Flight School Search

[gwk]

On a more positive note we (Central Helicopter Training Acad) will be offering 25 hours of operational experience for four (4) students that complete our course, with course start in september.

 

This will be operational flying.

 

Cheers

H.

 

 

 

Now that,s the way to step up to the plate and put your money where your mouth is, way to go Winnie.

Best of luck picking only 4 from what will no doubt be lots and lots of applications.

[Winnie]

Well we'll see. hopefully we can fill up one class. we'll take up to 8 guys, and that will mean hiring another instructor...

 

So this should be beneficial for everyone.

 

but we obviously need some students for it first...

 

Cheers

H.

[Jurnduegree]

I dont know my credit score, I did have a co-signer. The approved me for 25k, they also approved me previously for 20k with the same co-signer. The funny thing is, if I was a flight school sales person, dont you think I would be adverting my employer?

_________________

Young female drivers

[Jamhands]

Well we'll see. hopefully we can fill up one class. we'll take up to 8 guys, and that will mean hiring another instructor...

 

So this should be beneficial for everyone.

 

but we obviously need some students for it first...

 

Cheers

H.

 

This is the best news I've heard all summer! It's great to see that more schools are beginning to offer opportunities to their students after the 100 hr course. I greatly benefited from a similar scenario at a different school and consider myself incredibly lucky and incredibly thankful to the owners. In my opinion becoming a helicopter pilot is a profession that should involve some kind of apprenticeship. I've spent the last 2 years ab initio flight training and I'm sure you other instructors can relate that 100 hrs is a very short time frame in order to teach someone everything they need to know in order to be a commercial pilot. Would a 125 hr commercial course make a big difference, you betcha, but the tuition is steep enough as it is, so increasing the minimum is not a feasible solution. Not only that but there is only so much that can be taught in a school and the rest has to be in "the real world". Which brings me to my next point, it should not be the sole responsibility of the flight schools to produce useful and safe pilots. Operators need to play an active role in the development of new blood if they expect to have people to do the job right.

 

What we need is more people in this industry to step up to the plate and offer fresh pilots an opportunity to learn outside the 100 hr course. Give them a salary, something is better than nothing, and impress it upon them that although they have a commercial license, they have been brought on to continue the learning process. This is a practice the AME side of the business has been doing forever and why should it be any different for pilots? Bring them on for a season on contract that if they do well they may continue, if not here's the door.

 

I'm not trying to say every graduate deserves a job because I know that many don't. If at least we have some form of system to give the strongest candidates a place to go we are all better off. A commercial helicopter course is a great way to see someone's work ethic, attitude and dedication so it is generally not all the difficult to pick the out the ones that deserve a hand and the one that need an attitude adjustment before continuing. For now we have to rely on some flight schools and a handful of operators that remember what it was like to have 100 hrs and give fresh pilots a chance to continue learning right off the block, and we could use many more to share the responsibility. So kudos to Central Helicopter Training Acad!

 

As a note to the possible students, treat your course like 5 or 6 month job interview wherever you choose to train and the results may surprise you.

 

Cheers.

 

G.

 

[radshark]

I can't speak for all flight training establishments but I've visited Central. It has a brand new, top notch facility with a very experienced instructor. Definitely worth checking them out. Being located in southern Ontario, the weather may be a little better there for flight training in the winter months too.

 

 

[jmoubs]

anyone have any opinions on Premier in Pitt Meadows?? Looking to possibly train there..thx

[Parker77]

I've heard a lot of great things about Rob at Premier, and in my few conversations with him on the phone, i came away with a better feeling than i had with most schools. If your serious about your training, i don't imagine you could go wrong with Premier. I would also give Wendell Maki at KVH a call. He's offering one of the most affordable all turbine courses out there, and i have had a great experience there so far.

[jmoubs]

I've heard a lot of great things about Rob at Premier, and in my few conversations with him on the phone, i came away with a better feeling than i had with most schools. If your serious about your training, i don't imagine you could go wrong with Premier. I would also give Wendell Maki at KVH a call. He's offering one of the most affordable all turbine courses out there, and i have had a great experience there so far.

 

 

Yeah I would love to be able to look seriously into KVH. Unfortunately, just not in the price range for me. Thanks for the info though. Cheers

[megikon]

I went to Chinook in Abbotsford. From what I hear I think only a couple of the same instructors are there as when I attended, but it was a good operation with good equipment. I was flying a few months after I graduated but having a hard time finding work now the way the economy is.

Stay away from chinook helicopters,place is a joke,and ive only seen 1 person gain employment from the school and it was on his own that he did.

[Winnie]

Stay away from chinook helicopters,place is a joke,and ive only seen 1 person gain employment from the school and it was on his own that he did.

 

I beg to differ...

 

Competition to me for sure, but they have a reputation for being a good and serious school...

 

Cheers

H.