Helicopter Rescue Jobs - What Are They and How to Get One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

As a helicopter rescue pilot, your job is to help provide emergency services in response to sudden needs. In this role, you may keep your helicopter ready to head out on a flight, coordinate with emergency rescuers, and perform various airborne tasks as needed. This job particularly focuses on search and rescue operations, such as finding and recovering people who are lost in the wilderness. Pilots do not provide medical care for rescued passengers, but other personnel onboard might. Related jobs include flight crew, paramedic, or maintenance positions. Helicopter rescue jobs should not be confused with air ambulance jobs. While you may deliver people to hospitals, this job does not always involve rescuing sick or injured passengers and may involve flying into dangerous situations.

The primary qualifications for getting a helicopter rescue job are a helicopter pilot's license and several years of experience flying helicopters in various situations. The necessary license for a helicopter rescue job varies slightly by employer, but most companies prefer applicants who have at least an airline transport pilot helicopter license, which requires a commercial license with an instrument rating, being at least 23 years old, and having at least 1200 hours of flight time. More experience is always better for this job, so the more time you spend flying helicopters, the easier it is to get a rescue job. Fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of a helicopter rescue pilot requires interpersonal skills, piloting skills, and the ability to adjust your schedule so you can fly out at any time, day or night, to support rescue operations.