Thread: How much does it cost total to become a commercial helicopter pilot?

I am doing research for my boyfriend. From my research so far I've learned that the total cost for training/school can range from 29,000 to 35,000 dollars. Is this accurate? How long does it take to complete, 4 years? I read that the starting salary is only 15,000 per year? Is this accurate? I would really appreciate some advice and information regarding this career. Thank you!

Cost
It's actually more like double those amounts. Flight time is the bulk of the expense. Rates around the US that I have seen range from about $250-$300 per hour and the FAA requires 150 minimum for a commercial certificate. If your average instruction rate is $275/hr., then 150 hours will cost $41,250. Books, ground lessons, supplies, written tests, etc. will be in addition to that.

Furthermore, almost everyone who does civilian training starts their career as a flight instructor. Flight instructor training will take another 30 or so hours, but many flight schools will require some minimum experience before they hire you as an instructor. Some or all of the additional time may come out of your pocket as well. Once it is all said and done from 0 to being employable could take anywhere from 200 up to even 300 hours.

Once you find rates in your area you can calculate a more accurate estimate, but in general you should plan on spending at least $60,000 or probably more, and rates are always rising.

Duration
Most schools have you train at your own pace so how long it will take depends on how frequently you can schedule lessons. I've seen some people complete all of their ratings (private, instrument, commercial, CFI, CFII) in as little as 8 months. I have seen others take several years due to infrequent or inconsistent lessons.

How often you fly will depend on three things: your schedule, the flight school's schedule, and the availability of funds. Any one of those may cause you to get stuck, and to take longer. Do some research, and plan ahead carefully to minimize delays created by any of these.

Starting Salary
$15K per year is very possible for a low time instructor who just finished their initial training, and that's if you're lucky enough to find a job right away. Times are pretty hard right now for everyone, and there are inexperienced pilots looking for work everywhere. Once you do get an instructor job, it could take a couple of years to get enough additional experience to move up to a better flying job. So, suffice it to say that this is not a particularly lucrative career, especially after spending so much for initial training. It takes a lot of persistence and determination to make it work, but it is possible to make it work.

For more information, see my general answer about civilian helicopter training here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ajv1B0mD4XBjFOWPsRwQaITty6IX;_ylv=3?qid =20100207122649AAgZKke&show=7#profile-info-wSc7rCCUaa

Good luck!

No, that is not accurate. The total cost, if he does it ALL in helicopters and none in fixed-wing aircraft is going to be up around $50,000 or so. The average cost to get a private pilot license in a helicopter is about $16,000. This is for an average of about 55 flight hours (the legal minimum is 40, but the average student requires more). The instrument rating will cost another $16,000 or so and will require 40 more flight hours. The commercial pilot certificate, which will be an additional 100 to 150 flight hours (depending on the progran) can add another $20,000 to $35,000, and a flight instructor certificate will be another $6,000 on top of that, for a total of $60,000 to $75,000. Without an instructor certificate he won't find a job (FACT). There are package deals at accelerated schools that can get it all done for under $50,000. If he does part of his training in fixed-wing aircraft he could do it a bit cheaper. At the very cheapest, I can't see him realistically doing it for under $45,000 though. Don't fool yourself. The only entry-level jobs for flight school grads is teaching, so he needs the instructor certificate(s).

I am a civilian trained commercial helicopter pilot. I was never an instructor, but most people go that route. Yes, most instructors will earn minimal $$. Many pilots start flying offshore for the oil and gas industry in the Gulf Of Mexico after getting experience as an instructor. 1500-2000 hours of experience and an instrument rating is currently the minimum for an entry level job at 51-65K. The helicopter tour industry in Las Vegas for example tends to hire pilots around the same experience levels. The possibilities for advancement in the offshore industry are much hire and can open the doors for international jobs. Helicopter pilots flying overseas in the offshore industry can earn between 120-180k per year and earnings are mostly tax free ... These jobs are very hard to get and require a lot of experience. With all of this said it will cost between 60-80k to become a marketable pilot .. The national average to get a private helicopter certificate is aprox. 80 hours