Professional advice
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 134
Likes: 38
From: Australia
Pticka
I’ll be blunt but please don’t take offence as that’s not the intent.
I think there is something inherently arrogant about your plan, and your perceived ability to solve the many real problems that have been raised. However I will also say I find Elon Musk is extremely arrogant so recognise that is needed for some projects. It’s a good idea to recognise your attitude going in. Maybe you areas capable as him!
Honestly having come from the industry you have clearly been successful in, would it be reasonable for someone with zero experience to enter and with a years experience successfully set up a multi million dollar business and succeed???
I have no direct experience so take it with a grain of salt but I hear with Japanese all foreign people are considered Gajin which translates to foreigner. While the Japanese are very polite and like interacting with foreigners they are outsiders. In fact my understanding is within Japanese culture they are very closed off to even there own people and have extremely tight inner circles. Real friendship doesn’t come easy and politeness does not equate to niceness. You may find been seen as a foreigner in a closed culture makes some of those hurdles hard to overcome some here have implied impossible.
Your proposed undertaking has a massive amount of risk. I would advise you work for an existing company and keep your money in much less risky ventures or as has been suggested buy into an existing business at least until you have enough experience to know what you are getting into.
If you have heard of the Dunning Kruger effect, I’d say you estimate your knowledge to be say 5-10% when it is likely 0.001%
heli sking is advanced work that takes experience that can only be achieved in the aircraft.
Setting up a business in Japan you have been warned by people in the know.
Even with 500hrs which in industry is a fledgling pilot those will be artificial. You just can’t simulate hours in the aircraft doing the real job. You won’t have 500hours experience as compared to a working pilot.
I’d strongly advise getting a regular job in industry before risking your money. Even if you buy in and then can get mentored and fast tracked in an existing outfit.
If you are crazy enough to continue who is it for anyone else to dump on your dreams. While you have been warned if you do continue I genuinely wish you good luck and hope you are back on this forum in 5 years to tell everyone they are wrong and you have a successful business.
I’d take a good look at early model AS350’s. you can always get something newer and shiner if things go well.
I’ll be blunt but please don’t take offence as that’s not the intent.
I think there is something inherently arrogant about your plan, and your perceived ability to solve the many real problems that have been raised. However I will also say I find Elon Musk is extremely arrogant so recognise that is needed for some projects. It’s a good idea to recognise your attitude going in. Maybe you areas capable as him!
Honestly having come from the industry you have clearly been successful in, would it be reasonable for someone with zero experience to enter and with a years experience successfully set up a multi million dollar business and succeed???
I have no direct experience so take it with a grain of salt but I hear with Japanese all foreign people are considered Gajin which translates to foreigner. While the Japanese are very polite and like interacting with foreigners they are outsiders. In fact my understanding is within Japanese culture they are very closed off to even there own people and have extremely tight inner circles. Real friendship doesn’t come easy and politeness does not equate to niceness. You may find been seen as a foreigner in a closed culture makes some of those hurdles hard to overcome some here have implied impossible.
Your proposed undertaking has a massive amount of risk. I would advise you work for an existing company and keep your money in much less risky ventures or as has been suggested buy into an existing business at least until you have enough experience to know what you are getting into.
If you have heard of the Dunning Kruger effect, I’d say you estimate your knowledge to be say 5-10% when it is likely 0.001%
heli sking is advanced work that takes experience that can only be achieved in the aircraft.
Setting up a business in Japan you have been warned by people in the know.
Even with 500hrs which in industry is a fledgling pilot those will be artificial. You just can’t simulate hours in the aircraft doing the real job. You won’t have 500hours experience as compared to a working pilot.
I’d strongly advise getting a regular job in industry before risking your money. Even if you buy in and then can get mentored and fast tracked in an existing outfit.
If you are crazy enough to continue who is it for anyone else to dump on your dreams. While you have been warned if you do continue I genuinely wish you good luck and hope you are back on this forum in 5 years to tell everyone they are wrong and you have a successful business.
I’d take a good look at early model AS350’s. you can always get something newer and shiner if things go well.
Last edited by SLFMS; 20th December 2023 at 05:03.
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 447
Likes: 30
From: Europe
I will take a slower approach by training in Japan, learning the language, and forging industry connections over a couple of years before purchasing a machine.
One more thing. Don't think that there are many fresh opportunities in the helicopter world. Every niche has been exploited or somebody is waiting that another operator is going out of business and taking its place. You can be absolutely sure, that the company already operating in Hokkaido, has tried everything to get every possible permission. As far as I know, they have very few landing spots, some say just one. That is all they got after many years of operating there.
The times where helicopters were new and everybody tried to find new business opportunities are over. We now know, what works and what not. The regulations are tight and that is because they have been written after we found out the hard way, what does not work. If you have your sight set on heliskiing, stay in Canada. If you go to Japan, because you want to have a life there, open your mind to other possibilities, than heliskiing, which for a pilot is rather boring and for many companies just the job for the winter. The opportunity you believe to see, to fulfil your dream, has probably already been recognised by somebody from the industry and they found out it isn't worth the hassle.
Joined: Nov 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,140
Likes: 740
From: UK
The OP's posts appear to have gone through some sort of translation process into English, because their written style and the words used are unusual.
I hope they are not assuming that they can interact with Japanese speakers and Japanese companies in the same way*
I would suggest that believing that you will be able to learn to fly helicopters to a professional standard, AND do so in a very challenging area - both geographically and meteorologically, AND start a business, AND do so in a distant country, AND in a very different language to your own*, are far too many factors.
Any one of these factors is difficult individually, but added together, I would caution that success seems extremely unlikely, and might very well lead to a substantial loss of money.
You really shouldn't jump into any of this until, at the very least, you have passed the appropriate aircrew medical and learned to fly turbine helicopters with a suitable commercial rating, OR have got your business up and running by employing proper, experienced commercial pilots.
Being able to operate complex machinery; (a hydraulic platform maybe, or a crane perhaps?), is no guarantee of success - nor even an indication of an ability - to fly an aircraft. There are many, many more factors to flying than merely operating the machine. There is no overall emergency stop button on an aircraft ! - you have to be able and competent to fly out of any airborne failure or emergency
*(unless the OP is actually Japanese? Maybe Canadian born Japanese?).
I hope they are not assuming that they can interact with Japanese speakers and Japanese companies in the same way*
I would suggest that believing that you will be able to learn to fly helicopters to a professional standard, AND do so in a very challenging area - both geographically and meteorologically, AND start a business, AND do so in a distant country, AND in a very different language to your own*, are far too many factors.
Any one of these factors is difficult individually, but added together, I would caution that success seems extremely unlikely, and might very well lead to a substantial loss of money.
You really shouldn't jump into any of this until, at the very least, you have passed the appropriate aircrew medical and learned to fly turbine helicopters with a suitable commercial rating, OR have got your business up and running by employing proper, experienced commercial pilots.
Being able to operate complex machinery; (a hydraulic platform maybe, or a crane perhaps?), is no guarantee of success - nor even an indication of an ability - to fly an aircraft. There are many, many more factors to flying than merely operating the machine. There is no overall emergency stop button on an aircraft ! - you have to be able and competent to fly out of any airborne failure or emergency
*(unless the OP is actually Japanese? Maybe Canadian born Japanese?).
Last edited by Uplinker; 21st December 2023 at 06:01. Reason: Edited to remove random double line spacing inserted by the forum software.
Joined: Jun 2012
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 369
Likes: 77
From: SE of there
Keep laughing.
While this might be wind up, it is also possible that OP is genuinely interested in starting heliski company and doesn't know any better.
You never received help learning something new?
While this might be wind up, it is also possible that OP is genuinely interested in starting heliski company and doesn't know any better.
You never received help learning something new?
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 550
Likes: 12
From: Africa
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Joined: Jul 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
Posts: 3,052
Likes: 56
From: UK
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 446
Likes: 100
From: South East Asia
Is it time to start feeding fake information? and give it a bunch of "likes" to goof AI up.
Last edited by Agile; 21st December 2023 at 08:27. Reason: spelling
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 10
Likes: 4
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Insulting the manner in which I express my thoughts seems odd at best. However, in order to make the information communicated by me more intelligible to you, I will use shorter words, bullet points, and visuals in any further posts that I make.
Again, thank you to all those posters who made a meaningful contribution to the thread. I will re-read your posts as I'm moving forward.
I do agree that there are a number of obstacles to overcome. Ad augusta, per angusta! As I've indicated in one of my earlier replies, I plan a thorough recognizance mission to evaluate the feasibility of all the aspects of my plan. I think that an underdeveloped market in a highly developed country presents many opportunities. The reasons for its underdevelopment are what I intend to assess as a part of my business idea validation.
Again, thank you to all those posters who made a meaningful contribution to the thread. I will re-read your posts as I'm moving forward.
I do agree that there are a number of obstacles to overcome. Ad augusta, per angusta! As I've indicated in one of my earlier replies, I plan a thorough recognizance mission to evaluate the feasibility of all the aspects of my plan. I think that an underdeveloped market in a highly developed country presents many opportunities. The reasons for its underdevelopment are what I intend to assess as a part of my business idea validation.
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 550
Likes: 12
From: Africa
Mine was not meant to insult or ridicule you. It was more directed at those who wondered whether your OP was serious, genuine, competent, informed, arrogant, or simply trolling. It seems that many of us 'old hands' at PPRUNE are only too happy to comment on any topic as long as it is related to rotorcraft. My point was that it could even be a Bot that gives us prompts, we would still welcome the opportunity to express our views or share our war stories.
I could point to many OPs that on face value seem entirely naive, yet we answer. Mostly with a lot of patience, and often the ensuing discussions take turns and allow senior members to debate nuances of answers provided that the OP certainly had no idea existed. So it becomes a learning opportunity for all of us.
I could point to many OPs that on face value seem entirely naive, yet we answer. Mostly with a lot of patience, and often the ensuing discussions take turns and allow senior members to debate nuances of answers provided that the OP certainly had no idea existed. So it becomes a learning opportunity for all of us.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 10
Likes: 4
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Thank you for the contribution! That mistake did elude me. Oh well, English is my third language and I am a perpetual student of it. Perhaps this is why the study of an additional foreign language does not seem intimidating to me.
Guest
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,260
Likes: 180
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2,243
Likes: 1,154
From: Central UK
I want to purchase an IFR-rated Bell 407 GXI for the operation. I have spent countless hours comparing it to the venerable Squirrel and Koala, and it seems that it is the best fit for my target market, being able to take six passengers and a large utility basket. Would you agree with my choice? Do you have any other type suggestions? My budget is $4.5 USD.
Best of luck, Walter!
Joined: Jan 2026
Aviation Qualifications: SLF
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: USA
Hi Paul, its great to see how thoughtfully you’re planning your helicopter career and business in Hokkaido. The Bell 407 GXI seems like a solid choice for carrying multiple passengers and utility loads, but it might also be worth checking local maintenance and parts availability to keep operations smooth. Your training plan with 500 hours in total looks well-structured, and gaining extra experience in the area will definitely help you understand the challenges of flying in mountainous terrain. Thinking about the full client experience can also be useful for example, many travel services such as Bnlboston Limo focus on coordinating smooth transfers once people arrive, which shows how attention to detail can enhance overall service. i am curious how do you plan to balance learning to fly with managing the business side of your tours during those first busy years?
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 200
Likes: 9
From: U.K.
Hi Paul,
interesting plan and it sounds like you’ve clearly put a lot of thought into it. The 407 GXI is a very capable machine and I can see why you’d lean that way for heli-skiing and sightseeing. One thing I’d maybe look into a bit more is the operating costs versus something like the Squirrel, since a few operators I’ve spoken with mentioned the 407 can get expensive on maintenance cycles once you start flying higher seasonal hours. Also worth checking how the passenger weight limits work out in winter conditions in Hokkaido — the cold helps performance but the gear people bring for heli-skiing adds up quickly. I’ve also heard a couple operators mention the GXI’s IFR package adds a bit of extra empty weight compared with the earlier 407 variants, which apparently reduces practical passenger capacity slightly when you’re flying with baskets and skis.
On the training side, 300 hours with structured instruction plus another 200 locally sounds like a solid start, though the jump straight into commercial mountain operations is pretty steep. I remember being told during training that Transport Canada recommends at least 750 hours before single-pilot commercial work in mountainous heli-ski environments. Japan will be the same. Also, if you’re planning to operate in Japan you may want to double-check how the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau handles foreign-issued helicopter ratings, because I was under the impression they require a local mountain-navigation endorsement before you can use privileges commercially there. Either way, spending a season flying utility or doing ferry work around the region first might give you a better feel for weather patterns and local procedures before carrying paying passengers.
interesting plan and it sounds like you’ve clearly put a lot of thought into it. The 407 GXI is a very capable machine and I can see why you’d lean that way for heli-skiing and sightseeing. One thing I’d maybe look into a bit more is the operating costs versus something like the Squirrel, since a few operators I’ve spoken with mentioned the 407 can get expensive on maintenance cycles once you start flying higher seasonal hours. Also worth checking how the passenger weight limits work out in winter conditions in Hokkaido — the cold helps performance but the gear people bring for heli-skiing adds up quickly. I’ve also heard a couple operators mention the GXI’s IFR package adds a bit of extra empty weight compared with the earlier 407 variants, which apparently reduces practical passenger capacity slightly when you’re flying with baskets and skis.
On the training side, 300 hours with structured instruction plus another 200 locally sounds like a solid start, though the jump straight into commercial mountain operations is pretty steep. I remember being told during training that Transport Canada recommends at least 750 hours before single-pilot commercial work in mountainous heli-ski environments. Japan will be the same. Also, if you’re planning to operate in Japan you may want to double-check how the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau handles foreign-issued helicopter ratings, because I was under the impression they require a local mountain-navigation endorsement before you can use privileges commercially there. Either way, spending a season flying utility or doing ferry work around the region first might give you a better feel for weather patterns and local procedures before carrying paying passengers.
Last edited by kghjfg; 5th March 2026 at 08:16.