KevBac
Blue Ridge Helicopters, Winchester, VA.
Rick and I went to Blue Ridge together last summer and I endorse his recommendation.
It's a small operation run by a father and son, both professional pilots. I flew 5-6 hours over two days with Garrett, who flies the Fairfax County Police Bell 407, and learned a lot.
I'll definitely go back when I'm next in the Washington area. Highly recommended.
The local flying area is breathtakingly beautiful - the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley. Here's a link to some photographs which give an idea but don't really do justice to the beauty of the countryside.
Click here.
Dutch Country Helicopters, Lancaster, PA.
DTC is a conventional school, an hour from Baltimore. Excellent instruction, facilities and customer service.
I flew with the CFI, Darren Lucas - a Brit. I'll definitely go back when I'm next in the Philadelphia/Washington area.
Lancaster is in the heart of Amish country - a fascinating area you really should visit. I haven't got any photos I can post but, if you've seen
Witness (Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis), it was filmed there.
Highly recommended.
Bell 47
I
strongly recommend you get some B47 time while you're in America. They are few and far between in the UK and prohibitively expensive. Blue Ridge charge $250
pr hr. Dutch Country is even cheaper @ $200
pr hr - both significantly less than R22 time here!
Although I now fly Gazelle and Jetranger, like most people these days I did my basic training in the R22. I'm not knocking the R22 - many of us wouldn't be flying helicopters at all but for Frank Robinson - but the B47 is more of a 'real' helicopter. The R22 is demanding, but in ways unique to the design of the R22. The B47 is a challenge to fly well, but stable and forgiving, and IMHO a better foundation for moving on to bigger helicopters.
Don't be put off because it's old - you made me feel old when you asked if the Bell 47 was 'the old machine with bubble like cockpit'
. It's one of the best and most successful helicopters ever built, and a superb trainer.
Have a good time!
Tudor Owen