any schools in chicago land

spubar44 · August 25, 2009

Anyone know of any schools in the chicago area? I have been looking and have only found two. Helicopteracademy.com and chicagoheli.com . anyone been to these and or know anything about them? Let me know, I really would like to start soon. thanks

newbie

klas · August 25, 2009

Dont pay those guys any attention. Call Ken at Sun Aero Helicopters! 708-895-8958. www.sunaerohelicopters.com They are located at the Lansing Municipal Airport. They are a great bunch of guys and have awesome well maintained equipment! Tell them North Carolina Kevin sent you!

I agree - been flying from there for 7 yrs. Tell then CHICAGO Kevin sent ya'!

spinner79 · August 26, 2009

The great thing about helicopter academy is that once you have completed their training they guarantee you a job. Once you have a job with them you build time/ fly a lot which means that you get to move on to that turbine job sooner. give them a look.

spubar44 · August 26, 2009

I agree - been flying from there for 7 yrs. Tell then CHICAGO Kevin sent ya'!

so don't pay who any attention the chicagoacademy.com or the chicagoheli.com. i spoke to ryan at chicagoheli and he was quick to respond and was very helpful and it was nice that he was very close also, being that i with my current job, i need training that can be flexible and accessible when i have time off. Fill me in on which one you guys are talking about? thanks

klas · August 26, 2009

so don't pay who any attention the chicagoacademy.com or the chicagoheli.com. i spoke to ryan at chicagoheli and he was quick to respond and was very helpful and it was nice that he was very close also, being that i with my current job, i need training that can be flexible and accessible when i have time off. Fill me in on which one you guys are talking about? thanks

My answer was in response to bellmodel206's recommendation. I was agreeing with him to call Sun Aero.

I don't know where you are located, but Sun Aero is about 25 miles south of downtown Chicago, just off of I-80 & close to IN border. Training there is flexible as well, basically whenever you want to go up or do ground school. There are no set hrs of training other than what you make, which is like any other school. Sun Aero also has affiliation with SLM (or at least did last time when I took out loans for training).

Helicopteracademy.com does training through Boatpix in Chgo, if I read their site right, and their training is offered out of Lansing, where Sun Aero happens to operate out of. Many people use then to accumulate hrs after they get licensed because of the block rates they offer, but don't know about their training other than they are located at the same airport as Sun Aero. Sun Aero also offers reduced (block) rates for training & I don't know if helicopteracademy.com does that or not. I have seen the helo that Helicopteracademy.com operates out of Lansing, but I don't know if they just have one helo or not. If they just have one, you might be out of luck if you wanted to fly & their helo is down for maintenance or any job. Sun Aero has at least 3 to use.

I have heard of chicagoheli.com. but don't know much about them.

There is also another school that I just remembered, operating out of the Bolingbrook airport, called:

http://www.aandmaviation.com/instruction_helicopter.html

Their pricing is a little bit different, a little bit higher than the others. I have been to that airport & in their school & have seen them fly around, but that's all I know of them.

Sun Aero might be the cheapest hrly, esp. with the block rates. But my recommendation was Sun Aero because of convenience in location (also same location as Helicopteracademy.com, if you choose to go there), probably cheapest, block rates, more inventory (in case helos are down), more instructors, great owner & FANTASTIC FAA designated examiner named Gerry V. Of course, fleet is maintained well. And all this talk is making me want to get there again, since I haven't flown in a few months...

sikorskypilot · August 26, 2009

I live in the chicago area, that where I learned to fly. I also would say Sun Aero, or A & M aviation. I got all my fixed wing ratings at A & M and got my helicopter rating at Sun Aero. I would say, it all depends on where you live. If you live in the far west side of the area, I would go to A & M. They have a Bell 47, R22 and R44. After I got my rating at sun aero I helped A & M get into the helicopter training. I took me over an hour to drive to sun aero. However, Sun Aero is another great flight school. I am good friends with ken janik who is the owner. He taught me to fly helis. They have R22, R44, B206, and B206L there. New school great location. But as far as price goes, you have to look a the big pic, and that is where do you live. Whichever one you live closer to, thats where I would go. In the end your training your results will be the same, A well trained Pilot. If you need any more info. Contact me if you like. jim@midwesthelicopter.com. Good luck.

spubar44 · August 26, 2009

i really appreciate all your input. I am stationed downtown at Chicago marine safety station across from the navy pier but i live in Naperville. I found the chicagoheli.com and called them and come to find out, they are like not even two miles from my house. The only thing, is i like that aero has the turbine option also. My plan is to get started with flight training now and until i get my CFI or CFII and the turbine training all together. I am stationed here for the next four years and then will be eligible for retirement with 20years in at age 38. I would like to fly helicopters as a job once i retire and if i have enough hours to make myself marketable by then. I am looking into covering the cost of my PPL myself by selling my truck, but i have just listed it and no takers yet. Then so i don't drain my funds, finance the rest of the training. So, just in case i do not pay it off in the next four years I can always stay in the service a little longer. So what do you guys think.

spubar44 · August 26, 2009

i also forgot to mention that aero, according to mapquest is about an hour and change from here.

Wannabe1 · August 27, 2009

You might want to give Bill Coolbaugh a call at Lake Shore Helicopters in Kenosha WI, just across the state line. A nice bonus, all autos are to the ground. He uses R22 and R44s.

Good luck,

Tom

sikorskypilot · August 28, 2009

i really appreciate all your input. I am stationed downtown at Chicago marine safety station across from the navy pier but i live in Naperville. I found the chicagoheli.com and called them and come to find out, they are like not even two miles from my house. The only thing, is i like that aero has the turbine option also. My plan is to get started with flight training now and until i get my CFI or CFII and the turbine training all together. I am stationed here for the next four years and then will be eligible for retirement with 20years in at age 38. I would like to fly helicopters as a job once i retire and if i have enough hours to make myself marketable by then. I am looking into covering the cost of my PPL myself by selling my truck, but i have just listed it and no takers yet. Then so i don't drain my funds, finance the rest of the training. So, just in case i do not pay it off in the next four years I can always stay in the service a little longer. So what do you guys think.

I used to live in naperville, and drove down to Sun Aero to do my training, Then got a speeding ticket one day so then I began to rent a 172 out of clow to fly down there. Saved time. However, Clow airport (in bolingbrook) has the helicopter training now. You could do all of your basic training there then go down to sun aero for turbine transition.