Comments on: Helicopter Career Advice Sought…and Provided http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/11/29/helicopter-career-advice-sought-and-provided/ Web site and blog for Maria Langer, freelance writer, commercial helicopter pilot, and serious amateur photographer. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:33:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Patrick http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/11/29/helicopter-career-advice-sought-and-provided/#comment-2829 Patrick Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:27:09 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/11/29/helicopter-career-advice-sought-and-provided/#comment-2829 This is a great blog; thanks so much! Would your wisdom in this posting apply for airplane pilot jobs as well? Thanks! This is a great blog; thanks so much!

Would your wisdom in this posting apply for airplane pilot jobs as well?

Thanks!

]]> By: Chris http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/11/29/helicopter-career-advice-sought-and-provided/#comment-2828 Chris Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:30:36 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/11/29/helicopter-career-advice-sought-and-provided/#comment-2828 Hey, that (coulda) been me writing that email 2 years ago. Here's 2 things I've learned. First, don't sever completely with your corporate roots. This could be your lifeline (it has been for me). Keep you contacts, ease out, and split your time between your old profession and flying. It may agitate you and stretch you thin sometimes, but when you can't get that flight instructor job, get laid off, and/or get bored with flying, you'll be glad you have that to fall back on. Second, at least below ~1200 hrs TT, this industry isn't anything like the corporate world. Most students won't get hired by the flight school they trained at, most schools hire only their students, and there are very few options for getting a CFI from 200 to 1000 hours. The formula for getting hired as a flight instructor is complex, and has to do with timing, need, stick skills, knowledge, and interpersonal skills. The outcome doesn't always make sense to everybody. Keep that in mind both when you decide to do this, and when you're choosing a school. Hey, that (coulda) been me writing that email 2 years ago. Here’s 2 things I’ve learned. First, don’t sever completely with your corporate roots. This could be your lifeline (it has been for me). Keep you contacts, ease out, and split your time between your old profession and flying. It may agitate you and stretch you thin sometimes, but when you can’t get that flight instructor job, get laid off, and/or get bored with flying, you’ll be glad you have that to fall back on.

Second, at least below ~1200 hrs TT, this industry isn’t anything like the corporate world. Most students won’t get hired by the flight school they trained at, most schools hire only their students, and there are very few options for getting a CFI from 200 to 1000 hours. The formula for getting hired as a flight instructor is complex, and has to do with timing, need, stick skills, knowledge, and interpersonal skills. The outcome doesn’t always make sense to everybody. Keep that in mind both when you decide to do this, and when you’re choosing a school.

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