Friday, February 12, 2010

Merck's February 4, 2010 "Help Wanted" Ad: Helicopter Pilot


Yikes! As an alert anonymous commenter pointed out this afternoon, at least the New Merck is creating one or two new jobs -- one for a Sikorsky S76 Helicopter pilot (AVI000100 -- put that code into the "Job Number" box, at the previous link); the other for a corporate jet pilot (Code No. AVI000102). Here is last month's approval, from Kenilworth zoning authorities -- to build the helipad; here is the job description (partial image: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, at Right):

Pilot - Helicopter Operations - AVI000100

. . . .Duties include:

Operate assigned aircraft in a safe and efficient manner in compliance with the company schedule and the company Flight Operations Manual, and in accordance with Federal, State and local laws.
• Ensure that pre-flight duties are performed including aircraft inspection, applicable weather conditions, flight plans, aircraft cleanliness and provisions status, weight & balance and fuel load.

• May be assigned as appropriate by the Chief Pilot as Pilot-in-Command or Second-in-Command in specific aircraft.

• Supervise Second-in-Command when assigned as Pilot-in-Command.

• Make decisions necessary for the start, delay, or cancellation of assigned flights, and for the deviation of a flight from its planned route or destination when operating conditions dictate.

• Maintain required pilot and medical certificates and pass semi-annual flight training proficiency checks as necessary for performance of assigned duties and as dictated within the Company Flight Operations Manual.

• Requires working a flexible schedule that may include overnight and weekend duty to satisfy the requirements of the on-demand nature of Aviation Service activities. . . .

Education: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent education and/or work experience.

Required Experience and Skills:
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills

• Minimum Commercial and Instrument Rotorcraft Helicopter Ratings. ATP Preferred.

• Ability to maintain First Class FAA medical certificate.

• Five years of aviation related experience, with a minimum of two years in an on-demand flight environment.

Flight qualifications should include:
• 3000 hours in helicopters with a minimum of 1000 hours Pilot-in-Command time.
• 500 hours in Sikorsky S76.
• 250 hours instrument time.

Desired Experience and Skills:
• 3500 hours total time. Prefer experience operating in NY area, and in an on-demand corporate flight department setting. . . .

Now, as to whether this saves the company money -- (by transforming/avoiding a 45 minute drive, making it a seven minute chopper flight, for Mr. Clark and perhaps three other high executives) -- well, color me extremely skeptical.

7 comments:

Pharma Conduct Guy said...

I wonder if Merck is carbon neutral...ha hahah haha hahahah hahhhaahahah.

Condor said...

Um -- NOT likely.

No way, no how. Pharma operations are (for safety, and purity -- thus of necessity) absolutely vast "plastic packaging" offenders (very carbon spewing/intensive) -- several layers for each individual package. That is unlikely to change.

Moreover, the amount of water used, and fouled, alone will mean pharma manuafacturing could never be carbon neutral -- unless there is a radical technological breakthrough. All that water needs to be retreated (and returned to ambient temperatures), before it can be placed back into the waterways, or watertables.

Semi-relatedly I think the legacy Schering-Plough French sea water nasal rinse will bever leave the continent -- and will eventually be shuttered, as fashion whims in Eurpoe change.

Namaste

Condor said...

Sorry -- I thought the first comment was anonymous -- Hello Eric!

You of course ALREADY know everything I wrote above.

Thanks for stopping by!

Namaste

Anonymous said...

Amazing;

S76s run anywhere from $1.9MM for a 10 yr old model to $5.3MM for newer ones. Pilots cost on average $250K per year (including benefits, etc), maint, fuel & upkeep budget $250K (hour usuage dependent). I guess we know now why the aids drug costs so much....

Condor said...

Sadly, I agree, anonymous.

All so Dick Clark doesn't have to trouble himself -- with a perhaps 45 minute ride, in a (likely always chauffeur-driven) car, on the New Jersey turnpikes -- in traffic. Less than that, at midday.

Namaste

Anonymous said...

Ok, to be fair, it isn't the Turnpike that he would have to travel on (all that often). Rather, it is Rt78 and the Garden State Parkway.

helicopter flight training said...

They probably won't try to cut corners on helicopter training for their new pilots will they? That could turn a 7 minute minute helicopter ride into an eternity!