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"hot pilot." We might keep this in mind when it comes to hiring personnel.

The Personnel Committee will also be interested in the amounts and methods of compensating employees. The helicopter pilots flying the scheduled air mail operations average about $550.00 a month while non-scheduled helicopter pilots usually average about $650.00 a month on a yearly basis. Quite often this is divided up into a monthly base salary of approximately $400.00 for the non-scheduled pilots plus a bonus based upon their gross earnings for the company. Mechanics' salaries vary between three hundred and fifty and four hundred and fifty dollars a month. Fixed salaries have been tried as well as various bonus plans and the incentive system very definitely appears to be the best for pilots with a non-scheduled commercial helicopter operator.

Employee morale is especially important with a helicopter operator. Quite often a pilot-mechanic team will be working away from the main base for several weeks or even months at a time. Since they may be the only representatives of the helicopter organization in an area, their conduct will reflect upon the entire organization. It therefore becomes important to select personnel who can be a credit to their employer.

Non-schedules operations often require that these pilot-mechanics teams make important decisions with respect to company obligations and responsibilities. It is therefore necessary to train these roving salesmen-pilots so that they are able to act for the best interests of the company. They must have a knowledge of the company's insurance policies, corporate structure, cost differentials and bookkeeping methods. They must carefully consider any precedent-setting actions and they must be pleasant and honest. In addition to these qualifications, the men must enjoy traveling.

This last requirement is quite often the most difficult one to cope with. Pilots and mechanics working for the non-scheduled operators are required to travel extensively and quite often out of the country. Married men sometimes enjoy this, but sooner or later their wives object. Single men are usually more satisfactory for these traveling jobs and their morale remains higher. On the other hand, if the operation is a type that precludes much traveling jobs and their morale remains higher. On the other hand, if the operation is a type that precludes much traveling it is more desirable to employ married men because of their greater stability.

One factor contributing to the morale of a small company is the quality and variety of work ahead of each man. The jobs are always interesting and the men are continually expected to do just a little more than they thought they could. Mistakes are made more rapidly and consequently the rate of learning is accelerated. Each man should be kept keenly aware of his own strong points and weaknesses. It is the type of situation that may be spoken of as self-energizing once the proper personnel are selected, and morale tends to remain high.

Probably the most important action contributing to high morale in a company, however, is to treat employees as responsible, intelligent gentlemen. Expect the best of each man and you will help to bring it out in him. Since practically all employees are sincere in their efforts to do an honest day's work when they join an organization, it is usually a direct reflection on supervisory personnel when the employee does not perform satisfactorily. As soon as it becomes apparent that the employee is not carrying his own weight, his superior should immediately talk the problem over with him on the man-to-man basis. Procrastination at this time costs the company money, decreases efficiency, lowers the morale of everyone, and generally makes a mountain out of a molehill. Ignoring the problems or the employee is indicative of second grade, "I don't like you. You can't play with me," type of thinking and disappears as executive caliber increases. Some constructive criticism and a bit of guidance a this time is the proper way to handle the situation. Employees are a lot like automobile engines, you know. While there may be some Texas "Oillionaires" who turn in their Cadillacs when they get dusty, most of us cannot afford such extravagance. When our automobile engines are not working properly, we don't get rid of the engine, we tune it up. Employees need "tuning-up" too. We know that when these practices were followed with employees in West Coast Helicopter operations, the results were excellent.