Flying "The Canyon": Careers in Helicopter Operations
How would you like to fly a helicopter in and out of the Grand Canyon and then take in a scenic night flight over the Las Vegas "Strip?" You might think we're describing a dream vacation, but in fact, are talking about a rather fun way to make a living in aviation.

Typically many aspiring pilots set their sights on large fixed-wing airplanes, but there is a world to discover in the helicopter industry. For example, we recently met up with Capt. Chris, a senior pilot from SunDance Helicopters, one of Las Vegas' premier charter and sightseeing operations. The company's base is right on the Mcarran International Airport property and serves as a busy hub of the company's growing Eurocopter fleet of EC 130 "Squirrel" single-engine helicopters. In all, seventeen helicopters total the company fleet, including 3 four-passenger Bell Jet Rangers and 14 six-passenger Eurocopter Astars.

Aerial Diversity
Sundance Helicopters is the most experienced and largest helicopter company in Nevada but normally operates throughout the Southwestern U.S. (Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California) and Baja, Mexico. Founded in 1985 as Helicopter Services of Nevada, the name was changed to Sundance in 1993. Since then, the company has made a name for itself in various capacities. The company is an FAA approved Part 135 Air Carrier, which allows it to operate a variety of flight services, including city tours and excursions to nearby attractions in the Las Vegas area, such as Hoover Dam, Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon. Sundance also provides helicopter services to a wide variety of customers in different industries and government agencies. Its government work includes military transport contracts, fire fighting, natural resource agency operations, vertical lifts, and aerial survey work. Sundance has several helicopters and pilots "carded" by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Aircraft Services.

Sundance also has extensive experience with film & video charters, with film pilots that transport people and equipment for film hoots. The company also works in aerial photography and film work with credits including: Oceans 11, Miss Congeniality2, C.S.I. (5 years), Las Vegas, and the Billboard Awards (4 years)

Working with Helicopters
Planning to look for helicopter jobs or careers? Working as a helicopter pilot can take you into many different industries, all over the world. Helicopter pilot opportunities include training, offshore support, fire fighting, law enforcement, agriculture, pipeline and utility support, sightseeing, executive transport, fishing, EMS (Emergency Medical Services), search and rescue, logging, test piloting, and more. It can be a rewarding and satisfying career path.

There are generally two paths to pursuing a career flying helicopters: the civilian path and a military career. If you're thinking about the military option, please contact a recruiting office nearby and get the details from them. Read the small print carefully. Please realize, however, that as a military pilot, you are a military officer above all, with all of the attending duties, responsibilities and commitments first, and a pilot, second.

A popular way to build flight time with any kind of flying is via working as a flight instructor. For example, when hiring instructors, Hawaii-based Mauna Loa Helicopter Pilot Schools, prefers to hire instructors that have graduated from their in-house Professional Pilot Program. Company officials say this provides a continuity of training that includes learning about local air and weather patterns. The school maintains the following philosophy: “By maintaining a constant level of employment for our graduates, we are also releasing a constant flow of experienced and knowledgeable pilots out to the rest of the helicopter industry. “ Job placement within the company will depend on the school’s demand at the time of graduation as well as the individual’s performance and professionalism. Typically, Mauna Loa Helicopter Pilot Schools hires anywhere from 70 percent up to as much as 100 percent of their graduates.

Of course, pilots are just a small portion of the larger workforce dedicated to helicopters. After all, there are many jobs in manufacturing, maintenance, dispatching and administration to name a few. In fact, this is a quick introduction to helicopter careers and Avjobs Weekly will develop in-depth job-specific profiles for careers in and around helicopters. In the meantime, we invite you to read more about helicopter pilot jobs and other related careers via Avjobs powerful online resource. We also invite you to learn more about these careers via The Professional Helicopter Pilots Association’s website and online resources from Helicopter Association International.

Come Along for the Ride
While Sundance Helicopters operates a variety of flights, its most popular excursions are trips to the Grand Canyon. We joined “Capt. Chris” for open of these remarkable trips to a true natural wonder. Our video crew joined a typical Grand Canyon Picnic excursion, where we fly into the depths of the Grand Canyon and then land deep inside it for a champagne picnic below the canyon rim. Our tour includes low level flight over Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and extinct volcanoes. It then culminates with Conclude with an exciting view of the Las Vegas strip. So, come along and join us for the ride, including a brief chat with Capt. Chris as we take a break in the majestic Grand Canyon.