HIGH ALTITUDE What do you think?

[Guidanceaero12]

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AT HIGH ALTITUDE

Established in 1998, Guidance Aviation was the first Part 141 high altitude helicopter flight training school in the United States. We chose this high altitude location so while you learn to fly at high altitude, you'll develop the experience necessary to fly anywhere your career takes you.

 

How does everyone else feel about flying 6-7000ft MSL and only being 2000ft AGL

 

Better to learn or worse?<f<

[Flying Pig]

If you are in a helicopter, why are you at 2000AGL? With the exception of that little flight school they have at Ft Rucker AL, I really don't think it matters in the slightest where you get your ratings. Nobody cares. Everyone trains to the PTS. If it goes beyond the PTS, you are paying for it. I could plant a flight school anywhere and come up with a reason as to why its the best place on earth.

Edited January 8, 2013 by Flying Pig

[Velocity173]

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AT HIGH ALTITUDE

Established in 1998, Guidance Aviation was the first Part 141 high altitude helicopter flight training school in the United States. We chose this high altitude location so while you learn to fly at high altitude, you'll develop the experience necessary to fly anywhere your career takes you.

 

How does everyone else feel about flying 6-7000ft MSL and only being 2000ft AGL

 

Better to learn or worse?<f<

 

Depends on if that's where you'll be working at. If you're going to a mountainous area they want to hire someone with high altitude training. It would make you more marketable if looking for a job if you did have that training. The example you speak of really isn't that high either. You're not going to notice much of a difference in how the aircraft handles at that altitude compared to sea level.

[AS350 pilot]

Learning how to fly is difficult enough without adding the "high altitude" element. Furthermore, the R22 has no business flying at high DA's, especially for training. An in depth understanding of how altitude, temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity are key points for training.

 

Becoming a well rounded and experienced pilot doesn't just happen in flight school. As you progress in your career you will be trained on things like; long line, mountain flying, fire fighting techniques, NVG's, etc. It doesn't all happen at once.....think if it did!

 

Go to flight a school somewhere you are going to get a good foundation for your career.

[Flying Pig]

..... and still have money for fast food at least twice a day.

[eagle5]

Not to ask a stupid question, but...

 

I've heard that the density altitude can get pretty high down in the Grand Canyon. Is that considered "high altitude", and do operators there prefer to hire students who were trained at "high altitude" schools?

[Trans Lift]

I dont think so, density altitude can get high in a lot of places that are not high. It is not considered high altitude though. I think the "high altitude" thing is just a selling point.

[gary-mike]

The average Altitude at the South Rim is 6,800'

 

North Rim 8,000, how high is high?

 

The canyon goes through a plateau (type of mountain).

Edited January 10, 2013 by gary-mike

[Flying Pig]

I dont think anyone cares where you got your first 165 hrs.

[SBuzzkill]

My first 280 hours in helicopters was flown at or near sea level with lots of input on flying higher. We would simulate not having power, talk about handling the aircraft in thin air, go through the motions of short engagements and all that. It helped but didn't hold a candle to actually trying to do all that stuff with a 13,000 foot DA.

 

That said, I never would have gotten as much out of the high altitude training as I did if I didn't have some experience at sea level. Most of my instructors liked the fact we trained initially at sea level so that we could see what the helicopter could do. Then getting up high and seeing what we had and the amount of finesse it required to fly it well up there.

[Counterrotate]

It hardly matters where you get your initial training. Last I checked a pinnacle approach to a 7000 ft peak is not required in any PTS (just as an example). Any prospective employer is going to assess you on trainability and good judgement/character above regional/environmental experience. However, I will say that if you can find a region that has a good mix of everything, you will be more well rounded at an earlier stage in your career. Southern California is an excellent training area, with coasts, mountains, high desert, an assortment of weather conditions, and every type of airspace in the book. If you can fly there, you can fly anywhere.

[Guidance Aviation IP]

http://www.guidance.....aero/careers

 

For everyone with the argument that HIGH DA doesn't matter...click on the link and see what the CEO of the LARGEST Tour company in the united states had to say about it and Guidance and the High Alt Training.

[Spike]

The point is; it’s not particularly necessary for advancement as exemplified by Bristow graduate Mr. Decort (http://www.heli.com/prospective-student/7-success-stories.php). Sea level initial training with eventual employment in the ditch…..

[eagle5]

Did the guy who crashed the 44 in that other thread train at high altitude,...anyone know?

[Flying Pig]

http://www.guidance.....aero/careers

 

For everyone with the argument that HIGH DA doesn't matter...click on the link and see what the CEO of the LARGEST Tour company in the united states had to say about it and Guidance and the High Alt Training.

 

 

Well then it must be true. The letter also says Maverick hires Guidance"graduates". You are a graduate. Why arent you working for Maverick yet?

[Mikemv]

Did the guy who crashed the 44 in that other thread train at high altitude,...anyone know?

 

Eagle5,

 

No he trained at sea level. Read post # 23 over there and understand how human we can all be, myself included!

[eagle5]

Eagle5,

 

No he trained at sea level. Read post # 23 over there and understand how human we can all be, myself included!

 

Well, there goes my argument,...damn!

[helipilotm]

Umm Guidance IP... Get a life! First off that letter isn't from the CEO it's the CP that went to Guidance and a life tour pilot from the south rim! Number two Maverick isn't the biggest tour Company. One of the bigger ones but not the biggest. Nice try...

[Rogue]

100% agree with the ab initio training at sea-level then get some more training at high-altitude. Otherwise you would never really know what the difference actually was, a lot of what we do is based on feeling and perception.

 

I trained at sea-level then went on to work a job with average daily DA of 8500. I did it with no further training, though a few times I wish I would have ! all it takes is finesse, no gross control inputs.

 

One thing you can practice is to pick up to a hover, note the hover power and milk out a take off with only hover power or less. If you can learn to finesse the cyclic like that than you most likely will not have any issues adapting to high-altitude environments.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Rogue

[Counterrotate]

 

Well then it must be true. The letter also says Maverick hires Guidance"graduates". You are a graduate. Why arent you working for Maverick yet?

All it takes if for one "graduate" to get hired at Maverick and they can then advertise that Maverick hires their "graduates". Technically true. Likely misleading.

[Flying Pig]

Yeah.... I went to a flight school on my own dime for a rating a few years back and now the school lists that they train the pilots from my agency. I guess technically they did. Agencies don't choose schools based on reputation. It's either convenience or price.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Flying Pig