pepper99

All the talk in london at the mo is about how cheap it is to do helicopter PPL/or CPL training in SA. Are they cheap because the courses are lousy quality? Does anyone have any real recommendations, or know of anyone who has trained out there? Big Love.. K

JetPark

The only reason that it appears cheaper is due to the strength of the £ against the R and so if you're taking £'sss to do the job, a great deal to be had. Standard of training is high. Suggest you enjoy Cape Town and use an outfit called HELI - details on www.heli.co.za

You are welcome to pm me for any further assistance.

Der absolute Hammer

But the £ is weak against the Rand at around 1:13. Not so long ago it was running at 1:16/17 so a helicopter course would now be, in sterling terms, about 30% more expensive than it was last year.

TrT

It will be cheaper and accomadation etc due to the exchange rate.
Training standard is high at most schools, but you should find a school with the CI or CFI with loads of experiance. Some schools at the mo only offer Grade III's, with an oversite of a Grade II.
Some good schools at Rand Airport in Johannesburg and you get all your training done at altitude.

Leftpedal

I'm sure this has been discussed before, many times, but my 2cents;
The standard of training varies a lot. Some instructors are ex-military with combat experience (although not in the R22!), some are spotty teenagers with low hours. Depending on your own personality you might well find that you learn better from the teenager - it takes all sorts and i've heard a few students complain that the ex-mil types are rude, insensitive etc. If you're coming from the UK remember it's winter over here now - and Jo'burg is at 5000ft.... it can get pretty cold! If you like warm weather or weigh over 100kgs you might be better off in Durban. If money is the deciding factor I would wait until after the world cup when I expect the rand will weaken quite a bit & make it cheaper.

Putcodrvr

Agree with TrT. Look for a school who has at least 3 or more serviceable helicopters online every day. A CFI with loads of hours plus at least 1 x Gr II instructor.
Also maybe look for a school where the GF area is close to the airfield. You don't want to spend half your time ferrying to and from the GF area.
Wonderboom in Pretoria is quite ideal. Once across the active 29/11 its 2 minutes and you're in the GF.