Hong Kong & SE Asia: training advice
 

Wondering if anyone can offer suggestions on where to gain a PPL(H) in the asian region that will not cost an arm and a leg. Based in Hong Kong, but happy to travel anywhere in the region.

Thanks

Try Solaire Systems in Malaysia or Helizona PT in Indonesia. Sorry, no contact info or prices. For contact info try the Robinson website under "dealers"; or do a Google search.

Best to find out what license they'll train you for and how to validate it in your home country; bit expensive if you got an Indonesian PPL and then had to do 25 more hours to fly in Hong Kong!

Good luck.

Being based Hong Kong I guess you have already checked out the Aviation Club at Kai Tak? They are teaching PPL (H) level right now, mostly weekends at Sek Kong but some of the lessons are done in the week from the HLS.

You need to join the club, which is around HK$50,000 then $3,000 per month, then $2,500 per hour. Steep by Aussie or American prices but similar to European rates. Chief Pilot (H) is an Aussie import and there are two other instructors available.

moosp :

If that's Mark D, tell him I said Hi and I'm still expecting his email !

Thanks for the help.

The HK Av. CLub is just a bit ott for my liking. If you manage to squeze in 8 or 10 hours a month, it works out to about $400 US/hr, not including the joining fee.

Google searches comemup a bit lean. Found the Helizona site thogh.

cheers

Couldnt find the link for Helizona? can you post it?

Thanks
RB

nevermind
www.helizona.com
rb

Why not sign up for GFS and get paid to learn to fly the EC155 or AS332??

Yes Nr, the very same Mark you know. He's doing a good job of getting things running there and doubled the bar takings since arriving... purely through building up the membership of course.

moosp,

Please tell "CAPTAIN" Mark D I say hello from Sunny Queensland.

If you mention the "CAPTAIN" he'll know who it is:}

Where do I begin...?
 

Dear All,

I live in Hong Kong and would be grateful if anyone could offer some helpful advice on how I should go about getting my CPL.
I'm British, with HK PR but have no prior flying experience.

Many thanks in advance,
Trixsta.

As this is posted on Rotorheads I assume that you wish to obtain a CPL for helicopters. I shall continue on that assumption.

Firstly, Hong Kong does not yet have a training facility for CPL (H) unless you join the Government Flying Service.

The Aviation Club at Sung Wong Toi Road, (2760 0633 or clubmanager@hkaviation club.com.hk) trains to PPL(H) level on Robinson R22 helicopters. The cost of joining the club is typical of a Hong Kong club, HK$50,000 or HK$30,000 if you use a Platinum Master Card. Hourly rates are HK$2,500 which is more than the USA, a bit more than Australia but less than the UK or Europe.

Constraints are that training is mostly carried out weekends only at Sek Kong, the PLA base in the New Territories. The PLA will not allow the club to fly during the week, so the weekend flying slots fill up. Add in the variable nature of the Hong Kong weather and the low visibilty pollution and the time to PPL can take several months. But good quality PPL(H)'s are being produced there at a regular rate.

Now comes the CPL. The licensing office of the Hong Kong CAD say that you cannot hold a Hong Kong CPL(H) unless you are employed by a Hong Kong helicopter company. I believe that they are the only authority in the world that demands such a strange constraint. Even China allows professional progression to a CPL if you want to. This means that to get a CPL you need to go out of the country.

Australia is popular, as the licence is well respected around the world and the flying down there is awesome, but Malaysia and the UK have also been used. The USA is unpopular right now because of the hassles with visas for flight training, which although being available can lead you to unpleasant interviews for hours with immigration on arrival, and the possibility of being deported because of some very minor paperwork problem.

With your respected ICAO CPL(H) licence in your hand you return to Hong Kong to get a Hong Kong licence issued on its basis, and you hit the same problem again- you must be employed by a Hong Kong company. The few helicopter companies in Hong Kong require experienced pilots, so a low time guy will be unlikely to get a look in.

There are pushes to improve the system, to allow Hong Kong pilots to progress to CPL level simply for the professional advancement but it will take a while.

PM me if you need to know more.

Learning Resources
 

Which websites and books do you recommend I use as learning resources for the CPL (helicopter)?

Thanks,
T.

I hear that the GFS is hoping to recruit cadets next year.

Hong Kong training schools
 

Hi All,

Just need some info firstly, ive got a friend whos in hong kong, hes a stockbroker and want to do his licence there. any suggestions as to where he can go in HK to do his course?

he is an aussie and wants to convert his licence when he eventually gets home to OZ, not being an instructor and in the know, does he just have to do the conversion exam and flight check?

thanks for the help

I assume he wishes to train for a PPL(H). If so, he should call the Hong Kong Aviation Club +852 2713 5171 (fax +852 2761 9511). They conduct PPL training in their R22.

As for licence conversion terms - regret I can't help.

Cheers

Thanks Helter,

Ive passed this info onto my friend..thanks for the help

BT

Thanks Mr S

I kinda knew hed have to do a conversion exam and flight test, but wasnt too sure about other procedures, i beleive my friend want to do just a PPL H.

Thanks for the help

BT

helicopter opps in China ?
 

With Eurocopter setting up shop in China, just wondering if anyone can advise if much is happening on the helicopter side yet or is it going to be a while before the market opens up in eg. Shanghai ?

Heli ops in China
 

The China market is seeing an increase in helicopter registrations primarily for public security and offshore operations. With the airspace below 500 meters strictly controlled by the military, private ops are limited.
Expansion in SAR equipment and bases is happening in line with increased offshore activity around the mainland coast and dove tailing with Hong Kong GFS areas of responsibility.