Hi Pandalet,
You answered a few of my questions before i posted ;)

I'm kind of doing the reverse of you. Getting a SA PPL (H) first and then converting to a UK. I've been in touch with Base4 and they have suggested that February is a good time to start as the weather improves. I have passed all of my UK exams so as long as i pass my skills test here before May 08 i'll have no issues. The only reason i'm considering doing the UK conversion is so that i can continue my training and get type ratings here.

You appear to have done various bits of training all over the place!

How recently did you do the 30 hours in Malaysia? I'm not sure if any of the schools here would be prepared/able to credit you those hours towards a PPL(H), but I'd definately ask around - even if you get half of them credited, that's 15 hours towards your PPL!

If you did a South African PPL, I believe you'd still need to do the skill tests (ie. both R22 and R44) here to get it converted. Check LASORS for that.

As regards training here, while Heli-Air are very good, be warned they aren't the cheapest. Just a thought. In addition, you might find that some of the other operators in SA are a bit cheaper than Base4. Also, accomodation and living costs will be lower outside Cape Town (although if you're paying in GBP, it's all pretty cheap).

As regards the UK PPL theory exams, I believe you have 18 months from passing the last paper to pass your skills test, not 24 - again, I'm open to correction here, so check LASORS.

Basically, as has been said before, you need to decide what you want to do. If you're only planning on flying for pleasure, then it doesn't really matter where you train, so long as the quality of the training is decent. If you want to ultimately work in (say) the UK, the more of your training you can do here, the better. Just make sure you've considered all angles before you commit :).

Pandalet,

Just a small point.

It is 24 months. You have 18 months in which to pass all of your exams. Once they have been completed, this exam 'block' is then valid for 24 months ie you've got to pass the flight test within 2 years of finishing your last exam.


An applicant shall be deemed to have
successfully completed the theoretical examinations for
the JAR-FCL PPL(H) when awarded a pass in all of the
above examinations within a period of 18 months
counted from the end of the calendar month when the
applicant first attempted an examination. A pass will be
accepted for the grant of a JAR-FCL PPL(H) during the
24 months from the date of successfully completing the
theoretical knowledge examinations.


HTH

Bravo, I stand corrected, thanks! I remembered there was an 18 months in there somewhere...

Bravo/Pandalet,
Thanks for your input and advice, much appreciated :) I logged all of my R44 training hours at a school in Malaysia in March 2006. I had intended to train in a 22 but there was issues with the paperwork and so the school decided to let me fly the 44 at the 22 rate. At the time this seemed like a great deal but its come back to bite me in the ass as to get a SA PPL or UK PPL i have to do at least 45-50 hours in the same type rating.

There was no logic in choosing Heliair to train in the UK other than it's the closest school to my house. If i were to train in Cape Town i'd be staying with friends so accomodation costs would be negligible.

Does anyone know how long after passing the PPL (H)) skills test in South Africa does the local CAA issue the license/documentation?

Will this need to be produced before a skills/conversion test can be taken in the UK?

Hi,
Best is to arrive at the CAA at about 1100am, submit all your paperwork, have some lunch and pick up your license afterwards. It usually takes about 45min to 1hr15. The exception would be longer.
Good luck!:ok:

Thanks Hover Junkie :) I have a limited amount of time in between trying to get my SAA PPL and being able to convert it here in the UK. Being able to pick up the license a day or so after is a god send.

On a slightly different note if i were to get a SA PPL(h) on a R22 and also type rated on the R44 would i need to take skills tests on both crafts here in the UK?

Pleasure, Zigsta

Regarding the skills test, Yes, I believe you will have to. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than me can confirm this, but for every different type of aircraft that you wish to have a license for, you need to do a skills test.
Hope this helps:confused:

It's worth noting that the CAA is in Pretoria, so if you want to submit paperwork in person, you need be in Pretoria too. It's perfectly possible to hop on a budget airline in the morning (from, say Cape Town), hire a car for a day, do the CAA thing, then fly back in the afternoon, although that does add more cost.

I believe there are expediting services in Pretoria you can courier your paperwork to, who then go and submit everything in person for you, but I have no idea what this costs.

My experience of the SA CAA is that they're fantastically helpful, if you tell them exactly what you need and give them some notice. I ended up organising a courier to pick up the validation documents from them (having done all the applications from the UK in advance), resulting in me having my paperwork in my hand on day 2 of the holiday. I strongly recommend getting a phone number for whoever is dealing with your application and checking in with them periodically.

Thanks Pandalet.

Henley Air
 

They are simply one of the smartest helicopter operators in the country. Run by a very intelligent, very pleasant family, they are a pleasure to do business with. Just a look at their international clientele inspires confidence. Whether their flight school or their charter side, they set an example that is worth aspiring for. See www.henleyair.co.za
:ok::ok::ok:

phoebus apollo , rand airport, jnb

Durban flight schools??
 

Hi all,
Been reading past posts about flight schools in durbs but realise things change over time. Looking to complete my PPL(H) plus about 20-30hrs at either Starlite, NAC or JNC. Not from South Africa so any tips/words of wisdom would be appreciated. Cheers

Anyone been to South Africa for commercial helocopter training?
 

Since the GBP still seem reasonably strong against the ZAR ,and there seems to be a multitude of flights schools offering such training all over SA, I was wondering if anyone on here had any personal experiences with any of the schools, or would be able to recomend one for a commerical helicopter licence?

Hi
I did my PPL in SA and then went to the US to the rest. If you are planning to go to SA I will recommend Cape Town and Heli. They have R22 and 44 and are a really friendly bunch.
Flying in and around CPT is really interesting and fun. You do alot of solo flying or you bring friends with you.

Contact Heli and Janie and say hi from me :ok:

Cheers for that mate, I was checking both of their sites out yesterday.

Can I be rude and ask how much you paid to get your ppl H out there, very few companies seem willing to post it on their site.

Never trained there, but trust me if your in the UK now and train in SA, the difference in price should be seriously looked at. I think you will save a small fortune in comparison, albeit not cheap no matter how you cut it.
No matter where you go, remember money up front is usually money that has a tendancy to disappear. Thats not to discredit any school. Just watch your money.

Flying in South AFrica is fab and the standard of training is pretty good. However, if you don't have the right to work in South Africa, an RSA CPL will be pretty useless. So, if you want a JAA licence, you will need to consider the conversion costs.

Cheers

Whirls

Again everything comes down to cost.
You are allowed to stay in SA for 6 months and going down there now and get your Comm done and then may be a CFI you could work there till March and get some hours.

But as Whirls say you need to convert it to other licenses if you cant work down there.