Hour requirements?

[Whirlwind]

What hours count toward the minimum requirements to get hired onto the regionals?

I ask, because while I've got 500 hours total time, about half of that is in helicopters. I'm curious to know how much this will hurt me when I start looking for work at the regionals in a year or so. Do they accept some helicopter time in place of airplane time, or does this actually hurt me? If I'm a few hundred hours short of the min requirement, but I've got enough helo time to make up for that, is that considered acceptable?

Just thinking ahead to next year!

 

[ASH]

It very much dpends on the regional. Some completely discard it, some give you "partial credit" (.5 hours or something), and some are very chopper friendly. Just have to check around.

 

[upndsky]

As the poster above says, it depends on the regional. A couple of things to keep in mind:

1) If you want to fly helos, build helo time. If you want to fly regionals, park the helo and get fixed wing time. I would do one or the other, but not both.

2) Minimums are just that. Most places will hire only those that greatly exceed them. Having said that, other will also hire with less, but those usually have some other quality/advantage. I don't know if helo time is one.

Will helo time hurt? No. Will it help? Not sure. Want to compare yourself to your peers looking for the same job? Then just consider your fixed wing time for a realistic assessment.

 

[Whirlwind]

As the poster above says, it depends on the regional.

Any ideas about Great Lakes?

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1) If you want to fly helos, build helo time. If you want to fly regionals, park the helo and get fixed wing time. I would do one or the other, but not both.

Rats, the last answer I wanted to hear.

Right now I'm flying perhaps 2 hours in the airplane for every hour in the helicopter, so I figure I'll reach 1000 TT and 100 ME by the end of next summer. But of that, about 400 hours will be helo time.

2) Minimums are just that. Most places will hire only those that greatly exceed them.

The reason I asked about GLA is because so many CFIs here (including my own) got hired on there, most right at 900/100. I figure that my former CFI can walk my resume in next year (if I ask really, really nicely of course!), which from what I've been told, is darn near required to get hired these days.

In any case, thanks for the info, insights, and answers.

 

[Speedtree]

What kind of helicopter flying are you doing? Yeah, it depends on the regional airline but if you're getting turbine helicopter or twin turbine time, I wouldn't just dump that. If you paying for it I guess your in something small and it all just counts for total time/powered lift. You might meet the minimums and they might look at your resume but if you have equal TT as another applicant and all his time is fixed wing they might go with him. Tough decision, it's hard to say.

 

[Whirlwind]

What kind of helicopter flying are you doing? Yeah, it depends on the regional airline but if you're getting turbine helicopter or twin turbine time, I wouldn't just dump that.

Right now it is giving flight instruction in a small, 2 seat piston training helicopter.

I'm trying to get myself some turbine helicopter time, but the problem, as always, is insurance. So far, I've got a whopping 1.9 hours of PIC twin turbine time, how exciting.

If you paying for it I guess your in something small and it all just counts for total time/powered lift.

I'm not paying for it anymore, I'm a CFI in both airplanes and helicopters. I've been teaching in the helicopter for two months now, and I got my airplane CFI a few weeks ago. Just got hired today actually at the airplane school where I did my ratings at.

So now I'm in the position of flying both, and wondering what I'm going to do.

 

[Palerider957]

ASA is very helicpoter pilot friendly--tons of Amry rotorheads.

 

[pilotyip]

in the old days

Back about 3 years ago in 2000, when pilot hiring was hot and heavy and the on-demand business was the last place you applied, we were hiring Army, USMC, USN heolo drivers some with under 100 hrs total fixed wing time. They were easy to train and real professionals, none had any trouble checking out as DA-20 PIC, some in min time. Some did not even have college degrees, of course that has nothing to do with flying an airplane

 

[46Driver]

ACA is also very helicopter friendly. Our assistant chief pilot is a former Navy helo bubba - he stood up at the Air, Inc conference in Atlanta in the summer of 2000 and specifically wanted helo pilots. Comair and ASA were also very receptive to rotary wing pilots while Eagle and AirNet wouldn't even accept my resume.

 

[Palerider957]

To be honest ASA has had some problems with training helo pilots. This is not a slam on rotor guys, but going from low and slow in VFR, to a rigorous airline environment has washed more than a few guys out.

Just make sure your instrument skills stay current and sharp.