dictate the 1000 flight hour minimum.
They use various statistics to determine the risks for
insuring pilots. One of the major factors used to
determine risk is flight hours. This drives the 1000 hour
minimum for entry level jobs. The exception to this is the
Flight Instructor position.

Flight Instructor job requirements vary by flight school.
The majority of helicopter flight schools accept Flight
Instructors with low hours. The thought process in our
industry is that the best way to learn is to teach.

The career track for most new pilots is to continue on with
their training after they get their Commercial certificate.
They obtain their CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) and
CFII (Certified Flight Instructor Instrument). These
pilots are now qualified to be Flight Instructors and teach
student pilots.

Most new pilots use the Flight Instructor position as a
stepping-stone to obtain the hours they need for the job
they really want. They regard this time as paying their
dues while someone else (the student) pays for their time
building. New Flight Instructors are generally not very
well paid. The real money comes after the 1000 hours.

A positive way to view Flight Instructor pay for new pilots
is to recognize that someone else is paying for your flight
hours. It brightens the picture when you add the 'soft
dollar' income that comes from students paying for you to
build your flight time to your earnings.

For some, Flight Instructor is the dream job. Pilots who
enjoy teaching and flying build their career around flight
instruction. Many of them learn the business and build an
excellent reputation in their first few years of
instructing. They then go on to open their own flight
schools. A Flight Instructor career is both challenging and
rewarding if you enjoy teaching.

There are alternatives to building your hours if you choose
not to follow the traditional path of becoming a Flight
Instructor first. You could obtain your Commercial
certificate and then purchase an aircraft. Helicopters are
expensive machines and require maintenance and insurance,
so splitting costs may prove to be beneficial. There are
websites and flight journals that advertise aircraft
partnerships. You could go into partnership with one or
more pilots and use your own helicopter to build your time.

Another option is to purchase a helicopter and learn to fly
in it. This will help reduce your up front training costs.
Ensure that your school of choice will train you in your
own helicopter before making this purchase.

In summary, the training for commercial helicopter pilots
requires dedication and commitment. Learning to fly a
helicopter is expensive. Building your flight time demands
long hours with low pay if you follow the Flight Instructor
path. Once you successfully navigate this course, you can
look forward to a magnificent career where you get paid to
do what you love - fly!


About the Author:

Terry Sullivan is an Instrument rated helicopter pilot and
avid aviator. For more for more information on starting
your career as a commercial helicopter pilot, please visit
http://www.allamericanhelicopters.com