Good topic for helicopter pilots. You get to talk about yourself. 

started flying in '96. Didn't get a CFI until 2004 and went to the GOM in 2007. I thought I would stay down there and retire but tried utility briefly and went back offshore for a couple years. Got a phone call one day and went to EMS in 2016. I'm on my fourth EMS company and finally making good $$$ as a pool pilot. $140k a year with the travel OT. Probably hang it up in a couple years.

Set them way too low.

Back in the 70"s I saw myself flying for some low life airfreight out fit, living in Thailand with a good drinking habit, and my fifth wife kicking me out of the house, saying you lie GI.
But as the fellow before me said, I got happily married and flew HEMS. Even enjoyed working with the medical crews.
Who knew?

My goal in my early helicopter days was not to end up in a smoking hole and my goal now in F/W is still the same. 

My original intention was to go fixed wing and Part 121. Instead, I got married, started a family and left aviation for a stable... stable? relative to aviation, I guess 10 years is "stable".

Flying airplanes is boring, never pursued the airport to airport living out of a bag, so after 12 years doing everything but flying and out of a 'real job', I got helicopter-current and went to the Gulf of Mexico. I would still be there, retired, except I married again and started another family and stayed home to raise our son while she completed her education.

I returned to flying for a local HEMS slot and retired from there 6 years ago. My opinion is that HEMS is the perfect job for somebody with thousands of hours and decades of experience- home every night. And you work in a positive environment, you don't watch your students go on to varied, interesting work and you don't haul 300 pound 'critters', who treat your helicopter like a tractor, and their hundreds of pounds of tools from one work site to another

Home every night on day shift.

Home every day on night shift.

Wanted to fly on fires, or maybe do DPS work when I was in flight school. Then I got married, saw what the schedule and life would be like and decided otherwise. All part of growing up I guess.

I took an HAA job after flying tours for a while and have been enjoying it ever since. My friend went the utility route and he can't ever see himself doing HAA like me. Conversely I can never see myself doing utility work, now that I know what the conditions/schedule is like. Different strokes.

I saw TOP GUN when I was 11 years old.  Joined the AF at 17.  Thought that was how to fly.  Got duped into working flight line on the fastest Bomber in the fleet, ECM, Comm, Nav.  Did 7 years of that, got Married like a dope during.  Goal was not to get married till 35, have my career laid out as a Fighter pilot already, and not have kids till 40.  That was the plan.  Divorced 4 years into the marriage, AF job sucked, still not flying, joined the civilian life doing Avionics installs on Yellow and black helis in the Main hub, cuz bills and mortgage.  Been there forever, but also started paramotoring for 5 years now.  Finally living the dream.  New goal.....  Don't die before I retire at 50.  And then don't die before all the money runs out.  Oh, and never have kids....pretty sure I can check that goal off as completed.  

 As I hovered around my home airport one spring an S-64 and suport MD-500 came and went each day. I knew I wanted one day to fly a crane.

 Some 15 years went by and I flew B-206L's and then MD-500's but YES! An acquaintance helped me land an sic job with mighty Erickson. I tolled two seasons before realizing the S-64 is just a large, uncomfortable helicopter at a company managed by suited fools with MBA's and corner offices far from real aviation.

 Now, I fly a beat up MD-500 at a small utility making other people millionaires.

erickson ran you off for a bad attitude

Never be a thread on JH

I'm very fortunate that my goals worked out pretty much the way I'd hoped. Flew offshore so I could get to fly IFR in big fancy helicopters. Then went and did it overseas to make a bunch of money. Always planned on ending up flying HAA somewhere in the mountains and that worked out as well. Working at fun base with great med crew and flying in challenging terrain. There were some bumps along the way but I'm very happy how things worked out. Now if I could just get paid what I'm worth.... 

Tree Fiddy!!!!!!!!

Dumbass.......

Came to the USA for civilian helicopter flight school. Paid for and became a CFII/H in 215 hours. Two years as a CFI in Robinsons and then got a green card. AT 1500hrs became a co-pilot for CHI in the Vertol. Then tours at Grand Canyon, and got ATP. Next offshore in the GOM as co-pilot in B412 to get some IFR experience.

EMSing for 20 years and salary around 110k but usually closer to 130k with OT. Exactly where I planned to be 25 years ago, and very happy with career choice.

Now no debt and a millionaire+, because of maxing out 401K. May retire at 60 but maybe not. This HAA gig is fun, and something I start to miss after about 5 days off.

Great read!   Sounds like you had a plan, & stuck with it. Refreshing to hear.

Z

Took the bait, got a free education and the Army taught me to fly. Was easy, then went to the gulf and thought id stay and fly a 92. Left the gulf for EMS, did the Spifr thing and this whole pilot shortage thing happened in the AF so I went over and got taught to fly heavy jets. Now flying 121 which is much safer and the money beats EMS or the gulf. Don't mind the traveling , I enjoy seeing new places . Been almost 4 years since I touched a helicopter, having Both ATPs is a nice back up plan . 

wanted was a long and diverse career working all over the world.  Could care less about wealth building and still live a happy and simple life of reasonable fun.

Couldn't imagine 40 years in any one job or area.  Life is for living, not accumulating money, unless that floats ur boat, it didn't mine.