Also called: Long-Line Pilot, Heavy-Lift Helicopter Pilot
Flies heavy-lift helicopters that carry logs, power-line towers, and air conditioners on a long cable.
A long-line pilot hovers over a steep forest, leaning out of the cockpit to watch a 200-foot cable as the ground crew hooks up logs, then flies them to a landing. Precision and nerves are everything.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 5 years after high school. Commercial helicopter certificate plus thousands of hours and specialized long-line training.
Ways in: Certification, Military. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). BLS 2025-35 projection band for SOC 53-2012: Faster than average (5% to 6%).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Unmanned K-MAX lift helicopters have flown cargo, so some routine lifts may go remote by 2036; precision long-line work stays mostly human.
Classes: Physics, Pre-calculus, Earth Science (weather), Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2012.
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