Jeremy Ellison and I worked together as climbing guides. On a trip to China in 2008, we talked about his interest in flying helicopters. Flash forward to about a month ago …

I was passing through Las Vegas on my way to Utah to take a Wilderness First Responder course, and caught up with Jeremy. Since that China trip he’s made his dream real. He’s currently flying a turbine AS350 AStar for a flightseeing company. Getting to this job wasn’t easy though. It took a lot of time, money, persistence, and patience.

As a fixed wing pilot, I found it interesting to hear how tough the path to a career as a helicopter pilot can be. It’s not for everyone. But if you dream of flying helicopters for a living, you’ll want to listen to this.

In this interview you’ll hear about:

• Jeremy’s first exposure to helicopters … as a carpenter in Antarctica
• Financing his training
• Should you start with a fixed wing license?
• The big challenge of getting your first job
• Creative ways to build hours and keep flying
• Jeremy’s first job flying scenic tours in South Carolina in a Robinson R44
• Flying tours in Florida
• Moving up to the AStar in Las Vegas
• His biggest piece advice for you if you want to fly helicopters
• What “getting lucky” really means
• Transitioning from working for a Part 91 company to a Part 135 company
• The challenges of flying the AS350
• The challenges of flying out of Las Vegas
• The pros and cons of different kinds of helicopter jobs
• Is it all worth it?
• What to expect if you go down this road (regarding time and money)
• What helicopter jobs pay

Audio

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Learn More

Sundance Helicopters

Orlando HeliTours

Helicopter Adventures

AStar AS350

Robinson R44

Photos by Jeremy Ellison