What
do you look for when researching helicopter flight schools?
Our desire is to assist you during your research period. We
will answer your questions honestly, we will not pressure you into signing on
with us and we will not make promises that we cannot keep.
Tour
the facility and view the equipment
When on the tour, make note as to whether you are being
introduced to other students, instructors, pilots, maintenance personnel and
management. If you walk away from the tour feeling uninspired, then there is a
chance that the school is not for you.
At CHC, we are very proud of our facility and equipment, and we enjoy spending
time with all visitors.
Establish
a personal contact
The school should provide you with the card of an employee
whose job it is to remember who you are and what your goals are. This person is
available to talk to you on short notice, no matter how many times you call or
how many questions you ask. The ins and outs of the helicopter industry can be a
bit daunting at first. It is our job to take the mystery out of process.
In most cases, your personal contact will be a manager such
as the Vice President, the Chief Flight Instructor or one of his assistants, the
Director of Operations or even the company President.
Demonstration
flight
All helicopter flight schools should recommend that you take
a demonstration flight prior to enrolling just to ensure that the sensation of
flying helicopters is right for you.
CHC offers this half-hour flight for $95 and it allows you to
manipulate the controls. If you book the flight at least one day in advance,
then you can tour the facility and establish a personal contact at the same
time.
School’s
training philosophy
The most effective flight training is designed in a manner
that allows the student to engage in flight instruction and ground instruction
concurrently, and this is paralleled by the one-to-one ratio of
student-to-instructor. Immediately practicing in the air what you learned on the
ground does wonders for the learning curve.
For a full-time student, we encourage you to fly at least
three to five times per week, up to twice each day. Once again, getting into and
maintaining a groove is the key. It is imperative that you find a flight school
with the equipment and manpower to make this happen.
Find a helicopter flight school that is approved by the FAA
under the Part 141 format. This is an important issue because a Part 141
FAA-approved school provides the student with very structured training. The
instructors are trained by the school to perform at a level that is dictated by
federal regulations. The other format is Part 61, which is not approved by the
FAA. Many schools operate under this format. Either they have not been in
business long enough to become FAA-approved, or they lack the managerial
experience that it takes to initiate and maintain an approved program. Some
schools are unwilling to accept the challenges that come with Air Agency
Certificate approval, inspection and renewal.
CHC offers courses in both formats, but the Part 141
requirements pertaining to recordkeeping, management and curriculum is truly the
foundation for our Part 61 program. If you would like to discuss in detail the
differences between these formats, just give us a call.
Training Course Outline (TCO)
A TCO is a training guide or syllabus. The TCO includes all
the lessons that make up the course. Each lesson contains a very detailed list
of all the goals for the lesson, and each goal or maneuver must be performed to
a required standard and signed off by the instructor and student prior to moving
on to the next lesson. There is also a chronological log in each TCO. This log
acts as a master spreadsheet that tracks the training for the entire course.
One of the elements that separate the Part 141 institutions
from the Part 61 institutions is the TCO. The FAA dictates that in order for a
school to submit an application to have a course FAA-approved, it must first
have the required management in place, the required aircraft in place and it
must compose a TCO to accompany the course. Composing a TCO for each course is a
challenging process for the school, but accepting the challenge and getting each
TCO approved gives the school an incredible advantage when training and tracking
students.
CHC has nine FAA-approved courses with accompanying TCO’s,
and all of our Part 61 courses also use TCO’s.
Maintaining records and tracking training
When a student is new to the training process, it is
impossible for them to know whether or not their training is being properly
documented. They are at the mercy of the instructor and institution to ensure
that all training is being documented in a responsible manner. Without the TCO
for accurate recordkeeping, the Part 61 schools rely on the student’s logbook
or another system to document the training. By not having all maneuvers and
ground curriculum literally checked off and signed by the instructor and
student, then how is a student’s primary instructor, secondary instructor, or
Chief Flight Instructor going to know exactly where to take the student during
the next lesson? They are not going to know. The instructor will make an attempt
to guess where you left off. With this guesswork comes added expense, a lot of
added expense. We talk to many Private pilots that attended Part 61 schools who
took their exam after having received 90 hours of flight time (60 hour average
for CHC). This is a disservice to the student.
With the use of the TCO, its highly developed ground and
flight lessons and its chronological log, any instructor will be able to
continue the training with precision. This will produce a pilot who is trained
in a cohesive manner, and it keeps the cost of the training where it should be.
Becoming
a student helicopter pilot
Most of the helicopter flight training performed throughout
the world is in the Robinson R22. The per seat weight limit for this helicopter
is 240 pounds. Because of this, we prefer that our students not exceed 230
pounds, fully clothed. Being a small person is not an issue, but if you are as
tall as 6’-5”, then your comfort level could become compromised. For taller
and heavier individuals, R44’s are available for training.
Upon meeting the above criteria and having enrolled in the
Private Pilot course, you will learn about weather, airspace, how to hover, how
to fly straight and level, emergency procedures and a vast array of other
aspects of aviation. We will prepare you for the computerized Knowledge Test as
well as the Practical Exam, which includes a verbal portion and a flight
portion. On the average, most students need at least 40 hours of ground
instruction and 60 hours of flight time to be proficient enough to pass the
Practical Test.
Towards the end of the Private course, you will know whether
or not you want to continue on with the courses that prepare you to fly
professionally. If you decide to remain a Private Pilot and fly recreationally,
then CHC will rent helicopters to you provided that you maintain currency and
follow a set of CHC guidelines. To carry a passenger, you will need at least 100
flight hours and have attended Robinson Helicopter Company’s Safety Course in
Torrance, California.
Obtaining
a FAA Medical Certificate and Student Pilot Certificate
The FAA Medical Certificate and Student Pilot Certificate
is an all-inclusive document that you receive from an FAA Aviation Medical
Examiner (AME) upon passing a medical examination performed by the AME. You
cannot fly solo without this certification, and we require that you have your
medical when you enroll.
This medical ensures that your vision is at least correctable
to 20:20 and that your hearing is adequate for conversational purposes. Your
blood pressure and heart rate are also checked. If you are a diabetic who
depends on insulin, you will not receive a medical certificate.
Schools have differing philosophies in terms of how they
prepare students for their professional careers. It is common for some Part 61
schools to not even offer the Instrument or Instrument Instructor courses. This
is to the student’s disadvantage on a number of levels. These schools claim
that having the instrument ratings is not important in the helicopter world, and
then they drag out the Commercial and Flight Instructor courses to 200 total
hours. At CHC, by adding a few additional hours to the 200, you will have the
Instrument and Instrument Instructor ratings as well.
CHC believes that there is no substitute for actual flight
time in the helicopter. Some programs consist of students beginning with two
months of ground school first, then moving on to a simulator, and four to six
weeks later, finally getting into an aircraft. At CHC, the ground is integrated
with the flying, and the student begins flying immediately. Training can also be
provided in Robinson R44’s and Bell Jet Ranger’s.
CHC prepares students who are on the professional track with
training to make them instantly marketable to the entry-level marketplace.
Having the Instrument and Instrument Instructor ratings in your resume makes you
more marketable as an instructor, and when it comes time to transition into
turbines, the operator may assume the financial responsibility for the training.
The same is true for external load training.
CHC’s Professional Pilot Program includes the following
courses:
A complete array of Add-On courses is also available to those
fixed wing pilots who wish to transition to helicopters.
Time
period to complete the entire program
For those only interested in Private Pilot course and you are
a full-time (4 days per week, 2-4 hours each day) student with a good work ethic
and good study habits, you should be able to complete the course in three months.
If you are a full-time student in the Professional Pilot
Program, expect 15-24 months for program completion. It is advantageous for the
student to move through the program with uninterrupted flow. To do this, the
school must have the equipment and manpower to accommodate you; otherwise,
flying just once or twice each week can drag training out to two years or
longer. CHC training sessions are 2-hour blocks and are available 7 days per
week.
Costs
To become proficient enough to pass the Private Pilot Practical Exam, expect to spend $19,000, and if you intend to become a professional helicopter pilot, the entire program, including additional costs, is $73,000 on average.
Additional costs include the following. The FAA Medical Certificate is $80, a headset is $350, computerized Knowledge Exams are $80 for each rating and each Practical Test is $400-450. CHC also has a one-time only, non-refundable insurance fee that is required at the time of enrollment. This fee is $350.
Financing
the training
If you need to finance your training, as many do, we offer a loan
program through Sallie Mae
(www.salliemae.com/careerloans). Simply call CHC and request information on this
program, or you can go online to review what this institution offers.
If you are approved and receive a loan, we do not require
that you deposit the entire loan into your CHC account prior to beginning a
training course. Loan funds are disbursed in increments as you progress through
your training. By doing so, interest is accrued only on the funds drawn upon and
not on the entire amount. This can result in substantial savings.
VA
benefits
Job
placement
Be cautious of any company that guarantees you a job. Do
colleges and universities guarantee their students jobs upon completion of their
degree? On the positive side, the entry-level job market in the helicopter
industry is strong and predicted to remain so for many years to come. CHC hires
many of our graduates, and those we do not hire have no trouble finding
positions in the industry. However, we will never mislead anyone with claims we
might not be able to fulfill. Upon request, CHC will provide graduated students
with referrals and a letter of recommendation.
Turbine
transition and external load training
For those students who are interested in receiving turbine
transition or external load training, we have the courses and equipment to
accommodate you.
Getting
started
You have performed your research, visited the schools, taken
a demonstration flight and you have at least a Third Class Medical. You are
ready to begin.
If CHC is fortunate enough to be your school of choice, then
simply call us to schedule an enrollment. Please bring your original birth
certificate and government-issued picture ID or a valid unexpired U.S. passport
to the enrollment. We also require a $750 deposit. Some goes toward the
insurance fee previously discussed, and the remainder is applied to your books
and flight training.
The Chief Flight Instructor will
introduce you to your instructor, and the two of you will schedule lessons to
accommodate your needs. It is as simple as that.
Life
as an instructor
CHC hires instructors who have the Commercial, Instrument,
Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor ratings; however, a pilot can work
in this industry as an instructor without the Instrument and Instrument
Instructor ratings.
Remember that you need 200 total hours in helicopters, which
includes 50 hours in the Robinson R22 before you can teach in the R22. You also
need to be a safe, conservative pilot and you need to enjoy people and teaching.
Keeping your ego in check is something that we consider to be really important,
and this goes hand-in-hand with understanding the concepts of respect and
responsibility, for each other and the aircraft. Our staff and students are
encouraged to work together rather than compete with one another.
Instructors will make $18-28 per hour for flight time and
usually less for ground instruction; however; the Instrument Instructors wage
will be on the higher end of this scale and they are definitely more marketable,
which means that the flight schools want to hire them and they make more money.
Once you work for 1-1.5 years as an instructor and have
accrued 1,000-1,500 hours, you are then able to apply for a job as an
entry-level turbine pilot. CHC annually transitions several of our in-house
instructors who meet these qualifications to fly our turbine aircraft.
Opportunities
for the turbine helicopter pilot
The entry-level turbine pilot usually applies for a job with
a tour company. There are several helicopter operators in the U.S. who hire
pilots with 1,000-1,500 hours of piston-engine time. Many of these jobs are
seasonal, conducting tours during the spring, summer and early fall. Flying as a
tour pilot is a great way to fly many hours over a short period of time, and, as
these tour operators are flying under Part 135 (helicopter charters)
requirements, it is a way for the pilot to be involved with the responsibilities
that come with this type of operation. The tour pilot will make $25,000-35,000
annually.
Once you obtain 2,000 hours of turbine flight time, then
opportunities start to open up. Here are a few of the options: offshore oil rig
support, fire suppression, external load and aerial crane work, logging,
electronic news gathering, aerial photography and film making, emergency medical
services, and agricultural support. Pay scale varies depending on your
experience level and the type of work that you are doing.
Summing it up
The following is a synopsis of our discussion:
CHC has been training helicopter pilots for almost 25 years.
Our pilots are flying in the U.S. as well as abroad, and other helicopter
operators love to hire pilots that were either trained at Classic Helicopter or
worked for us because they know that we hold our personnel and students to a
higher level.
Boeing Field offers an incredible environment in which to
train, and the weather and terrain in Western Washington offer the student the
opportunity to experience diverse conditions. If you learn to fly here, then you
will be able to adapt to any conditions.
We encourage you to research your options when seeking a
place to train. If you do your research, then we feel confident that you will be
training at Classic Helicopter Corporation.