Listed below are articles to help you get familiarized with the different career paths of a helicopter pilot.
Why Become a Helicopter Pilot? - Civilian helicopter flying offers an interesting, varied, and challenging career. Over the past 10-15 years working conditions for helicopter pilots have improved dramatically, with higher salaries, greater benefits, newer equipment, and considerably greater opportunities. read more>>
The Right Stuff - So you want to be a Helicopter Pilot? - It’s happened many times, a young couple arrives in my office having just returned from their honeymoon in Hawaii. The grin is still on the groom’s face from the excitement of the helicopter sightseeing tour they took. It was the most exhilarating experience in his life, and now he wants to learn how to fly. read more>>
Airborne Law Enforcement - Over the past 10-15 years there has been an enormous increase in the number of police aviation units around the world. In the United States this growth received a major boost when the Department of Defense decided to make surplus Army helicopters available to law enforcement agencies at little or no cost. read more>>
Electronic News Gathering (ENG) - An “ENG Helicopter” is simply a helicopter that is used by a television station to film a news story. Almost every major local TV station in the United States now uses a dedicated helicopter in its news programs. A station without its own helicopter is perceived as unsophisticated and unreliable. read more>>
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) - When you ask Bristow Academy student pilots about their career goals a very large percentage indicate that their idea of the perfect helicopter pilot job would be flying for a hospital on an EMS contract. EMS pilots are certainly some of the heroes of the helicopter industry. They save lives on a daily basis, sometimes doing so at significant risk to their own safety. read more>>
Helicopter Sightseeing Tours - Helicopter tours have come a long way since the days of the five-minute ride in a Bell 47 at the county fair. More affluent tourists, combined with greater competition for their money, has led to huge growth in this segment of the helicopter industry. read more>>
Offshore Oil & Gas Support Sector - The single biggest employer of helicopter pilots worldwide is the offshore oil and gas industry. In places like the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico hundreds of helicopters provide the transportation services to and from the oilrigs. This is a very large industry with some companies operating over 200 helicopters and employing several hundred pilots. read more>>
