What would be the probability, or marketability, of me getting a seat with one of the R44 tour operators to start building time???

contactflying wrote:The main consideration would be self analysis. Are you a very careful pilot like Cary, MTV, and 8GCBC? Or are you the kind of pilot who has had over ten engine failures? Everything from the Jesus nut down to the engine rotates and has to be in workable condition to keep you from falling. On the airplane that would be the engine only, which in either platform does not make you fall. In the Army where my helicopters received ten hours of maintenance for each hour of flight, I had three total loss of transmission fluid in combat, two total loss of transmission fluid IMC, one engine failure, two nicad battery thermal overruns, and one droop cam compensator failure on ITO. So other than military helicopters, where I knew the operator had the time life money, I stayed with fixed wing.

Helicopters are the cats meow for certain jobs. Where airplanes can do the same work, helicopter operators cannot economically, which usually means safely, compete.

contactflying wrote:The main consideration would be self analysis. Are you a very careful pilot like Cary, MTV, and 8GCBC? Or are you the kind of pilot who has had over ten engine failures? Everything from the Jesus nut down to the engine rotates and has to be in workable condition to keep you from falling. On the airplane that would be the engine only, which in either platform does not make you fall. In the Army where my helicopters received ten hours of maintenance for each hour of flight, I had three total loss of transmission fluid in combat, two total loss of transmission fluid IMC, one engine failure, two nicad battery thermal overruns, and one droop cam compensator failure on ITO. So other than military helicopters, where I knew the operator had the time life money, I stayed with fixed wing.

Helicopters are the cats meow for certain jobs. Where airplanes can do the same work, helicopter operators cannot economically, which usually means safely, compete.

GranitePants wrote:

What would be the probability, or marketability, of me getting a seat with one of the R44 tour operators to start building time???

Ask the operators you have in mind, they should be willing to tell you what their minimums are.

contactflying wrote:NineThreeKilo,

Read "The Sky Behind Me 2nd Edition," by Byron Edgington. Don't read "Contact Flying Revised." by Jim Dulin. You will do well.

contact

contactflying wrote:Yes, that's the book. I had military helicopter experience as did most in civilian helicopter work. Lots of Missouri Guard guys worked offshore oil two week on two weeks off. Bad equipment but better than helicopter ride outfit at Branson. Medevac is safest. I don't know how the lack of military pilots is affecting civilian helicopter job opportunities now, but I expect there is much more opportunity for non military pilots. The Army, during Vietnam era, had more pilots than all others services combined. We had 12,000 helicopters there and lost 5,086. Most of us were picked up before the blades stopped turning. I was down three hours, very exciting.

Given that local airport FBOs are doing a lot more instructing because of airline needs, I expect your chances are good.

contactflying wrote:Yes in 1996. I had a ruptured disk just before Christmas, removed back in Ozards, and returned in Jan 97. The back seat of Champ and SuperCubs just didn't work. Made it to March but had to quit and start flying pipeline. Sitting on floor with feet straight out is hard on back.

contactflying wrote:Yes, Billy Howell was a good guy. He had some women problems and you didn't want to show up late bi-weekly for pay, but he was fair. He fully endorsed my safe maneuvering flight techniques for zero timers. It moved them through the program quicker with techniques that would be useful to them in the Ag portion. When were you there? Was 400' pattern and ten takeoff and landings per hour still the norm when you were there? Billy had a DPE that was OK with PPL applicants who could actually fly over at...where was that town? The SuperCub dual and then observation of Pawnee in the field worked well for Ag. I have certainly worked for less flexible bosses in Ag training. No fatalities while I was there, but I lived on the field with the students. Taught them to cook breakfast and then get out and crank everything at first light. I was not OK with kids laying around and not flying.