RWS 81 – Helicopter Job Market USA (2020), Visas and FAA License Conversion with Jared Friend

Rotary Wing Show - Interviews from the Helicopter Industry

Jared Friend is GM of Hillsboro Aero Academy Helicopter Training. He tells of operators now reaching out to schools looking for pilot candidates such is demand growth in the US.

A few years can make a big difference and that is the case now in Jan 2020 for the helicopter pilot hiring market in the USA. For the first time in a while the minimum hours/experience for job adverts are starting to decrease and operators are looking for new hires.

Jared Friend is the General Manager of the helicopter school division of Hillsboro Aero Academy. Jared’s career has see him move from flying S-61 helicopters straight out of training to instructing, news and other flying roles before returning to flight instruction and leadership roles at Hillsboro where Jared first learn to fly himself.

The helicopter pilot job market is looking like it is starting to improve in the US with Jared now actually fielding calls from operators and chief pilots looking for suitable candidates around the 1000 hour mark with some operators even taking on pilots with reduced hours under placement programs that some schools such as Hillsboro have put in place.

Some of the market drivers are likely to be the fixed-wing airline pilot shortage starting to compete with those pilots that might have entered the helicopter market, some transfer of rotary to fixed-wing positions and the start of expansion in the oil and gas industry again after a very slow period.

Brand new CPL(H) holders still need to bridge that experience gap to get to that 1000 hour mark. The US market is setup that most helicopter pilots get these hours through instructing as their first job. Jared’s feedback is that because of the movement of instructors onto utility, oil and tour operators that there is ample opportunity for new pilots to pick up these instructing roles.

Internationally the helicopter pilot job market is still hit and miss but its promising to see the job growth in the US at least.

In this episode we cover:

• Pilot hiring market in the US at Jan 2020
• Skills in demand
• Visa options for international pilots looking to work in the US
• Conversion of overseas licenses to the FAA

Jared spent a number of years flying Bell 206 in the electronic news gathering role.

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Links from this week’s episode:
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F1 Visa information – Hillsboro Aero Academy’s website has additional information not just on the F1 Visa but other international options.

FAA website Overseas License Page – Starting point for converting your overseas license to an FAA one

A young Jared in the S-61 (Civil version of Sea King). He went straight from training on the Robinson R22 into these large helicopters.

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