Have you got the drive to become a high flier? in association with publicjobswales.co.uk.Byline: By MICHELLE MICHELLE Mid-Infrared Echelle Spectrograph RUSHTONWHAT does a career as a helicopter pilot involve? Helicopter pilots fly single and multiengined helicopters for business, leisure and emergency response purposes. Their tasks include taking rig workers to offshore oil platforms and piloting onshore charter services for business clients. Before a flight, pilots have to check weather conditions and airspace restrictions Special restrictive measures applied to segments of airspace of defined dimensions. on their planned route, they have to file flight plans and work out fuel requirements and maximum loads. Their work also involves carrying out checks (including safety checks) on equipment and instruments and gaining clearance from air traffic control to take off. During the flight, pilots use a range of instruments to navigate, control height and speed, and communicate with air traffic controllers. After they land, they complete all post-flight paperwork, including a duty hours log, before preparing for the next flight. Pilots are responsible for the safety of the craft and any passengers or cargo, and may work alone or in a captain and co-pilot team on larger helicopters. What personal skills do you need? You need to have sound judgement and good concentration skills, able to take responsibility for the aircraft, crew and passengers. You must also be able to remain calm in a crisis and act decisively with clear communication skills, both written and spoken. What training do you need? To work as a helicopter pilot you must be over 18 and licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority Civil Aviation Authority civil (Brit) n → Behörde f für Zivilluftfahrt (CAA Caa See CCC. ). There is no upper age limit to obtaining a licence but you must pass the CAA's strict medical requirements. If you want to work as a commercial helicopter pilot, you will need a Commercial Pilot Licence A Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) or, in the United States, a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the pilot of an aircraft for remuneration. (Helicopter) - CPL(H) - or the more advanced Airline Transport Pilot Airline Transport Pilot may refer to:
You normally need five GCSEs (A-C A-C Air Conditioning ), including English and mathematics or physics, or equivalent, for entry on to a CPL(H) training course and will also have to pass aptitude tests before you can start training. You can train for a Private Pilot's Licence (Helicopter) - PPL PPL - Polymorphic Programming Language. An interactive, extensible language, based on APL, from Harvard University. ["Some Features of PPL - A Polymorphic Programming Language", T.A. Standish, SIGPLAN Notices 4(8) (Aug 1969)]. (H) - before moving on to the modular commercial licence course. Another way to gain flying skills is to sign up for pilot training with the armed forces. What are the opportunities for career advancement? Most pilots join helicopter companies as co-pilots and progress to a captain's position. With experience, you can combine flying with ground duties, administration, recruitment or training. What is the salary? (Rough guideline). Newly qualified commercial helicopter pilots can earn around pounds 25,000 a year. Helicopter pilots who captain passenger-carrying craft may earn between pounds 45,000 and pounds 60,000 a year. More information Civil Aviation Authority www.caa.co.uk British Helicopter Advisory Board The British Helicopter Advisory Board was formed in January 1969 at the instigation of some leading members of commercial helicopter companies in the UK. They realised that there was no single authoritative voice speaking for the whole helicopter industry similar to organisations (BHAB) www.bhab.org Learndirect Careers Advice www.learndirect-advice.co.uk |
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