Sometimes it feels like it!
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I hate 121
- Thread starter Battlephrog
- Start date
That's okay, the PW-206s I fly throw oil out the back, too. It's like there are zero engine oil seals.
@Battlephrog Can we take a step back and look at where you are and where you want to be/what you're willing to do to change? Brett keeps chiming in with lots of helicopter jobs, but that's the problem with the civil helo job market...there's lots of options everywhere, but not necessarily where you want to be.
-Roughly where do you live in the country (region, or if you're willing, state)?
-You've said being away from family is an issue, is there a threshold to be away for a job you like?
-Are you willing to move the family to another location if the job is right?
If we/you can figure out the answers to these questions, it helps focus the job search efforts. And moving might not always be the best choice if the intermediate job to get hours isn't in a place where you want to stay.
If HEMS is where you want to go, and you're able to get the mins (and some places have lower mins), getting hired right now is easy. The companies are finally throwing a lot of money at their pilots to keep them.
Have you looked at the training departments of any major airlines? Not sure what their pay looks like now, and the sked it probably hard. But at my airline they always seemed like pretty good guys. Never worked with any jerks in the class room or sim. Well, one once, in 32 years.
In my opinion, you have well-considered reasons for not liking your line. I’d look into flight/sim training opportunities- that’s one aspect of my job I’ve found very rewarding, and there’s huge demand for instructors right now at places like Flight Safety and CAE, if the airline training houses don’t appeal to you or aren’t available.
Other airlines? Consider things like company culture and where the industry is now. Some of that may change over time. Other lines may have a better culture of camaraderie.
bruinmedic
Member
@Battlephrog I would suggest setting up a ride along with your local HEMS base. It would give you good gouge on what bases perform the type of flying you are seeking. If you are looking for the teamwork mentality, community based aircraft staffed with a nurse and medic will give you that. In contrast, hospital based aircraft staffed with the NICU/PICU teams are more akin to flying a bus. They don't do 911 calls. When they are not on a call, the teams may be helping out on the floor or off doing a transport on an ambulance. Community based crews often cook meals and watch Netflix together. Base culture varies and similar to your squadrons, can quickly change with crew turnover. This dashboard can give you an idea of who is near you: Air Medical Bases. They use to publish yearly PDFs of all the bases nationwide in a great format:
If you or anyone would like a screen shot of a particular state(s), send a PM. The file is too big for upload here or email.
The company I work for has many pilot openings because they left for the airlines. Many of the openings are in rural areas. Once a pilot gains enough seniority, they transfer closer to home. Pilots are scheduled 12 hour shifts. 7 days on, 7 days off. Most rural bases have off duty housing. @Gatordev made very good points in regards to your preferences being away from family and what you are willing to do for the right job.
If you or anyone would like a screen shot of a particular state(s), send a PM. The file is too big for upload here or email.
The company I work for has many pilot openings because they left for the airlines. Many of the openings are in rural areas. Once a pilot gains enough seniority, they transfer closer to home. Pilots are scheduled 12 hour shifts. 7 days on, 7 days off. Most rural bases have off duty housing. @Gatordev made very good points in regards to your preferences being away from family and what you are willing to do for the right job.
I see the guys at 2W5 (Medstar-2 Maryland Airport on the map) all the time. Sometimes they wave back as we pass.
That's a great resource. I will say it's very incomplete as it's missing a lot of bases in certain regions (like pretty much all of Florida), but it's a great place to start.
Hybrid bases also do the same thing. There are also bases that may have two sets of Med Crew, one NICU/PICU team who will work in the hospital, and one team that stays with the pilot for scene calls.
Very much this.
bruinmedic
Member
Lacking indeed. I would love to see aircraft type as well. Will you or any of your crews be attending AMTC?
I won't, but I think a couple of med crew from the program go most years.
Then you have no imagination. Have you actually had conversations with pilots at the Big 6? Let's re-focus for a second: you are in an "entry level part 121 job".
"Same shit, different metal"... and then you list a multitude of things that aren't a reality in my Part 121 world.
It doesn't really scratch my itch, in an of itself... but the pay and time off allow me to scratch a lot of itches.
As a pilot at a Big 6 airline, I cannot relate to this. But you know... same shit, different metal.
This is night and day from my current experience as a Big 6 pilot. Certainly no "same shit, different metal".
Pay being the ONLY problem is still a significant problem. Instructional opportunities exist at at least one of the Big 6. And it pays incredibly well.
I don't know what a rotorwing career looks like, nor do I know if it is enough pay to satisfy you. However, your analysis of Big 6 Part 121 appears to be very flawed, unresearched, and cynical. You should at least give it a fair shake. Not because it affects me... but because when you peel it back, you may find a career that will allow you to do the "itch scratching" you want, as well as the personal satisfaction you derive from teaching.
If any helo guys are thinking about this and have some questions, HAI is hosting a webinar for Mil2Civ helicopters.
rotor.zoom.us
Welcome! You are invited to join an HAI@Work webinar: HAI@Work: Mil2Civ: Preparing for a Civilian Pilot Career. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
If you’ve considered a career as a civilian helicopter pilot after your military service, there is a lot you can do now in preparation, regardless of whether you currently fly aircraft while in uniform or if you are interested in training for that career after discharge. To help members of our...
As I write this from my first class deadhead seat… A legacy, SWA, FedEx/UPS (referred to as the big six) are quite a bit different, especially when it comes to work rules. I was used and abused at my last gig, shit gate service, long sits waiting for the shuttle on a min rest overnight after a 4 leg day. My legacy is VERY different. Gates are usually open, 30 minutes after block in we’re in a cab if the shuttle doesn’t show, I get fed breakfast every day of the trip my flight is before whatever time. Long flights I get meals and snacks, first class deadheads and overall get to work with happy, helpful people both on the line and in the training department. I was having some problems landing on my new plane. Numerous people went out of their way to make sure I got extra touches in the sim and extra OE time to make sure I became consistently decent where I was having trouble and made sure I understood that I wasn’t in jeopardy while this was going on. My company has the equivalent of a squadron bar at the hotel across the road from out training center, where new hires get bought beer and regaled with stories by guys and girls on property for a while, on a very regular basis.
I live in base. At my regional I was used every day had 11 days off a month and flew 750 + hours my last 12 months. My current gig… I fly about 10-15% of what I used to because we‘re well staffed and I chose to bid reserve.
I’m sorry your specific company sucks, some of certainly have a reputation. It shouldn’t be too long before you’re out of there to a better gig as long as you put some effort into leaving, network and go to the job fairs. I’m still getting over the PTSD from my regional. When I got to my big six airline I felt like I was in an episode of black mirror because people were generally very happy where at my last gig we were all pretty burnt out and miserable.
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