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Commercial helicopter pilots require a private pilot’s license and additional training to obtain a Commercial Pilot License for Helicopters. They can choose from various jobs, but new pilots may struggle to find work initially. Experienced pilots can work for the police, air ambulance, or perform emergency medical work. However, the job is not as well paid as fixed-wing pilots, and job security is low. People become commercial helicopter pilots because they love flying.
A commercial helicopter pilot is someone who has first trained to fly a helicopter and obtained a private pilot’s license. Additional flight training is typically required, including flight time in the air and passing an extensive test to obtain a Commercial Pilot License for Helicopters (CPL(H)). Some commercial helicopter pilots trained in the military, but many people complete training at civil aviation schools and pay for the training.
Typically, a commercial helicopter pilot can choose from a variety of jobs once qualified and experienced. Newly qualified commercial helicopter pilots, however, may find it difficult to initially obtain work until he or she has logged a large number of flying hours. New commercial pilots usually also earn an instructor rating and gain experience teaching others to fly helicopters. If he or she is lucky, the new commercial helicopter pilot may find work flying pleasure or charter flights, or in countries such as Australia, where helicopter livestock is a popular option.
Once a commercial helicopter pilot has more experience, there are likely to be a variety of jobs available depending on where he lives in the world. A commercial helicopter pilot might work for the police, fly an air ambulance, perform search and rescue missions, or perform emergency medical work. In some countries, jobs may include pipeline patrol, wildlife work or charter flights for VIPs. Helicopters are used to transport workers to and from oil rigs and are used in the leisure industry for pleasure flying and sightseeing.
There are downsides, however, to this way of life. A commercial helicopter pilot is typically not as well paid as his fixed-wing counterpart, who will likely be working for major airlines. Few rotating flight positions offer job security, and the commercial helicopter pilot often must be prepared to travel to where work is, making life difficult for the family. Many of the jobs are difficult and dangerous; for example, search and rescue helicopter pilots often work in bad weather conditions and odd hours.
It’s rare for someone to become a commercial helicopter pilot for the money. Generally, an individual gets a helicopter license because he loves flying flexible rotary aircraft. For some, having a helicopter for a desk and the sky for an office are the best fringe benefits.
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