Expert: David A. NewMyer - 1/15/2009

Question
Not so much a question then as a form of encouragment for my future endeavers.  I am 39 years old, retiring from the Navy mid 09, with a 100 hours as a single engine fixed wing private pilot and 49 hours as student private pilot helicopters.  I plan on progressing to my private, commercial and instructor tickets, doing that partime using my GI Bill.  Moving to the midwest here in about 18 months, getting my hours as an Instructor, hopefully full time while supporting my one Wife and three young kids.  End goal becoming an airevac 7/7 pilot in the midwest, a five year plan +/- a few years.  Always looking for a sanity check and or suggestiions.  Thanks for your time.

Chris Outman  

Answer
Chris,

Thank you for your question/sanity check...I will try to assist.

First of all, your timeframe seems reasonable.....given five years +/- a few years is realistic given the economy.  I think that air evac pilots will be in demand, but, there will always be competition from military helo pilots who will get out of the military with more actual flight time than you will have, especially in the more complex machines.  So, you will have to contend with that, especially early in your career.  The other thing to contend with is finding a civilian provider of helicopter flight training.  There are fewer of them in the Midwest than there  were ten years ago....insurance, etc, has conspired to drive them out of business. So, make sure that you do a thorough job of researching the availability of helo flight training before you move to a particular area (and expect it to be provided nearby).  Finally, the costs of helo flight training are a bit higher than fixed wing training....expect the Private in a rotorcraft to cost about $12,000 to $13,000 (as compared to $7000 to $9000 in fixed wing).  The rest will pile up on top of the private....so, carefully research the costs once you find a provider that you like.

I think that the key in all this is to find a location where you can both find a good job (to support the family) AND find helo flight training that accepts the GI bill.....once you find that, your personal goals and interest will take over and drive you toward your goal.

Good luck in your career plans!

Sincerely,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale