Work HAA 7/7 plus tons of OT to get close to 150K a year.

Utility, away from family a lot no real schedule, better pay but life balance not good.

Offshore, OK pay, good schedule, terrible location and more travel.

News, Lots of on call terrible work life balance, pay subpar.

After 20-30 years of flying, little retirement unless you're a miltard, bad back, no hearing, some cool stories.

If you went Airlines, work 20-30 years, get free travel anywhere in the world, absolutely great retirement, own your on aircraft, fly for yourself, get to go pee without landing in a field, coffee enroute, etc.

yah we are so cool  

250K a year, and no dirt. 

So true, plus cool FBO's and fun locations, unlike Fresno Ca on a fire that should have been out weeks earlier.

Wow, good for you! Where do I send my resume after 25 accident free years in HAA, 11,000+ flight hours, 2,000+ HEMS patient flights, and I make less than half what you do?!?

20 years ago with an MEL rating already, I paid for a Citation Jet rating out of my pocket, then found a job that needed a dual rated pilot. Then worked my way up the chain, and am now a Captain on a G650

Flying helicopters is cool in your 20's and 30's then you get old and realize you have no money. But you have cool stories and dead friends. 

and that folks, applies to all sectors of the industry. 

You are right. Lost to many friends.

This forum, compared to other professional forums.

The level of education, low, skill level high equals a bunch on underpaid over tasked pilots. Who are angry at the world due to no one seeing them for what they do.

This is NOT a professional forum 

This is not professional and the true professionals are not posting here. Which is why it's overrun with ems goons thinking their gods gift to aviation.

Of the problem moron....

So you agree to a post calling this forum unprofessional and immediately follow it up with calling ems pilots goones.

Ladies and gentlemen, the dumba$ of the day award goes to this guy!!!!

airplanes are better but everything you mentioned is personal preference.

at a thou a day, you only have to do 4 days a month to make 150.

this is a stupid thread. is there anybody out there that doesn't know how this sh*t works by now?

I disagree.   It's getting way too political, & the original forum has gotten lost.   

I still enjoy HAA after 25 years. I live 15 miles from the base and get to sleep with the wife everyday. My base pay is $115k and $150k is easy with a little OT, especially with the OT bonus the company has been offering these last few years.

I tried off-shore, utility and the lifestyle didn't work for me. Did News briefly to build time and it was fun.

After 25 years in HAA I have well over $1mil in my retirement. No mortgage, own 4 vehicle, healthy (no back pain or hearing problems yet). I work our three times a week, even while working and wear ear plugs on each flight. I put 2 kids through college and will retire at 60 years of age.

I got my fixed wing rating early in my career and had no desire to go to the airlines as the first few years of jumping around wasn't attractive.

So HAA is perfect for me. If I had gone to the airlines the wife probably would have divorced me.

And FYI, my wife and I didn't have much when we started out. She got qualified in a job she likes and while she was a stay at home Mom for many years, her salary is close to mine only these last few years. 

My advice to new helicopter pilots is too always live within your means. Take the free 401K money from your company and add to it when you can. We had friends who made more than us and lived it up only to be paying off their deaths now.

So if you invest $100 a week in your retirement you will have well over $1mil by age 65. $400 per month is a car payment, try keeping your car for 10 years and you will be better off in the long run.

YMMV.

replies to the troll with how wonderful his life is and how smart he is and how he did everything right, so there. lol the retards in this place 

The only dumb d*ck I see is you. Thr guy basically said the airlines isn't for anyone and if you're smart with your money you live just fine. 

it's pretty obvious you are definitely NOT one of those people. The only retard on here is you moron.

The only dumb d*ck is you. It's not his fault you pay alimony and child support to 3 different ex wives. Sounds like that guy figured it out. You haven't 

I tired HAA for a year, was just not for me. I was not cut out to go to the same place every work day for years on in.

Found my nich in corporate jets. Two weeks on, two off, and the two on I never know where I might end up. Have taken a trip Eastbound to Europe and next thing I know I have continued Eastbound until I have went around the world and am back home.

Different strokes. 

This industry has always been a joke. When I was a kid back in the early 1970's, Rotor&Wing Magazine published an article called "The Hirelings" lamenting the bad pay and lousy benefits helicopter pilots endured. But yet pilots (mostly Vietnam vets at the time) were lining up to take those jobs. For the most part, they believed that it was all they deserved and, not for nuthin', all they were capable of.  (And perhaps they/we were right.) Even with that in mind, I entered the industry and eventually began flying commercially in 1982. Things were no better. I went to the Gulf of Mexico in 1987. By 1995 the starting salary at that (yellow and black) company was only $25,500/year.  But that company never had a problem filling the new-hire class slots.

I guess it's that helicopters are so damn much fun to fly. It keeps the dreamers coming in the door and then coming back very week. Then, unless you specialize, like going into Utility (or into management, something most of us are are spectacularly unsuited for), you make an "okay" living...maybe. But you end up resentful of how we "highly-trained professionals" are treated.  I have always said that flying helicopters is a great job but a lousy career. If you feel that you must put up with the negatives just so you can do this crazy thing we do, hey go for it. But don't try to convince anyone - not me nor even yourself - that it's a good career.

about being cool.  It's about individual choice of comfort vs challenge and diversity of just about everything involved.

Mil retiree...making over 200k sum total while flying HAA.  EASIEST gig ever.  Yep, we certainly hamper the HAA  pay scale.  But, whatcha gonna do.  Is what it is.  B*tch, bend over and take it, or leave.  S8mole equatio.

Mil retiree...making over 200k sum total while flying HAA.  EASIEST gig ever.  Yep, we certainly hamper the HAA  pay scale.  But, whatcha gonna do.  Is what it is.  B*tch, bend over and take it, or leave.  S8mole equatio.

Rotor wing industry is full of pride. 

You really are the problem, I bet you were a great W3/4.  Guaranteed you were not a Officer.

And yes I know you warrants tell yourself you're a officers, but the truth is you're a Mr. not a Sir.

If I had to do it again. I'd go Warrant vs Commissioned.

So do you think all others services have commissioned officers for flight duties?

Do you think that a willingness to complete a degree, work through that level of education, leadership qualities, all lead to a better preforming officers, and better aviator.

Answer--- Yes

No, you're not cool. I've seen you sitting around the airport with your flood pants looking like you've been rode hard and tossed aside. 
And yes, we do have some awesome stories. Ones you'll never have.