FracCapt
Clown punchers, unite!
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2004
- Posts
- 1,415
The only job you're going to find flying an R22 is as an instructor. You need to look into places you might be interested in instructing, and seeing what they operate. This could be the decision maker for you. The time in the R22 could potentially help you later if you go someplace operating an R44 because some of the time from the R22 satisfies the requirement for the R44. Usually, up to half of the required time can be in the R22. Chances of getting a job at 50-60 hours....not all that great, but much better if you're willing to move to where the jobs are. Don't expect to come out with 60 hours and a Comm/CFI....expect more along the lines of 75+, more if you add the Instrument rating as well(which is a 15 hour add on).Skaz said:Just sucks for the first heli job though, if you train on the 300, then you are not as marketable as a R22 driver. Then again with 50 hours plus a few more for the CFI , nobody is gonna hire you anyway...right? So its a catch 22 scenario looks like .
I have not seen any websites that advertise that, but honestly, I have never looked. It could be one of two things. 1) They say that you can get the Commercial with 30-40 hours(or whatever they state), but the Private Helicopter is a pre-requisite - which they may or may not state on the website.....or 2) They may be a Part 141 school, which has lower minimums - though I don't know what those minimums are.Question to you FracCapt, if the law states that you need 50 hours for the add-on, why do some schools advertise their add-on CPL programmes with less that those hours? Ive seen 40, 45 and even 35 hours flight time advertised on some websites.
If you find a school you're interested in, and it doesn't specify on the website...call and ask.
Keep this in mind. The only job you are going to find flying EITHER an R22 or a Schweizer 300 is flight instructing. There are lots of places flying both. With a Commercial Helicopter ticket(or private for that matter), you can fly any helicopter 12,500lbs or under legally. Of course, you're not going to get a job flying a EC135 or even a B206 right out of training...no insurance company would cover you.Also, if you go ahead and get the add-on CPL and CFI ratings, on a 300, whos gonna employ you anyway, only 300CB operators, and it seems there are not a lot of those around. So unless you land a job with the school that trained you, youre scr#wed,....again.
Of course, there are a few of 300's and R22's out there flying that are used for jobs other than instruction, but they are few and far between....