flying for money

wrote:
Thanks man. I kind of figured it would be tough, and I'm definitely
not a rich man by any stretch. I'll look into the instructor thing.
How many hours do you need to start as an instructor? Just thought of
something else, how do you obtain clients? Is it necessary to be
based close to where the clients are, or can you pretty much take
clients from anywhere within a short flying distance?

Thanks again for the help.

It is neither short or cheap. You first need to get you private, commercial
and instrument certificates. Then you need get the CFI. At that point you
have a couple of options. Work for an FBO or be independent. Working with an
established FBO has the advantage of them finding you students. This is
offset by the fact that your income will be less than you might hope.

My advice to you is find a flying club in your area and start the private
pilot training process. You might not even enjoy it. During the PPL process
hang out and learn all you can about aircraft training and ownership.

A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He just
got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets $5000 per day
to make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per flying hour in
addition to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of which you may fly 8
hours. He always flew within 5 minuites of 8 hours. Every 12 days they
make you take 2 days off. He had his Huey up on the fire for 90 days.
Out of that money you have to pay all your expenses. The Forest Service
does pick up the insurance cost.






Robert M. Gary wrote:

On Sep 25, 3:32 pm, wrote:

That's interesting. So, these guys don't use their own planes I'm
assuming? Is that better pay than a typical CA firefighter?


They certainly don't use their own planes. I'm not sure about the pay.
Its got to be better than the ditch diggers though. They are flying
tankers and drop water on fires.

-Robert

Newps wrote:
A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He
just got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets $5000
per day to make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per flying
hour in addition to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of which you
may fly 8 hours. He always flew within 5 minuites of 8 hours. Every
12 days they make you take 2 days off. He had his Huey up on the
fire for 90 days. Out of that money you have to pay all your
expenses. The Forest Service does pick up the insurance cost.



Curious, about how many days per year does he have the Huey available to
them?

He calls the Forest Service when he is ready, that's how it works. He
isn't interested in working all year and all over the country. I think
this year he made himself available around June 1st. Not much goes on
until about the second week of July.

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

Newps wrote:

A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He
just got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets $5000
per day to make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per flying
hour in addition to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of which you
may fly 8 hours. He always flew within 5 minuites of 8 hours. Every
12 days they make you take 2 days off. He had his Huey up on the
fire for 90 days. Out of that money you have to pay all your
expenses. The Forest Service does pick up the insurance cost.




Curious, about how many days per year does he have the Huey available to
them?

"Newps" wrote in message
...
He calls the Forest Service when he is ready, that's how it works. He
isn't interested in working all year and all over the country. I think
this year he made himself available around June 1st. Not much goes on
until about the second week of July.

By your numbers, if I figure correctly, he brings in about $1.6 million in
that 90 day period?

--

*H. Allen Smith*
WACO - We are all here, because we are not all there.


Gig 601XL Builder wrote:

Newps wrote:

A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He
just got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets $5000
per day to make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per flying
hour in addition to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of which you
may fly 8 hours. He always flew within 5 minuites of 8 hours. Every
12 days they make you take 2 days off. He had his Huey up on the
fire for 90 days. Out of that money you have to pay all your
expenses. The Forest Service does pick up the insurance cost.




Curious, about how many days per year does he have the Huey available to
them?

Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
wrote:
Thanks man. I kind of figured it would be tough, and I'm definitely
not a rich man by any stretch. I'll look into the instructor thing.
How many hours do you need to start as an instructor? Just thought of
something else, how do you obtain clients? Is it necessary to be
based close to where the clients are, or can you pretty much take
clients from anywhere within a short flying distance?

Thanks again for the help.

It is neither short or cheap. You first need to get you private, commercial
and instrument certificates. Then you need get the CFI. At that point you
have a couple of options. Work for an FBO or be independent. Working with an
established FBO has the advantage of them finding you students. This is
offset by the fact that your income will be less than you might hope.

The exception is Light sport CFI. Required
experience is 150 hours total consisting of:

100 hours PIC, powered aircraft with
50 hours single engine aircraft
25 hours X-country
10 hours X-country single engine
15 hours PIC light sport aircraft

Not sure why the numbers don't quite add up.

No requirement for commercial or inst.

See FAR 61.411

My advice to you is find a flying club in your area and start the private
pilot training process. You might not even enjoy it. During the PPL process
hang out and learn all you can about aircraft training and ownership.

"Newps" wrote in message
...
A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He just
got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets $5000 per day to
make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per flying hour in addition
to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of which you may fly 8 hours. He
always flew within 5 minuites of 8 hours. Every 12 days they make you take
2 days off. He had his Huey up on the fire for 90 days. Out of that money
you have to pay all your expenses. The Forest Service does pick up the
insurance cost.


What does operating a Huey cost per hour?

Matt Barrow wrote:
"Newps" wrote in message
...
A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He
just got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets
$5000 per day to make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per
flying hour in addition to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of
which you may fly 8 hours. He always flew within 5 minuites of 8
hours. Every 12 days they make you take 2 days off. He had his
Huey up on the fire for 90 days. Out of that money you have to pay
all your expenses. The Forest Service does pick up the insurance
cost.
What does operating a Huey cost per hour?

Bell trains in them with I assume and instructor for $995/hour.

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/tra...older=header_8

Allen wrote:
"Newps" wrote in message
...
He calls the Forest Service when he is ready, that's how it works. He
isn't interested in working all year and all over the country. I
think this year he made himself available around June 1st. Not much
goes on until about the second week of July.

By your numbers, if I figure correctly, he brings in about $1.6
million in that 90 day period?


That's kind of what I was thinking.

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
Matt Barrow wrote:
"Newps" wrote in message
...
A friend of mine has a Huey that has a Forest Service contract. He
just got released from the fires in Montana last week. He gets
$5000 per day to make the helicopter available and he gets $1900 per
flying hour in addition to the $5K. The duty day is 14 hours of
which you may fly 8 hours. He always flew within 5 minuites of 8
hours. Every 12 days they make you take 2 days off. He had his
Huey up on the fire for 90 days. Out of that money you have to pay
all your expenses. The Forest Service does pick up the insurance
cost.
What does operating a Huey cost per hour?

Bell trains in them with I assume and instructor for $995/hour.

http://www.bellhelicopter.com/en/tra...older=header_8

That piece specifies: "Requires customer's aircraft", so I take it that
means the $995 is just the cost of the Bell school and the instructor, not
the actual hourly direct and indirect costs.