How do you get your foot in the door to fly big machines for operators like Erickson, Croman, HTS, Etc? Seems like no matter who you talk to or send a resume too, you never get a call or reply. Been military for 15 years, any advice?

Quit thinking your military "experience" means anything in the utility helicopter world...

certainly already having experience in large helicopters and in austere environments would be a huge asset.

One operator who will take a 15 year military guy over a 15 year civilian utility guy.....I'll wait...

all of them

not true.  Military time is a good start.  But like the civi guy has his starting point the military is your starting point.  Don't get all inflated in the head about the military experience cuz it belongs in the military environment.  Civilian flying will find you being much more responsible for a whole lot of extra duties, most related directly to just supporting your own flying activities.  Don't think it is going to be easy!!

Do you have Hawk or Chinook time and 1500hrs PIC then you should be employable, depending if they are a tanked ship or not since it takes a little time to get VR cardable, if you only have light medium time then you might have to start as a SIC. Being SIC on fires is a lot more enjoyable than in the old logging days :)

Keep knocking on doors, maybe slim down the Military CV, most CP's only want bulllet points.

Good luck

quality long line time is 90% of the battle. After that it is as much about who you know to get an internal reference as it is right place at the right time. having a type rating from military experience just makes you a great right seat ferry pilot or maybe a tanked pilot for fires. 

environments?

Other than corporate work "austere" fits most helicopter flying.  If a helicopter is needed to get to some place it's almost guaranteed not to be a vacation spot!

big machine time and no civi time you're totally dependent on somehow getting your foot in the door and convincing them you'll do anything, including working your way up through ground crew, to wind up in a front seat.  

Don't dismiss it, the work can be very interesting in all respects, ground and air.  You'll be surprised if ya go that route.

Is it worth going to fly Type 1s. A couple years back SICs were making 80-90k and PICs 150-180k. If this is still the same, the MD500 doing construction or saw is the machine to get in to as far as pay and schedule. 

the one who has to live with the job.  Do yourself a favor and decide on what life you wan for your circumstan eye s and then look for the job that supports them.  Your life vom s first, chasing machinery second, for sure.

https://www.jsfirm.com/job/Pilot-Rotary+Wing/S64+PILOT/Portland-Oregon/jobID_918917

good luck and tone down that 'i'v been in the military for 15 years' no one cares at EAC. We all have been somewhere to aquire the experience to work here. A- holes usually don't last long in the Type 1 community.

Cool calm thinking and forward looking on the job responsible do it yourself and coordinate with all types definitely have a place in any operation. 

The "I've got 15 years in the military" begs "why not 20?", what's the beef, get kicked out, couldn't hack it, got offended?  As offensive as all that drivel in itself sounds those are the thoughts that go through management heads IF you were to approach them with "I've got 15 years in the military, wind me up and watch me walk".

If you're moving on from the military don't look back unless it is a Reserve/NG unit and definitely embrace learning how to walk and talk in the civil environment cuz it is definitely one where you will shoulder as many responsiblities as your employer chooses to throw at you. 

It is usually just a challenge to "get the job done safely" and fun with the right attitude.

Could include 5 years of prior enlisted time. It was common during the Reagan buildup to have SFC MSG, and 1SG going through WOCMDC. Those guys had a minimum of 10 years is service by the time they made it to mother Rucker.

Drop the military talk.. If you want to make it into the Heavys, you first neeed to loose the "I flew in the military!" attitude.. second, you are no longer in charge! and you are starting over again and have to listen to other people telling you what to do,and how to fly the machine . It's way diffrent than what you are used to. third. you will be doing a ton of stuff that you didn't have to do in your previous life as a pilot. keep your mouth shut and LISTEN...You dont have to do an ILS approach to all your landing or drop spots! Dont cut anyone off in a daisy chain, and if you are on fires.. It's not a race!... wait your turn for the dip or find another one!.

Dont keep saying " We didn't do this in the militarty!" You are no longer in the Military!... BE HUMBLE!. And One of the most important advice I can give you is.....DON'T WEARY YOUR FLIGHT SUIT EVERYWHERE!... You are not flying in the hotel/motel lobby, you are not flying in the resturant, you are not flying int the bar!!!!!. leave it in the aircraft!... you look dumb!!!!!!.. good luck!..

it's pretty apparent you're the one with a bad attitude, not the op. and wuts up with the flight suit rant bro.

Seeing some kid from HTS wearing their flight suit everywhere. Was quite comical.

First Good Luck. Second have a positive attitude and convey that on your resume. If you send a 1 page resume to a company make sure you are sending a cover letter. In the cover letter ask or state that you would like to visit the company or meet with someone. You can spend your own money to visit the company in person and drop your resume off.

You can talk all about the military just realize those you are talking to may not have been in the military so in some ways the talk is something they are not familiar. Ask those you talk to about their experience or ask them how to get into their line of work. You want to fly long line then go get a long line rating. You want to fly fighting fires? Then go find the people fighting those fires and ask them in person how to get into it? Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. 

Finally, have thick skin. If someone says no today they may say yes to you tomorrow. If you are likeable and dependable that may be half the battle.

not familiar with that rating

Guess flying a line for 35 years and not having a rating for it makes me not in compliance.....

C'mon over to Big Orange! We are hiring and have immediate openings for type rating training classes starting this month. Minimum PIC time for captain is 1000 hours. No utility or longline experience necessry. We are an equal opportunity employer :-)

Oh you are so funny.