copter time. Thanks to changing oil prices, the collapse of Silverstate Helicopters (SSH) and an economy in recession, the hiring landscape seemed to change virtually overnight in late 2008. The cutbacks in other sectors of the industry as well as the demise of SSH caused the low to mid time pilot supply to swell. This “fattening” of the pilot pool allowed those GOM operators who were hiring to be a bit more picky in their selec- tion process, which in turn led to an increase of the flight hour minimums to 1500 hours. Additionally, pilots who held an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate suddenly held a valuable com- modity that gave them a competitive edge.
WHAT ELSE DO THEY LOOK FOR? I had a chance to speak with Mr. Jim
Palmer, a 30+ year veteran of the offshore heli- copter industry and hiring manager with Bristow Group. Jim had several pieces of advice and information for the GOM jobseeker.
Question: What is the general hiring process like for pilot candidates?
Answer: In general terms, candidates can
expect a two day - four step process in their quest for employment. • Company Introduction • Written Exam • Flight Check • Oral Interview
Question: What are some of the com- mon mistakes candidates make when they enter the hiring process?
Answer: Candidates need to come totally prepared for an in depth hiring process.
In addi-
tion to flying knowledge and skills, dress is a large part of the way that candidates are scrutinized. Mr. Palmer indicates that
they see candidates
dress in a variety of ways which range from suits to cargo shorts and flip-flops……if you can imag- ine that! He also indicated that quite often can- didates bring incomplete logbooks and inade- quate FAA documentation. Although some of these items may seem small, he says that these oversights can be an indication of how detail ori- ented a person may or may not be as a pilot when working for the company.
WATCH THE VIDEO For more images and Jim Palmer’s detailed
interview comments about getting hired in the GOM, go to JustHelicopters.TV
STAY TUNED FOR MORE Every month we will be adding to this series with continuing articles, pictures and video.
Maintenance,
MORE TO COME Training, Base Living, The Aircraft, Flight
GOM. abcd Following, Flying in the
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