From search and rescue to aerial photography, the possibilities for helicopter pilots are endless. Here is how to land a job as a helicopter pilot.

How Do You Become One?

The licensing process is similar to that of fixed-wing pilots. Aspiring helicopter pilots need to be a minimum of 17 years old and be able to obtain an FAA medical certificate.

A private pilot certificate is the first step in the journey to a career as a helicopter pilot. The training for this license teaches you the basics of flying a rotary-wing aircraft and prepares you to fly helicopters recreationally.

To make money while flying, you will need a commercial pilot certificate. You can work as a helicopter pilot with this license, opening the door to jobs in industries such as flight tours, medical transport, and law enforcement.

The airline transport certificate is the top-level license and requires significant training. Although it is not required for many helicopter pilot jobs, having it can make you more competitive during your job search.

Where Do You Train?

While they are less prevalent than fixed-wing flight schools, there are many schools offering helicopter flight training across the country.

 After you have researched local training options, your chosen flight school will be able to help you learn more about the process and requirements for obtaining your certificates. Once you have completed the necessary training for each, you will need to pass written and oral tests to earn your license.

Is It Expensive?

The cost of becoming a helicopter pilot varies greatly depending on your situation, but a private pilot certificate typically costs between $10,000 and $20,000. Earning your commercial license can cost upward of $100,000.

What Types of Companies Can Employ You?

Once you have your commercial pilot license, you can begin applying for helicopter pilot jobs. There are many types of companies and organizations in need.

Medical airlift and evacuation companies commonly use helicopters to transport patients, and therefore have a significant demand for pilots. Similarly, search and rescue operators also require pilots to operate their helicopters.

Helicopters are often used for observing the world beneath them or capturing imagery of the ground. There are companies that employ helicopter pilots for aerial photography and videography, and news organizations hire them as well. If you want to fly passengers, corporate transport and tour companies hire helicopter pilots.  

Government bodies also have a need for commercial helicopter pilots. For example, the military employs pilots to work as instructors, and the U.S. Forest Service  for their firefighting operations. Law enforcement agencies  hire civilian pilots to fly their aircraft.

Do You Make Good Money?

The salary for helicopter pilots can vary depending on their experience and employer, but you can expect salaries to start at around $70,000 per year. With more experience, one can easily earn upward of $100,000 to $200,000 annually.

Is There a Demand?

There is a significant need for helicopter pilots across the United States. Many employers are actively seeking new pilots, and the demand is forecasted to grow over the coming years.

Helicopters perform specialized tasks that are vital to society. Despite the cost and effort required to gain the necessary licenses and experience, helicopter pilots are rewarded with exciting career prospects and competitive salaries.

The post How to Land a Helicopter Pilot Job appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Founded in 1974, Republic is one the largest regional airlines in North America, along with SkyWest Airlines, PSA Airlines, and Mesa Airlines. Its all-jet fleet consists of about 200 Embraer 170/175 aircraft.

Republic has bases in Boston (KBOS), Chicago (KORD), Columbus, Ohio (KCMH), Indianapolis (KIND), Louisville, Kentucky (KSDF), Newark, New Jersey (KEWR), New York (KLGA), Philadelphia (KPHL), Pittsburgh (KPIT) and Washington, D.C. (KDCA).

Republic’s Mission Statement

Per its website, “We believe that every associate, regardless of personal beliefs or worldview, has been created in the image and likeness of God. We seek to become stronger from our diversity. We seek personal respect and fulfillment from our work. Most of all, we seek to recognize the dignity and potential of each member of our Republic Airways Holdings family.”

Career Insights

Republic employs more than 6,000 across its 10 U.S. bases. The airline’s website says it has “immediate openings for Direct Entry Captains with the opportunity to earn up to $100K in sign-on bonuses.” The career page also lists openings for flight attendants, maintenance technicians, and corporate office positions.

Republic’s LIFT Academy for Flight Training

Republic Airways Holdings Inc. launched the Leadership In Flight Training Academy (LIFT) in 2018. Students at LIFT train on Diamond DA40 and DA42 fleet along with simulators designed to replicate the flight deck environment.

Applicants fill out a free online application.. Selected applicants will be invited for an in-person interview in Indianapolis. LIFT tuition costs $65,000, which covers training and materials, including an iPad and headset. Food and lodging are not included in that price. There are financing opportunities and a loan assistance program.

Students who attend the program are expected to “pass through all flight ratings and commit to flying with Republic Airways for five years.” According to the academy, the training program can be completed in as little as one year. Find out more at the LIFT website.

Republic Airways in the News

LIFT Academy Makes ‘Significant Fleet Expansion’ with Diamond Aircraft
Leadership in Flight Training (LIFT) Academy is expanding its training fleet by nearly five dozen Diamond aircraft, according to the manufacturer.

Latest Republic Jobs on FindaPilot.com

• Commercial Airline FO – Pittsburgh, PA
• Commercial Airline FO – Newark, NJ
• Commercial Airline FO – Chicago, IL
• Commercial Airline FO – New York, NY

Other Resources

• LinkedIn 
• Facebook 
• Twitter
• Republic career opportunities

The post Employer Profile: Republic Airways Holdings Inc. appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This additional funding is part of the FAA’s Aviation Workforce Development Grants program, which provides support to aviation-related education programs. The $80 million in pilot development grants is part of a broader $240 million pool intended to also recruit aircraft mechanics and aviation manufacturing workers.

According to Yahoo Finance, an early version of the bill included $120 million in total funding, but that number was doubled with an amendment introduced by Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock. “This is a long-term issue,” he said during an interview.

‘The Pilot Shortage Myth’

The roughly $55 million in new funding comes as the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) – the world’s largest pilots union representing over 77,000 aviators—says the pilot shortage “isn’t real.” The labor group even goes as far as saying that the shortage is a so-called “myth,” instead pointing fingers at airline leadership.

“So, although we don’t have a pilot shortage, we do have a shortage of airline executives willing to stand by their business decisions to cut air service and be upfront about their intentions to skirt safety rules and hire inexperienced workers for less pay,” ALPA says on its website.

Despite the rhetoric, regional carriers say they aren’t quite out of the pilot supply woods yet with some offering lucrative bonuses for direct-entry captains. In a recent presentation, the Regional Airline Association (RAA)—a trade group—said, “We can’t believe we have to say this, but an abrupt, temporary hiring disruption—driven entirely by an abrupt aircraft delivery disruption—is not the same thing as fixing the pilot shortage.”

Some in Washington also believe the so-called pilot shortage isn’t over. During a press briefing at Austin’s Bergstrom airport on Tuesday, Texas Senator and Senate commerce committee ranking member Ted Cruz said he ‘absolutely’ still believes there’s a shortage, adding that Congress should have done more.

“So this bill…takes modest steps in the direction of addressing the pilot shortage, but I wish we had been able to take more, and I’m going to continue working to take even bolder steps,” he added.

Cruz strongly supported raising the airline pilot retirement age from 65 to 67, which failed after a narrow party-line vote. ALPA and other pilot unions opposed the increase.

“The pilots union has an interesting position on this. It’s one of the very rare circumstances I know of where a union picked some members over other members,” Cruz said at the briefing.

Diversity Push

With the bill now passed, the FAA will be tasked with distributing the funding as grants to flight schools and other institutions. Sen. Warnock said he pushed to include provisions in the bill to distribute some of the funding to ‘underrepresented populations’ in the aviation sector.

“I’m making the business case for diversity,” Warnock told Yahoo Finance. “It’s in our enlightened self-interest to find that talent and create a robust pipeline so that they can become pilots.”

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

The post Congress Shells Out Millions to Aid Pilot Shortage appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In this edition of V1 Rotate, FLYING contributor Sam Weigel chats with Ed Krause, who has been flying as an expat pilot in Asia for the past 16 years. Krause takes Weigel through the process of being hired at a startup regional airline in China, transitioning to business jets, and more. Learn how the expat pilot market is evolving, what the future may have in store, and ways to make yourself competitive for an overseas job.

The post Riding the Wave as an Expat Pilot in Asia appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In reality, if you want to become a race car driver or auto mechanic and are just starting in the field, odds are you won’t get your first job with a top-tier NASCAR racing team. Most professions require you to learn skills and gain experience before reaching the more technical and higher-paying opportunities.

Getting your drone pilot certification and becoming a commercial drone pilot is relatively easy. But like auto racing, you’re unlikely to qualify for the top jobs when just starting out. This article explores which sectors are primed for new pilots and which require more experience.

The Commercial Drone Pilot Job Market

Global demand for commercial drone pilots has rapidly expanded in recent years, with no sign of slowing down. In fact, even as many industries are contracting, drone pilot employment opportunities have only grown more plentiful, keeping step with evolving technologies and use cases. It’s a modern economic feat that reflects the endless potential applications of drones and the increasing number of industries already benefiting from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.

Commercial drone pilot jobs are readily available to Part 107 license-holders seeking employment with established organizations or on their own as freelancers. The real question is where to focus your efforts as a new UAV operator.

Main Industries Hiring for Entry-Level Drone Pilot Jobs

As an entry-level drone pilot, you have many opportunities to explore. But, like any expedition into the unknown, navigating the world of commercial drone pilot jobs requires an understanding of which sectors are most accessible to new pilots. 

I’ve worked in each of these sectors and will rank them from easiest to most challenging to enter for pilots who have just earned (or are planning to earn) a remote pilot certification.

Real Estate

No matter where you live, real property is being bought and sold. Studies show that properties with aerial photography are much more likely to sell than those without it. This sector requires basic flying and photography skills. Most jobs involve taking aerial photographs and videos of properties to enhance real estate listings. 

Drones needed for this work are inexpensive, with some viable options available at under $1,000. Thanks to the high need for real estate aerial photography and the low level of skills/experience needed, almost any pilot can find real estate gigs with little effort. To get a jump on other entry-level drone pilots, consider taking a real estate drone photography and video course.

Advertising

There are many similarities between real estate photography and advertising. In this sector, pilots can capture content for commercials or film billboards and large public events. Advertising is slightly more challenging than real estate because the subjects can be varied, requiring flexibility and more skill as a pilot and photographer. Instead of just specializing in real property, your focus will likely become more diverse, perhaps expanding to people or moving objects as you work on brand campaigns. 

Thankfully, the field has some creative flexibility, making it somewhat less stressful. With an entry-level commercial drone and a little more experience, advertising can be lucrative for new UAV operators.

Filmmaking and Photography

If you have a creative flair, the filmmaking business may be a good place to start. Here, you will be involved in the creation of television shows and movies. While finding work in this field as an entry-level drone pilot isn’t impossible, it is definitely more challenging than real estate and advertising. 

Two reasons for this are experience and market saturation. You’ll need more than a basic knowledge of photography for these types of commercial drone pilot jobs. A prerequisite is a deep understanding of composition, camera angles, and advanced cinematic tools. 

Your second challenge will be competing with companies that have already positioned themselves as the industry’s go-to drone operators. Look to sharpen your skills as a photographer, perhaps with a specialized drone videography course, and network with employees from well-established businesses to kick-start your drone career in Hollywood.

Agriculture and Forestry

Drones have become indispensable tools in precision agriculture and forestry. New drone operators can find work in this field but generally are expected to have some experience under their belts. In fact, UAV pilots specializing in this niche typically bring a deep wealth of agricultural or forestry knowledge to the role, so it could be difficult for a recently licensed operator to succeed as an industry newcomer. 

If you are someone with this type of background, your drone must be equipped with a multispectral camera to sell your services. You’ll need to understand what your camera is capturing and how to interpret the data. Although drones can detect diseased plants, analyze soil, and determine water needs, they require a highly skilled pilot to capture actionable footage, analyze resulting data, and present findings to clients. 

Construction and Infrastructure

When it comes to the construction and infrastructural industries, drones are used to monitor building progress, inspect structures, and map large areas. UAV operators in this field are expected to:

• Understand industrial inspection and general construction processes.
• Possess flying skills extending well beyond basic maneuvers.
• Know how to use special software and equipment to collect and integrate data.
• Know and comply with safety standards, such as those set forth by OSHA. 

Most entry-level pilots will find working for someone else to be the best way to break into this field.

Surveying and Mapping

Most off-the-shelf “prosumer” drones can be combined with easily accessible software, such as DroneDeploy and Pix4D, to create maps, so some pilots mistakenly believe that anyone can offer surveying and mapping services. The problem is that these maps don’t offer survey-level accuracy, and pilots need specialized knowledge in geospatial technologies and precision data collection to land jobs in this field. 

You’ll also need specialized equipment to facilitate this precision data collection, which may include: 

• High-quality drones 
• RTK base stations 
• Ground control points 

Between the complexities of data collection and high equipment costs, you’re probably unlikely to land entry-level drone pilot jobs on your own within this niche. Like construction, if you’re interested in surveying and mapping, you should look to be hired by an established company in the sector—or consider taking a specialized drone course to build up the right skills.

Public Safety and Emergency Response

The public safety and emergency response sector employs drones for search and rescue operations, disaster management, and law enforcement. I consider this the most challenging field for beginners to find jobs, and for reasons unrelated to equipment and skills. 

First, the work can be dangerous and mentally draining. You may be pulled into ongoing incidents, for instance, some of which don’t end well for those involved.

Second, getting hired for these roles can require becoming a law enforcement officer, which takes months or years of training. Even as a civilian, you need extensive training outside your Part 107 certification. As an example, when I joined a local sheriff’s search and rescue team as a volunteer, it took months of training before I could be sworn in and permitted to join searches. 

These unique obstacles result in a high barrier to entry that new pilots may find difficult to overcome. You can start, though, by earning a Public Safety Certificate of Authorization to operate drones for governmental organizations.

How to Decide on a Specialization

There is no standard path when it comes to starting your drone pilot career journey. Deciding which sector to start in entails balancing your personal goals and experience level with local market opportunities. 

Here are a few suggestions to help you pinpoint where to begin:

• Market availability: Whether you are looking at real estate, agriculture, or something else, make sure there is a market need in the area you will be flying. For example, you may want to focus your business on event photography, but if you live in a town with only 200 people, you may find it difficult to stay in business.
• Training and education: Before investing in expensive drones and other equipment, research the educational and training needs of the sector you want to specialize in. Drone pilot courses are one of the best places to start.
• Work environment: Consider where you’ll probably be flying. I focus mostly on vacant land photography, which often places me far from civilization in the middle of California’s Mojave Desert. I love it, but many pilots I speak to can’t stand being in the sun that long. Choose an environment that suits your comfort with the elements you’ll most likely encounter.
• Income potential: Evaluate how much you can make in the sector and whether there’s growth potential. If the income and opportunities don’t match your goals, focus your efforts elsewhere.
• Personal interests: It may seem cliche, but never work in a niche that you won’t enjoy.
• Regulatory requirements: Consider any additional regulations that may apply to the area you’re considering. Crop spraying may be interesting, for example, but many niches require additional operator licenses or certifications. 

By weighing these factors, you should find it easy to focus on a particular section of the booming UAV industry.

Entry Level Drone Pilot Jobs Await

As you can see, there are many entry-level opportunities for drone pilots. If you’re thinking of joining this exciting industry, there’s no better time to do so. Enroll in a training program and take control of your future. I hope to see you in the skies soon.

FAQ

Can you make 6 figures as a drone pilot?

Yes. Like any profession, drone pilot earnings are tied to the type of work you do and how often you fly. Earning six figures a year is possible, especially in more specialized drone applications.

What drone jobs pay the most?

There is typically a strong correlation between higher earnings and more specialized drone work. For example, you’ll probably make more using a drone for industrial inspections than real estate photography.

Is it hard to become a drone pilot?

No. Becoming a drone pilot is easy, especially with online platforms like Altitude University’s and ASA Part 107 test prep courses. Hundreds of thousands of people have already earned their remote pilot certification—and so can you.

The post Which Industries Offer Entry-Level Drone Pilot Jobs? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

I’ve written about this process in broad terms before, but there is one aspect I would like to focus on: honing your ability to tell a good story and refining your repertoire of stories for interviews.

Most aviation interviews include a group chat that may include chief pilots, check airmen, recruiters, HR reps, line pilots, and perhaps even nonpilot employee representatives. This is commonly referred to as the panel interview, and for many pilots, it is the most stressful part, especially if the panel is large. Many of the questions during the panel interview take the form of, “Tell me about a time you…,” and you are expected to reply with a short illustrative anecdote from your career or life.

• READ MORE: Pilot Mental Health Remains the Last Taboo in Aviation

Some people were born with a natural gift of gab—many of us were not. That’s OK. You weren’t born with the natural ability to fly, either—you gained the skill the hard way, through learning, practice, and experience. Talking about yourself in a relaxed, authentic manner is a skill like any other. It can be taught, learned through trial and error—or for the lucky few, acquired by osmosis, by growing up around other good storytellers and subconsciously adopting their techniques. Most of us get better at it throughout our lives because we accumulate more interesting stories and tell them enough times to hone them well.

This isn’t something that you can pick up the night before your interview. If you’re only belatedly finding out about the panel interview and you have one next week, best arrange for a jam session with an aviation interview prep service, such as Cage Consulting or Emerald Coast. This isn’t a bad idea anyways, because most people are poor judges of how they sound and look to others.

Less expensively, but also less expertly, you can rope your friends or colleagues into being your practice audience and giving you feedback. This can be a fruitful (and FAA legal) use of free time in cruise flight. But if you’re shy and prefer to judge yourself, a GoPro or other camera set up on a tripod at eye level and 10 feet away will be brutally honest. The main thing is to make a conscious effort to practice. It’s best to start early.

• READ MORE: After a Training Fail, What Comes Next?

If you “got the gouge” for a particular employer’s interview, you’ll have an idea of what questions they may ask, but they’ll likely switch up things on occasion, and there’s a good chance you get at least one completely random question. Rather than focus on specific questions, you should develop a repertoire of stories concerning a broad range of events throughout your life and career.

Your stories should, whenever possible, be no longer than two or three minutes long. A good story will include a brief setup, a well-paced narrative, and a definitive conclusion. You should obviously avoid stories that paint you as a clueless lout, but they should show humility and growth. A bit of humor of the self-deprecating variety is often helpful. I’ve often joked that I never let the truth get in the way of a good story, but interview stories should be mostly true. Outright fabrications are usually glaringly obvious. Paring details for the sake of narrative and brevity, however, is both expected and necessary.

Often the panel’s questions are of a sort that could be seen as an invitation to talk about the deficiencies of former employers or coworkers (“Tell me about a time you disagreed with a supervisor.”) Don’t fall for this trap: Your overall tone should be positive and focus on your own actions, deficiencies, growth, and strengths. The last thing you want to show is simmering resentment. When a story necessarily involves a company or supervisor doing something underhanded, unsafe, or illegal, do not name them. On the other hand, liberally name mentors, coworkers, and supervisors who have been a positive influence. There’s a decent chance someone on the panel knows them.

• READ MORE: How Professional Pilots Can Survive Probationary Periods

Your stories shouldn’t all be aviation-related. Many of the questions won’t directly concern flying, and using anecdotes from your life outside of aviation can help demonstrate a wider variety of interests and talents. This can be particularly helpful when the panel includes nonpilots. In that case, you should also limit your technical jargon or include explanatory asides.

When telling your stories, try to appear relaxed even if you’re not, and try to sound like you haven’t rehearsed even though, ideally, you have. The trick is to write down only the outline, and then never tell the story exactly the same way twice. Pretend you’re telling it at a bar, and the next time at church, and the next time on a date. Use a timer and work out the ideal pacing. Try to eliminate “uhs” and “umms,” inserting pauses instead where needed. As you become more comfortable with a story, incorporate natural-feeling hand gestures, and use a camera to check your corresponding facial expressions.

Here are some sample questions to get you started at developing your repertoire of stories. I’ve included a version of a story I’ve told in several interviews as well, as an example.

• “Tell me about a time you helped a coworker.”
• “Tell me about a time you were interviewed and didn’t get hired for a job.”
• “Tell me about a time that a coworker made you uncomfortable.”
• “Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.”
• “Tell me about a time you felt out of your depth.”
• “Tell me about a time you failed a test or course.”
•  “Tell me about your proudest moment.”
• “Tell me about a time you broke a FAR.”
• “Tell me about a time you were uncomfortably low on fuel.”
• “Tell me about a time you declared an emergency.”
• “Tell me about a time you diverted to an alternate.”
• “Tell me about a time you thought the system was unfair.”
• “Tell me about a time you disagreed with a dispatcher (supervisor of flight, etc.).”
• “Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a [captain/first officer].”
• “Tell me about the best job you ever had.”
• “Tell me about a time you stayed at a job you disliked.”
• “Tell me about a time you witnessed sexual harassment/racial discrimination.”
• “Tell me about the best teacher you ever had.”
• “Tell me about a time the customer was wrong.”
• “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.”
• “Tell me about a time you were scared.”
• “Tell me about a time you were fatigued.”
• “Tell me about a time you grounded an unairworthy airplane.”
• “Tell me about a time you were asked to do something illegal or unsafe.”

An example of my response: 

“Early in my career, I was flying canceled checks at a Part 135 company that’s no longer in business. They were sort of a mom-and-pop, fly-by-night operation, and they were nice people and tried hard, but you never knew if your next paycheck was going to clear. Anyways, late one night in Las Vegas, I had an electric fuel pump fail on a Piper Navajo, and, since that’s a nondeferrable item, I called my boss, who we’ll call Jim, at 2 a.m. I woke him up, and he was understandably grumpy, telling me to just open the fuel cross-feed, use the left electric fuel pump to start the right engine, and then press on to Burbank on the engine-driven pump.

“I thought about it for a second and realized, yes, that would work—but it was pretty severely illegal and would also leave me with a single point of failure in a heavy airplane over high terrain. I told Jim that and said I wasn’t willing to do it. He just growled, ‘Fine. Don’t move. I’ll be there in three hours,’ and hung up. 

“Sure enough, just as the sky is getting light, Jim roars up with another Navajo, gets out without a word, and starts tossing bags out of my plane. I join in and a few minutes later we’re panting next to a small mountain of bank bags and Jim just points at them, grunts, ‘Take those to Burbank,’ jumps in the broken Navajo, and blasts off. I was pretty shaken up. The whole way to Burbank, I was wondering if I just got myself fired. 

“The next day I came to work half expecting to be sent home, and I was kinda OK with that. I’d thought about it during the night and decided that no job was worth my life or my certificate and that I didn’t want to work for anyone who required me to put either at risk. The funny thing is, Jim greeted me cheerfully and didn’t say a single word about the incident. In fact, he never mentioned it again. I think once he calmed down and had some time to think about it, he realized he’d rather have a safety-conscious pilot than a risk-taker even if it was occasionally inconvenient. Since then, whenever I have to make a hard decision that I know might upset coworkers or supervisors, I think back to that night in Las Vegas.”

The post How to Ace an Airline Interview by Telling a Good Story appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The partnership expansion announced Thursday will add 50 DA40s and six DA42s to the Republic Airways training program. 

• READ MORE: UNSW School of Aviation Expands Diamond Fleet

According to Diamond Aircraft, the trainers are slated to bolster programs at new LIFT Academy campuses in Galveston, Texas; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and at Tuskegee University in Alabama.

“These aircraft are chosen for their advanced technology and fuel efficiency, which not only align with our sustainability efforts but also closely mirror the aircraft our pilots will operate at Republic Airways,” said Ed Bagden, director of flight operations and academic programs at LIFT Academy. “This strategic expansion ensures that LIFT Academy continues to offer industry-leading training, preparing our students with a seamless transition to their careers as airline pilots.”

• READ MORE: Purdue, LIFT Academy Partner to Tackle Commercial Pilot Need

The Diamond DA40 piston single is powered by a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360 engine and comes equipped with Garmin G1000 NXi avionics. The aircraft offers a top cruise speed of 152 knots, 934 nm range, and maximum useful load of 900 pounds. The DA42 advanced piston twin is powered by 168 hp Austro Engine AE300 powerplants. It offers a top cruise speed of nearly 200 knots, 1,225 nm range, and maximum useful load of 1,276 pounds.

The post LIFT Academy Makes ‘Significant Fleet Expansion’ with Diamond Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Editor’s Note: This graphic first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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The aircraft will replace the T-44C Pegasus, an earlier version of a militarized King Air that has been in use since 1977. The T-44C is slated to be phased out over the next year.

• READ MORE: Navy to Explore Use of eSTOL Aircraft, Issues Contract to Electra

Last week the T-54As were flown from the factory in Wichita, Kansas, to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, where they will be used by Naval Air Training Command. They will be used to train the next generation of naval aviators who may go on to fly the P-8A Poseidon, E-2D Hawkeye and C-130 Hercules.

The Navy placed an order for the aircraft made by Textron Aviation in January 2023 as part of a 2023 METS contract. 

• READ MORE: U.S. Navy Awards Contract for Long-Range, Solar-Powered Stealth Drone

“The new METS aircraft will give us the ability to train pilots across the services with an advanced platform that better represents fleet aircraft,” Captain Holly Shoger, program manager of the Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office, said at the time. “The T-54A will include the latest avionics and navigational updates, such as virtual reality and augmented reality devices, to ensure pilots are ready to face any challenges that come their way in tomorrow’s battlespace.” 

The T-54A is a pressurized turboprop with state-of-the-art avionics, including multifunction displays with a digital moving map, an integrated GPS/inertial navigation system, ADS-B, a flight management system, weather radar, radar altimeter, and a cockpit data recorder. 

• READ MORE: U.S. Navy Signs Deal with Boeing for 17 F/A-18 Super Hornets

The T-54 is expected to meet advanced multi-engine and advanced tilt-rotor training requirements for the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps through 2055.

According to NAVAIR, the T-54A will “provide advanced instrument and asymmetric engine handling training to student naval aviators selected for multi-engine fleet communities.”

Last year’s agreement initially ordered 10 King Air 260s and associated support. Deliveries for the first aircraft are scheduled between 2024 and 2026. Per the contract, the Navy may take delivery of up to 64 of the trainers.

The post Navy Modernizes Training Fleet with T-54A Delivery appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to the letter, the return comes “in response to the record 2023 revenue gains.” The money will come directly from ALPA’s national funds, Ambrosi added. Airline-specific committees will also be able to provide their own refunds.

ALPA says it expects to make the payments this summer, which will be available to both U.S. and Canadian members based on dues paid last year. For pilots, the refund reflects up to 16 percent of total dues paid in 2023, the union stated.

“I thank our national officer team for sharing the belief and commend the Executive Council for upholding the fundamental responsibility entrusted to us, which is to be good fiduciaries of your money—a responsibility we take seriously,” Ambrosi said in the letter to pilots. “As always, we will ensure that your dues continue to be the best investment in your career that you ever make.”

Members of the union pay up to 1.85 percent of earnings in dues. While ALPA has been able to negotiate record-setting collective bargaining agreements at several airlines, it acknowledges that 16 carriers and their pilot groups are still in the bargaining process.

“The year 2023 was a monumental one in our union’s history…” Ambrosi said. “While we acknowledge these significant gains that resulted in a record amount of revenue for the association, ALPA continues to dedicate all needed resources to the 16 carriers that remain in bargaining.”

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on April 23 at 9:52 a.m. EDT to properly reflect ALPA’s 1.85 percent dues rate. 

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AirlineGeeks.com.

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