Working Helicopter PILOTS - If you have not already taken the survey, can you help us by doing two things?

1. Take our anonymous & confidential 2022-2023 salary & benefits survey. The short survey will take only five minutes and covers 4 areas: Demographics, Pay, Benefits, and Job Satisfaction.

2. SHARE the survey on your social media.

TAKE SURVEY NOW -
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RotorPro_PilotSalary_Survey

Take a survey on how stupid these surveys are......

who don't we mr. brainiac

For the results of the Mechanic Survey was! What good are these survey's if the results are not posted. 

There is no helicopter mechanic salary survey. . . .not sure what you are referring to. We attempted one several years ago and did not receive enough participation to be a viable sample. From the pilot perspective, this is our 8th year and we report the results every spring.

Regards,

Lyn

Survey why are helicopter pilots under 40 leaving the industry? pay and benefits are in the toilet compared to our fixed wing breathren and management at most companies could care less. Poor leadership sailing a sinking ship. 

Not really.  Helicopter pilots most often make more when compared to pilots or similarly sized fixed wing aircraft.  SIC base salary on a PC-12 (9 seats) is around $35,000.  SIC's on S-76's and AW-139's make double that, if not more.  

Every experienced RW guy that went FW that I know took a pay cut, and if you think they are treated better by their management, I suggest you do,some research.  Southwest for example just had a major debacle with its pilots.  

who gives a sh*t what the startiing out pay is. by the time a helicopter pilot gets a 76 SIC spot, the airplane pilot with the same amount of time is probably already a captain at a regional. THAT'S THE REALITY. what a horribly inaccurate, simplistic and stupid comparison. 

if a helicopter pilot and an airplane pilots careers stopped after 3 years, you would have a point. since they don't, you may want to check out what airline pilots earn and get back to me on your "reality". lol

Three years?  Take Envoy, probably the largest regional.  Most junior captain was hired in 2018.  I would be wiling to bet they are KLGA based on probably on Reserve. So they have no schedule and get paid the 75 hour minimum.  Six to seven years is more realistic upgrade time if you want to hold a line and stay in your domicile, unless you go someplace like AW or Commutair then starting pay isn't $90 an hour anymore and you get to based in Newark and live in a Hoboken crash pad.  

Last two guys I know hired by a major airline, one was at a regional for 12 years, the other 16 years.  A third person got hired by Atlas, but soon discovered being gone three weeks out of every month isnt very conducive to having a family, and left Atlas and took a job with a local Part 135 operator.  

I write this from the comfort of my home, not a Drury Inn in Rochester New York.  Tomorrow I will have to be in at 0800 and I will be back home by 1500.  I cannot fathom what good an additional, say $40,000 a year, would do me if I don't have the time to spend it or what good it would do leaving extra money to my kids after I die when it would be more valuable spending time with them now when I am alive

Captains pay at a regional is less than captains pay at offshore or in the Northeast, even though the aircraft the helicopter pilot is flying has one third to one half the seats. 

Regional Airlines require the SiC to have 1,500 hours and an ATP, not a requirement for an S-76 SIC.  The S-76 SiC needs less time, gets paid more, and flys an aircraft with one quarter of the seats of a regional jet, not to mention works less.  

There are plenty of regional captains out there that are no spring chickens. They have been with regional airlines for 12-15 years all that time making less that a helicopter captain flying offshore in an aircraft with far fewer seats.   

What is simplistic is looking at a 20 year Boeing 777 captains pay and thinking that is what all airline pilots get paid.  Seniority will prevent most pilots at an airline pilots from ever reaching that level.  

if legacy airlines didn't exist, you would have a point. do you have any idea how long it takes to become a 92 or 139 captain? and why are you so hung up on how many goddamn seats there are. 

need less hours

does not get paid more

does not work less

the 76 has less seats than a regional jet! you're right!

Needs less hours: ATP is not required to be an SIC on an S-76, S-92, or AW-139.  Required for,every Part 121 FO.

Does not get paid more:  SiC pay on a fixed wing aircraft with nine seats is $33,000-46,000 per year, SIC on an S-76 is $65,000-72,000 per year

Does Not work less:  Most fixed wing pilot only get paid when flying and average 9-12 days off per month, offshore  helicopter pilots are mostly salaried getting paid regardless if they fly or not, and average 14 days off per month.

Sounds like a response a manager of a helicopter company Would make. Dude get out from under your rock and look around. A 21 yr old mil pilot with 750 hrs at a regional is making more than a SPIFR captain starting. thats ok enough pilots leaving and not applying will sink your little ship. 

No a former airline pilot who hears a bunch of "grass is greener" stories and tries to provide a reality check to those who may decide to chase money rather than look at the big picture.  

SPIFR Captain is probably EMS.  That's is an aircraft with what, like six seats?  Virtually no fixed wing pilot flying a six seat aircraft, or even something like a Piper Navajo, or Cessna Caravan gets paid what a SPIFR Pilot at an EMS service makes which is likely in the $70,000-100,000 a year range.  That is what a junior regional airline captain makes flying an aircraft with 50+ seats. 

A 21 yr old with 750 hours at a regional is not making anywhere near starting pay SPIFR EMS.  Airlinepilotcentral.com publishes pay scales. Junior regional Al FO's make $42,000 to $50,000 a year, most likely because they sit on reserve for a long time, often over a year.  And no 7 days off n a row, and sleeping at work.  You will hustle your a** off with 6-8 landings a day, and all that rushing through terminals, waiting for hotel shuttles, or weather delays are unpaid.  Yes airline pilots only get paid while they are actually flying.  

Offshore, captains on 92's and 139's make more than regional captains, and SIC's make significantly more than regional SiC's.

Its no mystery.  Reality is a junior FO for a regional sitting reserve makes about $3,000 a month take home.  The airline pilot message boards will tell you this over and over.  Helicopter pilots looking to make the jump to airlines don't often contemplate the reserve system.  To make decent (helicopter) money you have to get a line with 75 or more hours a month.  That takes seniority.  Even then some trips are built, without a lot of consecutive days which if you commute means you really can't go home on your days off.  It's a sacrifice/gamble because you will be giving up better pay and a better schedule for more money in the future that is by no means guarantee.  

how many 21 year olds are flying SPIFR ems? zero, that's how many. a SPIFR pilot is at the top of his career, the caravan pilot IS JUST GETTING STARTED you stupid idiot. and the SPIFR ems pilot is at least 30-40 years old, minimum. what's an 30-40 year old airline pilot making? case f**king closed. 

quit trying to compare top of career helicopter pilot pay to entry level, first job airplane pilot pay. you can't possibly be this stupid bro

SPIFR is top of the career?  Yes the mighty EC-135.  it is pretty mid level, if that.  Reality is a helicopter SIC gets paid more and works less than a regional FO and has better schedule.  Helicopter pilots get paid better than fixed pilots who fly an aircraft with a comparable number of seats.  Airline captains get paid better than helicopter captains but typically don't have as good as a schedule.  Pay versus quality of life.  

Corporate in the Northeast pays $120-140, Airlines $180-$200.  Do I want to work twice as much and be away from home nearly half the year to make that money, not really.  An extra $40,000 a year just isn't worth it.  If it is to you, then go for it. 

Dude you are so behind the times. Yes a brand new 21yr old is making what an entry level SPIFR pilot is ! Wake up gramps it's not 1998 anymore. starting pay at most regionals is now 90.00 an hour! That was mainline pay just 2 years ago to start! 

Go fly the airlines and stick to pprune then and leave us alone. More of you rtag guys hanging around this place than actual helicopter pilots. Should change the name to formerhelicopterpilots.com

How many 21 year olds have ATP's that are required to be an FO for a regional?  You can't even get an ATP until you are 23.  The average age for a regional FO is 33.  So what are you even talking about with this 21 year old thing? 

Even at $90 and hour, 75 hour guarantee that is $6750 a month.  There aren't many SPIFR jobs that pay that low, especially considering the schedule where you are home every day and get 14 days off a month.  I made that as an FO on S-76's in 2006.  

Going from rotor wing to fixed wing is an investment in a possible future of higher pay that may or may not work out.  You have to be willing to work for lower pay and a much worse lifestyle in the beginning.  You are doing a disservice to helicopter pilot looking to go fixed wing by only presenting the most optimistic outcome.  Nothing in aviation is for certain.  You may become a captain for Delta, or you may never get there.  I would be much more cautious.  

Right...... an S92 captain in the gulf is not making more than a regional captain . Not even close anymore , go look at the new Pay scales pops. Top of scale after 12 years at OO is 216 an hour. 12 percent direct contribution too. That's just one regional. Look at any other and they are all similar now. Your numbers are way off old man. 

helicopter CFI's make more money than airplane CFI's so really it's not much of decision to go with the helicopter career. oh, yeah, the helicopter pilot paid double for the training but still wouldn't you rather stay in that trailer in a swamp for 2 weeks rather than in a Marriott in a nice place?

Ever done the GOM routine? I have. IT SUCKS.

Airline pilot central has there own version of this board.  All the regional pilots say there job sucks as do all the on demand cargo pilots.  The pilots for majors say they used to like their job, now it too sucks.  People like to complain. 

Which brings us back to my original point.  S-92's have fewer seats than a CRJ 900. Just like a CRJ 900 Captain makes less than a 777 Captain, the fewer seats, the lower the pay.  Don't know why this is such a difficult concept to understand.  if you fly a 14 seat aircraft, you are not going to get paid as much to fly as api,it who flies and aircraft with 250 seats.  Helicopter pilots actually get paid more than fixed wing pilots who fly aircraft with a similar number of seats.  

the number of seat thing only works for airplanes. 500 power line pilots and a skycrane pilots are the top earners in the industry. count the seats, dumbass.

the "former airline pilot" gets his feel for the industry from online forums. lol

I have no reason to lie.  If you don't believe me I only suggest you can go to airline pilot boards that will verify what I am saying.  The airline industry is not the rosy picture many of you guys make it out to be.  There are a lot of tradeoffs and for every success story there are just as many instances where things don't work out all well.  

you think it gives you credibility.

and everybody that wants to be a helicopter pilot eventually becomes one.

thanks for telling me there are trade offs as I would never have guessed 

Credibility for doing what?  I am not trying to sell anyone anything.  It seems the credibility problem is with people who come here and blow smoke up peoples butts about how 21 year olds, who can't even quallify for an ATP are making double, triple, or whatever other number they make up, what a SPIFR EMS pilot makes.  

Truth is a regional FO will work longer, harder, and for less money than a GOM SIC or HEMS SPIFR.  If you don't believe me the payscales are published, and you just need to read the news or any airline pilot message board to figure out where the whole airline career field is going.  Throwing money at a problem only offers a temporary solution to some.  It doesn't fix work rules, scheduling or management issues that have plagued the industry for half a century.  

Most of you guys don't know anything about how the airline  industry works and don't ask the right questions.  Pay starts when the aircraft  door closes or at some carriers when the wheels come up.  You may physically be at work 14 hours and get paid for four.  You may live somewhere your airline has a domicile, but they still base you somewhere else anyway, then you are forced to commute and pay rent on a crash pad or for a hotel room. Do you know how much you have to pay for parking at the airport you commute from?  If commute you often don't get employee parking at the airport unless you work there.  Then there are food costs.  You get per diem but it barely cover the costs of having to eat out every meal. 

So if you are thinking of leaving say a 7 and 7 HEMS job where you do nothing for most of your shift, where you are home everyday, for less money, or even slightly more money but a lot more inconvenience, then you should consider all the costs, not just what you see in a pay scale.  

I wasnt flying HEMS but with my helicopter job, airline captain  (once  made captain after six years or so of being an FO for less money) would have paid about $40,000 a year more.  I didnt have to commute from another state, I wasn't in the road 160+ days a year, I didn't have to pay rent or have a second car, I didn't have to pay for parking.  So the $40,000 extra just wasn't worth the hassle.  

when you are no longer a regional FO and what airline you work for chief 

youtube videos and fill us in with more of your insights on what it's like being an airline pilot

Oh so there are youtube videos where airline pilots complain about their job?  You don't say! I thought it was just all awesomeness and $90 an hour.  

So,what do the youtube videos say. Anything different than what I am telling you?  Or are all those guys lying too?  

Um try comparing similar  types of operations.  SIC in a passenger carrying helicopter versus SIC in a passenger carrying airplane.  If you want to talk about specialized utility work then compare fire bombing aircraft or agricultural spraying.  

you can't compare helicopter size, number of pax and pilot pay in any meaningful way. unlike airplanes, way too many variables. the pilot making the most money in a helicopter could easily be an ag pilot in an R44

Every offshore company structures their pay this way.  EMS operators pay pilots more for multiengine flying than they do for single engine flying.  So all the largest operators in the helicopter sector structure their pay the same way airlines do, the larger the aircraft, the greater the pay.  This isn't a difficult concept.  

How much is that HEMS "passenger" paying for his seat?

Not all seats are the same, my dude.

lots of helicopters without a single passenger but making money. unlike airplanes, there is no corrolation between number of seats and pilot pay. zero. none. nada. ziltch. 

So 407 pilots offshore make the same as S-92 pilots? Just like the airlines pay increases as the number of seats increases.  In EMS multiengine pilots get paid more than single engine pilots in most instances.  

a one seat kmax pilot makes more than a 92 pilot. know what I mean bro

That is specialized utility work.  How many KMAX'es are there flying around versus S-76's, S-92's, or AW-139's? Yeah companies use 747's as fire bombers and pay six figures to fly a Dash 8 on ISR missions, but those are the exceptions not the rule.  Arguing exceptions is just being contrarian. You know what I mean bro?

500's doing powerlines and 206's and r44's spraying than there are 92's, 76's and 139's and those pilots are making more money.

So helicopter utility flying pays more than airplane utility flying.  I said in the beginning of this thread helicopter pilots get paid more than fixed wing pilots when flying similarly sized aircraft, and if you make six figures flying a 500 doing utility work, what you said only confirms that.  Here is a pipeline patrol job in a Cessna.  About the same size a an H-500.  $23.00 an hour

https://www.google.com/search?q=pipeline+patrol+pilot+jobs&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari&ibp=htl;jobs&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7q-aC-aD-AhVymGoFHSaoAAUQkd0GegQIJxAB#fpstate=tldetail&htivrt=jobs&htiq=pipeline+patrol+pilot+jobs&htidocid=jXOmNc76F70AAAAAAAAAAA%3D%3D&sxsrf=APwXEddNRRGC0aEGVjQxa2FEL6nG14xmUw:1681185765438

The people here draw some sort of false equivalency as if flying a 14 seat aircraft is the same as flying a 250 aircraft , and all the woe is me BS, when in reality helicopter pilots make significantly more than fixed wing pilots when flying comparably sized aircraft. A  Part 135 caravan pilot makes $45,000 a year.  A helicopter pilot flying a similarly sized aircraft Part 135 makes $70-90,000.  

Airline pilot pay only outpaces helicopter pilot pay becuase the aircraft get larger.  Still guys in the Northesat and who fly contract overseas make over $150,000 a year which on on par with major airline pay while flying much smaller aircraft.  

People often make poor carrer choices or are victims of circumstance.  Rather than either admit they made a bad choice, they blame the industry or some bad manager or some other rationalization for not being where they thought they would be.  Rather than improve the skill set they already have, they have to go after another brass ring, often only to find a snowy morning with a 5AM show in Syracuse, NY awaits them, where on five hours sleep they have to sit in the terminal all day not getting paid a dime.  If you want to make that sacrafice with the hopes of a better future, more power to ya, but that road is not going to be without its bumps and hurdles.  At least you can always fall back on helicopter flying when things don't work out.  Those young kids at regionals often don't have that luxury.  

in 10 years, that caravan pilot will be making double to triple what that dumb schmuck in ems is making. otherwise, good point.

In 10 years maybe, maybe not.  Regional Captains usually take pay cut to become FO's at a major airline, that is if they get hired by a major within ten years.  If they wind up flying Part 135 which is often the case, they may make the same or less.  The skies are filled with King Airs, Phenoms, Citations, and PC-12's.  Even most airline pilots don't become a 777 Captain at American.  

Then there is a quality of life.  At 10 years at an EMS job you are probably settled in a job, know your schedule, live close to work, and only work half the month.

Likely scenario: The Caravan pilot if they made it to the majors is probably at a new domicile and they are a Captain, on reserve.  Three times the pay is really a stretch as well.  Double perhaps, but they probably have 9 days off a month instead of 15.  If you could do six additional days then factor in the commuting, parking, and crash pad expenses an airline pilot may have to do, the value of the double pay dwindles. 

Have you guys ever heard of crash pads (rent), how about maintaining an additional crash pad car (parking, insurance),  out if pocket hotels, unpaid dead heading.  All realities of airline pilot life.  Airlines have hubs in LAX, JFK, ORD, DTW, LGA, but most places lots don't live there. Even DFW is getting expensive and it was always a senior base for America so you likely get LGA as new captain.  

how many times you gonna bring up crash pads and domiciles bro. we got it

"Airline pilot pay only outpaces helicopter pilot pay becuase the aircraft get larger."

"doctors only make more money than janitors because they have a medical degree"

since the cessna and 500 are roughly the same size, that means the 400 hour pipeline job is the same as the 5,000 hour powerline construction job so why does the helicopter pilot job pay more. it's a mystery.

Why is this so hard for you guys?  Your janitor analogy doesn't make sense since like pilots all doctors don't get paid the same.  A doctor in at a major metropolitan medical center makes mthan a GP in a small town.  More patients, more money, more seats in an aircraft more money the pilot gets in most cases.  It works the same, so thanks for proving my point again. 

S-76 EMS pays more than Bell 206L EMS In most cases.  Bigger aircraft still pay bigger money even though both are carrying only one patient.  Relative number of seats in that case. A nine seat aircraft versus a six seat aircraft.  

fly airplanes if you want to make money. there are maybe 10 ems 76's in the entire country bro

See that.... nobody cares....

Calling B S on 318k.

Everyone makes at least 

Tree Fiddy!!!

of corporate helicopter pilots were making that equivalent adjusted for inflation 30 years ago, easily.

that.