Training, hours building and first job prospects in America
Hillsboro is also J-1 visa certified and they do lot of charter flights as well, not just only a mass production of pilots but no JAA there.
Can anyone of the "HAI marketing team" tell us how many are doing courses at HAI normally??
And how many finish there per/year????
AND how many of them get a job within a resonable time......
Can anyone of the "HAI marketing team" tell us how many are doing courses at HAI normally??
And how many finish there per/year????
AND how many of them get a job within a resonable time......
Join Date: Mar 2005
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I have been in the states for close to 8 months, 5 of those I have been training at HAI (I took 3 months off to go back home for personal reasons). I went to HAI already with my Heli PVT. In the five months there I have gotten my Instrument rating, commercial certificate and now finishing off my CFI certificate. There is a lot of talk out there about not enough aircraft and students taking a long time to finish.
I am not trying to blow my own horn, but my opinion is that as long as the student is willing to work hard, push him self and his instructor, and have a clear idea of when he wants to be finished and works towards it, he can finish in a reasonable amount of time. I think that this goes for any flight school that you go to.
I do have to note that the length of time that the courses are supposed to take are the bare minimums and may be a bit misleading, in that it makes you think that you will be done in that amount of time.
From what I have noticed there are a lot of people out there who don't put the effort in and when it takes them 6-8 months to a year to get a rating they start looking for someone to point the figure at.
And no, I am not part of the HAI marketing team.
Hope this helps
I am not trying to blow my own horn, but my opinion is that as long as the student is willing to work hard, push him self and his instructor, and have a clear idea of when he wants to be finished and works towards it, he can finish in a reasonable amount of time. I think that this goes for any flight school that you go to.
I do have to note that the length of time that the courses are supposed to take are the bare minimums and may be a bit misleading, in that it makes you think that you will be done in that amount of time.
From what I have noticed there are a lot of people out there who don't put the effort in and when it takes them 6-8 months to a year to get a rating they start looking for someone to point the figure at.
And no, I am not part of the HAI marketing team.
Hope this helps
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Hello all
I've must agree. I went to HAI last year to do my PPL and the first couple fof weeks were a bit slow and I became a little anxious about finishing my course in the specified time. I utilised the open door policy and raised my concerns directly to Patrick (the owner) and credit where credit is due he took an immediate interest and got involved. I completed my training as advertised, if not with a lot of work from both sides.
I think people need to raise the problem to those in the know with the ability to change things. While I was there a lot of people did moan (including myself) but few took it further than the table. I'm not saying that they're are perfect, I very much doubt anywhere is, but they did come through for me.
I'm not part of the marketing team either.
OOTD's
I've must agree. I went to HAI last year to do my PPL and the first couple fof weeks were a bit slow and I became a little anxious about finishing my course in the specified time. I utilised the open door policy and raised my concerns directly to Patrick (the owner) and credit where credit is due he took an immediate interest and got involved. I completed my training as advertised, if not with a lot of work from both sides.
I think people need to raise the problem to those in the know with the ability to change things. While I was there a lot of people did moan (including myself) but few took it further than the table. I'm not saying that they're are perfect, I very much doubt anywhere is, but they did come through for me.
I'm not part of the marketing team either.
OOTD's
Somebody asked the question about people getting hired after graduating at HAI.
I Trained there 98-99 and worked there 99-2000.
If you apply yourself, there will be NO problem finnishing in the alloted timeframe (9-12 months)
Just go in and see how many openings there usually are in the early morning or late afternoon!
When I trained and worked there, the interval between finishing the training and getting a job seemed to be no more than a month. There is also the fact that you got to be ready to move far, in short order to get some of the jobs. I think HAI Graduates have a good reputation all across the board, even though there are both exceptional and not so good students there too!
Training has improved since I worked there, more structured (Even if it was fairly structured 'back then') and set up.
The team of instructors is top notch, and it should be noted that usually the best students from the courses get hired. Which also suggest that the better you do, the easier it will be for you to get a job!! (Must also have a good attitude of course!)
Cheers
Winnie
I Trained there 98-99 and worked there 99-2000.
If you apply yourself, there will be NO problem finnishing in the alloted timeframe (9-12 months)
Just go in and see how many openings there usually are in the early morning or late afternoon!
When I trained and worked there, the interval between finishing the training and getting a job seemed to be no more than a month. There is also the fact that you got to be ready to move far, in short order to get some of the jobs. I think HAI Graduates have a good reputation all across the board, even though there are both exceptional and not so good students there too!
Training has improved since I worked there, more structured (Even if it was fairly structured 'back then') and set up.
The team of instructors is top notch, and it should be noted that usually the best students from the courses get hired. Which also suggest that the better you do, the easier it will be for you to get a job!! (Must also have a good attitude of course!)
Cheers
Winnie
Join Date: Jul 2002
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I spent about 13 months training, finishing my CFII in mid-March 2004. Even before I had finished my II, I had three job offers - one from HAI. The only reason I did not take the HAI job was location - my wife is in school in Michigan, so I took a job in Minnesota. Every person in my "graduating class" (the folks who went through the CFI ground school with me) had a CFI job within a month, three of the six with HAI (I would have made four).
If you are serious about being a professional, there is no better place to become a CFII than HAI - the CFI ground school alone is unbeatable, and the whole operation instills professionalism while (IMHO) still remaining a pretty friendly place.
Note, however, you must make an effort to join in! The place is big enough that you could easily feel like a cipher if you don't get involved. It took me about six months to really get to know all the staff, and I never did get to know all the students. HAI is also "not the real world" - they dominate the airport and the practice areas. This makes it the perfect training area, but for a CFI going to a different (small) school, the REAL world of helicopter ops for the next 1,000 hours may come as a bit of a shock...
Bottom line (and I am also not on the HAI marketing team): HAI is a big, busy, highly organized school which excels in producing professional CFII's. If you are looking for highly personalized training in a laid-back environment, HAI isn't your place. If you are looking to be the most capable CFII you can be in a reasonable amount of time, you can't do better.
If you are serious about being a professional, there is no better place to become a CFII than HAI - the CFI ground school alone is unbeatable, and the whole operation instills professionalism while (IMHO) still remaining a pretty friendly place.
Note, however, you must make an effort to join in! The place is big enough that you could easily feel like a cipher if you don't get involved. It took me about six months to really get to know all the staff, and I never did get to know all the students. HAI is also "not the real world" - they dominate the airport and the practice areas. This makes it the perfect training area, but for a CFI going to a different (small) school, the REAL world of helicopter ops for the next 1,000 hours may come as a bit of a shock...
Bottom line (and I am also not on the HAI marketing team): HAI is a big, busy, highly organized school which excels in producing professional CFII's. If you are looking for highly personalized training in a laid-back environment, HAI isn't your place. If you are looking to be the most capable CFII you can be in a reasonable amount of time, you can't do better.
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I totally agree. If you are serious, there is no better place than HAI - the CFI ground school is excellent.
Making an effort to join in is a must. The school can seem a bit intimidating; though once you get to know the staff it does become friendlier.
I am finishing my CFI this month and hope to start working as a CFI as I work towards my CFII. As of yet I have not be offered any positions, but where ever I do go, I hope that there is the same degree of professionalism.
Making an effort to join in is a must. The school can seem a bit intimidating; though once you get to know the staff it does become friendlier.
I am finishing my CFI this month and hope to start working as a CFI as I work towards my CFII. As of yet I have not be offered any positions, but where ever I do go, I hope that there is the same degree of professionalism.
Last edited by genocchio; 9th May 2005 at 00:02.
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Training with Helicopter academy and boatpics??
Hello guys and girls
I am currently in the process of obtaining my PPL (H) here in the UK and looking at how to take the next step to CPL (H) etc. At the moment I have come to the conclussion that to be able to afford to do this, I'm going to have to do this in the states.
In my search for schools and opportunities etc, I have come across a school called Helicopter Academy, who fly from numerous places in florida, and who have connections with a company called boatpics.com. They are offering for a set fee to take students from PPL to CPL (FAA) and the possibility of working for boatpics at the end of training.
If there is anyone here who has either been there or knows anything about them, I would be more than grateful to hear your comments/opinions on the school/training and their connections with boatpics, is it as good as it sounds?
I am currently in the process of obtaining my PPL (H) here in the UK and looking at how to take the next step to CPL (H) etc. At the moment I have come to the conclussion that to be able to afford to do this, I'm going to have to do this in the states.
In my search for schools and opportunities etc, I have come across a school called Helicopter Academy, who fly from numerous places in florida, and who have connections with a company called boatpics.com. They are offering for a set fee to take students from PPL to CPL (FAA) and the possibility of working for boatpics at the end of training.
If there is anyone here who has either been there or knows anything about them, I would be more than grateful to hear your comments/opinions on the school/training and their connections with boatpics, is it as good as it sounds?
Just remember you need to have a work visa. The Helicopter Academy/Boatpix deal is aimed at US citizens, I may be wrong, but last time I checked, they were not authorised to issue J visas.
Join Date: Jul 2002
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It's all in how you play it - I did my IFR in the only ADF-equipped ship on the line (no GPS). I never waited for it. The ground school takes three weeks, then 10 hours in the sim (I did it over five days). It was six weeks from my first IFR flight in the helicopter until I had my temporary cert. Add it all up and it was 10 weeks after I started the ground school until I had the IFR rating. When I left in spring '04, there were some issues cropping up with the high-time 300CB IFR trainers. Those should have been replaced by now with the new CBi's (Garmin 430 ooh ahh).
Anyway, HAI is what it is. Wher I work now is pretty much the other extreme - very laid back, everybody knows everybody, but it's expensive to work that way - there's always a tradeoff.
Anyway, HAI is what it is. Wher I work now is pretty much the other extreme - very laid back, everybody knows everybody, but it's expensive to work that way - there's always a tradeoff.
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HAI is a great flight academy.
It's all about your own attidude, if you're profesional from the beginning you will have no problem.
Don't expect them to take you by the hand and lead you all the way, you have to do it yourself. But that is also a better way to prepare you for the real world don't expect you'll be pampered either by HAI or a future employer.
The academic level is high, but you are really well prepared when you leave the school. A lot of people I came across who trained somewhere else could fly but their theoretical knowledge was pretty bad. That's where HAI excells.
It's all about your own attidude, if you're profesional from the beginning you will have no problem.
Don't expect them to take you by the hand and lead you all the way, you have to do it yourself. But that is also a better way to prepare you for the real world don't expect you'll be pampered either by HAI or a future employer.
The academic level is high, but you are really well prepared when you leave the school. A lot of people I came across who trained somewhere else could fly but their theoretical knowledge was pretty bad. That's where HAI excells.
Not been there, but seen the product and it's pretty good! I think it's HAI not HAL.
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Hear that George Bedford is to retire from there later this year. Anybody heard who is taking over from him as he'll be a hard act to follow after all his years in the training business?
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91205,
What was your point?
Your statement was so obviously correct that I don't see why you put it there. Of course, no school is going to have people who say negative things on their website. No school will celebrate what people haven't achieved.
The reason for a 'Graduates' page is to celebrate and show-off what people have succeeded in doing after they finished.
How many other schools' websites have personally written testimonials (that have obviously taken more than 2 minutes to write) from graduates? (I genuinely invite you to find me some other school pages with similar graduates list, because I haven't been able to find many at all. PM me if you like.) The graduates you see on those pages are proud to have been trained by that school, enough to have their mugshots and names there for all to see.
How many other schools' websites can show graduates going on to such varied positions within the industry...positions which are often the aspiriations of many of the students it targets...i.e. Bristows, Norsk Helikopter, Temsco, Irish Coast Guard, CHC Scotia, Air Alpha
If HAI has its graduates as a tool for marketing why not use them? As I said before, there are many other schools that don't use their graduates to promote the school...why's that, I wonder?
cl12pv2s
What was your point?
Although, HAI are hardly going to put someone on their website who says negative things, are they?
The reason for a 'Graduates' page is to celebrate and show-off what people have succeeded in doing after they finished.
How many other schools' websites have personally written testimonials (that have obviously taken more than 2 minutes to write) from graduates? (I genuinely invite you to find me some other school pages with similar graduates list, because I haven't been able to find many at all. PM me if you like.) The graduates you see on those pages are proud to have been trained by that school, enough to have their mugshots and names there for all to see.
How many other schools' websites can show graduates going on to such varied positions within the industry...positions which are often the aspiriations of many of the students it targets...i.e. Bristows, Norsk Helikopter, Temsco, Irish Coast Guard, CHC Scotia, Air Alpha
If HAI has its graduates as a tool for marketing why not use them? As I said before, there are many other schools that don't use their graduates to promote the school...why's that, I wonder?
cl12pv2s
Last edited by cl12pv2s; 11th Jun 2005 at 04:41.
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Heliflight
Has anybody any experiance with Heliflight based in Ft Lauderdale?
Im thinking of possibly using them to do their career pilot program. I have a UK PPLH and considering them for my next move?
Any views would be of great help.
R22.
Im thinking of possibly using them to do their career pilot program. I have a UK PPLH and considering them for my next move?
Any views would be of great help.
R22.
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US Flight Schools
Hi Guys and Gals,
Could you reccomend some excellent flying schools in the US for me to research.
Im coming from the UK and im looking to do my CPLH, Instrument, CFI and CFII ratings.
They would also need to be able to offer the J1 Visa.
Thankyou in advance,
R22.
Could you reccomend some excellent flying schools in the US for me to research.
Im coming from the UK and im looking to do my CPLH, Instrument, CFI and CFII ratings.
They would also need to be able to offer the J1 Visa.
Thankyou in advance,
R22.