Helos or Jets

[phrogdriver]

If your going to pick a community based on the amount of hours you are going to get for the airlines- do not pick P-3s. Gone are the days of 40hr months on the homecycle and 1800hr first tours. The norm that I've seen on homecycle is typically between 15-20hrs a month (pilot time). High hours guys are leaving with approx 1300hrs- the norm is closer to 1000hrs. Of course there are exceptions to this depending on how many deployments/surges you get, and where you get sent to. For example. I got about 350 on my first deployment, and know others who got 100 (in 7 months) and mid 400s. All 3 of us were on different deployments. I've also had a couple of 8hr months on the home cycle as well. Its hit or miss really.

How long are your missions? 1000 hours in a tour means an average of a little over 20 hours/month. If your missions are as long as I thought they were, that means you're flying maybe once a week (4-6 hours/hop?). I don't know, just asking.

 

[zippy]

How long are your missions? 1000 hours in a tour means an average of a little over 20 hours/month. If your missions are as long as I thought they were, that means you're flying maybe once a week (4-6 hours/hop?). I don't know, just asking.

Just to clarify, I meant closer to 1000hrs Total Pilot Time (including flight school etc)...

Homecycle- Crew Training Flights (CTFs) are typically 5-6.5hrs long depending. Those generally have three pilots on board so we'll log 2/3 of that pilot time.

Dedicated Field Work flights (DFWs) can are about 2.5-5 hours long depending on two pilots or three. If its 2 pilots each logs the flight duration, or if 3 pilots each upgrader will get 2.5 while the IP/PPC gets 5.

Depending on what combination of CTFs and DFWs, you can get 15-20 hrs in 5 or 6 flights a month.

Minimum Pilot Proficiency training requirements are 15hrs/month (or 45hrs every 90 days) until you are PPC with 1000hrs then it drops to 10hrs/month (or 30 every 90 days). There are many times on the homecycle where you only make mins for the month (or 90 days).

 

[MasterBates]

I have 2-3 month gaps sometimes in my logbook with a shat ton of flying in August/Sep to make the 100/year minimum.

FLM is the DEVIL!

 

[phrogdriver]

Man, I thought I'd had some rough patches in the logbook...

FLM?

 

[MasterBates]

Fatigue Life Management

Limited SH-60Bs to XX hours per month depending on their age.

Made it so unless you were on cruise, or working up, you didn't fly much.