Heli-Tour Ripoff?

[flingwinger]

thats great that you were able to, the reality is most people don't have 50+ in their back pocket. I do think financing the whole thing is crazy, but a portion of is acceptable.

[Daz]

I wouldn't recommend anyone financing their license. I paid for my license out of my pocket. It took longer to put myself in a position to do it this way but it also put me in a position after my training to not be pushed/stressed pigeon holed into making decisions. Debt always limits your opportunities/choices.

 

I agree. I made sacrifices beforehand to ensure I wouldn't be shackled by debt afterwards. I am still motivated, but it's purely by a desire to learn and fly and not out of desperation to make huge loan payments.

 

That said, I do have a student loan, but it's quite small and easily manageable even during periods of unemployment. I also have a seasonal winter job - that I enjoy - which pays the bills. Lastly, 20+ years of earning a pauper's wage in the ski industry has taught me the value of living on not much money.

 

I sure feel for my fellow low-timers who are making a go of it with a $60,000 loan casting a shadow over them. I'm working my butt off to save up for recurrent training (maybe some turbine time), and I can't imagine trying to do that with no job and a huge loan.

 

All that said, there's no way I could afford $25,000 in training in order to get flying no matter how appealing the prospect of flying is. I have no issues with long hours, no problem with lots of non-flying work, and I'm mature enough to interact well with "extreme personalities" , but I just plain can't afford to work there.

[bishop]

Something to think about for anyone considering gettting their license

 

Student loan

 

50,000 @ 5%interest = $23872.77 paid in interest over 8yrs = $73872.77 paid for license while making monthly payments while possibly not even working in the industry.

 

Paid for out of pocket

 

50,000 + $25,000 (25hrs with Icefield earning your Mtn. Course which you will have forever)

= $75,000

 

Simple math, and I'm not saying one way is better than the other. This is not a easy industry to crack and you're gonna pay for your start one way or the other. I think it's best to maximize your investment in this career short term as well as the long term and if you can receive added value to your investment then I believe you'll be ultimately, farther ahead.

[bishop]

"thats great that you were able to, the reality is most people don't have 50+ in their back pocket."

 

I'm sorry but I take offence to this statement. When I decided to pursue this career I had nowhere close to $50,000 in my "back pocket". I worked my *** off for 3yrs/sacrificed many luxuries and saved every penny to put myself in a position to do this because I truly believed that it was the right way to succeed at this. If I can do it anyone can.

[flingwinger]

Sorry I didn't mean for it to be offensive but now that I read it again I see how it came across that way - I apologize.

 

What I'm trying to get at is that if you aren't established in another career beforehand it's going to be very difficult to save for training. Financing is the only option for some.

[bishop]

Sorry I didn't mean for it to be offensive but now that I read it again I see how it came across that way - I apologize.

 

What I'm trying to get at is that if you aren't established in another career beforehand it's going to be very difficult to save for training. Financing is the only option for some.

 

No offense taken.

 

You're right it is difficult and many people will choose to finance the course. Today's society wants it now and wants to pay for it later. Which is fine I guess but is also one of the reasons we are experiencing a recession. Anyone pursuing financial aid for a commercial licesnse should seriously do some research as to what they can expect upon completion and educate themselves as to what they are committing to, which is hard to do. That goes for all educations in my opinion. Go house shopping in Phoenix or Florida right now to experience this first hand. While you're there stop by your local Starbucks and ask your barrista how their business degree is working out for them. I don't want to sound like a downer because flying is a great experience and a rewarding one on many levels. After listnening to the schools narcissitic sales pitch on what it's like to be the "heli hero" also consider what it will be like to be working an odd job with a $1000 month loan payment because that is the reality for many. If you're prepared for either situation then I say go for it. If you're truly prepared

you will succeed.

[__________]

So back to the original discussion I would definitely say that the "Rip-off Report" must have been written by a pilot who left with a negative experience (knows way to much). I would also say that it is a little suspicious that it was written less than 24hrs before it was posted here on Vertical. Trigger do you happen to Google Icefield helicopters in your spare time or just check the ripp-off reports on a regular basis? Being curious it only takes minutes to search a members previous posts which only furthers suspicions to who it might be. Maybe that pilot or pilots where just bored sitting around northern Alberta and had nothing better to do and where looking for a little entertainment............. Although I could be way off here but i would bet on if they check the IP address of the original author of the report that it would come from Alberta and not the U.S. Anyway pretty low and Malicious to post something of that nature on a public website to slander a business.

[pilot5]

Who really cares what anybody else does make the choice who you want to work for based on what fits you.!!!

 

If the guy or previous employer makes you life hard, do whatever you can to return the favour times 10.Even if it means starting a fight with a gorrilla!!!Maybe he wont do it to the next guy.

 

If the employer treats you well and is reasonable and return favour same.and be grateful you are in happy land.

 

Like I have always said there are few- "very few" good companies to work with, the rest are crap!either shiit mgmt -micromanaged to death so that the employee is constantly walking on eggshells. Then you got those companies run complete jerks with sever case of small man complex, power tripping control freaks etc, ect.. So this knowledge should be part of the general equation before making the first step.

 

On the bright side if you luck out and find a happy place then stick to it, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Who these good companies are to work for is really based on what you are willing to put up with and personal preference. Each to his own I guess, some guys like kissing asss and doing the groupie thing others do not and prefer a more sterile non frat club environment.

 

Life is short! Choose wisely.

 

p5

[pilot5]

Who really cares what anybody else does make the choice who you want to work for based on what fits you.!!!

 

If the guy or previous employer makes you life hard, do whatever you can to return the favour times 10.Even if it means starting a fight with a gorrilla!!!Maybe he wont do it to the next guy.

 

If the employer treats you well and is reasonable and return favour same.and be grateful you are in happy land.

 

Like I have always said there are few- "very few" good companies to work with, the rest are crap!either shiit mgmt -micromanaged to death so that the employee is constantly walking on eggshells. Then you got those companies run complete jerks with sever case of small man complex, power tripping control freaks etc, ect..Oh I forgot the overpowering mom and pop out fit with the power tripping wife in ops.. So this knowledge should be part of the general equation before making the first step.

 

On the bright side if you luck out and find a happy place then stick to it, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Who these good companies are to work for is really based on what you are willing to put up with and personal preference. Each to his own I guess, some guys like kissing asss and doing the groupie thing others do not and prefer a more sterile non frat club environment.

 

Life is short! Choose wisely.

 

p5

[SuddenStop]

Flat line or whatever your username is? you seem to be the advocate for Icefield and seem to be in the know of everything icefield? is it true that icefield employs pilots who have been publicly convicted of flying/smuggling drugs across the border? there is only one answer to my question and it is yes. I think that is good enough reason for people to have a sour taste in their mouth about the company and also why people shouldnt be going out of their way to stand up for the company.

I thought long and hard before posting this, lets see what becomes of this post, lets see how this will be stood up for.I didnt mean to kick this thread up another notch but when my friends in Kamloops get a thread about mexican guys and 407s I said why not its only public knowledge. Please do not ask me to name names as all you need to do is google employees of icefield that are shown on promotional videos and then put that name with drug smuggling helicopters it will show the black and white.

 

I'm not sure where you wanted to go with this message, but i fail to see the relevant connection.

If we all dig hard enough we'll probably find the majority of people in this industry have a checkered past covering many topics. from drugs (as you claim Icefeilds staff are criminals in) to drunk driving convictions, to assualt, to anything you can shake a stick at literally. We may even have puppy killers among our ranks.

What I'm getting at is someones past isn't always a reflection on who they are today.

I think your attempt at attacking Icefeilds owner has fallen short of its intended goal.

He may very well be unaware himself of past histories of his pilots, or he may be giving them the second chance many people deserve after they walked down the wrong path under misguided values.

Maybe you never needed a second chance, but I know i did when i was a teen and ended up with an arson charge for throwing firecrackers into a garbage can....who knew it'd erupt into flames???

I got the second chance though. I thank those that gave me that opportunity.

Lighten up francis and let Icefield be Icefeild and run their business under their plan. If it works out, good for him, if it doesn't, we'll all be reading about the Icefield Reunion on these pages in 25 years.