bart says:

Also, theres no such thing as a "Turbine Rating." Once you have a private
you're allowed to fly any helicopter under 12,000 lbs.

Actually it is any helicopter under 12,500 lbs. and remember there is no twin
rating for rotorcraft.


This DOES NOT
mean that you'll ever actually be able to fly a turbine ship though. Unless
you
have "Factory Initial" training in "type" it is highly highly improbable that
you'll ever be actual PIC of a turbine ship. Factory Initial training in
turbine types generally costs at least $8,500 and goes up in direct proportion
to the price
of the machine you're flying. Add to this that you'll be totally uninsurable
in any turbine type until you have at least 200 hrs in it, and you can see
the
Catch-22.


Don't totally agree, although it is usually the case, I have seen it otherwise.
Examples are if the company is sel-insured (rare, but they are out there), or
maybe an individual owner.


Positions as anything other than a CFI are very hard to come by until you
are above about 1200 hours rotorcraft, and salaries at this point seem to
be lower relative a fixed wing pilot at the same point in his/her career.

Agree totally. Also look at the long-term return on investment of being a
helicopter pilot vs fixed-wing. There are virtually no helicopter pilots that
make what the senior airline captains make. That will not change.

I always here that there is more to this decision then money, and while that is
true, you owe it to yourself to look at all the options out there. I have been
flying helicopters for 20+ years now. I have a friend that went the airplane
route when I started flying helicopters. His paycheck is well over twice what
mine is, and I feel I have done well in this industry.