CPL(H) Instructor recommendation?
 

Can anybody recommend an experienced commercial or ex military instructor in the UK (any location), who is of similar calibre to Andy Gutteridge and available early next year for a JAR CPL(H) conversion?
Andy was very highly recommended, but unfortunately he has just retired.
Many thanks...

Check your PMs Lynx!

Cheers

Whirls

I'd be grateful for any information on this topic too!

:ok:

Stringfellow

I have sent you a PM with Whirlygig's recommendation.

Cheers...

Cheers lynx.

Obviously the quality (reputation) of instruction is important in the selection of a training provider but other factors are inevitably involved in a final decision (expenditure, logistics etc.). How important is your selection after the fact, i.e. are you every asked/scrutinised as to where you did your CPL (H) training? Should/does it matter so long as you passed the relevent test?

Any thoughts, opinions etc. for the selection of a CPL (H) flying course (HU269) would be really appreciated.

I would prefer not to be trained simply to pass the CPL(H) Skills Test. I would rather pass well, but have my flying skills and professionalism improve more so.

Hence, I would prefer to pay more for a seriously good, and commercially experienced instructor, than pay less to be 'trained' by an hour building instructor. Very very good and experienced instructors, can provide those small golden gems of guidance that make the difference, and that is what I am looking for

Finding an excellent instructor is actually very difficult!

I absolutely agree! So how do you find "a seriously good, and commercially experienced instructor [that] ...can provide those small golden gems of guidance that make the difference"?

Ask here on Rotorheads and hopefully get some non-biased and well-informed suggestions! Please? Thanks guys :ok: .

A couple of places I could easily tell you to avoid, but for what it's worth I'd recommend........

Depending upon your location and willingness to travel you'll be hard pushed to find anybody better than Mike Green or Leon Smith (or for that matter Ruth, John or Paul) both of whom can be found at Helicopter Services, Wycombe.

Lynx247

Could you forward Whirlygigs recommendation?

Thanks

GLS

'Ere, as I feel as if my little "Billet doux'" are doing the the rounds!!!

gls.fly, I've sent you the same. The reason I haven't gone public is that I am wary of "advertising" but also there can be a little "competition" and not unknown for there to be a slanging match.

Cheers

Whirls

Thank you Whirls and Flingingwings for your suggestions...

There's a lot in what Whirlygig says.
We do sometimes get fairly obvious plugs by schools or their employees. Also, unless people have had a really bad experience, they tend to be loyal to where they did a course - and the loyalty can sometimes lead to a 'heated discussion'. ;)


As a neutral fact, not a personal recommendation, the two CPL(H) instructors who have been most consistently and highly recommended here are:



Mike Green & Leon Smith



(Apparently there are two Mike Greens. The Mike Green above used to be at Fast Helicopters, Thruxton but has moved to work with Leon Smith.)

H.

Andy G. is well into his Hawaiian shirt and shorts down on the beach, by all accounts!

Mike Green (formerly of Fast) also conducts courses at two North West airfields, if thats any use to you, and I 'think' one is due to start soon (poss Octoberish time). He can do R22 or 300.

If you can't guess where I'm on about, send me a pm.

Hope it helps

Resurrecting this thread
 

I know this is an old thread but the general sentiment expressed here (the desire to get the best possible training) is one that I share.

Would anyone care to PM any recommendations?

I'm looking for someone in the southeast to instruct for PPL(H). Ideally ex-military. (Was taught my PPL(A) by ex ETPS chaps and I thought the training could not be bettered).

Many thanks for any recommendations.

DF

Well said Lurker, good advice :D

Leon Smith, No question.

if only we could legalize cloning!

Leon Smith... best instruction I have ever had by a country mile and he has a very dry humour to boot!

I can wholly recommend Geoff Day. Did my CPL(H) modular course with him many moons ago and there are things he taught me beyond the syllabus that still come in handy today. He also taught several of my colleagues which came in handy when applying for my current job.

What is this obsession people have with "ex-military pilots please"? There seems to be a pervading opinion in the industry like they are the only ones who can really fly. We've had people phone up for charter enquiries requesting ex-mil pilots only for their noddy racecourse drop-off. Yes, they are well-trained, but there are plenty of decent civvy pilots out there. Everyone makes mistakes, we are all human.

The answer is probably because their standard is consistent (although the emergencies training is almost certainly better). Just a look at this thread kind of proves the point - how many names actually came out of the hat in answer to the original request? There should be loads of them!

The scariest thing that myself and my instructors have noticed is how inconsistent the standard of core knowledge is, that should apply acroos the board from PPL(H) to ATPL(H). In fact, it should not be that big a hop between PPL(H) to CPL(H).

The fact is that there are flying schools who are simply not doing the ground instruction properly. I understand that flight instructors are only paid to fly, but I don't think that is an excuse in the final analysis. I also understand that there are some students who simply treat the exams as a nuisance factor, but the amount of people who turn up at the safety meetings prove that there are people who want to learn properly, which is why we will be starting PPL(H) ground study classes during evenings and weekends at Wycombe in the very near future.

Transport Canada is very hot on basic training, and I think JAA/EASA should be too.

phil