Relevant experience

[ArtDakota]

I am a commercial pilot, smaller general aviation type stuff. Used to working in remote locations throughout Africa, mostly.

Is this background in any way relevant for ROV work?

Thx!

[LNM]

Unfortunately being able to fly an aircraft does not necessarily transgress over to flying an ROV and the actual flying is only a very small part of the job, most of your time offshore is spent diagnosing/ repairing faults and maintaining the system. so a strong technical background is preferred as it is easier to teach a technician be it electrical or hydraulic/mechanical to fly the sub than it is to teach a pilot to be a competent technician.
Do you have any technical background before becoming a pilot ? if so that would be the way to go as companies rarely take on trainees without a technical skill and a few years experience in their given trade.

[rfcno1]

You will also have to wear dirty overalls without any stripes on your shoulder. But you will be given a hat , not quite as smart as your current one.
Also us offshore workers cant have a wee bevy behind the sticks like yous guys. 😕

[ArtDakota]

Thanks for the reply. Basically bush flying with turbines so a fairly good general understanding of hydraulic systems, generators, inverters and electrical buses etc.. as well as diagnosing and fault finding is a pretty big part of our job out here anyway. It’s far removed from the glamorous world of airline pilots. We often have to do at least our own basic maintenance, checking of high and low pressure filters in the hydraulic system etc.. It’s not as good as a ‘proper’ technical background though.

After reading through the forums I’ve decided against any training in ROV’s for the time being and instead I guess what I’m really asking is: Do you think if I tailored my CV around my experience (7 years), that it would get noticed at all?

Point taken about the flying itself and I do understand that apart from some fine motor skills from flying and an ability to fly based on instruments, the actual handling skills are very different.

Previous experiences do include mechanical skills, but only recreational ones as I raced motorcycles and fixed and tuned them.

[ArtDakota]

You will also have to wear dirty overalls without any stripes on your shoulder. But you will be given a hat , not quite as smart as your current one.

LOL good post but no hats here…well I wear a baseball cap myself, keeps the sun off me. We work here out of a bush camp in central Africa to give you an idea. When I was hauling cargo, we wore overalls too, drilling rods and white shirts don’t mix to good 😉

[James McLauchlan]

Don’t get many Dakota Pilots around here but welcome all the same :tup:

best regards
James Mc

[DJansen]

To be honest.. I reckon you’d turn out to be just right for the job.. Bush pilots have got to be practical and resorceful… and level headed too..
After close to 20 yrs ROV’ing I’d have to say that many of the best ROV guys I know came from the most unlikely backgrounds.. and many of the guys you’d expect to be perfect candidates turned out to be useless..

Being an ROV guy is more than technical skills.. it’s about being innovative, creative and being able to think ‘outside the box’.. You also need good people skills and an ability to work as part of a team.. You need a good sense of humour and the ability to work thru problems without getting bogged down by small niggles.. All that plus a hundred other skills that they don’t teach in tech college.. I’ve met hundreds of different guys in my time offshore and most of them have very little in common (apart from being different) Jeees.. we’ve had bakers, ex-squaddies, ex pilots, ex carpenters, ex surveyors 😯 plus hairdressers, submariners and even a couple of farmer types.

It’s more to do with timing.. get your CV on somebodies desk when they need a body and you will get offshore.. But that’s when the real work begins. You’ll either fit in and be welcome back .. Or you’ll be ‘useless’ and NRB’d.. Not that formerly ‘useless coont’s’ don’t get another chance.. and sometimes turn out okay… 😆

Keep trying and you may get your chance.. but I don’t think right now is the best time to get a start..

[ArtDakota]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like your industry is similar to this one in terms of i wouldn’t advise people to break into flying airplanes right now either, just the economic times we’re in I guess. The teamwork side of things and people skills I really enjoy already.

Anyway, thanks again and I’ll just head out my CV and generally try to touch base with as many people as I can to land the first gig, if not now then a year or so down the line.

[Ray Shields]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like your industry is similar to this one in terms of i wouldn’t advise people to break into flying airplanes right now either, just the economic times we’re in I guess. The teamwork side of things and people skills I really enjoy already.

Anyway, thanks again and I’ll just head out my CV and generally try to touch base with as many people as I can to land the first gig, if not now then a year or so down the line.

Have a look in the FAQ section on here (link over on the left) in the section How To Layout Your CV, it may also help.

[James McLauchlan]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like your industry is similar to this one in terms of i wouldn’t advise people to break into flying airplanes right now either, just the economic times we’re in I guess. The teamwork side of things and people skills I really enjoy already.

Anyway, thanks again and I’ll just head out my CV and generally try to touch base with as many people as I can to land the first gig, if not now then a year or so down the line.

Good luck :tup:

[gaz morris]

Hey guys, much like anyone else, I am prepared to spend lots of $$$ on an ROV course with a view to getting into the industry. I am an ex Military Senior Rank (REME/REAME) Aircraft Technician with a British & Australian Military Background.

I have experience maintaining helicopters & supporting ground equipment whilst at sea & deployed to horrible far away places where flexibilty, hard work, lateral thinking and a willingness to get on with it have been the key to keeping the aircraft flying in all conditions. I am Airframes and Engines trade group, so my experience is mechanical/hydraulic with some avionics/electrical cross training and systems knowledge.

I served a 2yr Aviation apprenticeship and have approx 18yrs experience as an aircraft engineer in two armies and currently work as a civilian contractor on military helicopters.

Would any of the big companies be likely to touch me as a trainee without a course??? Would they even look at me WITH a course eg. one of the Scottish based 7wk courses.

Any opinions from the ‘old hats’ or employers would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Gaz

‘ROV Tech/Pilot Wannabe’

[Excableguy]

(My opinion)
At the moment, a course is a waste of money. Even more so for people with Engineering qualifications.
(Fact)
Companies are laying off, rates are coming down, some ships are being laid up and some companies have gone into receivership. why? Because there is a worldwide recession – have you not noticed!

Currently there are more people than places. Read the posts about rates and allowance cuts. Companies couldn’t do that if they were short of people.

[JoeBolt]

I have a lot in common with previous posters in this thread. 3 year military aircraft engineering apprenticeship, HNC, 20+ years experience – fast jet, heavies, helicopters; Europe and Middle East. I also hold a Commercial Pilot’s Licence – (CAA CPL/IR, Multi, MCC) with all ATPL written exams.

I can confirm that it is definitely possible to get a job without completing an ROV course, because that’s what I did. I started with SS7 earlier this year after going through their selection process in September.

I’m not sure that my aeroplane flying experience made much of a difference to me being hired. I was not asked about it during the interviews. There were of course plenty of questions on hydraulics, electrics, electronics and general workshop procedures. They really do want technicians!

ROV flying is more similar to flying a helicopter than to a fixed wing aircraft, so in some respects aeroplane pilot ‘motor’ skills are more of a hindrance than a help. I’m often having to make a conscious effort not to fly it like an aeroplane. (Let’s hope that I don’t also try to fly my next aeroplane like an ROV!)

Unfortunately, things are so quiet that I don’t think it would be easy for anyone to break into ROV right now. I’ve been looking around for aircraft maintenance contract work to keep me busy (and solvent) during my extended periods at home.

[Author]

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