North Wales and Helicopters
 

Hear is a topic for a sunny Friday pm. After doing a trip around North Wales a few weeks ago, it got me to thinking.

With the fantastic scenery in North Wales, which makes for such good flying, how come there hasn't been a helicopter training presence there? Caernarfon would be ideally situated. Is it a case of there not being enough money in the area, as most say or weather perhaps?

I know the latest training effort at Caernarfon didn't go ahead due to other reasons, which is a shame as it would have been interesting to see what happened.

Just a thought...

I was at EGCK a few weeks ago & I'm sure there was a heli training operation in a porto next to the air ambulance (tower side) but cannot remember the name.

Could be lack of population in the area??

ヘリコプターhelicopter-redeye;)

Yeah, there was but it never started training at Caernarfon and has since left the airfield. Apparently, that operator had another base but looks to have gone out of business altogether.

It is a lovely area isn't it. I have happy memories of mountain flying courses there. There have been a few hele schools there over the years. One or two got reasonably busy. But in the end they seemed to fold. I guess redeye is right about the fairly limited number of people in the catchment area.

However, there are examples of schools prospering in similar areas. The one that springs to my mind is Tiger Helicopters at Shobdon - been there for years and has incrementally grown into a thriving helicopter company with all the bells and whistles (and no I have no connection other than passing through occasionally). Probably the difference is just whether the person who runs it is a good businessman or not, plus a bit of luck.

What about population density? Don't you tend to get schools serving areas containing the same number of people? So, London - quite a few, East Anglia - a couple, Wales...?

Net wealth as well. E Anglia = SE Communter belt for the City so $$$.

hubschrauber-redeye ;)

Chatting to folk about this today and it was mentioned that the school at Welshpool does very well. This isn't a high population density area either really, is it? Nearest big town is Shrewsbury to the East.

If its true about Welshpool and Shobdon etc. then there must be something more to it. Wouldn't say either of these were particularly wealthy but could be wrong! Possibly it is the business folk involved, as already suggested.

Caernarfon did have a helo school (jetbox) but the owner fell ill and never pursued it. Offices now derelict.

Flying Schools by the sea sadly suffer cos half their catchment area doesn't have too many pilots.

Not many studes are going to learn on a Jetbox either.

Ha!

Reminds me of when I was at Uni in Bangor. We played rugby against the boys at RAF Valley - Great bunch of guys. Anyway, one of our players suffered a suspected neck injury!

No worries though, the Valley guys radio'd it in and 15 minutes later came their mates (who broke off a training exercise), landed on the pitch, and took our player off to Ysbyty Gwynedd!!! Chopper away, we continued to match all the way to the third half and into the small hours!

cl12pv2s

Brings back lots of good memories and drunken nights spent in the hotel at LLanbedr whilst teaching mountain flying with Gazelles and Scouts in the Snowdon area. Weather was never really an issue. I can remember only losing one days flying due to heavy rain and high winds.

I cant believe that a mountain flying school would make money as it's quite a specialist skill.

Would You?
 

Bearing in mind that most small training helicopters are twin seat, single engine piston, would you really want to fly in such an unhospitable region? I felt uncomfortable in a single engine turbine!

Caernarfon Airport
 

Hi,

I am the operator of the airport, I would love a helicopter operation at the airport. The last person to start one who started went about 6 months and didnt do much flying.

They went bust owing the airport thousands, he went very ill and couldnt continue. It was very sad.

Hopefully we will have one open next summer

Thanks

Sam