A&P Schools w/Rotorwing emphasis?

st_john · November 5, 2013

I've spent the last 8 years working with helicopters contracted for fire throught the US Forest Service, and I am looking to become solely involved in aviation. I've been looking at schools to obtain my A&P cert, but most of them are training grounds for major ailines. Does anyone know of some that have emphasis in helicopters and are reputable. Location is no factor. Thanks this has been a tough question to find good answers to.

st_john · November 10, 2013

So after making many calls to Maintenance Directors Ive got a few names. Does anyone have any carnal knowledge about these schools?

Lane Comm College, Eugene, OR.

Cheap tuition ($15,000) Good instructors. Three engines commonly found in helicopters.

Red Stone, Denver area

Expensive($40,000) Old and well established. About 7 million invested in teaching aids. Associated w/completion

PHI, Pittsburgh, PA

Expensive($40,000) Well established, Associates w/completion

There are a few others that have come up but i havn't had a chance to look into them

avbug · November 10, 2013

Maintenance schools aren't training grounds for the airlines. Airlines do hire some of the graduates, but maintenance training isn't the same as flight training. One doesn't learn specific aircraft, but one learns general techniques. If you want specific isntruction, you need to go to a maintenance school for that aircraft, typically either a factory school, or one of the Part 142 training facilities such as Simuflite or Flight Safety International. Those will cost a significant amount.

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Maintenance schools teach basics, from riveting to balancing, to basic troubleshooting. Little is spent teaching students about transport category equipment. When you finish your maintenance training, you have a wet certificate, just enough training to be dangerous, and the bare minimum qualification to go seek work at the bottom rungs of the industry. There you'll get your specific training on the type of aircraft you will be employed to maintain and repair.

LucasP · November 10, 2013

So after making many calls to Maintenance Directors Ive got a few names. Does anyone have any carnal knowledge about these schools?

Lane Comm College, Eugene, OR.
Cheap tuition ($15,000) Good instructors. Three engines commonly found in helicopters.

Red Stone, Denver area
Expensive($40,000) Old and well established. About 7 million invested in teaching aids. Associated w/completion

PHI, Pittsburgh, PA
Expensive($40,000) Well established, Associates w/completion

There are a few others that have come up but i havn't had a chance to look into them

I'm currently a student as LCC in Eugene, Or. We currently have 3 helos that we call our own. A 75 Uh-1 that is a runner but not airworthy. I'm actually the student crew chief for it. A very early hiller, and a Bell 206 that was recently donated. We also have a sheriff owned MD 500, that is airworthy.

Our program direction has very extensive bell medium experience and gears most of his classes around his love for helicopters. Two out of the other three instructions are helicopter guys, both worked with ch-53's in the military.

My plan is to go into the helicopter industry, specializing in bell mediums. That is why I chose LCC over PCC in Portland. Idk what your situation is but the wait list for the program is usually 10-15 people or about a term.

st_john · November 16, 2013

Thanks Ive been leaning toward LCC. I worked with Lary this summer. He was the filled in for our regular mechanic for about a month. It sounded like he ran a good program, and the fact that two of the instructors are rotor heads is a plus.

If you get a chance let me know any of the cons about the school that have come up over time. And do you know if they offer an AA program.

LucasP · November 19, 2013

The biggest con of the program that I see is lack of money. There just isn't the funding to replace all the broken and worn out sh*t. During our tear down and rebuild of our allison 250s we didn't have the specialized tools needed to fully disassemble the compressor and turbine. Our program is out at the airport about 15 miles from main campus so it always seems like we are just an afterthought. Don't get me wrong its a great program but it would be nice to have the stuff we need to get everything we can out of the program.

Since Larry has been in charge there has been a real reversal of how things are done at Lane. There are big changes in the works in every aspect of the program, all in an effort by all the instructors to improve the quality of the program. That's great and all but I personally feel like the students that are currently there are really getting the short end of the stick in this transformation. Every term is different in how the structure is. It's really hard to get a feel for the program because of all the changes.

I wouldn't change my decision in going to LCC. And overall I am happy with what I am learning. I just wish more thought would go into what the students here and how have to go thought while the program changes.