DENVER SILCOCK - PICS
(see posting on Friday 21 July 2006)

DAVE BELL - NEW ZEALAND

(pic to come soon!)

Finished my license in 2000,sat my commercial test on the 27th november 2000 i think and passedAfter a short trip back to NZ to visit family i headed up to Cloncurry with another student (nick Talbot) and worked on a cattle station,'Brightlands',riding horses mustering cattle while making what seemed like a million phone calls a day to try and find a flying job.

After three months of bouncing around on the back of a horse in the dust me and Nick both moved to another station 'Balfour Downs' near Newman in WA.Nick started to get a small amount of flying but i was onstuck on a motor bike or in a bull catcher.

After about two months I got an offer from another station that sounded a bit more promising so I left Nick there and headed west again and ended up on 'Gogo' station in Fitzroy Crossing WA.As luck would have it i did begin to get some flying,

In the remainder of that year (6 months ) i got 105 hours in the R22 which included a little bit of nustering but mostly just general flying.After a trip back to NZ for a couple of months in the wet season i returned to Gogo and moved up the pilot ladder a bit and began to do more flying,450 hrs for the year,the majority which was mustering.Once again i headed back to NZ for the wet season to escape the dust and flys.I returned to gogo at the start of the following season and was now in the position of being one of the two head pilots and did 750 hrs flying for the season-again mostly mustering.

I had now logged up about 1423 hrs.The station life was good and enjoyable with a good group of guys but was hard work.As pilots we mustered but also did everything else,as pilots tended to be there for a few years we were incharge of alot of went on and often found ourselves running alot of day to day jobs.Days were long with 3.30am breakfasts and 7.30 pm dinners and working all day in the heat and dust.Great experience and great fun which i believe paved a great path and appreciation for the future in the industry.

At the end of that third season i left the station life and headed to Cape York Helicopters in Cairns.I was based on Horn Island,about 15 miles off aussies tip (cape york),flying R44s in general charter operations.Work was mostly over the ocean up to 123nm out to sea,but also included regular work all over the cape.Work varied a bit with some sling work,surveying,filming and even a few search and rescues.After 18 months for cape york i had got about 1000 hrs in the R44 and a total of about 2450 and began to look for a move in to turbine machines,,not having much luck at that i began look at going to Canada for a season but my visa was taking a while to sort out so while waiting for that i moved to emerald and worked for Reid Heliwork,again flying the R44 mostly doing powerline inspection work.

Finally my Canadian visa came through so in May this year I headed to Canada.After about 3 weeks converting my aussie licnse to a canadian one-which meant sitting a full commercial exam and full flight test i guickly got a job for a company called Bailey Helicopters flying a Jet Ranger in the oilfields of BC and Alberta.After about a bit over 2 months i have got about 270 hours up in the jet ranger.

One of my most enjoyable flying experiences was being the pilot for a 2 week job with Steve Urwin ( the crocodile hunter) which involved flying steve around and setting and moving traps by sling load and filming and even the odd bit of lying on the back of crocodiles!!!!

Maybe a not so enjoyable experience was being on a cattle station when one of the ringers walked in to the tail rotor of running R22 that a good friend of mine was flying-luckily he survived pretty much as good as new with only a few scars and my friend is still successfully flying jet rangers and squirrels back in NZ.

Always remember your safety stuff and watch out for passengers -they are always (knowingly or unknowingly!!) trying to make you have a really bad day!!!!!

My advice to new guys out there is if you want it you will get it,always be prepared to do the hard yards for your start and beyond-employers,managers and chief pilots out there are always looking and always asking more established pilots about the new guys that turn up or are seen around, remember that in this EXTREMELY small industry (i have met large amounts of aussie guys over here in canada that worked in the same places as me and know/worked with some of the same guys!!!) your reputations is all you really know you have and it is very valuable in the industry if its good and very distructive if bad.And with fewer pilots seeming to have the hours that some of the bigger companies want there are good oppurtunities for lower time guys if they have the right reputation and attitude.

I remember the days when to work in PNG you needed like 10,000 hrs and it seemed it wasn't even worth trying,if you get a chance have a look on the AFAP jobs web-site,those hours requirements are down to like 3000hours and even less now days!!!

Have the right attitude,work ethic,remain safe and keep your reputation-for good or bad you are always being watched and boss' are always looking for new pilots.And remember all the hard yakka--IT IS SO WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!
Safe and happy flying.

TUNUI WANO - NEW ZEALAND

I graduated from the flying school in April 1999 at a ripe old age of 40, then toured northern Queensland & the Northern Territory looking for the elusive 1st Job.

I landed a hanger job with Heliwork in May 1999 cleaning & paint-stripping aeroplanes and helicopters.

I’m currently employed with Jayrow Helicopters in the Northern territory flying a Jetranger, and am now due to start with Helicopters Australia in early Sept working out of Perth airport.

I’ve got 3,700hrs.

I have worked with a number of Mikes students over the years, most of whom are progressing well in the industry.

My worst experience would have to be, having my wings clipped by power lines.

Advice to students – Work hard.

DARRIN SMITH - AUSTRALIA

When did you leave Beckers? CPL-H flight test 3rd Sept 04

What did you do after you trained with us? Initially went back to my former career as a diesel mechanic to replenish the bank account. Began the job hunt in earnest around Feb 05. Found myself in Cairns for a Roby Safety Course. Did a lot of door knocking around there and made a couple of contacts. One contact panned out to a start as a back up pilot for Skysafari in Cairns. That was early April 05.

What are you doing now? Typing this update….. in between studying for chief pilot approval.

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? Now flying for Skysafari in Katherine N.T. We have the contract at Katherine gorge. Two R44’s, three pilots. Predominately tourism, but with a sufficient variety of other work to keep from flipping out. Some of the entries into the log book so far are….. incendiary dropping, fire plot surveys (requires numerous confined area bush landings), dingo baiting, aerial culling, fire spotting, croc surveys, medivac’s, filming and photography.

Mike was in the neighborhood recently so I took the opportunity to finally get my sling endorsement. Now I think we should buy a bucket……

How many hours have you flown? 849.7 ( you know it’s not enough when you still include the decimal hours )

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? I try to….. long hours.

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? Have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to fly over some of the best real-estate in the country. Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rain Forest, Flinders Range’s, the Gulf country, Arnhem Land and Kakadu….. and lot of places in between. (oh, and of course… the Sunshine Coast). But prolly the most memorable was just after landing my first job, when I got to pick up a brand new second hand R44 Clipper from Airlie Beach and fly it to Cairns….. my very first task as a commercial pilot. And it just happened to be my birthday. Magic!

Advice to new students? Be prepared for some long days and understand there’s a lot more to aviation than just the flying. At this end of the career there are many and varied tasks you will be expected to do……. and smile doing them. ( emptying chemical toilets …… mmmhh, my favorite )

Best of luck, and…….. don’t give up……. Ever!

FERGUS PONDER - AUSTRALIA

When did you leave Beckers? November 1996

What you did after you trained with us? Mustering pilot at Webb Helicopters

What are you doing now? Heavy lift external load pilot at Midwest Helicopter

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? United States, Sikorsky SK58T

How many hours have you flown? over 5000

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? Some, Jason Schellaarrs and occasionally Floyd Forster

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? Alaska (best) and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina (worst)

Advice to new students? Go for it ("It" being the dream)

ALAN BELL - SCOTLAND

When did you leave Beckers? 2001

What did you do after you trained with us? Mustering, tourism, instructing

What are you doing now? Partner and Director in a Flight school

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? R22, R44 and Bell 206 Longranger...jsut going to fly the Bell 222 yeah...Airwolf baby

How many hours have you flown? 1000

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? Yes quite a few and recently recommended one for a job in Scotland which he got

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? Best...mmm so many. Flying around the Lochs in Scotland, Flying an R44 around Arizona, taking my 85 year old gran flying

Advice to new students? Do keep the faith, if you want it enough you will make it Whether you say you can or you can't...your right