Best flight school

[eaw913]

I'm in the Atlanta area and looking around for the best helicopter training. Can someone give me a list of really good schools in the area?

 

I've found Air Atlanta Helicopters and Prestige Helicopters, but I want to open my choices as much as I can. I'm going to take an introductory flight with Prestige Helicopters this Saturday.

 

Thanks.

[kodoz]

Look into Helicopter Academy. They hire their students after getting them to 300 hours. Having a job at the end of your training isn't all that matters, but it will make the difference between being a career pilot and a much poorer dreamer.

[eaw913]

Yeah I heard about them as well. Are they a rather highly rated school? I'm still in high school, so how they work their scheduling is important.

 

Also, should I wait until I visit each school before I decide which one to do an intro flight with?

[ADRidge]

If you have the money, go do a flight at each. See how you like the instructors, the maintenance staff and the owner.

[kodoz]

Yeah I heard about them as well. Are they a rather highly rated school? I'm still in high school, so how they work their scheduling is important.

 

Also, should I wait until I visit each school before I decide which one to do an intro flight with?

 

Yes, go visit every school and try them. You should ask tough questions and walk from schools that don't have a clear plan to get you from 200 hrs to 1000 hrs. Money limits students getting from 0-200 hrs, but the over supply and limited demand of low-time jobs limits CFIs from making it to being a career pilot.

 

I didn't go the Helicopter Academy, but from what I understand they are pretty flexible with where and when they train. Weekends their helicopters are doing commercial work.

[eaw913]

Yeah that's what I originally planned to do. It's a lot of money, but it will contribute to my overall hours so it is worth it.

 

I just want the most enthusiastic instructors who will teach me the tiniest details. I'm very serious about getting a career out of this, so I see it as my future. I don't want to ruin it by making a bad decision.

[ADRidge]

There's a great flight school out at Ft Rucker, but the price is fairly steep. I woulda gone that route, but I've got a crumby eye and screws in my back.

[csw1000]

I agree on the point of trying all your potential schools out. I've now flown with or interviewed, (yes, I interviewed THEM) at least four different places. I'm going with the guy I liked most from the beginning, we are a good fit. When I am done with my questions he has been the only one to ask me if I had any more questions or if there was anything else he could help me with. He even stayed on the phone with me while walking me through some websites he thought would be helpful. Everyone else seems to just be in a big hurry to get me in the seat and start the Hobb$ meter (notice the "$" instead of an "S"). If you talk to them and the hair on the back of your neck stands up, there is probably a reason.

[eaw913]

Yeah that's what I'm looking for. I'm thinking of going more towards Helicopter Academy, but I would like some more information on them.. Has anyone gone there or had experience with them?

[Boatpix]

They list all the instructors on the website and they all came through the school so they would be able to give you the best information. As the email and phone number is listed for each of them you should be able to quickly find folks with experience with the school.