Training, hours building and first job prospects in America

[Heliport]

That's true.

We get quite a few 'new members' registering and posting 'recommendations' here.

Heliport

[thecontroller]

Good standard of training. But I would add 30% onto whatever timeframe and costs you estimate. The school is very busy.

[R1Tamer]

It may be easier to answer your query if you bullet point exactly what your expectations are?

[Barotrauma]

Currently at HAI doing both the JAA and the FAA. Very happy with both the ground school and the flying instruction. Never had a problem with instructor or aircraft availability beyond a blip for a month back in October. Don't want to appear as another part of the "HAI marketing team" so if you need any other info just pm me.

Heliport - if you believe that there are "new members" logging on just to sing HAI's praises then why don't you mention it at the time rather than making rather petty comments after the event?

Barotrauma

[Flingwing207]

I'm a HAI "grad" (now teaching elsewhere). Finished in Mar 2004, no issues with aircraft availability for me (except on the rare times when there might be a spate of mechanical gremlins).

I found that the folks who seemed to have the greatest difficulty with scheduling were the ones who just couldn't get up before 10:00 or so - the slots at noon, 2PM and 4PM were always full, and in the summer, the T-storms usually chewed up one of those spots pretty regularly.

As long as you are aggressive in your scheduling, and willing to fly at any time from 8AM to 6PM you will do fine.

[jeepys]

HAI

The man's right. Get your arse out of bed at a decent time and get down the school to fly and you won't have a problem with getting the time in.

They have so many heli's and a brilliant maintenance team which means there are usually no real issues with aircraft being grounded for periods of time.

Training is first class and the school is very professional. It is a shame that many schools in the UK cannot follow suite.

[popa'schopper]

Thanks guys for your help. it is of most use! As you can imagine i wnat to be sure about these things before committing serious amounts of hard earned cash!!

But my plan is:-

Go to hai on an M1 visa and do my FAA/JAA CPLH, FAA Instructor, Instrument, Instrument Instructor ratings, then hopefully get an instructing position. Come back to th UK for a couple of weeks then go back to start the job on the full J1 visa.

Does this sound practical/possible. Any of you guys done this route?

Popa.

[splodge]

You cannot apply for a J visa if you already have a commercial licence.

You could try to get at least the private on an M and then get a J.

[popa'schopper]

i currently have my JAA PPLH and around 100hours TT on R22.

I guess i will have to do it all on the M1 visa!!

[BlenderPilot]

Just Last Year

I sent 3 of my pilots to HAI for Bell 206 recurrent training last year, Mexican law requires you take at least 4 hours of emergency procedures (autos) training every 6 months, we used to do it at Bell but the pilots were bored of Texas and we looked for alternatives, two of these pilots are very experienced (6k+Hrs) and they were really impressed with the training they got from the INSTRUCTOR, they were not particularly impressed with the school, programing was difficult because of aircraft availablilty I think they only had 1 Bell 206.

Then I went to Hillsboro Aviation (Portland) and I thought it was really good school, several 206's there and its more "real world" oriented, some of the largest US helicopter operators in the area, great service good training aides.

[popa'schopper]

Thanks BP,

I shall look into Hillsboro. That is the kind of thing im looking for! Quality training. Do you know of any students from there who have done all their ratings with them?

Popa

[Stuart Hughes]

We get quite a few 'new members' registering and posting 'recommendations' here

Heliport

I think that your innuendo was probably not called for because I know the HoT and the CGI at HAI very well and have experienced the standard of graduate that they turn out first hand. They have been well grounded and professional about their flying and have had little or no problems with attaining their JAR IRs or JAR FI or indeed their FAA CPL to JAR CPL conversions with me.

Their graduates had nothing but praise for the standard of training they had received at HAI and the scheduling to ensure that they finished on time was also commented favourably on.

From what I have seen on their web site at www.heli.com and you will see that they don't require the use of any surreptitious methods to attract customers.

Fly safe and stay fair

SH

[DBChopper]

Guys.... chill!

Any chance you may be over-reacting to what was obviously a good-humoured comment by Heliport? I reckon the was a pointer.

It also seems a fair comment, to some extent. Most searches when anybody asks for a recommendation will include at least one glowing report from a username no-one has ever heard of, registered on the day of posting, which no-one ever sees again. Strike you as a tad suspicious? Me too!

I have only ever heard good things about HAI, and my LPCs are regularly carried out by an ex-HAI instructor, arguably one of the best R22/R44 pilots in the country. One passing comment such as this casts no shadow over the quality of instruction of a company, so just smile and keep on recommending...

DBChopper

[Lightning_Boy]

Popa's as long as you dont have a commercial licence your eligible to train under the J-1 visa at HAI. You can do both JAA and FAA commercial and CFI/II training under this visa, it also makes you eligible to work as a flight instructor for what ever time you have left on your visa which can give you quite a bit of experience in the log book.
HAI are a big noise in the helo industry, and their training standards have a world wide reputation. Do a search and see what you come up with!
At the end of the day, you want the best training your money can buy!

LB

[Heliport]

Visa Requirements for Training in the US

Click here

[donmac]

HAI Training

Popas Chopper,My tuppence worth..On no account go to the states without a J1 ..it,ll end in tears believe me I,ve done it!!!You can get a J1 cos you dont have a commercial .. Please take my advice ..you NEED a J1!!

[ScotsRotor]

I have been looking at schools at which to get my JAA and FAA ratings. I have been looking at HAI, which looks quite promising. The only thing is I heard that they are currently short of experienced instructors, especially instructors for their CFI program. Is this true?

[autosync]

Currently nearly 30 instructors working, don't see that as a shortage, may be a shaortage of aircraft.
Several other good schools in the area who don't spend so much on marketing that may well be worth checking out.

[Gordy]

For what it’s worth---why don’t you just ask them? HAI never had anything to hide, and as far as I am aware, that still holds today. Patrick (the president) has ALWAYS had an open door policy. He WILL take your phone call if you request it. In the past I have given the same advice to people who contact me. This will be the best way to answer your questions.

For the record, and to be upfront---I was the Chief Instructor at HAI for many years before moving on, in 1998. I do not represent them, and have nothing to gain by praising them.

[Simon853]

For what it’s worth---why don’t you just ask them?

That's exactly what I did a few months back, after the stories of aircraft unavailability arose on here then.

In short, the answer I got was that they are buying 23 new helicopters to complement their training fleet. (By Feb '05 6 had already been delivered.) Also the JAA students have their schedules pre-booked by the training director and so I was assured I would fly enough to complete the course in 46 weeks. Scheduling for FAA students is more difficult because there aren't set dates for the written exams to schedule around.

I've not attended there yet, but I have a place on hold for the September course. Right now I'm desperately trying to sell my house, while trying to devise contingency plans!!

Si