Yeah, for me it was between quitting my job and crossing the pond or staying in my job flying in my off-time.
For me personally my decision has definitely worked out but it boils down to a gamble. I'm still heavily lamenting the whole Aloha-Experience, though.... :)

Hi All!
Please someone here has recently flew with Hillsboro aviation academy? Any feedback? I know that in the past other users raised the same question, but I would like to receive updates as fresh as possible.

Thanks in avdance!

Chico

interested in Hillsboro news as well.

What About Cloud 9 Helicopter, Atlantic helicopter, Helialtitude?

I trained at Hillsboro and got my first job with them. I flew about 600 hours a year working as a cfii.
This was about 10 years ago.
I don’t know how things are now because I know The company changed ownership.

A couple of years ago I was speaking to an Italian cfii that also trained at Hillsboro but got a job with Quantum helicopters in Arizona and he told me he was flying 100 hours a month training mostly Chinese students.

FlyNYON in NYC hiring
 

From their Facebook posts (I’m not affiliated, just saw in my feed):

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🚁 Friends we are hiring 9-10 pilots in the next 4 weeks for the NYC ‘18 summer season. We are a 135 operator (Flawless certificate) with 206L3’s AS350B3’s and AS355FX’s to makeup the bulk of the fleet (all turbine). Pilots need to have at least 1000 hours total time and 50 of that turbine. Everything we do exceeds Industry standards (the recipient of the 2017 Operator safety award by ERHC🏅): Aircraft, Maintenance, Insurance, training...send me your resume [email protected] and join the #NYONfamily the future of aviation (We are changing the industry that I grew up in)...FlyNYON #FoxTrot www.flynyon.com 🌎 #OnwardAndUpward
——

Hello folk
anybody knows about Pelican Flight Training PFT in Miami? I heard they fly a couple of helos. F-1 Visa approved. Please, if anyone here had some experience or is flying with them, post feedback!
Appreciated...

Fly Safe
CA2

Best helicopter flight schools in the USA?
 

Any recommendations for the best helicopter flight schools in the USA? I mean the best of the best. Best instructors and best test prep.
I'm looking to transfer my EASA CPL H to an FAA CPL H. This is all for a hobby.

I thought the school I went to for my ppl was the best of the best. Then I went back a year later to get my instrument and now I think they suck!

That's the problem with schools, its really the instructor that makes the experience, and once they leave,...?

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Agree! The instructor is the most important thing. The organisation has more to do with facilitys, aircraft and setting the bar for what is the lowest permissible level is allowed, wich isn't what we're shooting for i assume by the nature of your question.

Most recommendations i ever had has been from ppl who dont really have anything to compare it with. Someone getting any of the basic licenses at low total hours are very easily impressed and tend to be bias since the spent a small fortune there (myself included).

I have received training in 3 countries by 9 flight schools in total spending probably 120.000-150.000euro, probably 60-80% came out of my pocket one way or another.
Had some different combos of able and or motivated instructors.

Not saying im right or that there aren't exceptions but with the experience i have today reciving and providing training i would:
- Not get a licence above PPL from a school that can't provide a instructor with solid commercial experience as a primary instructor.
-Not get a FAA IR with a instructor unless he/she has plenty of accual IR experience.
- ask how the school pays their instructors. Think about their incentive... As a rule of thumb they should be well payed per duty hours and not per flight hours. Plenty of exceptions though.

- Test a few school and make up your own mind!

- make sure the school does emergency manuvers all the way to ground, good indication that there is competence in house. Ask them to demo if when you go there for a show and tell and demo flight. Went for a Type Rating m(EC120)and it was a bit of a rush job, last session it turned out they didn't even roll off for autos. The 3rd party owner didnt want them to.

​​​​​​Ask hard questions like how the school precives its quality and what they are doing to improve it, goals ect. How they train their staff, what their staff turnover rate is, ask for reference from several ex student.

- Avoid flight schools with a short track record.

- Avoid big "pilot factories"

And in general:
Any good flightschool has low staff turnover, experienced happy employees that train for reality not for licance requierments and personally knowing the differance.

Glad to hear you are looking for quality, make them work for your money. Hope you find what you're looking for
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snooken,

Excellent response. I'm sure, lots of newcomers will appreciate your honest advice.

Keep it up

Another added element upon snooken's point, been to many school many different countries, spent >100K too.

Every school is typically structured with 1 or 2 head pilot in there, one who has above 10,000 hours of professional experience (generally own the school) and one who is just a really a good instructor (abide less experienced). and stay with the school because he is good and they therefore pay him well.
on top of that you get staff instructors that come and go and are generally mediocre at teaching. some are so bad that the role could get reversed and you will find yourself more competent in the right seat and on your toes prepared to correct the instructor mistakes on occasion.

Anyhow as a matter of business efficiency, every student will have to spend time with the staff instructors, and it's not necessarily bad, because every student has to learn the basic stuff like keeping a precise altitude and heading in straight and level flight. it does not take a star instructor to teach you that. Personally I qualify a bad school, one in which you spend your time craving to fly with the 1 or 2 head pilot, because they are the one that make the lesson worth 3 time a much learning, you will feel like they just have the key to unlock your progress as a pilot.

if you get really lucky you might find a school where due to their small scale they don't have staff instructor and will do all your training with the head pilot --> in that case go for it, you will never regret it.

it also alway help when someone in the school is also an examiner, good sign they know what they are teaching and are on track with what you should know