UK-Muscle.co.uk Forum banner

Any helicopter pilots?

242 views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  Fina 
#1 ·
Typical totally stupid and random question for UKM :D

I'm considering getting the license since, but from what I've read you can't really get any gigs until you get a serious number of hours under your belt. I wouldn't be looking to make a career from it, but just to hire one out and do some s**t from time to time would be fun.

I guess I expected you got the license and that was it, but it seems not the case.

Before I rabbit on any further, any pilots here? (ideally you are really a pilot, and not a UKM pilot, however in the interest of the thread not instantly dying, everyone is applicable without any form of authentication)
 
#7 ·
It's about £14k to get the license, which may or may not allow you to then hire a chopper for private use, but certainly will not allow you to work, as that requires IIRC 2-300 hours flight time. Therefore to make a career of it yes, its expensive, but if I could do the odd thing here and there and fly my daughter on occasions I just see it as an expensive hobby.
 
#18 ·
Just to reply to all....



I'd be getting it to take up friends and family, rather than for myself.

From the tiny amount of knowledge I have about light aircraft pilot licence. You need to do X amount of hours per year to keep it.

Have you enquired about lessons already, Bud.?
No, I just researched where I could do it and the basic license cost. I wasn't sure if that £14k would give me a license for life, or if I needed exactly what you said, hours to maintain.
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Mates got his pilots license. Although unfortunately for the op, we never listen to him when he's banging on about flying.

The bits I do remember it took him quite awhile and cost a fair amount. But he does it just for fun, looked into flying commercially but looks like you have to lay even more money out up front and there's a lot of competition for jobs. He was in his 30s, so didn't think it was worth trying to compete against the younger chaps.

Part owns a plane with a few others but still manages to go up most weekends when the weather ok but still costs quite a bit per hour.

I'd ask him next time I see him but that'll probably be quite some time.

Edit - the pay is actually pretty poor as well, unless you fly long haul for ba, assume helicopters will be a similar bracket.
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
Mates got his pilots license. Although unfortunately for the op, we never listen to him when he's banging on about flying.

The bits I do remember it took him quite awhile and cost a fair amount. But he does it just for fun, looked into flying commercially but looks like you have to lay even more money out up front and there's a lot of competition for jobs. He was in his 30s, so didn't think it was worth trying to compete against the younger chaps.

Part owns a plane with a few others but still manages to go up most weekends when the weather ok but still costs quite a bit per hour.

I'd ask him next time I see him but that'll probably be quite some time.

Edit - the pay is actually pretty poor as well, unless you fly long haul for ba, assume helicopters will be a similar bracket.
I did some lessons in a small plane when in my mid twenties and from what I heard it's incredibly hard to get a job out of it.

To do it just as a hobby unless you are minted or absolutely love flying I don't think it's worth the money it costs.
 
#17 ·
Fair play fellas thanks, it would just be for fun, I'm 36 so as a career wouldn't be financially viable to switch to this now.

I didn't realise you had to have min hours to do much, I thought once I had the license I could just hire one out on the weekends etc.

Another dream shot down thanks boys :D
 
#21 ·
Fair play fellas thanks, it would just be for fun, I'm 36 so as a career wouldn't be financially viable to switch to this now.

I didn't realise you had to have min hours to do much, I thought once I had the license I could just hire one out on the weekends etc.

Another dream shot down thanks boys :D
You can get a boat without a licence and have great fun just have to pay marina fees each year
 
#27 ·
12 hours every 2 years is easy, hmmm! I looked more into renting one out and thats my hurdle right now.

Those saying a boat, I get sea sick nowadays, which is a shame as I live on the coast of Spain but such is life! I thought jetski but I think I'd get bored quickly. A helicopter, less so! :D
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top