Bristow Academy Review

[hancock11288]

I'm looking to attend helicopter school this year and was wondering if anyone had any information on Bristow Academy. I've heard that their Titusville location is crowded and students that are here on a visa get top slot on the flying roster. I'm looking at the New Iberia location. If anyone has any information please share it.

[Jaybee]

Only troubles I had in scheduling an aircraft at Bristow were -

• Sikorsky decided to change parts vendors after purchasing Schweizer(this was a few years ago), this put a lot of the VFR ships on the deadline. I was there to do my Instrument, so they let VFR guys use the IFR ships. With even that problem it wasn't really an issue getting an aircraft. Now getting a Stage check done, that was a big problem. Due to circumstances (had to return to military duty) I had a talk with the Chief Pilot I was put at top of the Stage Check and Check ride rosters.
• It was not allowed to do pre-flights at night. Since I was doing my Instrument I did all my flying at night. A few times I pre-flighted visually in day light, sat around for an hour waiting for dark and then had a magneto not pass (no drop, broken P-lead) or some other minor issue that did not pass the running pre-flight inspection. Since I could not check out another aircraft in the dark, I was done for the night.

From what I saw honestly the JAA or EASA as it is now know flight students have like 1 1/2 years of ground school or some such to complete. You'll mostly find them just hanging around chit chatting and only flying 3 times per week to maintain proficiency. The foreign contract students are the ones that fly all the time but there is plenty of aircraft to use.

[pilot#476398]

 

• It was not allowed to do pre-flights at night. Since I was doing my Instrument I did all my flying at night.

 

What, no flashlights?

[Jaybee]

 

What, no flashlights?

 

Nope not while I was there.

 

Funny too because the consensus generally was people do a better pre flight at night. *shrug*

[Flying Pig]

^ok so what was the issue about pre flighting at night? They just didn't want you doing it? Afraid you would miss something? I've been working nights for about 3 years now. Everything I do is in the dark!

[WolftalonID]

Some people are afraid of the dark man...... Damn watch more movies!!!!!!!!!! sh*t always happens at night!

 

Seriously though...... If a pilot is going to be MORE lazy at night on a preflight.... They already were lazy to begin with, and Darwin is still right.... Unfortunate the employer pays to prove that evolutionary theory from time to time......

[Jaybee]

I'm not sure on the evolution of the policy of no pre-flights at night, I just know that it was the policy while I was there.

 

I guess in retrospect I could have done a run-up and shut down in the daylight, hindsight 20-20 and all.

[Coyote4]

Jaybee just to clear up the misconception about the flashlight thing, you are absolutely allowed to pre-flight at night at Bristow. Having said that, it is highly encouraged that preflight for night flight be done during daylight, for safety of course. Not saying good preflights aren't done at night, it is just more likely to have all resources available in case something is found i.e. Maintenance. But yes preflighting at night is definitely allowed.

[Jaybee]

Not while I was there, don't know how else to say it.

 

• Preflighting at night was not allowed while I was there.

 

There, that was the only way I could think of to say it. If you want I could have my instructor from Bristow chime in to confirm.

[rotormandan]

I don't have any experience with them but I met a lot of people who went to each location while I was in the gulf. It sounds like a good place to work as an instructor. It's one of the few places one can make a good living while instructing and with plenty of foreign students, people built their time fast. That might be enough of a reason to go their and work your butt off to make sure you get hired when finished. As with all flight schools, treat your training like a 1-2 year job interview.

 

There's a lot of ex Bristow in the gulf but training/working there didn't seem to help at all with getting a job a Bristow gom. Everyone was working at PHI.