How many people here are pilots?

[youngGun]

Greg,
Thank you, and i will definitely stay in touch i try to make as many contacts as i can. Knowing ppl who are in the industry and who are willing to help, can go a very long way in finding a job.

Its getting tough to even find an instructing job right now. there are 3 or 4 flight schools near me including the college i attend, and they used to hire instructors 24/7 and now they have stopped hiring all together, but ive got a few months till i grad maybe it will start to turn around soon.

 

[mastakilla]

I'm actually thinking about quitting my job here in Belgium, moving to the US, and go for a CPL(H). Man I've been dreaming about 'copters all my life, and lately I can't stop thinking about it. Yeah the economy is in a bad shape, but if I start now, by the time I get my license it might have turned around already.

You heli pilots out there: would you recommend me taking on this adventure? What schools in the US are good? Remember I will be looking for JAA certification, since that's what I'll need in Europe...

 

[PowellB]

I wanted to be a fighter pilot when I was a kid... who didn't?

Planned to go to the Air Force Academy, joined Civil Air Patrol and started learning to fly. Discovered I was slightly colorblind during my physical before the CAP flight school when I was 17, and it killed me. Soloed after about 9hrs in a C172 but never flew after that.

I miss it, but would love to get some time in a helicopter. Last year when I crashed my motorcycle, I got airlifted out (despite relatively minor injuries) and that experience gave me even more respect for those pilots.

Especially since they sat me up so I could enjoy the ride

 

[detpilot]

Can't believe I missed this thread. I'm a CFII in the Cirrus at Western Michigan University, been flying since 14. Currently just hitting 135 mins and looking for a new gig.

 

[slammer111]

Expired licenses, but I had one for Private Pilot, and one for Glider Pilot. I'm in Canada.

Glider: Schweizer 2-33A
Airplane: Cessna 152, 172

Cost: Free, courtesy of Royal Canadian Air Cadets (Canadian equivalent of Civil Air Patrol for you Yanks)

Flying was pretty neat, but honestly, having done both, riding the FZ6 on twisties is more fun imho. You can't do that much stuff in an airplane, and there are only so many aerobatic maneuvers you can do as many small planes out there have gravity-fed fuel systems and relatively weak engines.

I miss finding updrafts in a glider though. Those were the days.

Private Pilot licenses can be had here for under $10k, and Commercial Pilot under $15k.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Thats awesome! Me and a mate who works for Eurocopter here in Sydney Australia are heading to vegas in May, we'll have to wave when we head into the airport

I love going into the hanger and checking out all the squirrels and other good bits of kit, the police and national park choppers are especially cool.

I also have a blue Fz!

Well you and your buddy must stop on by a pay me a visit. I can give you a tour of our facility and show you my bike. I can get you a discount out on a helicopter tour out to the Grand Canyon if you are interested. Still pricey after the discount but it's a once in a lifetime expererience, taking a helicopter and landing down at the bottom of the canyon. It's a 45 minute flight each way. Just PM me a couple of weeks before you head on out so at the least, we can meet.

Kenny

 

[chunkygoat]

Hey i saw this thread about pilots and immediately thought of this video i saw on youtube.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jipktSz15fo[/ame]

This is a new concept bike from Suzuki. Its called the biplane and is designed to make the rider feel like he/she is flying. I saw this a while ago but when I saw this thread, I thought it'd be right up your guys' alley.

This video doesn't want to play in the player, you might have to open it in a separate tab or window:

youtube.com/watch?v=jipktSz15fo

 

[YamahaMAXdRPMs]

Dude... thats all you gotta learn to fly? shhhiiiiiiitttt... thats easier to figure out than a woman!

 

[damnpoor]

Air Force crew chief on C-130s, got a school date to cross train into flight engineer, have my private license.

I'm too lazy to finish my bachelor's by 28 but I'll be the guy who sits between the pilots and yells at them when they hit the wrong switch or overtorque an engine.

I'v always though being a biz jet pilot would be the best job ever.

 

[Aggietaco]

Commercial- Rotorcraft- Helicopter
Instrument- Rotorcraft Helicopter
Private- Airplane- Single Engine Land

Graduate from the University of North Dakota Army ROTC Helicopter Flight Training Program- flyrotc.com

Branched Aviation in the US Army!

Still in the service? My brother is with the 101 in Bagram right now, flys in the 159th CAB.

 

[cv_rider]

To those who are private pilots, this thought came to me as I've seen a lot of single engine small planes buzzing around recently:
* Do you feel safer flying or riding a motorcycle? I'm not a pilot, but I've been in small float planes numerous times as a passenger, and never felt like it was imminently dangerous. Of course, I have no awareness really of what can wrong. I always feel pretty highly at risk on a motorcycle, with some awful accident never more than a second or two away if someone swerves into my lane, etc.
* Have you ever seen any statistic of if flying recreationally or riding a motorcycle is safer? Probably per-hour would be the best comparison, for fatalities.

 

[nsikes]

Just got my Fizzer 5 weeks ago, but soloed at 16.

I currently have my Commercial Multi-engine, Instrument, CFI.

Thought about flying professionally, and decided that getting a business degree should allow me to fly for fun... I am SOOOO right.

I get to fly 1-4 times/month for work, so that makes me happy. I get to ride my bike almost 7 days/week, so that makes me REALLY HAPPY!!!

 

[jdough7]

Hey all,

IFR Comm Multi-engine
CFII
2yrs with a small regional airline: Started on Beech 1900s, Now flying Dash8-Q200s

12 year anniversary in the skies next month

 

[ross_mct]

I've been very fortunate enough to have been flying helicopters since i was 16. Started on a roby r22 and then moved up to the r44. Use it in zim to do rhino conservation work, best job in the world!

 

[Andz]

I have been a plane nut all my life but never learned to fly, and at 47 it's too late to do it now, too many other things to spend the money on!

My wife has worked for South African Airways for 30 years, she has been a flight attendant, worked in flight safety and flight performance engineering and is currently PA to the chief pilot.

I have flown a bit though... spent a few hours in a Boeing 747-200 full motion simulator