Flight Training - July 2011 - 46

CAREER PILOT»

A ROBINSON R44 is a news helicopter in Dallas.

There are two distinct paths to the captain’s seat of a helicopter for pay: military and civilian. The most cost-effective way to be trained, well-disciplined, and build a substantial amount of turbine helicopter time is with any of the armed services—most notably the U.S. Army and the U.S. Coast Guard. The qualifications and processes for candidates interested in the U.S. Army’s Warrant Officer Flight Training Program are challenging and competitive (see “From the Street to the Cockpit Seat,” January 2010 Flight Training). Likewise, to earn a position in one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s H-65 Dolphins, check out “Flying Coastie” (March 2009 Flight Training). If military service is not in the plan, the rotorwing career path parallels that of the fixed-wing

counterpart: Start as a student pilot and work right through CFI and CFII. There is, however, one significant difference: cost. As just one example, a wellknown Florida-based helicopter flight program lists the following a la carte pricing: private pilot— $15,596; commercial pilot—$29,905. Flight instructor—$10,065; instrument rating—$11,885; CFII—$3,310. Add another $30,355 for the ATP. Pilots with an airplane commercial certificate with instrument rating can transition to helicopters fairly easily, since the regulations offer substantial credit for fixedwing experience. That same flight school can put a commercial airplane pilot into a rotor commercial add-on program for $15,219. How does a newly minted commercial helicopter pilot begin to

CAREER ADVISOR

Honesty is always the best policy
» By Wayne Phillips

BACKGROUND CHECKS AND PAST MISDEEDS
Frankly, any airline company attorney should counsel against such a broad question such as, “Have you ever been arrested?” An arrest is not the same as a conviction. Most questions probing into an applicant’s past should be quite specific, such as, “Have you ever been convicted of a felony?” A felony will most likely be a disqualifier for the applicant. A misdemeanor should be a nonissue. That being stated, one former chief pilot said his regional carrier had a zero tolerance policy: no run-ins with the law of any sort beyond a traffic ticket. The company felt there was just too much risk of having an incident show up on CNN. A former vice president of flight standards for a major airline was quite candid in that the airline has hired certain individuals with a past DUI conviction. That was surprising. But, he offered some additional insight that could guide policy at other carriers. The airline seemed to forgive “youthful indiscretions.” As a teen, you will have ample time to turn your life around and build a solid track record. If you mess up at 18, you best have a stellar professional and personal record by the time you reach 28. Get to the bottom of it. Is there any record with the jurisdiction? Get the scoop from pilots who work at the airlines you are aiming for. Do those airlines offer some wiggle room for those who had brushed the law? If a record comes up in an interview, a question that you can expect is, “What did you learn from it?” Finally, read each application question carefully. If there is no conviction record, then there is no conviction.
Send your Career Pilot questions to careers@aopa. org and we’ll answer them here.

»Q. When I was 16 years old, a few

friends of mine and I were caught putting firecrackers in people’s mailboxes. They issued a misdemeanor to me. The police department offered me an option to take a daylong class that would allow it to be taken off of my record, which I completed. I never went to court. I have been a ramp agent for a regional airline and received a secure identification display area badge. Are the pilot background checks any different? I do not want to check the “Have you ever been arrested box” on the application, which might jeopardize chances of getting an interview. On the other hand, I do not want get thrown out of ground school because they found something.—Tyler
»A. Tyler, thanks for your story. You are

TIM MCADAMS

not alone. The answer is: It depends. The first bit of wisdom is, simply, that honesty is the best policy.

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Flight Training - July 2011

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