Shopping Around JAAland
 

I thought you ‘guys’ may like to know about a company in Romania, SAS Helicopters who run AS365N JAA type ratings courses. I’ve just come back and I can honestly say it was a good course. Romania, has come a long way from the Ceauşescu days and appalling orphanages since joining the EU and JAA.
JAA amendment 6 states that multi engine turbine (MET) to MET can be done in 3 hours plus the skill test (not the first type, which is 8 hours). I did it in 7 hours with the IR element.
The ground school was a series of power point presentations followed by trips to the hanger with engineers (ex Nicolae Ceauşescu’s).
The flights were all pre and post briefed and the examiner was the RCAA head man who was friendly and helpful, although it wasn’t a walk in the park.
They charge 1,800 Euros per hour including taxes, which is about the same as a twin squirrel in ROB (rip off Britain).
Let’s just shop around JAAland

Is this the company Dragon are using now for their IR course?

1800 euros is 1500 uk pounds. You can get a twin squirrel in the UK for about 1,000 pounds per hour

I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean to mislead. One can indeed find a 355 around 1,000 GBP; Severn Aviation charge 1300 + vat = 1,527 (that’s vat at 17.5%) GBP for a 355 type rating course. I just thought it was a very good price and an excellent course. I knew there was a reason why I didn’t use this site!

£1,300 plus VAT!

That's insane. It was about £1,000 + VAT per hour for an IFR AS355 last year (in the South East UK)

MCC
 

It there anybody who would like or needs to do an MCC?
I need a ‘buddy’ for an MCC/IFR course. The course costs 2,000 GBP and will consist of:
25 hours ground school
20 hours in a A109 FNPT 2 MCC/IFR sim made up of 10 hour as PF and 10 hours PNF

Just out of curiousty, why are you needing to do an MCC course? Offshore employers will give you one when you start working for them.

Details Details
 

The price quoted was for an AS365 but was then mis-read as AS355. Who got it wrong and who didn't notice? Maybe you should go on the MCC course together. :E

TT

Dolphin = £1500
Squirrel = £1000
MCC/IFR = £2000

This thread = priceless. :}

CHC will not. Can't speak for Bristow/Bond though.

You are right the Offshore companies generally do an MCC as part of the type rating. However, I already have a type rating. The ‘bean counters’ have frozen recruitment, so I thought, if I present myself with the type rating, the MCC and the ‘dunker’ course I’m ready for their induction and the line training. I’m ready to go. Yes, it maybe flawed logic, but I’m not going to just sit back and wait until the oil price goes up and hope, although, hope does burn eternal, I understand!

You don't need an MCC certificate - why do you think you do? An operator will not view a generic MCC course certificate with any enthusiam, all the more so if done in a fixed wing STD. It won't be worth the paper it's written on, let alone 2000 pounds!

If you get a job flying 365s offshore you'll get the multi-crew time that will exempt you from requiring the MCC when you come to do an MPH type rating. In any case, if you do the MPH type rating with your employer, it will almost certainly contain the MCC elements within it.

I agree. An MCC is proabably a waste of money for you. Especially if you have low-ish hours/no significant multi hours. Unless you have money to burn that is...

The UK is operating under FCL2 amendment 3, where there is the provision to include the MCC elements in company type ratings in a MPH and or company line training. As the UK is not the epicenter of the JAA universe, there are other countries who conform to amendment 6, where there is the requirement for a MCC certificate (not flown on a fixed wing STD), along with company based MCC line training.

ET

I applaud your optimism that getting a type rating, MCC and dunker will put you at the top of the queue.

Unfortunately without any offshore experience you may not be as far ahead as you hoped. There is a downturn in the helicopter market in general and I know of several ex offshore pilots, who have lost or had their jobs reduced to part time, in the corporate sector who have all the qualifications to fly offshore who can't get a job as a contractor with the major companies.

I wish you all the best in your search for a job.

332M

Dear 332m,

(if that’s not too patronizing)

The down turn can’t last forever, we have huge economies like China India and others demanding oil. Nobody, seems to know when the recruitment freeze will begin to thaw, but it will. As you say, the ‘big boys’ are off loading pilots, who subsequently, contract down to the smaller offshore companies. There is natural wastage, of course and those positions will be taken up by the contractors. However, there is only a finite number.

Anyway, I thank you for your kind words and I’ll share a glass of beer with you in the optimistic future…...that’ll be the half full glass not the half empty one!

ET

Dear ET,

I tried searching for "SAS helicopters Romania" on the Interweb, but google doesn't like me. Do they have a website?

GH

Hi GH,

SAS Helicopters’ web address is helicopters.ro The web site looks like it was designed by a ‘techie’ who should get out more.

ET

I don't read Romanian 'that well' but it looks like they're offering an integrated ATPL(H) for €45.000!!!!!!

I don't see that anywhere... I see a ATP(A) for €45.000 and a CPL(H) for €37.500. Very cheap for a JAA CPL(H), IMO.

Oh btw. their CPL(H)IR is a staggering €165.000 *faints*