Run for the hills, boys!  

Now's the time to make the jump: FlexJets (week on, week off like HAA)

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/fractional/flexjet

Starting at $100K, you have the safety of another pilot with you, twin engine, amazing instrument systems, stewardess to hand you drinks/meals and not be all up in your business of flying the aircraft questioning you.

For those of you already doing the week on/off commute it's totally worth it to invest in your ratings to go this route.  

You can also use the regionals to help fund your transition if you're not former military with VA benefits (they'll pay for your ATP and inital hour-building experience), do 2 years there, then jump to a fractional like FlexJets, one of the LCC's (Frontier, JetBlue, etc), or on to one of the Majors (United, Delta, etc.)

I'm telling you, the field is ripe for the harvest.  HAA pay is GARBAGE.  You'll spend 20 years trying to work your way to $100K/year all the while being told what a great life you have by everyone else.  "It's about quality of life".... with no money to go spend on life or retirement.  

No thanks

Good call

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meiU6TxysCg&t=1s

Dude, that's hilarious... throws the cucumber at the worker!!! :):):)

Even monkeys can figure it out!!!!!

LOL!!!!

This video is even better.  The dog just finally rolls over and lazes out... totally like the HAA pilot community

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qTiGlCxrIA

Even with a cute chick giving you praise... just not worth it.  Vote with your feet people.  

There's no REAL pay raise "just over the horizon".  If it is, it will be a 2 to 5% increase.  Yay.  

Or; "Lying Flat?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ187wIS_sE

$53K minimum pay first year (you can fly more and make considerably more than that) First Officer

$100K minimum pay second year (MINIMUM pay) First Officer

https://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/major-national-lcc/frontier_airlines

These fixed wing jobs are starting to get hard to pass up.  I've been in HAA awhile now but I've still got some years to go and I'm getting tired of the company bullschnit.  Pay isn't going up, nurses are getting beeatchier and it's really starting to not be worth it.  Might be time for a change. Hmmmmm?

If ur a dedicated helicopter pilot HAA isn't bad.  If u like staring at an instrument panel for a living airplanes is where it's at.  Downside of both is potential boredom and due to low flying hours in HAA there's the chance of  real difficulty maintaining proficiency.

HEMS will NEVER pay a pilot or mechanic what a good airline pays. They will feed you peanuts and BS as long as you accept it, then purge you when you don't. 

Try asking your nurse for a cup of coffee on a late night.

You haven't the pride to do your own bidding?

true but before you hack at helicopter pay too much make sure you compare alternate compensation for jobs you otherwise might take on.  It's all relative.

If one thinks an airline won't drop a pilot like a burnt black hot potato/potatoe at the drop of a dime you need to check in to that reality as well.

argument, but if you prefer working in a fast food restaurant go for it.  Everything's relative.  If u think airline flying is all roses ur wrong.

But never knew HEMS/HAA was a destination job.  To me it was a retirement gigue.  Love the bit about "happy to not be at work"!  An understatement if ever there were one.

HAA as a job, if you live very close to base, is actually very relaxing and enjoyable.  If you have good med-crews it can actually be very fun. Your helicopter type can also makes things more or less enjoyable.

The biggest issue is truly the pay and dismal pay increases.  It's really a slap in the face when you compare it to what you can make in GoM, fire, VIP, or many fixed wing jobs.

...that are "diamonds-in-the-rough". Spent a career at one with ZERO regrets. Awesome equipment, very good compensation in a top-notch area. Best part was the operational flying-side (including Administration) was run by the pilots. I never would've made it working for any of the large HAA companies or at a Hospital as a vendor pilot.

that would be Hershey?

Don't live out of a bag.

DON'T interact with med crew any more than the minimum professional requirement.

I really liked the scene calls, the first responders, especially the volunteers make the job worthwhile.

Just do your job, shut up, and let the 'rain' roll off your back. No worse than the 'critters' in the Gulf of Mexico.

However: If I hadn't married a younger woman who wanted to start her own family near her family- I would have retired out of the Gulf of Mexico. On a good contract like the one I left....