What is the cost for 2,000 flight hours?

Question

I'm looking into helicopter flight schools here in Texas. I was wanting to see if anyone (who's currently a helicopter pilot), could estimate how much it would cost to get 2.000hrs flight time, with 1,000 in command and 500 turbine, with 100 in night?

Answer 1

You don't generally buy 2000 hours.  those that do are known as "pay to play" pilots and are not generally well-regarded throughout the industry.

Your best bet is to earn your commercial certificate, then get a job where someone pays YOU to fly those 2000 hours.  That is a much more legitimate (not to mention much faster and cheaper) avenue.

Answer 2

At a rate of $275 per hour in a piston helicopter, you would spend $550,000 for 2000 hours, and that excludes the turbine time. Nobody does that to build flight time. You could buy your own helicopter to build time for less than that.

Most people do flight instruction to build hours after their initial training, so people pay you to fly instead of you paying to rent an aircraft. When you finish your training, you will have 150-200 hours. You will then instruct until you have about 1000 hours. Most people then seek their first job in turbine aircraft. Those jobs include flying offshore in the Gulf of Mexico or doing tours in Alaska or the Grand Canyon. Once you have 2000-3000 hours you will then meet the requirements you mentioned and be eligible for a typical EMS job. It usually takes several years after training to get that experience.

The best helicopter school in Texas is Longhorn Helicopters in Denton.

http://www.longhornhelicopters.com/

Here are some other schools for you to investigate:

http://www.epichelicopters.com/

http://www.skyhelicopters.com/

http://www.heliserv.com/

http://www.salaikaaviation.com/

http://www.flysummit.com/index.htm

You can read one of my other answers about becoming a pilot here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions about training or schools in Texas. Good luck!

Answer 3

about 1 million dollars

Answer 4

Too much.  I'd say a million dollars easily.  And even if you had the money to buy all those hours, no company would hire someone who just buzzed around on his own accord; they want real commercial experience.

You can get a job (not an easy one to find or the best paying) with a tenth of all the hours you just said.