FAA CPL/IR at Hillsboro Aviation

[Jwscud]

I'm contemplating getting in touch with Hillsboro Aviation in Oregon with the thought of doing a CPL/IR out there before coming back to the UK and getting the JAA licenses, both for the experience of living and flying somewhere new and since holding an FAA license might ease license conversions abroad. I'd also welcome any other suggestions for SEVIS approved schools in the Pacific Northwest as I really fancy flying in that part of the world for the experience and enjoyment.

Does anyone have any up to date information about them? I've seen a bit about them on the Rotorheads forum but nothing particularly recently. Any of the US posters have any knowledge, or is there a US forum similar to here where I might find some up to date student experience? I'm obviously loth to commit to going out somewhere and spending a fair chunk of hard-earned cash without hearing the full story rather than what they tell me.

[johns7022]

I live about 2 hours south of them and have been flying as a corporate pilot around here for roughly 20 years...I also fly helos.

If the price is ok with you, and you find an instructor up there you like, it will probably work out. Not a rip off outfit I didn't go there when I worked on my helo ticket, because I thought they were pricey, and the instructors seemed to all have less then a 1000 hours...I left the state...but around here, they are all that's left standing..

If you are coming all the way over from abroad, I would consider the training mills in Florida..just only give them say $2k at a time, not the whole amount, or put in escrow to be paid in installments...

[Krasnall]

Why is Florida a better choice?

[Jwscud]

I specifically want to avoid going to Florida - as I say I really want to fly in the Pacific Northwest and I'm looking for some advice on schools there. I figured somewhere like Oregon or Washington would be a better place to learn about flying IFR than the err...sunshine state!

[MartinCh]

Hillsboro is more important for European because of J1/F1 helo training.
They can also do the (currently) F1 training with work permit for a year after finishing CPL/FI training. They tend to have more vacancies for airplane instructors, but hiring with 200 or 250 dual given, from outside.

There are some Europeans/Latinos, but fixed wing side is mostly Asian students via their home country/company cadet programs.

There are two bases, Hillsboro, main, class D airport with bizjets, helos, small fixed wing traffic. The other is Troutdale, other side of Portland, near class C PDX airspace, but smaller single runway airfield, more like some GA airfield.

While Hillsboro is reputable company with charter, heli contracts, maintenance services etc, not some virtual FTO in Florida with everything leased and operating with couple guys, it's not the cheapest around. I probably won't go for fixed wing training with HAI unless I needed the 1 year work permit for instructing/CPL job in the US.

The advantage of Oregon is NO SALES TAX. No state or federal sales tax. Only couple states have it like that, rest is 3-8%, depending on where.
Weather, hmm, summer in Oregon is pretty much sunshiny, but unlike Florida, no Cb day cycle.. :-)

There are few smaller, more of a family business size, fixed wing/heli schools in Oregon, North California or Washington state (that do M1 visa/SEVIS stuff) although I don't know FW schools in WA that much. I know some of these due to the heli side of training.

Good thing about Portland area is reasonable public transport. Second hand cars are cheap, but not vital, being able to bike to airport or walk/bike and take tram/bus around, incl downtown Portland.

I can PM you couple links if you want, later on.

[Jwscud]

Thanks for the info Martin - the real problem is requiring the M1 visa - I'm not really interested in the F1 Visa/Work permit as it doesn't really fit my circumstances. The family business type schools are difficult to evaluate, but I have heard good things about them. The main thing drawing me to one of the bigger schools would be the social life outside the flying - I don't want to be an aviation monk for a month or two while training!

All I've got to go on really from this side of the pond is my list of SEVIS approved flight schools in Oregon and Washington, plus the power of google and PPRuNE...

[chrisbl]

Jwscud,

I did my CPL at Hillsboro in Sept 07. I was well looked after and achieved what I set out to achieve.

They train a lot of ab initio pilots for Chinese airlines on fixed wing. Helicopter trainees are mostly from Eastern Europe.

So a native English speaking pilot is something the fixed wing instructors look forward to getting to bring a welcome change.

Are they expensive, well no more than the Florida pilot mills and having been to Florida, Hillsboro aircraft are generally much better.

The other advantage of Oregon is that there is no sales tax which saves another 6% or so.

A small point too but the terrain of that part of the world is far more varied and interesting. Florida is deadly dull in comparison.

Best thing I ever did was going to Hillsboro and they are such nice people too.

[Jwscud]

SoCal - I've been to CA and done a small amount of flying there when I was there with work. There's no real critical need to go to Oregon or Washington, more a desire to see somewhere new and potentially interesting that will also provide some challenging conditions to learn in. I know you get the marine layer conditions in Southern California, but I feel that I'd get more challenging stuff in the PNW. What I'm really after is some good training and challenging flying somewhere new and interesting.

[MartinCh]

SoCal App, I am well aware of all the nuances, but didn't open full fire of legalese... I know the differences of late J1 and current F1 regime and what it entails.. I just mentioned it very briefly.


Helicopter trainees are mostly from Eastern Europe

I wouldn't call Scandinavians and Germans as 'East', but then, everything East of UK (lat/long wise) is East for Brits I guess. Very few other nationalities, some Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, Brazilian, UK/Eire now and then. Hardly Eastern European, ahem.
I was the only one with (by former cold war definition) 'Eastern European' passport over there, doing some heli training. Also, likely the first one from my country of origin.

Re: social life, hm, can't compare based on personal experience, but presuming most flight school students also go out/have beer now and then.. Proximity of Portland is a plus.
There are M1/I-20 issuing schools not so far from Portland, but not HAI's size.