Mission complete
I completed the BHA 407 Initial Pilot course today, and as others here have suggested, found it to be exceptionally well done - perhaps the most useful training experience in my 43 years of flying. The instructor staff proved to be extraordinarily well qualified and effective: ground instructor -> Bell Senior Flight Instructor with 30 years experience flying helicopters and fixed wing acft mostly in law enforcement; sim (FTD) instructor -> former Bell Principal Experimental Test Pilot; flight instructor - Bell Senior Flight Instructor, former Army OH-6 Scout pilot in Vietnam, with almost 40 years of helicopter and fixed wing experience. I am not making this up!
The autos were a blast, and every one was to a touchdown. Both student and instructor tested the Automatic Leveling Device a time or two, but no harm done. Flight conditions were typically 22G31, so a good work out.
The facility is modern, and the flight training acft in very nice condition. The maintenence training hangar is accessable to all students, and is an eduction in itself as there is one of almost every Bell civilian helicopter on the floor opened up so that you can see what is under the covers.
With only 100TT in helicopters, I was concerned about being imtimidated in the company of such highly qualified faculty and students, but I should not have worried. Everyone was friendly, professional, and interested in assuring that I was successful. I recommend this program highly, and despite the fact that it was expensive, it was a great value in terms of both tangible and intangible measures. Do it of you can.
EN48