Airline Vs. Helicopter Pilot
Piloting is a highly-respected career, dating back to the early days of commercial aviation. Both airline and helicopter pilots enjoy high median salaries, but the training and job market for both is extremely difficult. The two differ in qualifications, career prospects and day-to-day activities.
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Qualifications
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Pilots of all types of aircraft must complete rigorous flight training. A commercial pilot's license is required to accept any flying job, and training includes at least 250 hours of flight time, an FAA medical exam and ground school. Pilots may study in either airplanes or helicopters to achieve this license
Airline pilots also need to study for an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. This requires a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, including cross country, night and instrument flying. Airline pilots must also have add-on ratings for instrument flying and multi-engine aircraft.
Helicopter pilots do not require additional training; however, rotary wing pilots commonly study for instrument and turbo ratings. They must also build up their flight time to meet most employers' minimum requirements.
Careers
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Commercial airlines operate on a seniority system. New airline pilots start with regional carriers, build up their hours and experience, then work for larger carriers. An airline pilot leaving a carrier starts over on the seniority ladder despite having experience. As a result, many commercial airline pilots remain in the same job for decades.
Helicopter pilots have more diverse jobs available. Rotary wing pilots frequently fly for emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue, news and fire and police helicopter programs. In addition, many helicopter pilots work for aerial tour companies.
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Training
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New hires for an airline enter a training program for several months to learn that carrier's procedures. Also, they must pass airline ground school and simulator tests, often receiving additional training on a specific model of aircraft.
Helicopter pilots also undergo employer-specific training. In addition, emergency response pilots must learn to use specialized equipment, such as night vision cameras for police copters.
Aircraft
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The airline industry uses many types of aircraft. Turbo-prop planes popular at regional carriers, including small Bombardier, Embraer and Fokker. Boeing and Airbus dominate the fleets of larger U.S. airlines. Bell and Sikorsky helicopters are commonly used for EMS, firefighting and police services.
Salary
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Wages in the airline industry vary according to a pilot's seniority with his employer. The median annual wage for airline pilots in 2008 was $111,680, according to the Department of Labor Statistics. The DLS also notes that pilots flying jet aircraft are better compensated than pilots for regional carriers.
The median salary for helicopter pilots in 2009 was $83,292, according to Salary.com. This encompasses all types of helicopter pilot positions.
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References
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Aircraft Pilots and Flight Engineers
- Federal Aviation Administration: CFR Final Rules
- Federal Aviation Administration: What are the differences in the types of pilot licenses (certificates)?
- Salary.com: Average Helicopter Pilot Salary
- "Ask the Pilot"; Patrick Smith; 2004.
- Photo Credit helicopter image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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One thing you left out, and its pretty huge... Piloting a helicopter takes three times the skill and coordination of piloting a plane. You don't see Helicopter pilots ever take their hands off the controls for more than a split second...a luxury that plane pilots have most of the time. And last but not least, In the airline industry, there are many pilots looking for jobs, and all the planes that can be used ARE being used.... In the helicopter industry, about half of all the helicopters that would be in use at any given time are sitting on the ground not being flown... because there are not enough chopper pilots to fly them all. This disrepency is directly attributable to the amount of raw skill required to fly a chopper. Rotary wing pilots are a small and unique group. Not many people are born with the sense of balance, orientation, situational awareness, and coordination needed to actually fly one with prescision. Those who can, fly helicopters.... Those who can't, fly planes.
