If you've been toying with the notion of becoming a helicopter pilot, then you're definitely curious about whether or not the profession would be worthwhile for you. This is a topic that prospective pilots often ask, and it is one that is extremely essential to consider when one is considering a future profession. It is essential to choose a profession that you take pleasure in working at since you will likely spend the majority of your waking hours working. Is it worthwhile to train for a career as a helicopter pilot?
Simply said, if you like flying and the thought of spending hours of your day in a cockpit thousands of feet above the breathtaking sights seems like fun to you, then being a helicopter pilot will be worth it for you in the long run. Now we will go through the specifics.
The decision to become a helicopter pilot comes with both benefits and drawbacks, just like any other career choice, but in this instance, the benefits far exceed the drawbacks.
The following are some of the challenging aspects of becoming a pilot, which may cause some individuals to question whether or not this profession is right for them:
The process of learning to fly is difficult.
The training is really strenuous.
Jobs with low pay to help you build up your hours.
The following are a few of the reasons why it is very worthwhile to pursue a career as a pilot:
You will eventually generate a fairly nice income (salary.com estimates that it will be more than $90,000 per year).
Getting your pilot's license is an investment.
An opportunity to do good and to assist other people
High pilot demand
Job variety
FLYING
Now, in order to assist you in arriving at your own conclusion, I will provide you with some further information on each of these aspects.
The process of learning to fly is difficult:
To effectively pilot a helicopter on your own requires a significant amount of training and experience. If you go to flight school with the expectation that you will immediately become an expert pilot, you are setting yourself up for a world of disappointment. The process of earning your pilot's license will need a significant amount of training and commitment on your behalf.
Although learning to fly is challenging at first, as your training progresses, it will become less difficult for you to do the required maneuvers. After you have conquered the first obstacle of maintaining control of a helicopter, your level of self-assurance will rise, and you will finally be able to meet and overcome any problem. You will have hundreds of flying hours under your belt by the time you graduate, and you will have the necessary qualifications and experience to get a career as a pilot.
The training is quite strenuous:
The training to become a pilot is really difficult. The difficulty of your training will be relative to the program that you enroll in; nonetheless, you may expect challenges and difficulties no matter which program you choose to pursue. Training for flight requires practice not just in the air but also on the ground. Although many programs refer to them as flight labs and ground labs, the actual titles that individual schools give to these facilities may vary. A ground lab is the time you spend on the ground learning aviation regulations and flight tactics, as well as preparing for assignments and tests. A flight lab, on the other hand, is the time you spend in the air piloting a helicopter.
If getting your pilot's license is more of a hobby for you rather than a means to make a living as a pilot, then all you really need is your private pilot's license and maybe an instrument license. The training required to get your private pilot's license may be completed in as little as a few months, and it won't be nearly as demanding as the training required to earn all of your pilot's licenses combined.
To become a fully certified helicopter pilot, you will need to get a few more licenses in addition to the basic pilot's license. You will need your private, commercial, instrument, and ideally your CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) and CFII (Certified Flight Instructor Instrument) licenses in order to get a job as a pilot. These licenses are required to teach others how to fly. In addition to these required licenses, any additional training that you get while you're still in school (such as training in longlines, training in mountain operations, and training in night vision goggles, for example) will boost your resume and help you land those highly desirable high-paying jobs.
There are a few flight training programs that are shorter, but the majority of flight schools enable you to earn all of these licenses in around two years. Bear in mind that even though a shorter training time may seem like the best option, these shorter programs don't have the time to give you the experience and advanced training that will help you get a job as a pilot. So, while a shorter training time may sound like the best option, it's important to keep this in mind. These condensed training programs will get you the necessary licenses, but they won't teach you too else else.
You may get a degree along with your license if you take flying programs at a university flight school. These programs will also provide you more experience, more flight hours, and advanced training. Even though these programs are longer, they will better prepare you for the future than a shorter program would, despite the fact that they require more time.
Jobs with low salary that allow you to build up your hours:
When you first start out as a pilot, you'll probably have a job that doesn't pay very much. This is due to the fact that the professions that pay the highest salaries for pilots need a significant number of flying hours, which a freshly certified pilot will not have. Instead of viewing this as a disadvantage of becoming a helicopter pilot, think of this first job as a way to build your flight hours and give you valuable experience, which is really no different than working in any other industry. Think of this first job as a way to build your flight hours and give you valuable experience. After you have "paid your dues" and accumulated around 1,000 flying hours (which might take as little as a year or two), you will become eligible for employment that pay more and come with additional perks. As soon as you get over this point in your job as a pilot, the remainder of your career will be prosperous, and you will rapidly begin to make up for the money you spent on your studies.
Flight teacher is the first employment that most helicopter pilots have after getting their license. There is a good probability that you will be able to get employment at your own flight school since most flight schools look for recent college graduates to fill the roles of flight instructors. If you attend a flying school that is affiliated with a university, in addition to receiving your pilot's licenses, you will also get an associate's degree. You will now have the opportunity to further your study and get a bachelor's degree if you want to do so.
If you opt to pursue a bachelor's degree and are successful in finding a position as an instructor, you will be able to make money while you are still in school to put toward your education. This is a fantastic opportunity for you since you will still be qualified for financial assistance and scholarships, and you will not be required to make payments on your student loans just yet. As a result, you will have time to put money aside and get a head start on paying back your loans.
You will eventually earn a lot of money that is incredibly good:
When you have logged a total of one thousand hours in the cockpit, you will be eligible for employment that offer a high salary. The website salary.com estimates that the annual income of a helicopter pilot is around $96,000 on average. Jobs as a pilot for offshore oil rigs, corporate leaders, celebrities, and private enterprises may command very high salaries. The demand for pilots is enormous, and there are plenty of high-paying positions out there; but, gaining a job as a pilot is not a guarantee that you will receive a job that pays well.
Attending flight school is an investment that includes:
Attending flight school is a worthwhile investment. It is true that paying for flight school will need some financial investment; but, if you are flying commercially and earning a living as a pilot, you will rapidly recoup the money that you spent on flight school. In point of fact, the Return on Education for a career as a helicopter pilot is greater than that of a medical professional, legal professional, or dental professional. If you invest $1 in your education now, you can anticipate earning around $45 more over the course of your working life.
If you are a veteran and you attend one of the flight schools that is able to accept full VA Benefits, then it is possible that you will not have to pay anything for your education other than the cost of books and supplies. It is crucial that if you are a veteran and want to become a pilot, you select a flight school that specializes in teaching veterans and is able to take full VA benefits. This will allow you to get the most out of your training.
Even if you are not a veteran, there are still many other avenues open to you that will allow you to pay for your pilot training. If you attend a university that offers flight training, you will be eligible for many forms of financial assistance, including scholarships, grants, and student loans. As soon as you are in a position to pay for your flight training, the only thing you will need to focus on is completing your training and obtaining the necessary licenses.