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Flight training in colorado


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I'm wanting to get my private. I live in Colorado,and have spoken with several of the schools here. It is very expensive in Colorado for some reason and they all train in robinsons which I don't like. I was going to go to mountian one until they closed. I would like to get cert in a 300 and enstrom. My cousin said he took lessons from Rob Schaper and he was really good. Is there anyone in Colorado that would instruct without going to a "flight school". And does anyone know if there any places that will rent helicopters for hour building after you get a licence. Jack Ferguson at mountian one said falcon helicopters in Loveland used to rent Enstroms but didn't know if they still do.

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There are currently three places to train in Colorado. Two fly 300cs; Front Range Helicopters in Ft. Collins and Colorado Heli-Ops in Broomfield.

 

I'm not sure about Ft Range but we do not rent helos except to our current pilots in training.

 

Suncrest Aviation in Grand Junction has Robinsons and MAY have an Enstrom, i think they did in the past, not sure about now. I would highly recommend if you plan to fly an Enstrom, that you look into the AD that came out last year, make sure the ship you fly has had the inspection done on the main rotor system.

 

Rob is a great guy and good instructor, not sure if he's still teaching tho.

 

I don't believe there are any Enstroms for training still on the front range, but Jack would know.

 

Not sure about Falcon renting their birds. They work out of Longmont airport.

 

I know how you feel about Robinsons, i felt the same way until i started flying/operating them eight years ago, we now have five of them. They are awesome aircraft in every way, i recommend that you take a closer look. They are the number one selling helicopter in the world for good reasons.

 

dp

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There are currently three places to train in Colorado. Two fly 300cs; Front Range Helicopters in Ft. Collins and Colorado Heli-Ops in Broomfield.

 

I'm not sure about Ft Range but we do not rent helos except to our current pilots in training.

 

Suncrest Aviation in Grand Junction has Robinsons and MAY have an Enstrom, i think they did in the past, not sure about now. I would highly recommend if you plan to fly an Enstrom, that you look into the AD that came out last year, make sure the ship you fly has had the inspection done on the main rotor system.

 

Rob is a great guy and good instructor, not sure if he's still teaching tho.

 

I don't believe there are any Enstroms for training still on the front range, but Jack would know.

 

Not sure about Falcon renting their birds. They work out of Longmont airport.

 

I know how you feel about Robinsons, i felt the same way until i started flying/operating them eight years ago, we now have five of them. They are awesome aircraft in every way, i recommend that you take a closer look. They are the number one selling helicopter in the world for good reasons.

 

dp

 

 

 

Because they are cheap... yeah I said it... ;) :P

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I don't think I'll ever understand the dislike of Robinsons, and I'd say if renting is your goal you should try and make peace with whatever you're affraid of, since places with 300's not renting them seems pretty common in my experience. Having flown both I definitely believe the R22 is more fun to fly than a 300 and am glad I can rent one when I please. The Enstrom is great if you plan on taking up more people, but renting solo its just more money for the same view.

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Astro,

 

I have to admit that i was 'one of those guys'... i was hired to recover an R22 from the ocean off of Waikiki in '93. On the way out to the site i learned that two of my friends had been flying it. I had just started my training in a different R22 in Honolulu. Needless to say, i quit flying R22s that day and bad-mouthed them for years. Truth is, i didn't have a clue what i was talking about, i only had five hours in them and didn't really understand what had happened (might have had something to do with two people and scuba gear for each in the helo). Anyway, years later i looked harder, and realized that i had been wrong. Just saying.

 

I agree with your assessment above, i LOVE flying the Robbies.

 

dp

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Hi,

 

DP, thanks for the heads up on this post and for the kind words. I am still active and current as a CFI, but I am operating as an independent CFI.

 

Regarding the renting of helicopters, I don't think you are going to find anyone that will do that unless you are a student at their school. At a flight school, your actions and decisions are continuously being evaluated, and the 'school' gets to know you. Only after you have earned a private rating will some schools rent the helicopter to you. Not all will. The cost for insurance alone may be the determining factor for not renting.

 

Rob Schaper

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