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Some good news today from our staff meeting. Our school has just been through a VA audit, and was found to be extremely in compliance with our records and our VA program is amongst the best in the nation!!

 

Just goes to show that some of the schools are doing the right thing, keeping costs in line, keeping records straight. The VA cares, and is trying to keep the program in line. Outlandish costs, poor record keeping, and under managing a program is what they are working towards curbing....

 

Just a day to smile and keep on working towards sucess for the students in our care.

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Some good news today from our staff meeting. Our school has just been through a VA audit, and was found to be extremely in compliance with our records and our VA program is amongst the best in the nation!!

Just goes to show that some of the schools are doing the right thing, keeping costs in line, keeping records straight. The VA cares, and is trying to keep the program in line. Outlandish costs, poor record keeping, and under managing a program is what they are working towards curbing....

Just a day to smile and keep on working towards sucess for the students in our care.

Hey did the VA tell yal that they would only pay for the minimums? My college/school set their tuition to the minimum 141 plus 10 hours for a learning curve.

 

I took advantage of the extra hour cushion getting my private, but now as I train instrument I think the minimums would be impossible to train to. Depending on winds I take off, shoot the nearest VOR, fly directly back and there is already 1.1 on the hobbs. Flying holds, shooting arcs or going missed is gonna be a time killer.

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No the VA didnt say anything about only paying for FAA minimums. They did comment though that not one school in the US can train a helicopter pilot at the 35 hr minimum. They were more interested as to why the FAA uses this number when the national average is much higher. Who knows, maybe we might see that number change within the FAA...

 

God knows though that schools really like the low number when it comes to marketing campains though.

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Actually when the FAA wrote the regulation, it was doable in the time frame same for the fixed wing, of course back then the only controlled airspace was what we would call class D now! Airplanes you learn it were Piper J-3 cubs, there was not the focus on instrument flying like there is now from the get go! And the check ride standard tightened up some, but mostly you got a couple of generations of flight instructors that well are told to do it no longer than you need to so you can go on to the next job! Lets face it with helicopters, and R-22 is a tricky little beast to learn in, back when the reg was written, it was Bell 47's and Hiller 12c's or d's! I did my add on commercial and after the check ride I had 51.3 hours, I did it in a Bell 47, i did fly an R-22 latter on and if I had done it in one of those, yea I would have had a good 20 more hours in the logbook before the check ride, and lets not leave out some of the avionics that are in training aircraft now, a KX-170B you can interface with that in zero training time, Garmin 430 530 or G- 600 or 1000 takes a lot of training and flying just to get proficient with the avionics! You aught to see the short cut book for the G1000, I just shake my head, The manual is a huge document!

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"They did comment though that not one school in the US can train a helicopter pilot at the 35 hr minimum. They were more interested as to why the FAA uses this number when the national average is much higher. Who knows, maybe we might see that number change within the FAA..."

 

This is the same VA that had no idea what training was acceptable/required to fund? They do not understand flight training, minimum hours required, variables in training for individuals and minimum testing requirements. It has been demonstrated that using industry best practices with experienced and dedicated Instructors and available and accepted equipment can produce Part 141 pilots in 35 hours, both FW & RW.

 

I believe that quality flight schools can produce Pvt. pilots in 35 hours in one month's time if the pilots in training -trained every day (Ground & Flight). Spread this out over 6 to 8 months and it is not possible. It takes a full on commitment by the pilots in training to complete the rating in 35 hours and the use of FTDs by dedicated & knowledgable Instructors to make it happen. Training over an extended period increases the flight time required.

 

The USHST has actually addressed some of the training requirements and HAI asked schools to submit data for actual training times to take to Congress about VA funding of flight training.

 

I was at an all self pay school last week that averaged 52 hours, slightly below the 60-65 national average that is accepted. Much of this training was spread out over a longer time frame. Training took place as PT's had the funds to train. They used FTDs. They are receiving a new state of the art AATD this week with the goal of further reducing the training time and also passed Part 141 inspections on Tuesday & Wednesday. TCOs are written to include flexibility in using the AATD and also to meet the IACS that will be out in 2016/17.

 

The VA needed to have a knowledgable aviation consultant on board to set up and monitor training for Veterans.

 

I am waiting to hear if the program will continue and be funds per Veteran limited.

 

Mike

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I'm agree with you, Mike. It's been a few years, but the 141 school I went to had no issues getting full time students trained at the 35 hour minimum. Most students lived at student apartments and all we did was school.

 

This was before the VA paid for private.a

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I do have to say the few students I have seen complete training close to the FAA minimums were students that did just what you said Mike. Lived, ate, slept, flying till it was done. For those who do take longer, myself included, I had a family to take care of, work to do, and school. If you count my start to finish in school only, it was about 16 months. My flight times were not minimums for private, but they were just about minimums for the rest of my ratings.

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The VA needed to have a knowledgable aviation consultant on board to set up and monitor training for Veterans.

 

 

But….. Who would this guy be? A past or present flight school owner or some high profile helicopter operator middle-manager executive type? The reality is, setting up and monitoring programs is something an experienced CFI can do…. It’s that easy and best managed by someone with boots in the trenches….

 

As for the eat-&-sleep types, this is what’s called “full emersion” and something Helicopter Adventures Inc. practiced back-in-the-day. And, this was 141 or 61. Plus, as long as a student wasn’t completely inept, they’d end up finishing the Pvt in the 50 hour range. After that, pretty much everyone finished the commercial at 150 hours to include the Instrument rating. Shortly thereafter the CFI and double-I, all in about an 8 month timeframe and HAI pumped them out day-in and day-out…..

 

Moreover, specific timeframes and flight hour requirements can be met with the right program, the right people and, competent management. However, for most schools, the management becomes a problem due to the distraction of the profit margin. That is, gaining a profit and reducing flight times are at odds with each other.. Ya can’t have it both ways…

Edited by Spike
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