School Reputation Vs Job Offering

[rotorheadrob]

Cap,

 

The next time you want to PUNCH some one in the mouth make sure of your aim. If you would like to know how different a flight training program can be, call me any time. 1-866-9Bell47 ask for ROB.

 

 

Your comment was painted with a wide brush. Not all FTU's belong in this category. Some do a better job than others. Some care about the students success. Some schools turn down students who don't have the right attitude. Some of us work our A S S E S off to ensure our students stand out from the rest. Some of us do it because we love it. If a CFI doesn't trust a student enough to sling into a confined area solo, then how can the industry use them. A low time pilot with out a mechanical background and doesn't know how to put the wheels on is useless. The education should be how to be a commercial PILOT not get a commercial license. You are right, thats a lot of wet behind the ears pilots out there. Schools are accepting everyone, and no one is ensuring the standard. I have said it before and I will say it again, you can build a better 100 hr pilot. The problem is simple, you don't get paid when you are teaching in the hanger, But some of us do the extra to ensure we can take pride in their abilities! Every student who has graduated from Premier can take my grandkids into a confined area any time.

 

Most FTU's sell there machines with the line, underpowered is good for you, ( even though it can't lift anything )or how about a CFI lobbying Ottawa to remove full on auto's from the curriculum. If students would demand a better education and our industry will continue bring in the guys who do the extra, then you will see the bar rise. I would love for a CP to give me a qualifying specification, then all his low timers would be at HIS standard, Which would be great because there doesn't seem to be a standard.

 

Hepac should make this their first priority.

 

 

 

I take pride in every Premier graduate, they work harder, put in longer hours, see more, do way more, and are ready for the next phase of their career.

 

Rob

CFI

Premier Helicopter Training!

[Skidz]

I did my training at Helicraft in 2003. About a year and a half after I graduated, they hired me. I've been working for them ever since.

 

There are no guarantees when you take your training. When I shopped around for a school I used the list of questions from Heli-College Canada (Lyle Watt's outfit). That was my starting point.

 

http://www.heli-college.com/articles/11questn.htm

 

I visited and took intro flights at both Passport and Helicraft (Fox air didn't exist at the time). I finally based my decision on the following factors:

 

1) training aircraft (I liked the Schweizer 300 better than the Robinson R22 for training)

 

2) flexibility (I had to keep my day job and train around that. Helicraft were willing to be flexible for that, whereas Passport were less so. That may have changed since then at Passport.)

 

3) employment prospects (Helicraft operates about 15 turbine helicopters vs 2 for Passport)

 

4) proximity (Helicraft is 5 minutes away from home)

 

As far as everything else goes, the two schools were pretty much identical.

 

It's a small industry. Poeple move around from company to company. Passport's former CFI is now our CP.

 

Bottom line is, your employment prospects are much more about you than about the school you attend. If you do a search of the archives of this forum, you'll find a wealth of tips, tricks and general advice that will help you.

 

Obviously, if you plan to fly in the Rocks, and you can afford to move out there, go get your training out west. If you need to keep your day job during training, then choose a school that will allow that (as I did).

[67november]

The next time you want to PUNCH some one in the mouth make sure of your aim.

 

I will not fault Cap for this statement as there are way too many "puppy mills" churning out pilots and AME/A&P'S. both north and south of the border.

 

"For the record" you are my first choice for advanced training in B47's on longline, mountain, bucket training, etc... nothing south of the line can provide more experienced training than what is done there.

[Helilog56]

If students would demand a better education and our industry will continue bring in the guys who do the extra, then you will see the bar rise. I would love for a CP to give me a qualifying specification, then all his low timers would be at HIS standard, Which would be great because there doesn't seem to be a standard.

 

Hepac should make this their first priority.

 

Rob raises some good points.......but perhaps the "lack" of education, lies within the management of a lot of operators (ie: C.Ps, DOMs, OMs, Owners)?

Input required here............ :bleh:

 

Students, do not have the knowledge to ask "all" the right questions.....and what we want to do at HEPAC........ is raise that "bar" for all.

[Skids Up]

I will not fault Cap for this statement as there are way too many "puppy mills" churning out pilots and AME/A&P'S. both north and south of the border.

 

 

It's always a bit scary when we start talking about the "number" of pilots the industry is turning out and how many there should be. Who would you have liked to decide if you could be a pilot?

 

Are there too many gas stations, lawyers, politicians, etc., etc.,? Who decides who is capable of becoming a pilot extraordinare? I wouldn't have wanted anyone to make that decision about me!

 

Flight training schools are a BUSINESS! Just like car plants, lumber mills, shoe stores...

 

What would happen if "someone" decided that there would only be a need for 20 pilots, so only 20 students could be taught?? Which one of those would you want to hire?

 

I completely agree that school should HAVE to disclose the truth about the industry, hire rates, ops requirements, etc., etc., but if I want to pay to become a pilot, chef, truck driver, etc., then I should be able to spend the money and go for the gold. Maybe we should only allow 3 people to compete in the Olympics - then everyone gets a medal.

 

Nobody "owes" you anything. But if you seek the best training there is, no matter what field you choose to be in, it's there, whatever you want.

 

How bad do you want it? That's what separates he masses...

 

Lets be very careful about the amount and kinds of controls we think there should be.

[tender]

Thanks for all the info! Looks like it's a gamble either way! Skidz, thanks for the question, good place to start. I have my medical, and have visited the schools yesterday. They all have their strengts and weaknesses but one thing I don't get is how someone with less than 250 hours PIC can expect to teach someone about the industry and how to fly for that matter. Personnally, if I will take knowledge from someone, I will look for a mentor that has done what I plan on doing. If I want to work in the woods, mountains, long line I will learn from someone who worked in the woods and has contacts at those companies. If I show him that I'm a driver, won't his reference hold a certain weight afterwards when prospecting for a job? Also, I've browsed for hours on this forum and seems like it's all about the attitude in the end. Different schools have different attitude and just by visiting them, you clearly see where your personality will fit.

 

So here’s the plan, tell me how it sounds….Take the CPL in Montreal, part time over the next year to year and a half, which will enable me to pay the program in full and not be in debt one I’m done. (Just had a look at that law suit in the US) Then build up my hours a bit here if they have the hours, if they decide, if, if, if…. They move to BC and take a mountain course and ATPL with IFR rating. So, how does that sound? Realistic? What kind of positions would exist if I could do this?

[Skidz]

Tender,

 

Good luck in your training. I don't see much fault with your plan.

 

As far as your comment about instructor experience, I do agree with you. Thing is though, the low-time instructor is going to teach you the basics of flying. The high-time instructors will be doing most of your emergency training and the more advanced stuff and polishing you up for the check ride.

 

In an ideal world, all instructors would be 10000 hour veterans, and as a general rule, schools in western Canada do have higher-time flight instructors than eastern schools. Dunno why, but that's the way it is.

 

In my personal experience, the instructors I had didn't necessarily rate according to their flight experience. An instructor can have 50000 hours, but if he's a lousy teacher you're better off with the 350 hour class IV instructor who really likes what he's doing and has the ability to teach.

 

As far as the osmosis thing goes, you have 100 hours to gain enough proficiency to pass your check-ride. No matter how many hours your instructor has, he won't have much time to show you tricks of the trade. If he does spend alot of time "demonstrating" his skills, that's time you're paying for that isn't going to your training.

[tender]

Very true Skidz. Thanks for the feedback!

 

Phil