I am currently going to school for my "M" license in BC right now, and after Christmas I will be going into my second term. I am still not entirely sure what I would like to get into. I'm a big helicopter fan, and I realize this is the helicopter forum lol, but i've heard there is decent money in fixed wing as well. Can anyone give me some pro's and con's in their own opinion, of what it's like to work on helicopters for a living. I go to school @ NLC in Dawson Creek BC. We have 206, 205, R44 and AStar 350 helicopters. Anyone with any experience working, or flying these a/c, I would appreciate any comments.
Thank You, DStar.
Helicopter or Fixed Wing?
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako
Helicopter or Fixed Wing?
Last edited by DStar on Sun Nov 25, 2007 12:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.
DStar,
I posted a similar question as yours over in the General forum, and got some excellent responses (hope to see more in this thread!).
Here's the link to my thread in the General forum:
http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=37116
FWIW, I'm leaning to the heli world - not for the $, but 'cause that's what I want to do.
Cheers!
Darren
I posted a similar question as yours over in the General forum, and got some excellent responses (hope to see more in this thread!).
Here's the link to my thread in the General forum:
http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=37116
FWIW, I'm leaning to the heli world - not for the $, but 'cause that's what I want to do.
Cheers!
Darren
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tellyourkidstogetarealjob
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Dig around the maintenance forum for a while.
This is an over generalization, but neither fixed or heli will pay you enough to make up for the lifestyle sacrifices you'll have to make. Get over it.
Heli pays slightly more. I mean slightly. Most heli companies I've seen abuse the crap out of you for that little extra. Apparently, there are good heli companies but I've never seen one. I think it's like leprechauns and gremlins. You'll spend all summer living in the cheapest motels your company can find. They'll work the bag off you. The licensed AME's you work with will, almost without exception, be socially maladjusted. Some may have drug/homosexuality issues. Think I'm kidding? Who the f*** else stays in the bush with a bunch of sweaty, stinking men and brags about it? Where else in aviation these days can you get away with no airport pass? Your life will be so depressing by the end of the season you'll gladly spend all the extra money you earned on a well deserved vacation to recharge (and maybe get laid 'cause you're sick of balling your right hand) and then stress out the rest of the winter as your bills pile up.
Fixed wing gives you more options. From generally poor paying monday to friday jobs to more lucrative shift work. You'll never be paid what you're worth but at least the co-workers are generally better socialized. You may occasionally get talk dirty to a female f/a to break the monotony and most nights, unless working, you get to see your own bed.
Try both. You won't appreciate fixed properly unless you've lived the misery of heli.
This is an over generalization, but neither fixed or heli will pay you enough to make up for the lifestyle sacrifices you'll have to make. Get over it.
Heli pays slightly more. I mean slightly. Most heli companies I've seen abuse the crap out of you for that little extra. Apparently, there are good heli companies but I've never seen one. I think it's like leprechauns and gremlins. You'll spend all summer living in the cheapest motels your company can find. They'll work the bag off you. The licensed AME's you work with will, almost without exception, be socially maladjusted. Some may have drug/homosexuality issues. Think I'm kidding? Who the f*** else stays in the bush with a bunch of sweaty, stinking men and brags about it? Where else in aviation these days can you get away with no airport pass? Your life will be so depressing by the end of the season you'll gladly spend all the extra money you earned on a well deserved vacation to recharge (and maybe get laid 'cause you're sick of balling your right hand) and then stress out the rest of the winter as your bills pile up.
Fixed wing gives you more options. From generally poor paying monday to friday jobs to more lucrative shift work. You'll never be paid what you're worth but at least the co-workers are generally better socialized. You may occasionally get talk dirty to a female f/a to break the monotony and most nights, unless working, you get to see your own bed.
Try both. You won't appreciate fixed properly unless you've lived the misery of heli.
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sky's the limit
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Interesting perspective.
I know two of our guys are ex-FW wrenches and will NEVER go back.
Another is a 24yr old Licensed AME, makes $4000/mo Base Pay, $25/hr flight pay on any a/c he's responsible for - this summer, that was 3, and they all did over 700hrs on his watch. Pretty good coin by my figures.
Of course he worked for it, but he also had his quad with him all summer, and was generally based in Town, in a good crew house to boot.
Choose your poison I guess.
stl
I know two of our guys are ex-FW wrenches and will NEVER go back.
Another is a 24yr old Licensed AME, makes $4000/mo Base Pay, $25/hr flight pay on any a/c he's responsible for - this summer, that was 3, and they all did over 700hrs on his watch. Pretty good coin by my figures.
Of course he worked for it, but he also had his quad with him all summer, and was generally based in Town, in a good crew house to boot.
Choose your poison I guess.
stl
