Australia [Archive Copy]
MB certainly is the Master of Bull5h1t. Several years ago, the HAA executives were all worn out from a battle with the govt over a CBD heliport for Sydney. When MB gave a pitch to the HAA about how he was going to overhaul the place, get the website up and running, breathe fresh air into the HAA, his staff were going to be treasurer, secretary etc, we all heaved a sigh of relief and allowed the management to move north.
Well, "Gunner" Becker was always gunna do this and that, but nothing happened, no correspondence was answered, and the HAA fell into an even bigger hole than it was in. Getting it out of the hole was an even bigger effort, as was retrieving things like the computer from him to send to the next executive committee, after he was voted out.
A complete silver-tongued Merchant of Bulldust who gave the HAA a bad name.
Well, "Gunner" Becker was always gunna do this and that, but nothing happened, no correspondence was answered, and the HAA fell into an even bigger hole than it was in. Getting it out of the hole was an even bigger effort, as was retrieving things like the computer from him to send to the next executive committee, after he was voted out.
A complete silver-tongued Merchant of Bulldust who gave the HAA a bad name.
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Ok guys.
We've had a cross-section of views about the Becker school ranging from chopski and YBMC who recommend it to others who strongly advise against. There are now plenty of opinions from which readers can form their own views.
Let's move on. The requests were for advice about Oz schools and Oz instructor recommendations in general - not just opinions about one school.
Any other advice / recommendations?
Heliport
We've had a cross-section of views about the Becker school ranging from chopski and YBMC who recommend it to others who strongly advise against. There are now plenty of opinions from which readers can form their own views.
Let's move on. The requests were for advice about Oz schools and Oz instructor recommendations in general - not just opinions about one school.
Any other advice / recommendations?
Heliport
Australsian Flying Schools
THE HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA HAS A FREE LIST OF 23 HELICOPTER FLYING SCHOOLS IN AUSTRALIA AND 12 IN NEW ZEALAND. JUST SEND AN EMAIL TO THE PRESIDENT ROB RICH AT EMAIL: [email protected] AND REQUEST A LIST AND WE WILL SEND IT BACK ASAP.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB, THERE ARE 1200 HELICOPTERS IN AUSTRALIA AND 580 IN NEW ZEALAND. THIS REPRESENTS 580 OWNERS IN AUSTRALIA AND 244 IN NZ. THE KIWIS IN FACT HOLD THE WORLD RECORD FOR OWNERSHIP PER HEAD OF POPULATION. AUSTRALIA HAS THE SEVENTH LARGEST FLEET IN THE WORLD. THE WORLD CIVIL HELICOPTER INDUSTRY HAS ABOUT 26,000 HELICOPTERS.
OVERALL THE WORLD HELICOPTER INDUSTRY IS IN A STRONG PHASE, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTRALASIA. WE HAVE DOUBLED IN SIZE IN THE PAST DECADE. WE NOW HAVE 700 MORE HELICOPOTERS THAN THE UK!
AND OUR SUNFILLED DAYS AND WHITE BEACHES AND GOLDEN TANNED GIRLS AND GUYS ARE REALLY THE BEST! BECOME A BEACH BUM!
ONCE AGAIN THE HAA CAN PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION AT NO COST TO YOU AS A SERVICE TO OUR MEMBERS AND HOPEFULLY FOR YOUR BENEFIT.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A JOB, THERE ARE 1200 HELICOPTERS IN AUSTRALIA AND 580 IN NEW ZEALAND. THIS REPRESENTS 580 OWNERS IN AUSTRALIA AND 244 IN NZ. THE KIWIS IN FACT HOLD THE WORLD RECORD FOR OWNERSHIP PER HEAD OF POPULATION. AUSTRALIA HAS THE SEVENTH LARGEST FLEET IN THE WORLD. THE WORLD CIVIL HELICOPTER INDUSTRY HAS ABOUT 26,000 HELICOPTERS.
OVERALL THE WORLD HELICOPTER INDUSTRY IS IN A STRONG PHASE, ESPECIALLY IN AUSTRALASIA. WE HAVE DOUBLED IN SIZE IN THE PAST DECADE. WE NOW HAVE 700 MORE HELICOPOTERS THAN THE UK!
AND OUR SUNFILLED DAYS AND WHITE BEACHES AND GOLDEN TANNED GIRLS AND GUYS ARE REALLY THE BEST! BECOME A BEACH BUM!
ONCE AGAIN THE HAA CAN PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION AT NO COST TO YOU AS A SERVICE TO OUR MEMBERS AND HOPEFULLY FOR YOUR BENEFIT.
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Enough is Enough
First, to the moderator of this site. To allow this kind of abuse to continue is against the terms of conditions stated by YOUR site on sign up. I am disgusted at the lack of MODERATING being carried out.
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Guys
This is all getting very personal. You can see I use my real name and therefore both of you know we have never met and thus I don't have an axe to grind.
Surely we can express our opinions without getting so vicious. Obviously all helicopter schools can not be brilliant, anymore than can pilots. If MB's school produced bad/ignorant students, I'm sure at least one CASA FOI would have picked it up.
If students have been ripped off, and remember there is usually 2 sides to a story, then give the other person a chance to air his opinion without getting too worked up.
Just my opinion as an outsider to all this.
This is all getting very personal. You can see I use my real name and therefore both of you know we have never met and thus I don't have an axe to grind.
Surely we can express our opinions without getting so vicious. Obviously all helicopter schools can not be brilliant, anymore than can pilots. If MB's school produced bad/ignorant students, I'm sure at least one CASA FOI would have picked it up.
If students have been ripped off, and remember there is usually 2 sides to a story, then give the other person a chance to air his opinion without getting too worked up.
Just my opinion as an outsider to all this.
Why not just whip them, out measure them, and quit bothering everyone else. Or you could take it to Just Helicopters.
Autorotate, you've made the mistake of sinking to their level, you're usually above that.
Autorotate, you've made the mistake of sinking to their level, you're usually above that.
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just for the record i have never made a derogatory remark about mike becker or his company on this or any other forum, ever.
as for goony bird i can assure you that it is not my wonderful wife helen. not only doesn't she surf the net at all but she hasn't got a bad bone in her body and derides no-one, ever.
as for your remarks about the death of graeme strachan. well what can i say?? well done.
as i remember mike was doing a private pilot flight test at that time, he told me that himself.
our company has always welcomed every-one into this industry with open arms as we did for mike and jan.
as for my alias, any one who looked at my profile knows exactly who i am.
that's all i have to say. (at the moment).
graeme.
as for goony bird i can assure you that it is not my wonderful wife helen. not only doesn't she surf the net at all but she hasn't got a bad bone in her body and derides no-one, ever.
as for your remarks about the death of graeme strachan. well what can i say?? well done.
as i remember mike was doing a private pilot flight test at that time, he told me that himself.
our company has always welcomed every-one into this industry with open arms as we did for mike and jan.
as for my alias, any one who looked at my profile knows exactly who i am.
that's all i have to say. (at the moment).
graeme.
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I'm very interesting to see all this out in the open about Becker. My good friend went to fly there after they said in email about they could issue him with JAA license. It was not of course true. I was so fortunate that I decided to learn to fly in another place after Beckers would not answer properly my JAA questions.
Also I am told by many ex students that he exagerate very much the number of people he trained.
Always after arriving in country the expenses for living are accidentally more than told you by email. Then many extras charges are to be found. And if you displease them in any way at all they make up something for immigration to try to get rid of you at moment of finishing course!
Now, I think it's best thing to have all this in the open so people can make up their own mind.
Also I am told by many ex students that he exagerate very much the number of people he trained.
Always after arriving in country the expenses for living are accidentally more than told you by email. Then many extras charges are to be found. And if you displease them in any way at all they make up something for immigration to try to get rid of you at moment of finishing course!
Now, I think it's best thing to have all this in the open so people can make up their own mind.
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In SUPPORT of Becker Helicopters
Aren't Australians and New Zealanders just great for knocking the guy who busts his gut to get ahead.
What the f### does it have to do with the pathetic photographer from NZ how Becker Helicopters is run. Your facts are absolutely incorrect and totally picked out of the sky.....oh thats right, you write a freekin tabloid.....Are you in cahoots with some of those trashy magazines you're trying to emulate.
Answer those questions honestly. Cudos to Becker Helicopters Mike and Jan, for not lowering themselves to your levels and giving you credence for your crap in this forum and many others. Why would they? Your accusations and falsehoods are just that. You try to hurt people that are doing incredible things for this industry - YOU'RE STABBING YOURSELVES IN THE BACK! Smarten up people, the industry needs all the help and support it can get, not backstabbing personal vendettas against people who don't even deserve it.
Find something better to do with your time, like address the pathetic levels of pay, the high level of cheating on maintenance, or what about beefing up the industry to encourage new direction in Australia so that the pilots can get decent jobs in decent machines and we don't have to IMPORT the firefighting machines and people that are sitting around in what should be our jobs.......no offence intended to the air crews who have saved much of our towns and cities.
Wouldnt it be great if the 64s, 61s and K-Maxs were owned and crewed by Aussies or New Zealanders? We have a fledgling industry, we should be encouraging it, nurturing it, building it together instead of tearing down anyone who is trying to promote this industry. There is a bigger picture guys, time to get over yourselves!
And as for the people who are writing OTHER PEOPLES supposed experiences.... if they wanted it written they would do it themselves instead of you sensationalizing a web of fantasy tales that don't even have a sniff of the truth. I say there are two sides to every story.
You people need something to do with your time that is constructive,,,, oh maybe find out your facts and print them without bias!!!!! Or better yet, just leave Becker Helicopters alone as you would expect people to leave you alone to run your businesses.
If there is any body who has something decent to say about Beckers, don't hold back, this whole b.s. has been so one sided and we need to get some positive output to encourage the newbies into this industry, not out of it before they get in it.
AND WHAT IDIOT SUGGESTED SOMEONE PUT A HIT ON MIKE!!! Are you for real!?!
And who am I to say all this - I have been around this industry for a bloody long time, longer than Becker Helicopters. I rarely post, but I read a heck of a lot on these forums.
I am sick to death of small minded people doing their best to dump **** (no matter which direction) on this industry and the people in it.
What the f### does it have to do with the pathetic photographer from NZ how Becker Helicopters is run. Your facts are absolutely incorrect and totally picked out of the sky.....oh thats right, you write a freekin tabloid.....Are you in cahoots with some of those trashy magazines you're trying to emulate.
Answer those questions honestly. Cudos to Becker Helicopters Mike and Jan, for not lowering themselves to your levels and giving you credence for your crap in this forum and many others. Why would they? Your accusations and falsehoods are just that. You try to hurt people that are doing incredible things for this industry - YOU'RE STABBING YOURSELVES IN THE BACK! Smarten up people, the industry needs all the help and support it can get, not backstabbing personal vendettas against people who don't even deserve it.
Find something better to do with your time, like address the pathetic levels of pay, the high level of cheating on maintenance, or what about beefing up the industry to encourage new direction in Australia so that the pilots can get decent jobs in decent machines and we don't have to IMPORT the firefighting machines and people that are sitting around in what should be our jobs.......no offence intended to the air crews who have saved much of our towns and cities.
Wouldnt it be great if the 64s, 61s and K-Maxs were owned and crewed by Aussies or New Zealanders? We have a fledgling industry, we should be encouraging it, nurturing it, building it together instead of tearing down anyone who is trying to promote this industry. There is a bigger picture guys, time to get over yourselves!
And as for the people who are writing OTHER PEOPLES supposed experiences.... if they wanted it written they would do it themselves instead of you sensationalizing a web of fantasy tales that don't even have a sniff of the truth. I say there are two sides to every story.
You people need something to do with your time that is constructive,,,, oh maybe find out your facts and print them without bias!!!!! Or better yet, just leave Becker Helicopters alone as you would expect people to leave you alone to run your businesses.
If there is any body who has something decent to say about Beckers, don't hold back, this whole b.s. has been so one sided and we need to get some positive output to encourage the newbies into this industry, not out of it before they get in it.
AND WHAT IDIOT SUGGESTED SOMEONE PUT A HIT ON MIKE!!! Are you for real!?!
And who am I to say all this - I have been around this industry for a bloody long time, longer than Becker Helicopters. I rarely post, but I read a heck of a lot on these forums.
I am sick to death of small minded people doing their best to dump **** (no matter which direction) on this industry and the people in it.
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Jan n Mike,
Lots of people said lots of things good and bad about you and the company.
Would just like to state again that i had a great time while training with you. Probably too good a time and managed to drag it out for as long as possible.
I know your above all this so keep up the good work n keep smiling!!
chopski
Lots of people said lots of things good and bad about you and the company.
Would just like to state again that i had a great time while training with you. Probably too good a time and managed to drag it out for as long as possible.
I know your above all this so keep up the good work n keep smiling!!
chopski
Let us look to the exciting future
Our exciting future sailing on calmer waters.
I would like to thank all those who today joined together and decided to put aside their differences and withdraw their posts on this thread, following a misunderstanding about Australian schools and some training providers. We are working hard behind the scenes to get several other posts removed, however, time differences may delay this for a few days.
Allow me to offer you a friendly tip: Contributors to Rotorheads aren't fools and it's a big mistake to treat them as if they are. There was no 'misunderstanding'. There were clearly expressed, unambiguous and strongly held differences of opinion.
So you're 'working hard behind the scenes' to get people to withdraw critical posts? I'm sure potential students deciding where they should spend their hard-earned savings or large expensive loans will be most grateful to you. In this forum, we've always found a free exchange of views to be more helpful than cleverly orchestrated PR jobs. Perhaps neither you nor Mr Becker have noticed that, in discussions about Oz schools, there have been a number of complimentary comments about the Becker school. Most schools seem to take compliments and criticisms as they come, the rough with the smooth.
Personally, I would like to thank Neville Dawson, Mike Becker, Graeme Gillies and many other caring individuals who have helped us achieve a dignified outcome, in the best interest of our industry. Neville (Heli-Ops International) and myself have made a promise to each other to promote our industry in the best way we can in our specialised and different market areas.
Welcome to the forum. In your absence, Neville Dawson has been vigorously promoting the Australasian helicopter industry on this forum for years. And indirectly, by their helpful contributions to various topics (not just Oz/NZ topics), so have a large number of valued Oz contributors, and a valued but disappointingly smaller number from New Zealand. Can we assume you'll now be contributing to other non Oz/NZthreads? Or will you simply monitor the threads to try to ensure only a rosy picture emerges of all schools in your area of responsibility, and that no critical comments appear? That won't help potential customers make a decision, but perhaps that doesn't matter to you. Seems a bit rough on the schools which have earned their good reputations.
Interesting you should name Graeme Gillies. He played no part whatsoever in this discussion, but that didn't stop Mr Becker writing to me suggesting he was one of those behind the critical posts. And, although I didn't see the now-deleted post during the (UK) night, GG's protest suggests someone launched a personal attack on him and his wife!
To answer the question first posed in this thread, there are 23 schools in Australia and 14 in NZ. All are different and each will suit different people. Just as we marry different types of ladies and don't all buy the same cars. See a previous post on HAA offer to provide free a directory of schools in the Australasian area.
Directories are of little value save to provide contact details. They don't help potential customers differentiate between good schools and schools to be avoided. The value of threads which discuss the pros and cons of various schools is that people can read conflicting opinions and form their own views. Credit people with the intelligence to distinguish between objective comments and those motivated by personal animosity.
Further the original query asked about instructor training. It doesn't really matter where you train; there is a dreadful shortage of instructors in both Australia and NZ. If you are a CFI or a Grade 1, then stand aside because you will be rushed with offers of employment.
It doesn't really matter where you train? What a startling proposition! Perhaps the HAA area is unique? Everywhere else in the world there are good and bad schools, good and bad instructors, schools which give students a fair deal and schools which rip them off.
Future CASA legislation means the pending introduction of Safety Management Systems, which will create even more shortages of instructors in the long term. In Australia the average age of a pilot is 48 and an even worse figure is the age of an engineer about 54. So as these old farts retire (I am one); then the career ladder will have many empty holes in the next decade.
World Helicopter Fleet
The civilian helicopter fleet numbers about 26,000. Australia has 1,200 and New Zealand 580. By comparison the USA has 12,200, Canada 1,700, England 950, Japan 831, France 800 and Germany 700. Our nearby neighbours such as Malaysia and Thailand have about 80 each. China, only recently allowing general aviation to exist, only has about 130 machines. The first privately owned aircraft in China was an R44!
Australasian helicopter fleet
Over the past eleven years our helicopter fleet has grown from 649 to 1,200. SE helicopters by almost 90% and ME helicopters by 700%. Over half of the Australian fleet is piston engined. Robinson has 470 of which 390 are R22s. There are over 100 Bell 47s. We also have an expanding twin fleet. Most NZ machines are single engined turbines. Pistons are rare in PNG.
Rules of thumb.
Although helicopters make up less than 10% of the Australian fleet, we fly about 15% or more of the hours, mainly due to the mustering industry. Also, we have only 10% of the Register, but we have 20% of GA accidents RW is double the FW rate, a fact that needs to be addressed. Private, agricultural and firefighting accident rates are very high about three times higher than the charter rate. Mustering helicopters crash twice as often as charter operators. Surprisingly, the training accident rate is half that of mustering. Our SAR/EMS night accident rate is extremely high, based on hours flown, and was the topic of a recent HAA Conference at Newcastle, NSW.
RW twins come of age.
Due to the dramatic increase in number of emergency services, this segment has fared the best. (In fact, 700% growth in eleven years.) With over 80 twins in Australia and about 30 in NZ we have more twins than the military. There are about 32 emergency services in Australia and 17 in NZ. Many of these bases are upgrading from SE VFR to IFR twins with night capable search systems.
Greener pastures?
Without upsetting those helicopter operators living south of a line Sydney-Canberra-Adelaide, there has been a strengthening drift to the north. Although NSW has fewer helicopters than Queensland, they have more pilots. Cattle mustering and tourism is a growth industry and these are drawing more to the north. The Queensland government has targeted aviation training and maintenance as a political good thing and you only have to visit the Australian Aviation facility near Brisbane Airport, located near to the Australian Aerospace and Helitech complexes to see real development. Not convinced? Hire a car and drive to Redcliffe, Amberley, Oakey, Caboolture, Caloundra, Maroochydore and Airlie Beach and see what is going on everything is fresh, more vibrant and hope is in the air.
Fire fighting hot and cold.
Victoria and NSW have vastly different approaches to fire fighting. The Victorians have long term contracts with a few operators and funds them to be on standby even when times are wet and soggy. This brings stability and maybe a higher level of training and readiness.
To overcome the vastly larger geographical area of NSW, the RFS has many contracted operators on standby who only get paid when things are getting hot! Although this enables a bigger coverage of the state at a lower cost, the down side is stability for a contractor and a lower standard of operation until the season settles down. (Pilots and crews have to be called in from other jobs.) We must not overlook the impact of these operations have on our bottom line. In two years the NSW RFS spent $168 million. Last season $100 million 103 aircraft (20 FW) and $8 million in fuel, as an example. As a result of this many unviable operators were kept breathing by the fire season. Some even stretched their financial limits and bought more equipment in anticipation of a repeat this year. As the rains continue to fall, I wonder how many are taking stress medication.
Would you like to name those 'unviable operators' just in case potential students/employees don't realise the risk they'd be taking by embarking on training or moving to work with them?
Thanks once again to those who have rallied today, and may tomorrow's dawn bring you rays of sunshine and success!
Rob Rich,
President
Helicopter Association of Australasia
The Australian helicopter industry has an excellent reputation on this forum, thanks to the many regular contributors from your part of the world. I wonder if your efforts to stifle discussion, and your blatantly 'promotional' post, have served to enhance or diminish what the Oz regulars have achieved indirectly by their consistently top class contributions to a wide variety of topics.
You must have a very low opinion of the intelligence of potential recruits to our industry if you don't credit them with sufficient intelligence to distinguish between posts which contain reasoned, objective criticism and posts motivated by personal animosity.
Heliport
Moderator
I would like to thank all those who today joined together and decided to put aside their differences and withdraw their posts on this thread, following a misunderstanding about Australian schools and some training providers. We are working hard behind the scenes to get several other posts removed, however, time differences may delay this for a few days.
Allow me to offer you a friendly tip: Contributors to Rotorheads aren't fools and it's a big mistake to treat them as if they are. There was no 'misunderstanding'. There were clearly expressed, unambiguous and strongly held differences of opinion.
So you're 'working hard behind the scenes' to get people to withdraw critical posts? I'm sure potential students deciding where they should spend their hard-earned savings or large expensive loans will be most grateful to you. In this forum, we've always found a free exchange of views to be more helpful than cleverly orchestrated PR jobs. Perhaps neither you nor Mr Becker have noticed that, in discussions about Oz schools, there have been a number of complimentary comments about the Becker school. Most schools seem to take compliments and criticisms as they come, the rough with the smooth.
Personally, I would like to thank Neville Dawson, Mike Becker, Graeme Gillies and many other caring individuals who have helped us achieve a dignified outcome, in the best interest of our industry. Neville (Heli-Ops International) and myself have made a promise to each other to promote our industry in the best way we can in our specialised and different market areas.
Welcome to the forum. In your absence, Neville Dawson has been vigorously promoting the Australasian helicopter industry on this forum for years. And indirectly, by their helpful contributions to various topics (not just Oz/NZ topics), so have a large number of valued Oz contributors, and a valued but disappointingly smaller number from New Zealand. Can we assume you'll now be contributing to other non Oz/NZthreads? Or will you simply monitor the threads to try to ensure only a rosy picture emerges of all schools in your area of responsibility, and that no critical comments appear? That won't help potential customers make a decision, but perhaps that doesn't matter to you. Seems a bit rough on the schools which have earned their good reputations.
Interesting you should name Graeme Gillies. He played no part whatsoever in this discussion, but that didn't stop Mr Becker writing to me suggesting he was one of those behind the critical posts. And, although I didn't see the now-deleted post during the (UK) night, GG's protest suggests someone launched a personal attack on him and his wife!
To answer the question first posed in this thread, there are 23 schools in Australia and 14 in NZ. All are different and each will suit different people. Just as we marry different types of ladies and don't all buy the same cars. See a previous post on HAA offer to provide free a directory of schools in the Australasian area.
Directories are of little value save to provide contact details. They don't help potential customers differentiate between good schools and schools to be avoided. The value of threads which discuss the pros and cons of various schools is that people can read conflicting opinions and form their own views. Credit people with the intelligence to distinguish between objective comments and those motivated by personal animosity.
Further the original query asked about instructor training. It doesn't really matter where you train; there is a dreadful shortage of instructors in both Australia and NZ. If you are a CFI or a Grade 1, then stand aside because you will be rushed with offers of employment.
It doesn't really matter where you train? What a startling proposition! Perhaps the HAA area is unique? Everywhere else in the world there are good and bad schools, good and bad instructors, schools which give students a fair deal and schools which rip them off.
Future CASA legislation means the pending introduction of Safety Management Systems, which will create even more shortages of instructors in the long term. In Australia the average age of a pilot is 48 and an even worse figure is the age of an engineer about 54. So as these old farts retire (I am one); then the career ladder will have many empty holes in the next decade.
World Helicopter Fleet
The civilian helicopter fleet numbers about 26,000. Australia has 1,200 and New Zealand 580. By comparison the USA has 12,200, Canada 1,700, England 950, Japan 831, France 800 and Germany 700. Our nearby neighbours such as Malaysia and Thailand have about 80 each. China, only recently allowing general aviation to exist, only has about 130 machines. The first privately owned aircraft in China was an R44!
Australasian helicopter fleet
Over the past eleven years our helicopter fleet has grown from 649 to 1,200. SE helicopters by almost 90% and ME helicopters by 700%. Over half of the Australian fleet is piston engined. Robinson has 470 of which 390 are R22s. There are over 100 Bell 47s. We also have an expanding twin fleet. Most NZ machines are single engined turbines. Pistons are rare in PNG.
Rules of thumb.
Although helicopters make up less than 10% of the Australian fleet, we fly about 15% or more of the hours, mainly due to the mustering industry. Also, we have only 10% of the Register, but we have 20% of GA accidents RW is double the FW rate, a fact that needs to be addressed. Private, agricultural and firefighting accident rates are very high about three times higher than the charter rate. Mustering helicopters crash twice as often as charter operators. Surprisingly, the training accident rate is half that of mustering. Our SAR/EMS night accident rate is extremely high, based on hours flown, and was the topic of a recent HAA Conference at Newcastle, NSW.
RW twins come of age.
Due to the dramatic increase in number of emergency services, this segment has fared the best. (In fact, 700% growth in eleven years.) With over 80 twins in Australia and about 30 in NZ we have more twins than the military. There are about 32 emergency services in Australia and 17 in NZ. Many of these bases are upgrading from SE VFR to IFR twins with night capable search systems.
Greener pastures?
Without upsetting those helicopter operators living south of a line Sydney-Canberra-Adelaide, there has been a strengthening drift to the north. Although NSW has fewer helicopters than Queensland, they have more pilots. Cattle mustering and tourism is a growth industry and these are drawing more to the north. The Queensland government has targeted aviation training and maintenance as a political good thing and you only have to visit the Australian Aviation facility near Brisbane Airport, located near to the Australian Aerospace and Helitech complexes to see real development. Not convinced? Hire a car and drive to Redcliffe, Amberley, Oakey, Caboolture, Caloundra, Maroochydore and Airlie Beach and see what is going on everything is fresh, more vibrant and hope is in the air.
Fire fighting hot and cold.
Victoria and NSW have vastly different approaches to fire fighting. The Victorians have long term contracts with a few operators and funds them to be on standby even when times are wet and soggy. This brings stability and maybe a higher level of training and readiness.
To overcome the vastly larger geographical area of NSW, the RFS has many contracted operators on standby who only get paid when things are getting hot! Although this enables a bigger coverage of the state at a lower cost, the down side is stability for a contractor and a lower standard of operation until the season settles down. (Pilots and crews have to be called in from other jobs.) We must not overlook the impact of these operations have on our bottom line. In two years the NSW RFS spent $168 million. Last season $100 million 103 aircraft (20 FW) and $8 million in fuel, as an example. As a result of this many unviable operators were kept breathing by the fire season. Some even stretched their financial limits and bought more equipment in anticipation of a repeat this year. As the rains continue to fall, I wonder how many are taking stress medication.
Would you like to name those 'unviable operators' just in case potential students/employees don't realise the risk they'd be taking by embarking on training or moving to work with them?
Thanks once again to those who have rallied today, and may tomorrow's dawn bring you rays of sunshine and success!
Rob Rich,
President
Helicopter Association of Australasia
The Australian helicopter industry has an excellent reputation on this forum, thanks to the many regular contributors from your part of the world. I wonder if your efforts to stifle discussion, and your blatantly 'promotional' post, have served to enhance or diminish what the Oz regulars have achieved indirectly by their consistently top class contributions to a wide variety of topics.
You must have a very low opinion of the intelligence of potential recruits to our industry if you don't credit them with sufficient intelligence to distinguish between posts which contain reasoned, objective criticism and posts motivated by personal animosity.
Heliport
Moderator
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I wrote a letter of complaint to CASA, as is my right, to let them know how unhappy I was with the false promises that led to me enrolling at Beckers. CASA did not even do me the courtesy of replying. So I left it at that.
But CASA obviously sent a copy of my complaint to Becker and even though I was no longer anything to do with his school, he choose to vindictively pursue me with his speciality, a smear campaign of lies and falsehoods. Once all these lies started arriving at my new school I felt that I had no option but to write to CASA again to get this to cease and in attempt to refute all his lies and clear my name.
At least this time CASA replied. They acknowledged "a difficult working relationship" with Becker but other than that had no interest in it. They did however say that they would investigate my claims of inaccurate course materials.
I posted this thread about my treatment from Becker Helicopters solely because no one in CASA seemed remotely interested in what is going there and I think that people should get a fair view of things before committing themselves to spending $50,000 of their cash, life savings in my case, and then decide.
I never started out to denegrate the Australian Helicopter Industry but to show my side of things at a company that I was not happy with.
And my question is "Who regulates Becker's behaviour"?
I specifically asked if I could work in Australia on completion of my CPL(H). Otherwise I was going to go to the USA as they issue a 1 year work permit on successfully qualifying. So Becker wrote back saying that I could work in Australia, which is not true, and that swung my decision to go there. To me this is both unethical and immoral.
And now I see that the HAA wants this to go away as they are claiming it is no good for the industry in general and Becker Helicopters in particular.
Well I'm sorry. Perhaps the HAA should start thinking about what constitutes good, ethical management! Good pilots are not necessarily good managers. And perhaps this incident has been for the best to expose what is wrong in the industry and cause companies to think before "sexing up" their websites with inaccuracies.
It is interesting to note however, that most messages posted on this thread seem to reinforce the fact that there are problems with Becker's management style.
If false promises and inaccuracies are the "stock in trade" of aviation management and are used to further personal ambitions before benefitting the industry, then I am glad to have had a hand in exposing it.
I hope a lesson is learned by all concerned from this.
But CASA obviously sent a copy of my complaint to Becker and even though I was no longer anything to do with his school, he choose to vindictively pursue me with his speciality, a smear campaign of lies and falsehoods. Once all these lies started arriving at my new school I felt that I had no option but to write to CASA again to get this to cease and in attempt to refute all his lies and clear my name.
At least this time CASA replied. They acknowledged "a difficult working relationship" with Becker but other than that had no interest in it. They did however say that they would investigate my claims of inaccurate course materials.
I posted this thread about my treatment from Becker Helicopters solely because no one in CASA seemed remotely interested in what is going there and I think that people should get a fair view of things before committing themselves to spending $50,000 of their cash, life savings in my case, and then decide.
I never started out to denegrate the Australian Helicopter Industry but to show my side of things at a company that I was not happy with.
And my question is "Who regulates Becker's behaviour"?
I specifically asked if I could work in Australia on completion of my CPL(H). Otherwise I was going to go to the USA as they issue a 1 year work permit on successfully qualifying. So Becker wrote back saying that I could work in Australia, which is not true, and that swung my decision to go there. To me this is both unethical and immoral.
And now I see that the HAA wants this to go away as they are claiming it is no good for the industry in general and Becker Helicopters in particular.
Well I'm sorry. Perhaps the HAA should start thinking about what constitutes good, ethical management! Good pilots are not necessarily good managers. And perhaps this incident has been for the best to expose what is wrong in the industry and cause companies to think before "sexing up" their websites with inaccuracies.
It is interesting to note however, that most messages posted on this thread seem to reinforce the fact that there are problems with Becker's management style.
If false promises and inaccuracies are the "stock in trade" of aviation management and are used to further personal ambitions before benefitting the industry, then I am glad to have had a hand in exposing it.
I hope a lesson is learned by all concerned from this.
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Phred139 - Since your post still remains I will answer your comments. FYI I dont ever make posts without having documentation to back up what I say, suggest you remember that before making your comments above. Dont know you from a bar of soap and you obviously dont know me very well but didnt stop you from your tirade of abuse towards me did it.
Your comments against Graeme Gillies are totally uncalled for. He made no posts on the forum against Becker and yet you slag him off, and his wife for that matter. How do you explain that one.
You say that how Becker Helicopters runs his business is of no concern to Heli Ops, or any magazine for that matter. Well think again, in case you are not aware we are a trade magazine for the civil helicopter industry, therefore representing the industry and disseminating information to pilots, operators, manufacturers, regulators and more importantly STUDENTS and prospective STUDENTS worldwide. If someone is taking a student for a ride, ripping them off or making false promises, then its our duty to highlight this to protect the industry. Like it or hate it thats the way it is. We get emails all the time from people asking about schools, operators, aircraft dealers etc and we pass on our opinion or what we know and the student can then make up their own mind. Its the same with this forum.
Do I have a personal interest in the emails I get from people complaining about Beckers, Yes I do. The reason why, he misrepresented himself to a good friend of mine in HK, an operator who ended up giving him a contract to train their cadets. And unfortunately I was the one who helped them get the work and set up the meetings, something I regret very much. Capt Lai Hai and Mark Six know who I am talking about.
Will be interesting to see if all these new supporters that came out of the woodwork, nearly all of whom were created in a 15min time span yesterday continue to post or whether they just dissapear into the background.
Heliport - Thanks for the above comments. I think the Aussie and Kiwi industries have a lot to offer propesctive students from around the world. Its a unique and diverse world down here and you have your good and bad, as is the case in the USA, UK or anywhere else. I will always continue to promote the industries of these two countries because its where I live.
If I have any further comments on any issues will try and make them as professional as possible. Rotorheads is a great forum and from my side I apologise for dragging it into the depths of the sewer on this thread.
Autorotate.
Your comments against Graeme Gillies are totally uncalled for. He made no posts on the forum against Becker and yet you slag him off, and his wife for that matter. How do you explain that one.
You say that how Becker Helicopters runs his business is of no concern to Heli Ops, or any magazine for that matter. Well think again, in case you are not aware we are a trade magazine for the civil helicopter industry, therefore representing the industry and disseminating information to pilots, operators, manufacturers, regulators and more importantly STUDENTS and prospective STUDENTS worldwide. If someone is taking a student for a ride, ripping them off or making false promises, then its our duty to highlight this to protect the industry. Like it or hate it thats the way it is. We get emails all the time from people asking about schools, operators, aircraft dealers etc and we pass on our opinion or what we know and the student can then make up their own mind. Its the same with this forum.
Do I have a personal interest in the emails I get from people complaining about Beckers, Yes I do. The reason why, he misrepresented himself to a good friend of mine in HK, an operator who ended up giving him a contract to train their cadets. And unfortunately I was the one who helped them get the work and set up the meetings, something I regret very much. Capt Lai Hai and Mark Six know who I am talking about.
Will be interesting to see if all these new supporters that came out of the woodwork, nearly all of whom were created in a 15min time span yesterday continue to post or whether they just dissapear into the background.
Heliport - Thanks for the above comments. I think the Aussie and Kiwi industries have a lot to offer propesctive students from around the world. Its a unique and diverse world down here and you have your good and bad, as is the case in the USA, UK or anywhere else. I will always continue to promote the industries of these two countries because its where I live.
If I have any further comments on any issues will try and make them as professional as possible. Rotorheads is a great forum and from my side I apologise for dragging it into the depths of the sewer on this thread.
Autorotate.
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....dont start me on the HAA.
Take a look from half way down page 11 of this merged thread to refresh your memory.
I think those comments generally reflect how professional pilots think the HAA fits into the Australian helicopter scene.
Take a look from half way down page 11 of this merged thread to refresh your memory.
I think those comments generally reflect how professional pilots think the HAA fits into the Australian helicopter scene.
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I would love to reply
I would love to dish the dirt right back at you, but I won't as per requests above.
In the interest of laying all this to rest, I will say good luck in reporting unbiased facts and stories in your publication.
I wish good luck to everyone involved in this whole mess. May we all make the industry a better/ safer/ more successful place and learn to work in harmony for that cause.
In the interest of laying all this to rest, I will say good luck in reporting unbiased facts and stories in your publication.
I wish good luck to everyone involved in this whole mess. May we all make the industry a better/ safer/ more successful place and learn to work in harmony for that cause.
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Phred139 - Go ahead and dish the dirt if it relates to Beckers, either for or against them. The issue here is not about me or my magazine, its about the way certain schools do business and represent themselves which reflects on the aussie helo industry. Like it or not, we have a duty to either promote or warn people about places before they spend their hard earned cash.
If the dirt you speak of relates to me, then not really bothered by it. I have pissed off a lot of people over the years, both for realistic reasons and perceived reasons, but that comes with the territory.
Autorotate.
If the dirt you speak of relates to me, then not really bothered by it. I have pissed off a lot of people over the years, both for realistic reasons and perceived reasons, but that comes with the territory.
Autorotate.