Maybe someone younger is interested.

I started my career in maintenance. A&P after two years school, I.A. 3 years later. I left A&P school when I was 24. Got my private helo add on to my private fixed and through working in the field on helos and getting enough flight time with the pilots, at 29 I had enough time and comm/inst. to get a job as a helo pilot

At 35 I knew helo was not for me as a long term career. I didn't like the dirt, and risk of utility, the trailers and misson of offshore, and after a year, HAA didn't strike me as where i needed to be.

I like to go to different places, not knowing what is next, and wanted to see the world in better comfort than a helicopter. So with a MEL/Inst in my pocket, but not much flight time in airplanes, and next to none ME, I paid for a rating in a Citation Jet, then started pounding on doors...I soon found a job with a small company that needed a co-pilot in the jet and a captian in their helo.

From there I flew as often as I could at a few different places, until I upgraded to captain. 20 years later I am a captain on a charter G650 (250k a year) and love the lifstyle. 

I work 2 weeks on and two off, live where I want, and the two on I never know where I am going or who I am taking. I can leave Teterboro for London and next thing I know I have worked my way eastbound around the world back into Teterboro.....I married a woman who understands me (we have no children), and can take the seperations. She has two weeks to work on her interests, then we have two weeks just for us. Plus these days we can zoom call, phone, email, no matter where I am. Have internet in the jet, she can even talk to me there.

When traveling we stay in Marriotts and Hiltons 99% of the time. Sometimes hangng out days in a far away city, and sometimes on an island resort. Sometimes barely enough time to get rquired rest and off again...And those points add up to being able to take my wife to a nice resort from time to time.

Am not knocking helos or helo pilots. I liked flying them, and they are the only way to fly cross country, but in the long run, they were just not for me. 

So if you are thinking of making the jump to fixed wing, give it a shot. 

why does everybody think we want to hear your life's story

Or you wouldn't be posting here. Or your life sucks. Either way, go away. 

I stop in from time to time to see posts about the helicopter industry. And sometimes I see posts from some about desiring to maybe go to fixed wing. So here is how it worked for me.

If you are actually in the helicopter industry, it is a good reminder to me as a part of why I desired to leave it.

cut it, eh?

Yes, sitting at FL420 for hours on the autopilot, getting blood clots in your ass, is invigorating. Alone in your hotel room for days, surfing who knows what, and making the bald man cry sounds exhilarating. 

I'll take my low level helicopter over that anyday. 

What he has, that you don't, is the option to do either.

But I'm sure you made a good decision for you. The world needs ditch diggers, too.

Glad you enjoy your career choice. Jets are not for everyone, as helos are not.

True we might have a 10-12 hour flight at FL410-470, but I like where they take us.

As for setting in the hotel room, that is where we sleep, but if on a layover, it is out enjoying where we are. 

Again, as I stated in the post. It is not a slam on helos or folks who like it for their career. Just one story to any who chose it as a career and are re-thinkng it.

Jet lag is real. It wrecks your time. 

Yes it is real, and plays with your body clock, just like a shift of days, then a shift of nights does in HAA.

If the flight is over 10 hours, we fly a crew of 3, so not all is in the pilot seat. And we do take short sleeps when it is a 2 man crew, if needed.

Time zone change is just sometthing you learn to work around. 

Nice read, glad you are happy with what you have. Thanks for the story. Good Luck!

I think this is the sort of insight we need more of on this site.  Thanks for your story.  

one question.

How do you like Teterboro controllers?

Thanks for sharing!

I envy you.  God is generous, and I ended up overseas making pretty good bank myself as a helicopter only guy.  In hindsight, I'd have much rather gone your route.  That said, I'm retired now (retired at 60 thanks to God's generousity and an ATP that led to wonderful opportunities outside of the USA), so all is well.

I don't jump on here much anymore, and this thread is a good reason why.  Helicopter pilots (the world over BTW) are much like the RNs I flew HAA with (10 years, I'm a much slower learner than you), they tend to eat their own, especially their young.  I'm not sure why they're so gumpy and disagreeable, I just know they are.

As for "jet lag," yeah, that's a reason not to make north of $200K and see the world!  Some of you gumpy old men are so short sighted you can't even see the end of yoour nose!  

know you!