New School?

[STR8UP]

Has anyone heard anything about the new school in pitt meadows, Premier. Am thinking of training there and looking for some advise. Rob Wood is the instructor. Any one know of him. What about the Bell47G4, sounds like a great machine.

 

Any info would be great

[Cole]

Welcom man, search through this forum, someone just mentioned something about it.

 

From what I here Rob's a good guy.

 

G4 is a good machine... Mabey a little slow but only when compared to the other trainers. Also I think it has a low opperation ceiling, but you may want to ask a real helicopter pilot Thats what I was told anyway.

 

However that being said they are really new so I would wait until a student graduates just to find out what goes on. Go for an intro flight, get a feel for the school.

 

Cole

[TopFuel]

Check out TRK helicopters in Langley while your at it. R22, R44, BH06, Ec120, Cessna172, and a new simulator. New cheif pilot. A real first class show.

[Skidz]

Check out TRK helicopters in Langley while your at it. R22, R44, BH06, Ec120, Cessna172, and a new simulator. New cheif pilot. A real first class show.

 

Sounds like a sales pitch ! So, are you a student there ? Instructor ? One of the principals ? Don't be shy TF...

[TopFuel]

Graduated student. Absolutley nothing bad to say!

[mtnhopper]

STR8UP, Welcome, I'm probably setting myself up for some heavy critisism but I'd check out schools that use the robbys or 300s. The 47 is indeed a great machine and always will be but with all due respect to those that train with them there is just not many out there. Even if you do your 206 endorsment it still won't be of much help say in AB where you got big companys running robbys and 300s. As far as the instructor I've heard many good things about him so good luck, hope this helped and fly safe. :up:

 

 

 

MH

[Heli jay]

Rob Wood is a very good instuctor, with plenty of operational experience as well as instructor time. Rob has a talent with comunication, he can get a point across and the student will understand and retain the info. This is a great quality to poccess when your in his end of the industry. I think a potentail student should go talk with Rob prior to making a decision on training. As far as his new school on Pitt,,, it will become a premier school for helicopter training.

 

Check him out.

[zenny]

Check out TRK helicopters in Langley while your at it. R22, R44, BH06, Ec120, Cessna172, and a new simulator. New cheif pilot. A real first class show.

 

 

a simulator? wow .. and a first class show.. yup, i agree with the other guy . you sound like a sales pitch!

 

 

about the new school in pitt meadows . I know

1) that each flight is recorded on dvd ...you can go home and watch your lesson over and over again, you can go over it with the instructor and you can see what your flying looks like. I am sure this makes each flight lesson much more effective.

2) Rob is a first class teacher, he also has industry experience with thousands of hours in the bush as a long line specialist.

3) Every experienced pilot would agree with the fact that the Bell 47 is a excellent/best platform to train on.

Important point since your paying big bucks for every flying minute- pitt meadows airport is 1 minute away from the training area and the mountains.

 

I saw his 47 and it is mint. I also heard he is getting another one.

 

now this is a first class show. go see for yourself.

[Earthman]

Keep in mind these things about new training schools. New schools often do not have a good organized training syllabus and structure. You really need to be at a proven school with a reputable background and one the the industry has respect for. Remember, when you go for that first job, an employer will certainly look at where you trained. If he knows the school and the quality of insruction there, he will be more satisfied. It's best to go to the school in person and meet the instructors and see if you like the vibe of the place. If you thinking the Bell 47, Chinook Helicopters is the place to go. Check them out. I hope this helps.

[kevin]

I am currently training at Premier Helicopter Training at the Pitt Meadows Airport with Rob Wood. When I became interested in a career as a commercial helicopter pilot, I started to do research on all the schools on the west coast. I made appointments at all the schools I felt were top candidates and brought along a questionaire I had made. After I had gone through my questionaire with the flight instuctors, I knew whether or not I was going to further pursue the school and go for an intro flight. After spending some time at each school, it makes your decision where to train easier. It really comes down to the training machine and the experience and personallity of the Instructor.

Premier uses the Bell 47 G4, they have one machine there, and another one on the way. I didn't realize the differences between the G4 and the popular G2 at first. The G4 has a VO 540 engine as opposed to the 435. The VO 540 makes 260 hp and it has a useful load of a 1050 lbs. The G4 could legally sling an R22. Generally we think of the 47 as being quite slow, but that is only because of the wood blades on most 47's are limiting. The G4 has metal blades similar to the Bell 206, these blades bring the machines maximum speed to 105 mph. It makes for quick trips to the training areas, which are very close to Pitt Meadows Airport. The G4 is the only trainer with hydraulic controls, which are found on every working helicopter in the industry. Since the Bell 206 is so popular in the commercial industry it is likely the first machine that new working pilots will fly. The G4 is actually slightly larger than the 206, uses the same tail rotor and has a very similar feel in flight. There is alot to cover in the 100 hour commercial course and there really isn't alot of time to do everything. I stronly believe the G4 will best prepare me for a transition into the commercial industry.

Having the right instructor is the most important part in your training. You need someone that allows you to correct your own mistakes and learn from them. A good instructor will demonstrate the maneuver and than allow you to practice it, correcting you verbally. It's not very often that the intructor has to come on the controls to save you. I have heard countless stories of instructors taking the controls away from students when there was no danger to the aircraft and then flying around joy riding at your expense. It's your education and you can't learn without practicing. An instructor that has real on the job experience will best prepare you for the industry through their countless commercial situations they have experienced in their career . An instructor that spends time with you on the ground, going over real on the job situations will make you a real working pilot, instead of someone capable of passing their flight test.

On a final note, if you are interested in a career as a commercial helicopter pilot, go visit all the schools that interest you. Take the time to prepare questions and interview the instructors, find the one that best fits you! You are the customer and remember you are spending alot of money on your education and your future, get the most out of your money. I choose Rob Wood at Premier and the Bell 47 G4 because it will best prepare me for my career.

 

Kevin