Welcome to Lift-Off, our latest newsletter packed with insights on helicopter pilot training and building a career in aviation
To become a successful pilot, it is not only important to be a good pilot and have enough hours in your logbook. So today we want to focus on the topics of networking and reputaion.
Reputation
To be successful in the helicopter industry, it’s not enough to just have many flight hours logged. It’s also extremely important to have a good reputation and to know as many other pilots or people in the industry as possible. The reason for this is that many companies often don’t advertise their jobs publicly or post them on job boards. Instead, the decision-makers in companies often ask their pilots if they can recommend someone or inquire during applications if the applicant is known to the pilots. Flight schools or previous employers are also often contacted to provide feedback. Unlike the typical job references in Germany, open communication is used to discuss what kind of employee, pilot, or student the applicant was, and recommendations are given. Since our industry is very small, having a good reputation is therefore extremely important!
Good vs bad
Of course, you shouldn’t pretend to be someone you’re not just to advance your career, but everyone should be aware that from the very first day of training, you’re laying the tracks for your career. I can give you two examples from my former students. One was very motivated, prepared intensively for every theory class and flight, asked good questions during lessons, and always arrived at the school at least 45 minutes before each flight. The second pilot believed he knew everything because he had been successful in his previous career, didn’t prepare for classes or flights, always arrived at the last minute, and never took responsibility for his mistakes or weaknesses.
I’m sure you can guess which one I hired as Assistant Chief and which one didn’t progress in their career.
New start
In the helicopter industry, we all start fresh, and it’s in your hands to become the pilot that others respect, support, and want to work with.
Networking
It’s also important to know as many other pilots as possible. The larger your network, the better your chances that a fellow pilot will help you out. At Hillsboro, we typically have around 100 helicopter students. On your first day, there are 99 pilots ahead of you entering the industry. And on your last day, there are 99 pilots following you into the industry. So, during your training, you’ll meet nearly 200 pilots who will eventually be flying all over the world. Additionally, at events like Verticon (formerly Heli Expo) or the Robinson Safety Course, you can meet even more pilots. When it comes to networking, you should definitely use social media to stay in touch with many people easily. Facebook is still very popular in the U.S.
FAQs
On our website, we’ve created a very comprehensive list of common questions about pilot training. You should definitely take a look at it! http://en.flyhaa.de/faq
Webinars
We regularly host webinars and live events around Europe, where we share a lot of information about the training and the career in the helicopter cockpit. You can watch the recording of our latest webinar here: