Welcome to Lift-Off, our latest newsletter packed with insights on helicopter pilot training and building a career in aviation
The USA is an amazing place to fly! After building up some flight time as a CFI, there are some great opportunities that we want to show you today.
Start as a flight instructor
Normally, you start your career as a helicopter pilot in the USA as a flight instructor. When I finished my training in 2015, it was still common for students on the F1 visa to spend their entire CPT and OPT period working as flight instructors.
Changes in the industry
Due to the pilot shortage in the USA, the situation has changed significantly. Nowadays, many of our graduates transition to tour companies after 9-12 months (700-1000 flight hours) of working as flight instructors.
Tour companies
Here, we’d like to introduce a few companies that have hired many of our graduates in recent years.
Blue Hill Helicopters
This company is a flight school based in Boston that offers training on Robinson R44 and Bell 206 helicopters, as well as tours. One of the owners also works at FlyNyon in New York, so flight instructors are regularly referred to work there. In recent years, all flight instructors at Blue Hill Helicopters have come from Hillsboro. It’s important to note that you must have at least the FAA-required 25 flight hours in the Robinson R44, otherwise, you cannot instruct on that helicopter.
FlyNyon
FlyNyon has made a name for itself by offering tours over New York where Bell 206 helicopters fly without doors. Social media is filled with countless photos and videos of passengers dangling their feet over New York. In the summer of 2024, five of FlyNyon’s pilots were former Hillsboro students and flight instructors.
Rainbow Helicopters
From New York, we move to the other side of the country, to Hawaii. In recent years, many of our graduates and flight instructors have been hired by Rainbow Helicopters. This company primarily flies Robinson R44 helicopters but also operates Airbus H125 (AS350) helicopters.
Temsco Helicopters
Temsco Helicopters is a fairly large company with various sectors. In Alaska, Temsco operates helicopter tours from three different locations using Airbus H125 (AS350) helicopters. Unlike other tour companies, these are not just sightseeing flights; they typically involve landing on a glacier, where guides lead tourists on excursions on foot or by dog sled.
One of our graduates, Paul, talks about his experience at Temsco in our webinar.
You can find the webinar linked at the end of this text
Oregon Helicopters
Right here in Oregon, there’s a tour company where our IFR Chief also flies as a charter pilot. Oregon Helicopters primarily offers summer tours over Portland using R44 and R66 helicopters.
Other Tour Companies
Throughout the U.S., there are companies that use helicopters for tours. Just like with flight instructor jobs, having a network of fellow pilots can help you find these companies and apply successfully.
In Orlando, there are several companies offering short tours around Disney World. You can quickly build flight hours, earn good money, and receive a lot of tips. However, the flying can be quite repetitive.
In Las Vegas, there are Maverick and Papillon. Both companies operate EC-130 helicopters in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. These companies usually look for pilots with at least 1,000 flight hours and prefer to hire for longer periods, so it’s not realistic to work there during your CPT or OPT.
Fire-Fighting
Helicopter Transport Services (HTS) hires several co-pilots each year for their CH-54 Skycrane helicopters. I flew as a co-pilot during the 2022 fire season and really enjoyed the experience. I also wrote a report about my experiences for our blog, which you can read here: Insight into Firefighting in a CH-54 Skycrane.
Pipeline Inspection
Similar to Europe, there are companies in the U.S. that use helicopters for pipeline inspections. Often, Schweizer 300 or Robinson R44 helicopters are used, but some companies also use MD-500 or Bell 206 helicopters. One company that has hired many of our graduates in the past is Chesapeake Bay Helicopters.
Other Jobs
In addition to these, there are other jobs such as agricultural flying. For example, Sikorsky S-58 helicopters are used to dry cherry trees, and Robinson R22 helicopters are used for “mixing” rice fields.
Thanks to the pilot shortage, there are many great opportunities! A solid education, a good reputation, and a strong network can open the door to fantastic jobs!
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:
