Difficult, Lack of Clarity ...But Great!

I've always been excited about helicopters, and not entirely sure why, but they have always fascinated me. I'm currently 45 years old, and even though the last number of years I have been around helicopters a fair bit, I still find them just as exciting. I work as an IT contractor and consultant, focusing on fractional IT leadership and project management. For over 25 years, I have been in the IT space, primarily in management roles. I attended a helicopter information session at the closest helicopter training facility and began to learn a bit more about what the process of becoming a pilot might look like and what the cost could be. I had always wondered about flying a helicopter, and about 4+ years ago, when out on a backcountry canoe trip with some buddies, I mentioned the idea to my brother-in-law, and he encouraged me to look into it and go ahead and do it.

I discussed it with my wife, who, after hearing me explain what it might look like, asked how much it would cost to get my license, and then fairly quickly said no. I assumed that was the end of my story. But after a few months, my wife came back and let me know that she was thinking about it, and she thought I should do it. I wasn’t going to waste any time once I had the go-ahead and started digging deeper into the options and learning what that might look like.

After getting some idea of what this would look like, I also had to consider what this was for me. Was it a career change, or would I just be doing it for personal enjoyment? Did I expect something to come out of it in any way at the end? I wanted to make sure that if I was going to spend the money—even though I had my family’s blessing—that it was a responsible choice to move forward. I discussed this with many people at the helicopter training facility and very specifically met with the operations manager to discuss the earning potential of becoming a pilot. Not because I was interested in making a lot of money, but I did need to know if this was a career shift and whether or not our lifestyle would need to change significantly to make this change.

It did sound like there was an opportunity to make some reasonable money, but it was also clear that there was an expectation to put in your time, and it would likely take a few years to get there. Honestly, the message was that yes—there was good low six-figure money to be made, but reading between the lines, I got the sense that this was not as advertised. There were callouts about this being a good opportunity in the future, as more and more senior pilots would be retiring, and the airline industry was pulling pilots from the helicopter industry due to better pay opportunities. So, it seemed like there was some type of future in it. But I did get the feeling that jumping from completing my license and then supporting a family would not be easy and straightforward.

I discussed this with my wife, and we understood what potential income could come from it. Then we decided that if I was going to go ahead without any guilt or pressure, I had to be completely fine with moving through the training to get my license and, if nothing came from that, I would be fine with it, and my family would also need to be fine with it. Essentially, I had to be ready to spend the money with no long-term potential outcome—other than the fact that I would have learned how to fly a helicopter, and that would be awesome. This gave me permission to move ahead without guilt or expectation, which was a blessing in moving forward in that way.

So, I dropped some initial money down, filled out some forms, and the process began. Sitting down with the team at Great Lakes Helicopter in Waterloo, we started my helicopter path forward. At this point, I was still very unclear as to what the process would really look like, but because I had very little dependent on it, I was less concerned about having it entirely mapped out for me. Since I worked as an IT contractor, my schedule was fairly flexible, and so I was able to start up my rhythm of planning to be on-site for training twice a week. They indicated that the timeline to get a commercial license could range from a year to two years, and that it was more important to maintain a consistent schedule, if possible, to maximize the ability to learn and lock away the skills and habits I was developing.

I had to work to get my medical in the early weeks, which was something I was a little anxious about at the time. When I started, I was 40, almost 41, and although in relatively good health, having a medical done is always stressful, and I was no exception. The medical included a meeting with an aviation-certified medical practitioner to do a review of my condition, an audio test, and an ECG done with third parties. The ECG worried me the most, but after getting through it, there was no reason to be anxious, as I passed the medical without concern.

The helicopter training facility had the recommended study curriculum, which started me into the basics of ground school learning that included laws and regulations, weather, radio, flight concepts, and more. The radio license was one thing I had to prioritize first, as before I soloed, I would have to ensure that I had my radio license completed so that I could move forward. The early stages of flight were surprisingly tricky. I’m fairly bright, as well as mechanically minded, and even would say above average compared to most others around me. I was certain that I would pick up the concepts of flight quickly, but I also had in the back of my mind that I couldn’t play drums. In my mind, flying a helicopter sounded more like playing drums than playing my bass guitar. There would be multiple things happening at the same time using multiple parts of my body in coordination to get to the desired result, and it was difficult.

The early hours of my practical flight training were with a new flight instructor much of the time, and she was excellent and understanding. At other times, I would fly with more experienced training pilots, and they exposed me to many of the advanced procedures that I would eventually start learning. I was amazed at the skill and ability of these flight instructors, and I thought that if I could only get close to their level, that would be amazing. As I worked through the process of building my skills—from basic straight-and-level flying to managing the hover and transitions—I started to see some of it coming together.

The goal was to reach the point at which they believed I was ready to try flying on my own. Something I didn’t even know happened, but as I learned, once you got to a certain point in your training, they would send you out on your own with only your student license. That surprised me because I even thought to myself, maybe they shouldn’t be sending me out before I had my full license—was I really good enough to be unassisted? But apparently, this is expected and required to have a certain number of hours of flying solo. When I was finally ready for my solo, I nervously took off and flew my circuit. No question I was sweating, but I did it. When back at home base, the group surprised me by dousing me with buckets of water, a tradition in celebrating a pilot’s first solo. That was an unknown thing for me until I had shown up that day.

As I continued to move through my training, building my skills and learning from the experience of my flight instructors, I continued to get more proficient in the skills of flying. I was also working hard through my ground school training, and because much of my training happened during the Covid pandemic, a lot of my training was done through an online portal with a series of videos and quizzes. Looking back on it today, you really do miss a lot when doing training this way, and I think that handicapped me in many ways.

As my training progressed and I continued to get more hours under my belt, we started to spend more and more time on advanced procedures. These were tricky, and sometimes I wondered that if I just relaxed a lot more, I would be much more capable, as I felt like so many times I was overthinking many pieces. Trying to get the theory down in my head, then into practice, and then to learn the feel and the result of practice maneuvers, and recognize mistakes, is a tricky process. I heard that some pilots move through this much faster, and that disappointed me. Part of me wondered how they could pick this up faster than I could. But there was no use worrying about it—head down, work hard. I was slowly progressing, and every flight I had out I was learning something. My only hope was that I would learn these things faster. In the back of my mind, I still had the confidence that, at some point in the future, I would become really good at this—hopefully better than most, as that has been my experience in all other areas of my life. Based on my progress, I wasn’t hanging my hat on that other than maintaining a personal commitment to continue to get better at it.

Learning how to fly really is about experience. Time in the seat makes you a better pilot. During my training, I made many mistakes, most of which were corrected immediately by my flight instructors. But there were times on my solo flights that I definitely made mistakes. My worst mistake was when I held short of a runway and, when cleared, turned into the wind and pulled collective at the same time, resulting in a bit of an over-spin. That definitely got me sweating in my seat. But these are all experiences that make you a better pilot. I still get anxious even today flying into certain airports that I don’t know as well. There is still a level of uncertainty as to whether I’m performing the procedures as expected, and continued experience is only going to make it better.

The ground school work again was more in-depth and complicated than I expected. It all makes sense now that I have a better understanding of what content needs to be understood, but I may have been caught off guard by how much was needed to be known to become a proficient pilot. Each topic I moved through seemed to be tens to hundreds of slides deep, with references such as the CARS, which were hundreds of pages long in legal speak. I was really surprised at the complexity level. I am generally a quick study on most topics, but I definitely had to work hard just to solidify my knowledge in all the required areas. Even today, I am still working hard to reinforce my understanding in all these areas, and I now understand this as a lifelong process—only further reinforcing the idea that an experienced pilot is a better pilot, no contest.

I continued to study and prepare and finally scheduled my practical simulation test, which is the precursor to doing the actual test. I sat down with the chief pilot, and within 5 minutes, the test was stopped as I got stuck on a few questions that revealed gaps in my study. One of the questions was a bit of a trick question, but the point was well taken. Even with a tricky question, I should understand the topics well enough to recognize when a misleading question was being asked. After going back to my studies, I took the simulation test again, and this time the result was much better, although still a bit of a struggle. It was enough to get approval to move forward with my practical Transport Canada test.

That test was scheduled for another day, and I set aside the entire day to focus on it. The first part of the test was all about my knowledge of the ground school topics, as well as a review of the helicopter mechanics, down to the last control. My anxiety didn’t help, but I got through it without much issue. However, when we got into the air to execute emergency procedures, my anxiety tripped me up, and several of the procedures I struggled with led to me having to come back and try again. Refocusing myself, I practiced mentally and took more practice sessions to refine my emergency procedure execution.

Finally, I booked my second practical Transport Canada exam and went through it with much better results. Though it wasn’t perfect, it was good enough for the examiner to give me a handshake once I landed back at home base. That moment was tricky, but I had my commercial helicopter license! All the hard work and the realization that there was so much more to learn and master was overwhelming, but I was happy I stuck with it and saw it through to completion.

Now what? Since I entered the program with no specific expectations of what would come out of it, I knew I wasn’t under any pressure to see immediate returns. But I did want to do more. The one thing I had learned was that the more I flew, the more I enjoyed it. The better my skills, the better the experience. I loved the idea of sharing my newfound skills with friends and family, and it seemed this might not be the end of my journey. I volunteered with Great Lakes Helicopter, helping with ground crew operations for special events and spray operations. Although the work was at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of helicopter operations, it was still pretty cool.

One thing I didn’t know was that once you get your helicopter license, it’s not common to land a job right away, even if you want it. There were talks about the demand for helicopter pilots, suggesting there was lots of work to jump into, but the reality is that you have to “earn your seat.” This could take a year or two, depending on the pilot and the opportunities available. The cost of getting a helicopter license is significant, and the starting pay is relatively small. The ROI for the training is likely in the five- to ten-year range, not the first year or two. I think there are exceptions, but for many, it takes at least two years to get into a regular flying position with a rate that starts to accelerate payback.

The transition into flying helicopters is not just about the money but about the love of flying. Few pilots I’ve met grumble about this process. Getting into a regular seat requires commitment, a passion for flying, and a willingness to grow into it. I continued helping out with helicopter events, hoping this would translate into me being lined up for a PCC (Pilot Competency Check) and eventually flying as a paid company pilot.

In late 2023, it was confirmed that in the spring of 2024, I’d be lined up for my PCC. In early spring 2024, I started refresher training in preparation for my test. I was surprised that most of my flying skills had remained sharp after a yearlong break. But my emergency procedure skills still needed some focus. However, after my PCC, I could see a noticeable improvement in my skills. It supported the idea that, over time, I would continue to improve. The expectation as a company pilot was that I would be experienced and more capable than someone who just finished their training.

Though I hadn’t flown much since my training, I passed my PCC and was able to officially call myself a commercial pilot with a job. Because I was still doing contract work, I was able to be available for flight opportunities that came up. Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to fly many different events—sightseeing tours, a music video shoot, baby reveals, and more. I’ve done over 65 hours of flight time, including a memorable trip from Calgary to Ontario to ferry a helicopter across the country.

I’m now in a position where I’m excited to be flying and grateful for all the work I’ve put in. I look forward to continuing my progression and doing more flying each year. In the future, I may consider transitioning to make flying my primary focus, but for now, I’m focused on building up my hours and skills, knowing more opportunities will arise.

The journey has been exciting, and I’m incredibly glad I had the opportunity to pursue it at this stage in my life. I look forward to what the future holds. The complexity of the process took me by surprise, and there was a lot of work involved, but I don’t regret it. If I continue to put in the effort, I know I’ll reach the level of some of my instructors. It’s a lifelong journey. While I didn’t feel pressure to turn this into a career right away, the journey would have been much harder without clarity. I’d recommend it to anyone with a passion for flying.

Scott Miller
Commercial Helicopter Pilot