Shifting hands

It’s something veteran Australian pilot and instructor Patrick Smith can attest to, having spent several stints as pilot across almost three decades in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Smith, who is currently chief simulator flying instructor for his company’s AW-139 and Bell 412EP simulators, told Australian Aviation there had been a noticeable “evolution” in the industry since he first arrived in the UAE from Saudi Arabia to work in the oil and gas fields in 1991.

“The guys that are coming in now have some experience but a lot of it is as a single pilot doing tourist flights or ab initio training,” he said.

‘They’re hiring lowtime young guys. There’s no-one else out there.’

“Stepping up from a single-engine to a twin-engine isn’t so bad but it’s also the type of work that the companies do.”

Smith’s Middle Eastern journey started in 1990 when he successfully interviewed for position as a civilian Emergency Medical Services (EMS) pilot in Saudi Arabia, based in the capital, Riyadh.

The role marked a new chapter for the veteran pilot who has had a somewhat unique fixed-wing and rotary aviation career since first gaining his Private Pilot’s License (PPL) in 1974.

Smith spent five years in the RAAF as an air traffic controller before obtaining his Commercial Pilot’s License (CPL) in 1980 and joining Air Mount Isa/Helicopter Operators, initially flying Cessna 206s and 210s on outback mail runs.

“Like all guys starting out, I was interested in the airlines but once I started flying helicopters, I got the bug for it,” he said.

From mustering cattle in north-west Queensland, Smith soon found himself doing charter work in the state’s Far North before joining the Victoria Police Air Wing in 1987 to fly the twin-engine Aerospatiale (now Airbus) AS365C Dauphin. Stints working Search and Rescue (SAR) with a Bell 212 for other operators followed before he decided to take on the Middle East.

“We were still civilians, all the aircraft were on the civil register but operated by the military,” Smith said of his time in Saudi Arabia.

“They had a lot of co-pilots from military and civilian backgrounds that we ended up taking under our wing and training.”

A typical load on a Dauphin comprised a capability to carry two stretcher patients, two pilots, a doctor and an ICU nurse doing mainly hospital transfers.

“The flying was interesting but we didn’t do a lot of it. The Dauphin wasn’t exactly the aircraft for the job. We did most of our missions at night when it was a few degrees cooler,” he said.

“For Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) navigation at the time, they were using Loran-C (hyperbolic radio system), which was something I’d never experienced before.

“In Australia, there was no GPS at the time but on the SAR stuff, most of the aircraft were fitted with a VLF OMEGA inertial navigation system. So going to Loran-C was a bit of an education.”

After moving to more culturally liberal Dubai in 1991 to take up a fulltime position, Smith was exposed mainly to the full spectrum of offshore oil and gas operations.

Following a four-year stint back in Australia from 1996 to 2000, Smith returned to the Gulf working eight weeks on/4 weeks off rotations.
“It was all single pilot and one of the oil fields had about 250 well heads in it. We were doing in the vicinity of 60 take offs and landings a day, sometimes more. We were taking crews out there and also carrying external loads between the rigs and platforms. You had to think on your feet and work out your fuel on the hop,” he said.

“There wasn’t anything like flight duty times back then. Basically you’d start your rotation, do two days offshore, stay overnight on a platform, come back and then do a day of flying “out and backs”. Day four and five was then back out there overnight again.

“The next day you’d start a night shift for on medevac standby from 6pm to 7am for three nights. You had the rest of the day off but then you started the cycle the again the following day.”

Reduced visibility from blowing sand and sea haze come with the territory when navigating the Gulf’s extensive oil and gas operations, with passenger and cargo transport the focus.

With 44 years flying experience on multiple fixed-wing and rotary types in both Australia and overseas, the starkest change for Smith has been the transition from single-pilot to two crew operations.

“When I look back in previous years, all the pilots which companies hired were experienced captains. So when a new pilot came in, he could fly the aircraft from the get go. All you had to do as a line training captain was teach him the routine,” he recalled.

“Nowadays they operate with two pilots. The line training captain’s responsibility has expanded exponentially because due to the market being the way it is currently, they’re hiring low-time young guys. There’s no-one else out there.”

Natural attrition has led to somewhat of an experience vacuum in the industry, with younger pilots largely filling the place of Vietnam veterans who have since retired.

With two crew virtually standard across most companies, Smith says there is now a demand for not only experienced pilots but also instructors.

“It’s a captain-first officer situation. Of course, the progression from first officer to captain depends on the vacancies that become available,” he said.

“It’s also a double-edged sword. It’s cheaper for the companies to hire younger guys but from the point of view of experience and age, probably anyone over 55 would have a little bit of difficulty getting a job because of EASA regulations that require you to retire at 65.”

Less experienced pilots often don’t have time on twin-engine platforms, Smith said, leaving the onus on line training captains to teach them the basics.

“They come in, learn the aircraft and then they’re sitting left hand seat with the line training guys teaching them how to work the radios, procedures and how to navigate one of the biggest fields in the world with over 250 well heads,” he explained.

“Compared to when I was doing it, the line training captains really earn their money today.”

Another challenge is how to get those experienced pilots out of the cockpit and into the simulator as instructors in order to keep up with training requirements.

“One of the difficulties we have is we can bring in a guy with experience but no instructional background, so it can be quite a journey to get him up to a standard that’s going to be acceptable,” Smith said.

“The other side of the coin is the younger guys coming through who have been instructors but still want to stay flying. So there’s a gap there where it’s hard to get experienced guys who are good instructors and who want to instruct full-time.”

Indeed, when it comes to flying hours, the bar is now lower for pilot applications than they were in the heady days of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s when pilot ranks worldwide were dominated by Vietnam veterans.

Smith recalled how his first application for a position in 1988 was rejected despite him having amassed about 8500 flying hours including 4000 hours on helicopters.

“I had off-shore oil rig experience and an Australian SCPL (Senior Commercial Pilots License) with instrument rating. One company wrote back and said “Sorry, you don’t have enough experience”,” he said.

“The Vietnam-era group of pilots have now retired. Since there were so many on the market after the war, this has created a bit of a vacuum when it comes to finding the equivalent experience.”

Smith said commercial helicopter pilots wanting to fly in the Middle East today will likely need at least 1000 hours on helicopters, an instrument rating and preferably, an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL).

“The licensing regulations have also changed quite a bit in that time. Before you could come in with just a commercial license and an instrument rating and sit an air law exam with maybe 50 questions. You’d do a training and check ride and basically get the same license,” he said.

“The regulations now mirror EASA. If you come in with just a commercial and instrument rating, to get the ATPL, you have to sit 13 or 15 EASA-style exams to upgrade.

“I’m not saying they couldn’t get a job without an ATPL but it’s a harder road.”

While flying in the Middle East may be an exciting and different experience for commercial heli pilots, Smith admits that currently more lucrative opportunities worldwide and in Australia make it a tougher market to compete financially.

“I think the days of earning big money in the Middle East are finished,” he said.

“For what they’re paying for pilots in the off-shore and EMS industries, it’s more competitive back in Australia compared to the Middle East. There’s a lot of good jobs that have come up in Australia and they’re quite well paying compared to what they used to be.”

Like several service industries in the Middle East, a large expat community exists amongst the commercial helicopter pilot fraternity.

With the military and police soaking up most of the local flying talent, Smith said pilots from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the United States, Europe and the Far East are often working side by side in a busy operating environment.

“Language and communication can be a bit of a challenge when you throw that into working in offshore oil fields,” he said.

“For instance, you’ve got a mix of foreign nationals, whose English is a second language, working as communications officers and medics on the rigs and as air traffic controllers, so communication can be a bit of a challenge.”

Expat pilots choosing to work on a Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) basis will typically stay six or eight weeks in country before having six or four weeks off respectively.

“These days you might work for six weeks or eight weeks and over a 28 day period you’re entitled to seven or eight days off which is totally free of duty,” Smith added.

“So you work hard but the time off compensates. The flight and duty regulations are more generous than previously.”

For those choosing to live in country, Smith, whose two sons did their primary schooling in Dubai, said companies offered both families and single pilots a modern, cosmopolitan lifestyle with the ability to the travel the world at your doorstep.

“The benefits probably aren’t what they were in the past, but if someone is on a contract they call “married accompanied”, where they can bring their family, most companies provide a package including an allowance that enables you to rent a house or an apartment,” he said.

“There will be some compensation for school fees and there’s no end of schools available but it is expensive. You could compare it to what you would pay for a private boarding school in Australia.

“It’s also a great life for a single guy because you can still use your time off to travel out of Dubai or Abu Dhabi. You’ve got Etihad and Emirates at your doorstep so you can go anywhere in the world.”

Smith admits life in the Midde East can have its challenges, such as the need to be aware of the local customs and traditions.

“You’ve got to be prepared to expect change because it’s not the same as being at home,” he said.

“You have to remember that you are a guest in a foreign country. You have to respect the culture and keep an open mind. There’s never been any major cultural issues that have had a negative influence on my experience. It is an ongoing life education that you just take it in your stride. In fact, you can become spoiled here because of the safe lifestyle it affords”.

For Australian pilots considering a career in the Middle East, Smith advises that online applications are the now the best way of getting a foot in the door.

“The old boy network of picking up the phone and having a chat has kind of died off,” he said.

‘I think the days of earning big money in the Middle East are finished.’

“Most of the companies now have their own HR departments and you have to apply online for a job. The old boy network can work to a certain extent when it comes to giving references for somebody but basically the initial step now has to be through contacting the HR departments of the various companies.

“Most companies in this neck of the woods advertise in different aviation magazines and media.”

While a pure financial incentive may not be there, Smith believes the Middle East offers several advantages to pilots wanting to prove themselves in a challenging and unfamiliar overseas environment.

“It’s a good experience and anyone that’s worked over here has always been able to go on and apply for better jobs elsewhere,” he said.

“My career has been a pretty awesome ride and if I look back, the highlights would have to be the mail runs and cattle mustering in the outback when I first started, EMS work and flying in the oil fields in the Gulf where you have to think on your feet.

“Management positions I have held were ok but do not compete with being your own boss in your own office and doing pretty different and unusual work.”