Ame Schools

[Vince]

What schools are best for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering? I thought BCIT was top notch, but I've heard different stories. Northern Lights College has been reccomended, but I was wanting some input from the board on where you trained and wheather it was a good experience or not? Also why does NLC have such a good reputation especially for helicopters?

 

Thanks

[bubba]

What schools are best for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering? I thought BCIT was top notch, but I've heard different stories. Northern Lights College has been reccomended, but I was wanting some input from the board on where you trained and wheather it was a good experience or not? Also why does NLC have such a good reputation especially for helicopters?

 

Thanks

 

Vince it all depends on where you live. Northern lights(NLC) is a good school for helicopters, they have good instructors. Then there is BCIT which is fixed wing oriented (spelling?),but they have got more helicopters lately( Astar, R22, Bell medium)in addition to there Bell 206 & Bell 47 and have recently aquired a very good helicopter instructor.There are also SAIT (calgary) or canador (ontario)or Stevenson (manitoba), None of which I have attended but I here good things about all of them. Personally I did my coarse @ BCIT but have since done type coarses at NLC(AS350) and BCIT(Bell206) and have no regrets about either.

 

Hope this helps

 

Later, Bubba :up:

[Mole]

NLC for helicopters all of the way! :punk:

[rookie314]

It doesn't really matter. NLC is more heli oriented and BCIT is moving that way as well. SAIT is more geared for Airline or corperate work but has graduated many skilled helicopter folks. (I went there and have worked in the helicopter industry for 16 yrs). Look at the location for starters and where you can afford to live. Best of luck as you start your new adventure.

[amodao]

Northern Lights College students were able to collect EI when attending the aviation program if they quit to go to school. It was some deal offered to northern colleges to increase student numbers on offset cost associated with living up north. It may be still in effect, ask the registrars office for more info. They may direct you to aviation department or the EI office for more info.

[arctic_front]

I went to NLC back in the early 80's when it was first starting up. it was a sorry excuse of a college then....but boy has it grown up! I've done three type courses there since the mid 90's and that college rocks now. They cover the basics of all aviation maintenance, but they really have a superior heli program. They have a UH-1H, R-22, AS-350, B-206, Alouette III and a really great test cell for the PT6. Their instructors are top-notch. I've had numerous apprentices that graduated there and all have been first-rate. They finish at a much higher level of training than i ever did, and are ready to go to work right out of the door, some exceptions may have been encountered by others, but not by me in recent years.

 

I have also heard that BCIT is just cranking too many students out the door and they don't get the individual attention some need. I have also found that a lot of BCIT grads are not keen on leaving Vancouver, or bush work...city kids.

 

NLC also has a very nice new Dorm...something they didn't have a few yrs ago....just an old army barracks...YUCK

 

 

My reccomendation would be NLC unless you want to go the airline or fixed wing route, then my next choice would be SAIT, and then BCIT. If you live out east, Canadore would be a great heli-school too.

 

just my opinion.

[MD500]

Basically get school done so you can get a job then start learning how things are really done, that is my attitide being a BCIT graduate. BCIT is crap, their new "helicopter" instructor is awesome but i dont think he's going to be teaching the helicopter level in the AME course as far as i know.

 

Anyone meet a guy named Mr. ****** while attending BCIT, he has one front tooth and is a jackass, and hates helicopters, what a piece of work this guy is.

 

If i had to go start this all over again i would have gone to dawson creek as ive heard nothing but good things about that school.

[twinstar_ca]

md500, that's the kind of personal flame we can do without... i'm removing the name from the post...

[MD500]

md500, that's the kind of personal flame we can do without... i'm removing the name from the post...

 

if you ever met the guy you wouldnt be too worried about flaming him.......

[Guest graunch1]

Don't count SAIT out in the rotary world or GA as they have just acquired a R22 to go with the 2 B206s and the AIII and are getting another light piston twin.