Conversion from fixed wing to rotary

[share-once]

I am retiring next year and would like to get my helicopter's license. (atpl conversion)
From the quick reading I have done it would cost about $30k?
I read a couple of older posts on the site. Any more tips?
Recommendations on where to do it in the Okanagan?

I think it would be nice to get me out of the house if I could find some work part time and have always thought helicopter would be more fun than fixed wing. Time to pick up a new challenge.
Age 50 and mostly pic heavy jets.

[PilotDAR]

I did this a number of years ago, for the same reason - a challenge. It was immensely rewarding, and I believe improved my fixed wing flying skills. I would not expect to be hired on right away with a hundred rotorwing hours under your belt, but everything starts somewhere.

You'll have to leave quite a few of your fixed wing habits at the hangar door, rotorwing pilots do things a little differently! I recommend learning in a SW300, or Bell 47 if you can. Better yet, EC120 or Bell 206, if you can find them in a training fleet.

Don't expect to show your new license at dispatch, and go and rent on later, that does not seem to happen that way it does for planes...

[cncpc]

Don't expect to show your new license at dispatch, and go and rent on later, that does not seem to happen that way it does for planes...

Which is their way of telling you how crappy they acknowledge their own training to be.

If they won't let you fly one of their helicopters based on the quality of their training, why should anyone else?

[PilotDAR]

Oh I think that their training was okay. Certainly the other pilots I have flown with since seemed satisfied with my skills. I think that their problem lay with the insurer.

I dragged my training over many years, as once I was at the solo stage, I used to go on solo cross country flights in the SW300 all over the place. After a while, I had some MD500 flying to do, and I had to finish my license (so there was something to type endorse for the 500!). The school chief pilot warned me "once you get your license, we can't let you fly solo any more, only students are insured for solo flight, and you won't be a student any more."

Otherwise, they seemed entirely confident about my flying skills, so as to allow me the use of their helicopters.

[co-joe]

I did this a number of years ago, for the same reason - a challenge. It was immensely rewarding, and I believe improved my fixed wing flying skills. I would not expect to be hired on right away with a hundred rotorwing hours under your belt, but everything starts somewhere.

...

You mean 60 rotorwing hours. You get credit for 40 hours of PIC towards the 100 total.

(i) Commercial Pilot Licence or higher - Aeroplane

Where an applicant holds a Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane or higher type licence in the aeroplane category, the 100 hours total flight time in helicopters required by paragraph (4)(a) above shall be deemed to have been met provided the applicant has completed a minimum of 60 hours flight time in helicopters, including all of the experience requirements demanded by paragraph (4)(b) above.

So yeah evern lower timer. I always wondered if a helo company did a lot of IFR work if they'd like a guy with shit tonnes of IFR time in aeroplanes. Dunno about the oakanagan though. Offshore crew changes maybe? Who actually flies whirly birds in IMC?

[Chuck Ellsworth]

ahhh..

How time changes things.

When I did my conversion to rotary wing the rules were I had to have 25 hours of rotary wing training and a flight test to get the rotary wing license.

Which the company I worked for paid for and I just kept flying for the company as was the plan.

There was no problem flying fixed and rotary wing randomly as needed.

[Heliian]

You still can't rent a helicopter in Canada for some reason, legally that is. I don't know if the insurance is so costly that you're better off chartering or if it's regulatory. Not to say you can't "borrow" one from a "friend".

[helicopterray]

This is one of the top flight schools in the world for helicopters, located in Penticton.

http://canadianhelicopters.com/services ... topflight/

[cncpc]

This is one of the top flight schools in the world for helicopters, located in Penticton.

http://canadianhelicopters.com/services ... topflight/

And what is your point, Ray, in the context of a discussion on renting a helicopter after training?

[JMACK]

This is one of the top flight schools in the world for helicopters, located in Penticton.

http://canadianhelicopters.com/services ... topflight/

And what is your point, Ray, in the context of a discussion on renting a helicopter after training?

Cncpc see below original topic was training not renting. Hey Ray that looks like a mighty fine school the customer comments says it all......I want to go too!

Jim

I am retiring next year and would like to get my helicopter's license. (atpl conversion)
From the quick reading I have done it would cost about $30k?
I read a couple of older posts on the site. Any more tips?
Recommendations on where to do it in the Okanagan?

I think it would be nice to get me out of the house if I could find some work part time and have always thought helicopter would be more fun than fixed wing. Time to pick up a new challenge.
Age 50 and mostly pic heavy jets.

[r22captain]

This is one of the top flight schools in the world for helicopters, located in Penticton.

http://canadianhelicopters.com/services ... topflight/

And what is your point, Ray, in the context of a discussion on renting a helicopter after training?

And what's your point cncpc? In the context of the original question?

op wanted to know about training in the Okanagan. heliray answered.....

The school in Penticton is excellent