The first thing you should consider is why you want to be a helicopter pilot. As wonderful as it is to fly, you must understand that will be a costly endeavor and will require a lot of time and capital. This can be done slowly over time if you just want lessons but if you plan to make a career out of flying, you are going to have to commit that this is the path you want to take. Some Helicopter Schools charge as much as 5000 dollars just for basic training and instruction.

The next bit of business is to make sure you pass the physical. All helicopter pilots are required to pass a special physical to make sure they are fit to fly. This is not too difficult to pass but it something to keep in mind. When you have this out of the way, you will need to start researching helicopter schools. You shouldn’t have a problem finding a local school. You can call your local airports and heliports who will point you in the right direction. Another place to look is online. There are quite a few helicopter school directories that will give you local results. If all else fails call your local community colleges and university as they sometimes have programs. This is actually a good way to go if you want to become a commercial pilot.

To continue on about commercial piloting, it is very important to find a school that specializes in your field of interest. For example, the requirements will be far greater to become a law enforcement or government pilot. The good news is that you can apply for grants and special programs to cover your training and school costs. Corporate and ENG (Electronic News Gathering) will be much more relaxed as far as piloting goes but a lot more stressful in terms of having to be on call more frequently, especially when it comes to EGN. Corporate can be anywhere from personal transport for global companies or drop off/pick up for oil rigs.

All the careers mentioned are available to anyone who has the drive and the determination to be a helicopter pilot. With a large portion of Vietnam Era helicopter pilots heading towards retirement, there is great compensation and benefits as it is vital to replace them with a new generation of well trained pilots. When you do enroll in class do not miss any days or lessons. This is not like your History class you can blow off. You need to take this very seriously as you will be responsible for the lives of others. Now that you have a basic outline, it’s time to write up a plan and get working on your dream.

Pilot cars means that you’ve seen them – pickup trucks or cars driving in front of a tractor trailer pulling a very wide load. And the people who drive them are professionals who specialize in that form of driving. You may have thought that those cars and trucks were part of a team, but in fact the pilot car driver is usually someone contracted to get the load through a particular state. So what does it take to be a pilot driver? Read on and find out.

There is a certain amount of equipment your vehicle will require. For instance, you will need a fire extinguisher, a CB radio, flags, and an oversize load sign. It goes without saying that you need a highly reliable vehicle capable of handling long drives. It is important to have the equipment required by the states in which you work. Equipment requirements can vary from state to state

Gathering together the equipment you need is the easy part. The hard part is living the lifestyle necessary to be successful in the industry. The life of a pilot car is very similar to a truck driver in that it requires many hours of driving with limited interruptions. Just like truck drivers, they are paid by the mile. So the more miles you can drive in a day, the more you can earn.

There is one area where these drivers are at a disadvantage relative to their companion truck drivers – the pilot car driver has nowhere to sleep! When the day is done, a pilot car driver must find a hotel. This adds to his time on the road and is an additional expense to consider.

There is also a certain level of danger associated with driving a pilot car. There may be times when quick lane changes or other repositioning is required to accommodate the needs of the wide load vehicle. Timidity is not a trait that will lead to success in this field. Sometimes require aggressive driving.

This type of driving is not something that you should just decide to do with no training. Your best bet to get into the field is to find an experienced driver who will allow you to ride along, and later maybe even drive the vehicle yourself. The wider the load, and the more difficult the situation, the higher the level of training that will be required to drive safely and effectively.

Pilot car driving is not an easy life, and it definitely requires a high level of concentration and determination. But if driving is what you love, and you are willing to live a lifestyle similar to a trucker, then it is a profession that you might find very satisfying.

When an oversize load escort is required, locating qualified pilot cars quickly is critical, and Comdata has your solution. They have developed one of the most comprehensive networks of independent pilot car drivers in North America. With Comdata, your truck is ready to move, accompanied by a qualified pilot car escort, saving you the time-consuming task of tracking down drivers and vehicles.