Young and old have dreamt about becoming a helicopter pilot since helicopters were invented . If you grew up in the 80's you will remember shows like Airwolf and Magnum P I, that made being a helicopter pilot even "cooler".
But why are people so fascinated with helicopters and why should you consider becoming a helicopter pilot?
We have asked some helicopter pilots and this is why they love what they do.
Adventurous Job
Flying helicopters for a living is definitely considered an adventurous job! As a helicopter pilot you can get jobs where you fight fires, rescue people, save lives, do stunts, provide scenic tours, gather news, gather weather information, transfer clients, fix electricity wires, lift heavy equipment, fly off-shore to big oil rigs, land on expensive yachts in the middle of the ocean and much more.
Did you know in Hollywood helicopters do a lot of the filming, especially for action movies?
Best office in the world
Let's be honest, helicopter pilots do have some of the best offices in the world, the ones that comes with a million dollar view! No staring at a wall or another cubicle next to you. The views from inside a helicopter is spectacular. Imagine flying over NYC, the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. How does island hopping in Hawaii or the Bahamas sound? Have you ever seen the glacier pools in Alaska? How about the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or the Eiffel Tower in Paris from the top? This is what helicopter pilots see from their office on a daily basis. Lucky!
Did you know that a few months ago a helicopter added the latest antenna to the Eiffel Tower, making it even taller?
Highly skilled
Only the best pilots can become helicopter pilots. Helicopter pilots have some amazing skills and they need every single one of those skills to do what they do professionally and safely. Not one helicopter pilot job is the same as the next and a lot of the jobs will require different skills and abilities. A firefighter helicopter pilot have to be a combination of a firefighter and a skilled pilot that knows how to fly with a heavy water tank or helicopter bucket on a long line. A rescue pilot will have to know how to fly at high altitudes and land off site in small and sometimes dangerous spots. Most helicopter pilots need extra ratings and or skills and that brings me to the next point. Self Improvement.
Self Improvement
As a helicopter pilot, you are always learning and improving. There are so many new skills you can learn and perfect and so many different ratings you can gain. You can learn to instruct and examine other pilots. Learn how to longline and lift. Learn how to fix powerlines. Get your agricultural rating (AG). Get your night flight rating. Learn how to fly with Night Vision goggles (NGV).
You can only get better and better and the more skills you have the more marketable you are.
Did you know that a helicopter caught a rocket falling from space in an attempt to recover the rocket for future use.
Decent living
You can make a good living as a helicopter pilot. Depending on your experience and flight hours, you will get a decent salary. One of the biggest perks for helicopter pilots is that most of them are home every night with their family. Some helicopter pilots work 7/7 or 14/14, which means they have a lot of free time.
Flexible Hours
Being a helicopter pilot gives you some flexibility with your working hours and days. Most of the time you do not have set office hours which gives you a lot of time to do the other things that you love. Not everyone can go fishing on a Monday morning!
Gratitude
When you have a job that is fulfilling and meaningful, it is great to wake up every morning and go to work. Helicopter pilots do a lot of good by helping others. Helicopters can land in small tight spaces, on roads, mountains and even on water. They can get to lost or injured people fast. They can safe lives with emergency services and firefighting. They help make difficult jobs like powerline checks easier and they can get you anywhere in no time! Talk about a job full of gratification.
There are many more reasons why being a helicopter pilot is the best job in the world, but we will let you decide.
If you are interested in becoming a helicopter pilot, have a look at our list of helicopter flight training institutions and start working on your dream job.