Why does everyone say don't start flying? I'm about to go to flight school and all I hear i negative comments about how the job actually sucks. any info would be great. not a troll, I don't live under a bridge. It's that simple.

it doesn't pay that great and it's dangerous. 

Smart pilots fly airplanes for a career. It's just that simple.

Anyone can fly an airplane... it takes a pilot to fly a helicopter 

the r-22 academy let out early

Does it pay more than 6000 for 2 weeks?

on your definition of career.  Airplanes are t e r r I b l y boring.

Limits, payload, atmospherics, and climb gradients.

There is nothing worse than leaving runway behind you, altitude above you, and fuel you left in the pump.

the wrong people end up in charge. And safety and compassion are the last things on their list.

Flying is a fantastic occupation if you use the fixed wing route! Avoid rotorcraft at all costs! Pay and benefits in general suck! As you can see on this website there is a majority of copter pilots with little or no education which is obvious in their posts! My 2 cents worth after flying 50 years of copters. Open fire Dudes!

For the EMS side, it's run by clueless bean counters and med types that rode in the back once. Back in the day....EMS was well managed by aviation types, pay still sucked though.

The difference I found pulling into the FBO in a King Air or a Helicopter was the level of respect you received. They look at helo pilots like street walkers walking into a fine restuarant for a glass of free water. Pay was alot better also.

Go fixed wing if you can.

Thanks for all the info guys it helps a lot. still have a lot to learn. What is FBO? I know what FOB's is. Maybe I'm getting false information somewhere, before I found this msg board all I herd was that old pilots are timing out so there is a shortage of helicopter pilots, meaning the pay would be better because of it. Maybe there's what I got from the company. lure you in to feed you crap I see.

Rotorwing is the basement tier of aviation. Like comparing a fine dining chef to the grill cook at McD's. 
Don't waste the first few years of your career to realize this. 

But many in rotor are the blue-collar wing of the industry. See plenty of corporate and frac guys in the FBO break rooms that are shiney pants, coffee stained, porkers who do a lot of boneheaded stunts on the way in and out. 

Read most of the replies to you post. The industry is full of negative people and that's the biggest issue.

Its a class thing. Serious commercial aviation started arter WWII. There were lots of cheap assets, both human and physical, available to ignite the industry. In the begining pay was poor because lots of qualifed pilots would take an adventurous job at low pay rather than going back to the farm or Soda J*rking. In time, due to market forces and union solidarity, the value of aviation professionals was recognized by both the public and industry as quite high. Little boys wanted to be Airline Pilots above dotors and lawyers. John Wayne was hollywood's choice to play the high and mighty.

The came Vietnam. The Army's (jungle) mobility problem was serviced by masses of younger, lesser educated, pilots that were stigmatized (in the industry's view) by being Warrant Officers instead of Commissioned Officers.  This was at a time when "aviation cool" was defined by astronauts, all USN, USAF, or USMC Jet Fighter pilots. They were flying fast, high and sexy.  The helicopters were low, slow and ugly. And, service in Vietnam was not seen as heroic like WWII, the valor of the returning mass of helicopter pilots was stolen.

These are the guys that built the industry. For better or worse. Sure some things suck, but there wouldnt be a job for you without them.  Helicopter pilots will never get the respect or pay of airline pilots, that's why so many guys transition and everyone gives transition serious consideration.  Ever hear of an airline pilot that wants to fly HEMS?

Right on thanks for all the information it seriously helps out a lot. I'm not to sure what to do now. can't see myself in a plane. I want to fly helicopters for fires. I can make 500 a day driving a water tender for fire support. I'll keep doing that for now and figure things out. 

We are all here because at some point this was the career we wanted. Some went the Uncle Sam route. Others took on huge school loan debt. Either way the men and women that make up the rotorcraft industry all picked their journey at some point in their life to become a commerical helicopter pilot. 

For some, the new car smell wears off sooner then it does for others. I've met plenty over the years that got out of aviation all together. Some switched to fixed wing, and came back to rotor. Others haven't looked back from switching to fixed wing.

I've lost close friends and co-workers to accidents. Too many sadly. Seen many friends go through divorces. Too many sadly.

Do whatever your heart desires. We aren't here for long, make the most of it.

Thank you for that. I think it's hard for people to give their honest opinio. thank you for yours.

That was the best response yet- do what your heart desires.  Very succint and accurate.

Regarding FW life... it is certainly more boring: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh_shsRfXqk&t=119s

I started some FW training a while back and was a impressed with elements that are just as challenging or more than the helicopter world, but overall certainly easy and boring.  Especially as your airframe gets more advanced depending on the job.

"Flying airplanes is cool" (long distance, comfy destinations, treatment by others, pay, benefits, etc.)

"Flying helicopters is fun" (challenge, satisfaction, sights nobody gets to see, ability to help others, funner landing options, rarely boring in comparison, shorter legs, more landings, simpler knowledge to study/remember) 

New car smell hasn't worn off for me in 20 years.  Consideried jump to FW, though, to try that side of the aviation world and master new challenges.  HAA is not as bad as everyone makes it sound, either.  It can be very rewarding, seriously stress free yet challenging enough to be fun/interesting, and the 7 days off every other week is pretty great.

Uncle Sam has it's place and if you're young then it's a great start; you'll always be able to say "I did that" (COUNTLESS people tell me with despondency on their face how they wish they would have joined the military when I mention I'm a veteran).  It's not everything it's cracked up to be... especially in today's military OPTEMPO and stupidity.  But, the majority of us don't regret our decision.

For the most part, the pay and job security is better in the FW world, though.  

I only spent one season on fires but I thought the SEATs looked really fun. Do you get to bring your dog with you on the Water Tender?

is the average helicopter pilot from the Vietnam era had more duration than WWII pilots, since we're talking apples to apples.

We did inter service pilot swaps with the USAF guys.  The helicopter guys had a blast, every single USAF pilot who did a ride-a-long with us (Army) figured an angle to get dropped off where they could find a way back to their base, and that usually happened after the first sector.

Some pilots were real, and they were real combat pilots.

I tried to couch my words carefully to not offend, I failed. My perspective comes as the son of an Air Force pilot and 11 years in Naval Aviation. In the 30 years of commercial aviation since I got out the highest compliment I received was from an Chief who said "I can't believe you were commissioned, you would have made an excellent Warrant Officer."

Very Broadly Speaking

Speaking in 1986 all Warrants in the Army became commissioned, just like the other services.  May have been a caveat for WO1s appointments prior to being commissioned as CW2s - don't know, don't care.

Ship 

groupies that can't tell the difference between a helicopter and a ship

you can't even read lol

Shi* and the word ain't ship lol

Jobs for professional pilots are few and far between. Helicopters are a niche even in that rarified market.

Spend $100k+ and 2 to 5 years to earn family of 4 food stamp money? If you could choose, why would you do that? Me? it was better than being a grunt in Vietnam.

Pilots are cheaper than helicopters. Until they aren't, then it's hindsight.

AIDS is real- aviation induced divorce sydrome. I don't know how many women could have stayed married to me knowing I loved flying more than them. I know some who couldn't do that and a lot of pilots know some too. Doubt it? If you ain't making mistakes on the job, your boss ain't getting value.

Can you fly with that illness? How about sleep deprived but you had the required time off? Not to mention chronic fatigue. Ever had a sinus block? Memorable.

How hard are your weather minimums? 500 & 3? With a hard 400' ceiling reported and good vis, you staying on the ground? You gonna punch into reduced vis because you think it's going to be quickly better?

Oh yeah, some managers have mentioned that 'other pilots fly in that' and they can hire some of them.

You're gonna move a lot to get any logged time those first few years. And then you're going to move less frequently, but still move every couple of years.

I appreciate government interference in the industry- it effectively limits us to 14 hour days and requires 'airworthy' equipment. 

Some hitches, I didn't see my kids awake for weeks.

The boss says "You could fly with that maintenance issue." Yup, sure could. Start shooting at me and Vietnam rules will apply, but otherwise...

How about that guy who flew with a transmission chip light because his flight manual limited the aircraft to no more than 45 minutes to land as soon as... He won't be talking, some mistakes are forever.

Preflighting in 40 knot winds and freezing rain sucks. One does it because as soon as it quits, you're gonna be dispatched.

Getting dispatched into what should be a 3 hour transport at hour 11 of your 12 hour hitch sucks. Leave your car keys on the dsk and hope your relief will rendezvous....

Is that hole really big enough, level enough to land in? Your passenger/customer thinks so.

Speak for yourselves. I've had a great helicopter career. I am civilian-trained and have been flying for 43 years with no incidents or accidents. Sure, when I first started out I didn't make much money but I was in my early 20s and single. ended up making around 200K annually and that was in the late 90s on. I also have a great retirement package, including health insurance. Got to work all over the US, Mexico, Alaska and even China. I've been fortunate enough to work in five different national parks. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

If you have a passion to fly, don't let any of the Debbie Downers disilusion you. Go for it and make your flying career everything you hoped for.   

 it is imperative not to let downers get in to one's career decision making.  If the shoe fits, wear it, it is for you.

you do your homework you'll come to a good decision.  You need to visit with pilots and some operations.

Having done both and doing the airplane thing now,I prefer 36,000' and a cup of coffee.Dark,icy runways,200' and a 1/2 mile,blowing snow,and a 25 kt. crosswind is not boring.Of course,YMMV.

It sucks because there are to many Suckers in it.  Not all but to many.