Just Wondering??????
 

If you've got your PPL(H) and was about to start training for your CPL(H), where would you suggest the best place in the world is for starting your helicopter career?????

I know no-one will employ you etc... hours..... but as a whole, whether its crop spraying, taking photo's or what every bottom of the rung job you could get, where do you think it would be?

Many thanks

LB:confused:

Probably the U.S. then Canada. Make sure you have the imigration crap worked out before you spend the cash.
If you wont be allowed to work in either country you would be better off do a JAA licence.

i can recommend HAI in Florida.

www.heli.com and speak to Samantha.

I'm there now and really enjoying it.:ok:

Heli. training - where?
 

Would like to get my CPL (H) but not sure whether to stay in England (very expensive) or go to the USA or NZ. Any ideas?

I'd personally recomend Oxford Aviation Training, which is where I did mine. It is not the cheapest but does offer top quality. Plus they use the 300 not R22.

For the exams, try Bristol Ground School.

Good Luck

Have you got the hours yet ? That's the expensive bit and could be worth going to Bushland. Distance course from Atlantic Coventry getting v popular for the ground stuff - and it is an H-focussed course.

Meanwhile, we await heli-specific exams.......JAR-know-what-I-mean ?

Hi

try Helicopter Adventures in Florida, they give real professional training and education.
Get your combined FAA-CAA/JAR-FCL ticket and you´re set, make use of the better weather and the lower prices.

Good Luck.

CPL (H)
 

Whirlygirlie

Do you intend to do the modular or integrated route. If you are going the integrated use I just finished my CPL (H) at HAI, Florida in April this year. Will answer any questions you may have.:ok:

Hey Whirlygirlie,

Come to NZ and train.
I've trained here and now employed as a C Cat instructor.

Regards H

There is a very good Flight Academy in Cape Town, South Africa
where you can do your training from "Ab Initio" to CPL, even an instructors rating if you want, conversions to single Turbine's and twin's; Jetranger B111, BO 105 and the likes at very good rates. I would say the best place to train because of the variety of terrain available. Ocean, mountains etc.

:ok: :ok: :ok:

re. heli. training
 

Thanks for all your help people. Much appreciated.

I have a PPL (A) that I got 3 years ago but much prefer helis. I am busy saving at the moment so that I can train in one go. Was planning to go to NZ as I really like the look of Heliflight in Masterton. You all have given me loads to think about, thanks for that. Any more advice greatly appreciated. Won't be able to start training until 2006/2007, by then I should have saved £50,000.

Cheers, blue skies

at last a question I can answer!
 

You can get a work visa in South Africa to work as a helicopter pilot - I have just got one. It took quite a while (about 3 months) and cost me R8000 (about 700 pounds) and is valid for three years. There is quite a lot of paperwork to plough through though, and South African civil servants are no more efficient than any others, IMHO. If anyone wants a full list of what's needed for a work permit, pm me.

I did my training in Durban and loved the place so I decided to stay. A mate of mine did his in Cape Town and said the weather was not as consistently good as Durban, although still much better than the UK. Joburg with an elevation of 5000 ft will give plenty of opportunities to practice limited power manouevres, especially Dec-Feb, when the temperature can reach 40 degrees C. plus. In my experience South African training is of a very high standard too - unfortunately the Rand is pretty strong at the moment so it's not as cheap as it once was; R2000 per hour (R22) is about the going rate.

Try training in Canada.....the norm at most schools is to hire instructors that have several thousand hours of experience before they even started teaching......You can count on getting a lot of value for your training dollar, lots of mountains, and instructors that are very experienced in a real work environment....

Training
 

I am thinking of undertaking training for a commercial course but am not sure as to where to do it. Currently my leaning is towards going to the States to do this on a J-1 visa which allows 24 months for training and working as a flight instructor. the major benefit i see in doing this is the availability of low hour work for flight instructors with 1000hrs piston being acheivable within the 24 months.

I realise that the quality of instruction in the States is not as likely to be as good as in the UK because the people teaching are less experienced. The company i am currently training with in the UK reakon that the FAA qualifications do not produce good pilots, however the cynic in me thinks this might be more to do with wanting my custom than objective evaluation of the FAA vs JAA.

Could someone shed some light on the differences between the FAA and the JAA and also what opportunities there are for low hour pilots in the UK?

PJ,
Can't comment on JAR/FAA differences, but I think you will be pushed to find a reasonably paid job in the UK with low hours. There are a few charter companies that use pilots on an ad hoc basis but they pay by the flying hour or day, whichever is the lower in most cases. Also, most commercial operators use turbine aircraft so that may be be the way to go.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
NEO.:ok:

Hi

I am in a similar position as you. A pilot friend who has been flying about 3 years definately believes that JAA is better than FAA. he said for him to convert to a FAA licence was no trouble at all, but the other way round would have been really tough. Have you thought about going for HAI, they do a FAA/JAA CPL combined course, it costs about $50,000 and takes about 14 months I think, but the waiting list is long. I was going to go there in January 2005 course but they messed me around on the start dates and now they can't fit me in until autumn of next year. As a result i am going to do my JAA in this country.

As for CFI job opportunities, I got the impression that USA offered more than UK, but that might be just bul**** I've been fed by HAI.

also does anyone have any comments on whether a FAA or a JAA IR is more usefull?

Hope this helps

yeah I have spoken to HAI the start date of the earliest available JAA/FAA course is something like sept2005. I am considering just doing the FAA course as this will allow more time for actual working as a CFI from the 24month J-1 visa and then converting if I come back to europe, I am currently trying for an australian visa.

Just be careful because I have heard (and it's probably bull****) that any hours you do at a place other than OAT, Cabair or HAI don't count towards your JAA license. so getting hours abroad before you get your JAA might be a false economy. I know a chap who's just done his instructor rating over here so I'll call him and let you know as soon as I do how he's finding it. He got an Aussie licence abroad before converting to a JAA as well I think.

is it really cheaper in the U.S?

you have to pay rent above your U.K mortgage, Flight, Insurance, Briefing costs
Fight and I mean fight for Aircraft avaliability.

Loss of Any salary that could be earned in the U.K whilst training
part time or full time

The obvious tax incentive which means that after your CPL you can offset all the costs to becoming an instructor against future earnings

And the fact that the requirements to be an instructor in the U.K have just been reduced to 250 for entry onto the course makes a difference

Also I heard a rumour that the insurance requirement to teach on the R22 (the primary training aircraft still in the US) has been increased to 300 hours

Why go abroad and come back a stranger in the industry?????

:uhoh: