That's true, though not RHC's fault, but one of many reasons why being a commercial helicopter pilot is not so profitable usually.

I did the course in the UK a few years back. I can’t remember what it cost, but the 2 day event was mesmerisingly special with Tim Tucker doing the instructor flying. At today’s prices a course of that quality is still fantastic value and I look forward to the next one.

Sadly, everything costs rather more than it used to.

Going from $500 in 2005 to $750 in 2020 (15 years) is inflation. Going from $750 in 2020 to $1,500 in 2022 (2 years) is corporate greed,...not to mention another $300 in just another 3 years!

I was a renter for 16.5 years and $1800 was about have my yearly rental budget. Maybe you're rich enough that $1800 means nothing, but a lot of us Robby drivers aren't.

,...and I seriously doubt any pilot pays $17k out of pocket for that Bell school. Its an apples to oranges comparison to a course that was designed for pilots at the "burger flipper wages" end of the industry.

Plus, when the course is an insurance requirement just to get that burger flipper wage job, the employer is definitely not paying for it. You're as out of touch as the new guy who now runs Robinson.

The $1800 was for the R44 course.
The R22 course is listed as $1133.

If your budget is $1800 a year, in modern money, in these parts, thats about 4 or 5 hours of rental in a R44, and that isn't enough for currency and proficiency. Costs have more than doubled in 10 years. Probably safe to say that you wouldn't be the target market and it doesn't reflect any Robbie drivers I know. Helicopter flying is not value for money, and if you can't afford the hours or training it is probably better to consider fixed wing instead.

As a percentage of total spend to obtain a license, $1200-$1800 is barely scratching the surface.

It is not....but that's where it ends if it the chugging continues to increases!

You are entitled to your opinion, but having spent a lot of my career in the training industry and being intimately familiar with the 505 training program I can say that you are not correct about the cost and funding for training.

For what it is worth, I am the one you can thank for holding R22 spare part prices flat for almost my entire time at the company. I also made sure that when we doubled the life of the R66 parts last year we passed most of the financial benefit to the customer even though some of the new revisions cost more to make.

We have tried to be sensitive to the running costs of our aircraft which is the dominant driver of affordability. If biannual (or every 5 years!) training cost is dominating your flight expenses, you are not flying enough.

PS: take a look at our new R66 Transition course that directly compares to the $17k 505 course… we offer more flight time, more ground school and we do it in California! $7k! Best deal in town after the safety course 😉

https://www.robinsonheli.com/training/r66-transition-course

DavidSmithHeli - You will learn that Robbiee argues as a hobby. (Reminds me of a famous Monty Python sketch) The rest of us appreciate your input.

Do I get a discount for spotting the typo on the linked webpage?

What typo? Its abridged for display purposes by the forum.

The typo on the webpage, not the link...

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....16b793f10d.png

Lol,...I love how you all justify this course suddenly doubling in price by comparing it to courses that are being paid for by an employer, not an actual pilot.

To be frank (pun in there somewhere) after the second trip I found that the course didn't offer anything new to learn anyway. I just kept going because it was fun way to get my BFR.

,..but then (this being McRib season) I used to get at least half a dozen of those before it ended. Now (at their ridiculous price increase) I can only afford one. That's life I guess.

What's that quote I'm think of from an old Mel Brooks movie? Oh yeah,..."!!!! the poor". :ok:

Yes, $1,800 is for the 44. Just as $750 was also for the 44 back in 2020. I used to rent the 22, but would still get a BFR in the 44 just in case I found one of those (live in your car wage) tour jobs that come around each Summer.

My rental budget was about $4k a year (to rent the 22). So the increase to $1,800 would be (like I said) about half that. The rental price I was paying for the 22 went from about $180/hr in 2003 to $280/hr in 2019, then the school closed.

Today (when I fly once every six months with a babysitter because there's no place near me to rent anymore) its $350/hr for the 22.

Even when I have found places to rent (usually at least an hour and a half drive away) they require ridiculously expenses renters insurance now. So, I've basically been priced out of the self-fly-hire game.

It was fun while it lasted though.

I've attended at least three times. Torrance is not known for upscale hotel accommodations, avoid if possible the Ramada Inn across the street.

Robbiee, here's an idea. See the value in the course and pay their asking fee, or don't! No need to continue carrying on so much.

Never thought I'd see so much defense of corporate greed on the internet. First time for everything I guess.

Corporate greed? Sounds more like customer ignorance.
Be grateful that we have a senior member of their team taking time to speak to a broad community based on extensive experience and a deep understanding of the business. Yet we have one individual who does not represent the typical customer, making a fuss because they, individually, are cash-strapped and are completely disconnected from the state of the global economy.
Costs have not changed in isolation and it remains the best value and opportunity for pilots to train and fly rotorcraft.

For those of us that own and run businesses, it has been an interesting journey the last many years and costs aren't pushed onto customers because we'd like larger dividends, as nice as that would be. For the most part, thanks to global, and frequently US-lead, issues we are having to suck up more and more to ease client pain, which despite appearances, has a negative effect on the bottom line.

To be fair to Robbie, he does have a point

And he is entitled to it, but does the dead horse need to be flogged so long?
With respect, there is no shortage of points being made on internet forums.

Of the gripes about cost of operation or flying, if this is a material issue for you then you have bigger problems.
In the context of Robinson as a whole, and where they are heading, is this really what you want to talk about?

I don't think they offer such a thing, but it would be interesting to get a price for an equivalent 4 days course in Marseille/Marignane with one hour in an EC120 - a bit more than 1,300 euros I suspect :}

Customer ignorance?!

Again,...it took 15 years to go up just $250 bucks, then in less than 5 years, it more than doubled! The course is $1,000 bucks more now than it was in 2021!

,...but I suppose your defense now will be, they were undercharging us for 15 years and now its up to "fair market value".

I've been to this course 6 times. It ain't worth $1,800 bucks!,...even without the additional $500 minimum for a hotel.

,..and you want to beat a dead horse, let's head on over to the Settling With Power megathread. This one's barely 2 pages, lol.