Making the move to helicopters

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CharlieKilo
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Making the move to helicopters

Post by CharlieKilo »

Good day all,

I'm currently flying as a fixed wing pilot, I enjoy the "low n slow" aspect of flying in fixed wing and have always admired choppers and the work they do. I've ridden in a handful of different machines and really enjoy it.

I've tried the airline world in fixed wing and it's not really my speed.

Just looking for some input and opinions on what my journey would be like if I tried to switch. I have about 6000 hours fixed wing and I'm wondering if this would help or hinder the jump to choppers? I've heard having a decent amount of hours can make it tougher given the emergencies, habits built up over the years in planes.

Any tips on companies that would still show some interest in me?

Feel free to PM if you prefer.

Thanks
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Loner
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Re: Making the move to helicopters

Post by Loner »

I am in both worlds
The heli world will not really care about your FW time.
Have you considered crop dusting?
I have done it and lived it but again not for everyone.
All about stick and rudder low but not slow.
Rotary is fun too but to get to that “fun” stage, it will require a lot of experience/time.
These days not much opportunities for low timers
I’d stick to FW if I were you.
Again, based on my experience as a heli and FW guy
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AngelsSang
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Re: Making the move to helicopters

Post by AngelsSang »

If your 6000 hours was mostly bush and mountain flying, I would credit you with 200 hours of real world experience in rotary because you understand storms, down drafts, and how quickly things go wrong in the bush/mountains. If you mostly flew from big paved airport to paved airport, then 6000 hours is not worth 6 to me. Actually it is likely worse than 0 hours, because you got complacent, used to being in radio contact with someone, told about traffic, sitreps, etc. I am dual licensed myself, and flying a plane from 5000' of pavement to 5000' of pavement somewhere, squaking whatever code you are asked to, has no relevance to a confined space land on uneven ground, in 35 knot winds, in the bush, after .. running around clouds, and not hearing from anyone else for the last hour, while 80 feet over the tree tops. It is all up to you, and you alone. The only thing that is the same is turning the nose into the wind to land...but now you don't have a wind sock to look at, much less a coffee swilling person in the tower telling you what direction and wind strength to expect. Consider them two completely independent things, unless you are say flying floats off small lakes and out of rivers regularly.
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