Helicopter Experts

[mdv22tech]

Today I decided to call Helicopter Experts in San Antonio, TX. I was promptly scheduled for a $100 intro lesson that included .5 or sim and approx .5 of R-22 time.

 

The instructor that I met seemed to have a very firm grasp on passing on his knowledge and at NO point did he come off as anything other than professional. The facility is smaller than the other flight school I visited(Hillsboro) but I really liked the small feel and one on one that seems prevalent.

 

I must say the FlyIt sim was a ton of fun and was a great intro into the aircraft. The flight itself was only 0.3hrs. I was given the controls at about 60 KIAS and was able to do some climbs and descents and a little visual reference work.

 

I am looking forward to getting my finances in order and working more with the great guys at Helicopter Experts. On a side note, I fully intend on making a real career out of this crazy industry. I am already in the aviation field flying cargo so I am well aware of the ups, downs, turns and craziness.

 

Thanks again for the great day.

[Boatpix]

There are a lot of helicopter pilots out of work. Look for a school that does more commercial operations than flight training so they have some hope of guaranteeing you a job. Without a first job your career basically ends. We have always guaranteed a job because we do three times as much photo work as primary training. This translates into jobs. I believe we are the only school in the world that can guarantee you a job. Buyer beware. Look for our ads throughout this website and JustHelicopters as we have advertised here since 2000. http://www.helicopteracademy.com/hire.htm

[rotormandan]

Never misses a step. If you offered some advice once in a while without a sales pitch attached you could salvage a bit of class for yourself.

 

 

Mdv22tech - That's great you had fun with your intro. Good luck on starting a new carreer with never ending fun.

[Darren Hughes]

I remember applying for a job with Boatpix, that they had advertised, back when I was a brand new instructor fresh out of school with all my ratings. The response I got was, to secure a job with them I would have to hand over $15,000 for some sort of training with them. Talk about preying on the weak. This guy has made a career out of taking advantage of people when they're at their most vulnerable (i.e; CFI with 200 hours and $60,000 already invested in a new career). Fortunately I wasn't gullible enough to fall for his scam.

 

mdv22tech, although this industry is a tough nut to crack, there are ways to do it without compromising your integrity, and the integrity of the industry. Boatpix lowers the value of 200 hour CFI's even further than their already below minimum wage worth. It also lowers the value of 1000 hour pilots, and so on and so forth. If a genuine flight school that is offering quality instruction like the 2 that you mentioned(although I've never heard of Helicopter Experts until now, but that doesn't mean anything) who is paying a CFI $20-$30/hour sees their competitor offering a much lesser deal, while getting instructors to pay to work for them, how long do you think it'll take them to pick up on that and go that direction. Those pilots will then be cheaper to hire further down the line, regardless how much they borrowed to get to that magic 1000 hours and beyond. It turns into a vicious circle. So in this case, sh*t actually rolls up hill!!

 

I know you never mentioned anything about this Cowboy, but take it from people who have come through the system before you, he's not worth it. The best thing you can do for yourself is do what you're already doing, shop around for a school that will fit your needs, make sure you speak to their current and former students about their experiences there. If schools can't provide you with references from former students, then be cautious. It's always good to ask at online sites like this, but keep in mind there's always some with a chip on their shoulder waiting to flame someone. Generally though, where there's smoke, there's fire. That's why I like the Profile Reputation Feature on this site, and as you can see from Boatpix profile here, he has a terrible reputation. This may not be from them not keeping up their end of deals or anything like that, I don't know how they run that side of things. No, I believe this is an insight into how the rest of the industry actually views their CHEAP antics and product.

 

But then again, I could be wrong!!!

[Trans Lift]

Nicely said Darren!

[Inferno]

Also, keep in mind when Tom promised a "job" he only offers it to 400 hours. That means you're another $20k in the hole and only a tiny bit closer to the magic number. Maybe he should start including the fine print in all the sales pitches he plasters all over this site.

 

I know hees an advertiser but there have to be some restrictions on where he can post his adds. One of them should be in reviews of other schools.....

[txflyer]

Hey mdv22tech,

 

I got my private license at helicopter experts, great people and well maintained aircraft. I have not met their newest cfi but Mike Bisek usually hires well qualified personnel. My only drawback is that they were a little expensive after it was all said and done. They are part 141 so if you are going the VA route it should work out well. If you are still looking around, I am a cfii in the San Antonio area as well with some 22's and a 44 available, pm me if interested.

 

Safe flying to all!

Edited May 27, 2011 by txflyer