In Reply to: Same here posted by SueL on Thursday, 11. May 2006 at 15:39 Bali Time:
Sue,
While it may be true that some sections of the workforce get huge pay cheques without much in the way of formal qualifications, lollypop men for example, this is not true with respect to helicopter pilots flying to the oil rigs, or most other helo' pilots. Most of them have paid a small fortune out of their own pockets over a number of years to get their professional licences and then, again in most cases, have had to put in their "apprenticeship" hours flying in the bush in the most difficult and uncomfortable of circumstances. Those who are lucky enough to end up flying to the rigs, after doing their hard time in the bush, start off as second pilots and over the years, flying in all types of weather, day or night, work their way up to a captains seat. The structure they pass through is almost identical to that of an airline pilot without the high rates of pay. Most of them do it for the sheer love of flying and get around about the same as a school principal when they reach their peak earning capacity.
Cheers
Maverick