Training, hours building and first job prospects in America
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I would have to second TFS opinion, the only reason I didn't elaborate on the first post is because the original question was which school is closest. I left to train in florida after only 20 hrs, one of the main reasons being my instructor at Nassau was german and knew very little english. Besides not being a very friendly atmosphere, they don't really have the facilities for proper training such as weather computers and other teaching aides. I would also recomend learning on the 300cb/cbi versus the R22, its a much more stable and forgiving machine.
Mike
Mike
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North California Heli skool?
Looking to do my rotorcraft add on in NorCal. in June this year.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
Join Date: Nov 2004
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North California Heli skool?
Looking to do my rotorcraft add on in NorCal. in June this year.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
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Originally Posted by nouseforaname
Looking to do my rotorcraft add on in NorCal. in June this year.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
1. a friend of mine runs High Sierra Helicopters, in Placerville. http://www.highsierrahelicopters.com. He offers an ab-initio package that results in 200 hrs and CFII, with other program options being available of course. My editorial is that that would be a beautiful environment to get ratings, with plenty of high altitude practice - Placerville is in what is called "Gold Country" which is a mountainous area with lots of California history (e.g. the Gold Rush of 1849). HSH is R22-based at the moment (there may be a 300CB showing up at some point as an instrument trainer).
2. I trained at Nice Air at Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in San Jose for private add-on and commercial ratings; I just finished the latter a couple weeks ago and was very impressed by the CFI that I flew with (Marcus). Two 300CB aircraft. http://www.niceair.net. Note that the listed Bell 206 is a hangar queen and has been since I started flying in 1999. The school owner doesn't seem to be inclined to update either the site or his printed ads, which really irritates me for some reason.
3. Golden Gate Helicopters is in San Carlos (SQL) - they have 1 or 2 R22s and an R44 Clipper (with hydraulics). I don't know who their CFI(s) is/are since RobertS left. No web site that I'm aware of.
4. Specialized Helicopters is in Watsonville (WVI), on the coast. One of the owners, ChrisG, is a former airshow pilot with Showcopters. I did an R44 SFAR73 checkout with him a couple years ago - he's a good guy and knows his stuff. I have not been down there yet to check out their operation. http://www.specializedheli.com/
5. Verticare/Showcopters is in Salinas (SNS), near the coast and Monterey. The owner/chief pilot (JimC) has "more hours than God" (ex-Vietnam fellow). I've flown with him several times on ferry trips; he is a master of the Robinson aircraft (and a dealer too). http://www.verticare.com
6. HAI is in Concord; I know next to nothing about them other than that HAI's main location is in Florida and the Concord operation is much (much) smaller. http://www.heli.com/contact.html. The Nice Air CFI I mentioned above trained with them although I think that was in Florida.
That's all of the schools that I am aware of that are reasonably near to my location. Good luck with your training...
Dave Blevins
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Originally Posted by nouseforaname
Looking to do my rotorcraft add on in NorCal. in June this year.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
Does anyone know about any schools out there or can anyone recommend any? I've been looking but just get loads of them when I google for it.
Thanks.
1. a friend of mine runs High Sierra Helicopters, in Placerville. http://www.highsierrahelicopters.com. He offers an ab-initio package that results in 200 hrs and CFII, with other program options being available of course. My editorial is that that would be a beautiful environment to get ratings, with plenty of high altitude practice - Placerville is in what is called "Gold Country" which is a mountainous area with lots of California history (e.g. the Gold Rush of 1849). HSH is R22-based at the moment (there may be a 300CB showing up at some point as an instrument trainer).
2. I trained at Nice Air at Reid-Hillview Airport (RHV) in San Jose for private add-on and commercial ratings; I just finished the latter a couple weeks ago and was very impressed by the CFI that I flew with (Marcus). Two 300CB aircraft. http://www.niceair.net. Note that the listed Bell 206 is a hangar queen and has been since I started flying in 1999. The school owner doesn't seem to be inclined to update either the site or his printed ads, which really irritates me for some reason.
3. Golden Gate Helicopters is in San Carlos (SQL) - they have 1 or 2 R22s and an R44 Clipper (with hydraulics). I don't know who their CFI(s) is/are since RobertS left. No web site that I'm aware of.
4. Specialized Helicopters is in Watsonville (WVI), on the coast. One of the owners, ChrisG, is a former airshow pilot with Showcopters. I did an R44 SFAR73 checkout with him a couple years ago - he's a good guy and knows his stuff. I have not been down there yet to check out their operation. http://www.specializedheli.com/
5. Verticare/Showcopters is in Salinas (SNS), near the coast and Monterey. The owner/chief pilot (JimC) has "more hours than God" (ex-Vietnam fellow). I've flown with him several times on ferry trips; he is a master of the Robinson aircraft (and a dealer too). http://www.verticare.com
6. HAI is in Concord; I know next to nothing about them other than that HAI's main location is in Florida and the Concord operation is much (much) smaller. http://www.heli.com/contact.html. The Nice Air CFI I mentioned above trained with them although I think that was in Florida.
That's all of the schools that I am aware of that are reasonably near to my location. Good luck with your training...
Dave Blevins
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You are pretty much limited to what Dave mentioned as far as I know, if you go further North, there is Air Shasta in Redding http://www.airshasta.com/ They have R22's and R44's, but Redding sucks in my opinion. One of the hottest places in California in the sumer and pretty wet in the winter. There is also a Silver State Helicopters in Sacramento, but I wouldn't go there if I were you.
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You are pretty much limited to what Dave mentioned as far as I know, if you go further North, there is Air Shasta in Redding http://www.airshasta.com/ They have R22's and R44's, but Redding sucks in my opinion. One of the hottest places in California in the sumer and pretty wet in the winter. There is also a Silver State Helicopters in Sacramento, but I wouldn't go there if I were you.
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Blave listed all of schools I can think of in norcal worth mentioning. I would stay away from Silver State Helicopters in Sacramento, and Los Banos. Some good instruction there, some not so good (probably the same many places), but a great deal of trouble getting enough flight time (at least that was the case at the Sac. location.)
HAI in concord is probably a good bet, though I don't know anyone who's trained there since the pt. 141 operation moved to FL. I have heard some rumors about availability of ships there also, but the training should be to a fairly high standard.
HAI in concord is probably a good bet, though I don't know anyone who's trained there since the pt. 141 operation moved to FL. I have heard some rumors about availability of ships there also, but the training should be to a fairly high standard.
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Blave listed all of schools I can think of in norcal worth mentioning. I would stay away from Silver State Helicopters in Sacramento, and Los Banos. Some good instruction there, some not so good (probably the same many places), but a great deal of trouble getting enough flight time (at least that was the case at the Sac. location.)
HAI in concord is probably a good bet, though I don't know anyone who's trained there since the pt. 141 operation moved to FL. I have heard some rumors about availability of ships there also, but the training should be to a fairly high standard.
HAI in concord is probably a good bet, though I don't know anyone who's trained there since the pt. 141 operation moved to FL. I have heard some rumors about availability of ships there also, but the training should be to a fairly high standard.
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I started at HAI a few weeks ago and i like it. Its a big school and that has it´s benefits and downsides, like everything else. But as written i like it and it feels like a good choice. Cu in april man 
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Florida Heli school
Hi,
I'm hoping to do my rotorcraft add on in perhaps Florida around End May/June time.
Just wondered if anyone has any experience of going over from England or anywhere else to do an intensive private or rotorcraft add on? I'm looking to get it done as fast as I can.
Also an organisation that does all the M1 visa stuff.
Thanks
TD
I'm hoping to do my rotorcraft add on in perhaps Florida around End May/June time.
Just wondered if anyone has any experience of going over from England or anywhere else to do an intensive private or rotorcraft add on? I'm looking to get it done as fast as I can.
Also an organisation that does all the M1 visa stuff.
Thanks
TD
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Why Florida, it's bloody hot already end of May and the weather isn't that good. If you make arrangment with HAI you can do it intensive but make yourself clear beforehand. HAI is one of the best outfits in the world.