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Flying "The
Canyon": Careers in Helicopter Operations
How would you like to fly a helicopter in
and out of the Grand Canyon and then take
in a scenic night flight over the Las Vegas "Strip"
You might think we're describing a dream
vacation, but in fact, are talking about
a rather fun way to make a living in aviation.
Typically many aspiring pilots set their
sights on large fixed-wing airplanes, but
there is a world to discover in the helicopter
industry. For example, we recently met up
with Capt. Chris, a senior pilot from SunDance
Helicopters, one of Las Vegas' premier charter
and sightseeing operations. The company's
base is right on the Mcarran International
Airport property and serves as a busy hub
of the company's growing Eurocopter fleet
of EC 130 "Squirrel" single-engine
helicopters. In all, seventeen helicopters
total the company fleet, including 3 four-passenger
Bell Jet Rangers and 14 six-passenger Eurocopter
Astars.
Aerial
Diversity
Sundance Helicopters is the most experienced
and largest helicopter company in Nevada
but normally operates throughout the Southwestern
U.S. (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California)
and Baja, Mexico. Founded in 1985 as Helicopter
Services of Nevada, the name was changed
to Sundance in 1993. Since then, the company
has made a name for itself in various capacities.
The company is an FAA approved Part 135
Air Carrier, which allows it to operate
a variety of flight services, including
city tours and excursions to nearby attractions
in the Las Vegas area, such as Hoover Dam,
Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon. Sundance
also provides helicopter services to a wide
variety of customers in different industries
and government agencies. Its government
work includes military transport contracts,
fire fighting, natural resource agency operations,
vertical lifts, and aerial survey work.
Sundance has several helicopters and pilots "carded"
by the U.S. Department of the Interior's
Office of Aircraft Services.
Sundance also has extensive experience
with film & video charters, with film
pilots that transport people and equipment
for film hoots. The company also works in
aerial photography and film work with credits
including: Oceans 11, Miss Congeniality2,
C.S.I. (5 years), Las Vegas, and the Billboard
Awards (4 years)
Working
with Helicopters
Planning to look for helicopter jobs or
careers? Working as a helicopter pilot can
take you into many different industries,
all over the world. Helicopter pilot opportunities
include training, offshore support, fire
fighting, law enforcement, agriculture,
pipeline and utility support, sightseeing,
executive transport, fishing, EMS (Emergency
Medical Services), search and rescue, logging,
test piloting, and more. It can be a rewarding
and satisfying career path.
There are generally two paths to pursuing
a career flying helicopters: the civilian
path and a military career. If you're thinking
about the military option, please contact
a recruiting office nearby and get the details
from them. Read the small print carefully.
Please realize, however, that as a military
pilot, you are a military officer above
all, with all of the attending duties, responsibilities
and commitments first, and a pilot, second.
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A popular way to build flight time with
any kind of flying is via working as a flight
instructor. For example, when hiring instructors,
Hawaii-based Mauna Loa Helicopter Pilot
Schools, prefers to hire instructors that
have graduated from their in-house Professional
Pilot Program. Company officials say this
provides a continuity of training that includes
learning about local air and weather patterns.
The school maintains the following philosophy:
By maintaining a constant level of employment
for our graduates, we are also releasing
a constant flow of experienced and knowledgeable
pilots out to the rest of the helicopter
industry. Job placement within the company
will depend on the school's demand at the
time of graduation as well as the individual's
performance and professionalism. Typically,
Mauna Loa Helicopter Pilot Schools hires
anywhere from 70 percent up to as much as
100 percent of their graduates.
Of course, pilots are just a small portion
of the larger workforce dedicated to helicopters.
After all, there are many jobs in manufacturing,
maintenance, dispatching and administration
to name a few. In fact, this is a quick
introduction to helicopter careers and Avjobs
Weekly will develop in-depth job-specific
profiles for careers in and around helicopters.
In the meantime, we invite you to
read more about helicopter pilot jobs
and other related careers via Avjobs powerful
resource. We also invite you to learn
more about these careers via The Professional
Helicopter Pilots Association's
website and
resources from Helicopter Association
International.
Come Along
for the Ride
While Sundance Helicopters operates a variety
of flights, its most popular excursions
are trips to the Grand Canyon. We joined
'Capt. Chris' for open of these remarkable
trips to a true natural wonder. Our video
crew joined a typical Grand Canyon Picnic
excursion, where we fly into the depths
of the Grand Canyon and then land deep inside
it for a champagne picnic below the canyon
rim. Our tour includes low level flight
over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and extinct volcanoes.
It then culminates with Conclude with an
exciting view of the Las Vegas strip. So,
come along and join us for the ride, including
a brief chat with Capt. Chris as we take
a break in the majestic Grand Canyon.
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