Posted 12 November 2006 21:43 Hide Post
Guys;

I am interested in a second career as a helo pilot....after learning in a piston craft, how do you make the jump to turbine? Can you buy your own, get rated in it and start a commercial company right away or do you have to fly co-pilot for someone? and build hours?

All of the above, you must be willing to do what ever it takes. Usually you must buy the initial time with your own money and then lobby for a job flight instructing or hopping rides at resorts.

Good luck...

Then of course there is plan B. If you are still young enough you can apply for Army aviation as a warrant officer or you could look into the air guard, air force, navy, coast guard, or the marines.

US Army flight school and a career has been very, very good for me!! FW & RW single- and multi-engine land, plus instrument rating in both types.

Don't do those turbine transitions, they are a waste of money. What you do is get a job as a flight instructor in helicopters, build up about 1000 hours and PHI Air Log Temsco or Papillion will all hire you with out "turbine time". The money would be better spent getting an instrument rating. Every spring, the job market opens up for low time pilots. Make note of every one that is looking now, and in the year it will take you to go from 0 time to flight instructor, the ones that hired low time guys now will be looking to hire again as they go off to places like PHI and the log. Been flying both airplanes and helicopters since 1975.