American Training in Canada

[OceanPaddler]

I'm just starting to research training schools in Southern California. I have a friend in Silver State in Long Beach and so far she loves the school. So any input on So Cal schools would be great.

 

I've also been looking into studding in Calgary, Alberta Canada and was looking for input from anyone else that has looked into that option. I've read that it is a cheaper option due to the exchange rate but so far my research has shown that the Southern California schools are cheaper even with the exchange.

[Rob2k]

I'm just starting to research training schools in Southern California. I have a friend in Silver State in Long Beach and so far she loves the school. So any input on So Cal schools would be great.

 

I've also been looking into studding in Calgary, Alberta Canada and was looking for input from anyone else that has looked into that option. I've read that it is a cheaper option due to the exchange rate but so far my research has shown that the Southern California schools are cheaper even with the exchange.

 

If money is your issue, don't forget the cost of living. I'm sure it's greater in Cali than Canada, but unless you completely move to Canada you'll have to have an extra expense for your training. Don't worry about the cost, look for quality and job placement.

[OceanPaddler]

Thanks for the reply. Money really isn't the issue, I'm most likely moving to Canada anyway I'm just trying to decide if I should move and then start training or start the training here and continue it in Canada.

[MrGlass]

How convenient!

My next post was going to be about Canadian Training!

 

From what I have found, training in Canada is cheaper than the U.S by about 10-20%.

 

What I do not know is what the licence compatibilities are. Who is the governing body?

 

Are the licences FAA compliant in any way- i.e. no conversion required.

And more importantly for myself - are they CAA (UK) compliant - i.e no conversion required (Probably not but I’ll ask anyway)

 

For external (i.e.: European) students, Canada is an awful lot easier to train in thanks to slacker Visa restrictions and a lot easier to actually immigrate to, for the same reasons.

 

Canada also has an abundance of interesting Helio jobs ranging from SAR, EMV, Oil industry, Ski industry, etc. – Any one know exactly what the employment situation is like in Canada at the moment?

[OceanPaddler]

From you research what are the costs to get your private license in Canada? From what I have found it's about 17,000-19,000 CAN and in the US I've found them from 6,000-11,000. The exchange rate isn't all that great from the US right now so that may be why.

[MrGlass]

Here it is, zero hours to PPL Canada style:

 

http://www.helicopterscanada.com/home.html

$19,125CAD

http://www.bchelicopters.com/

$20,595CAD

http://www.chinookhelicopters.com/costs.htm

$20,920CAD

http://www.heli-college.com/

$24,384CAD

http://www.rotorworks.com/training.asp

$21,500CAD + GST (Tax?)

http://www.ebhelicopters.com/flight-pkg.html#cost

$21,589CAD

http://www.greatlakeshelicopter.ca/training_private.html

$19,850CAD

 

 

So yes, around the $21,000 mark, which is $18,179USD, which is £10,277UKP.

 

The price for PPL + CPL is, on average, around $45,000CAD, $38,953USD, £22,019UKP.

 

The exchange rate is VERY favourable for us U.K citizens - U.K-CAD = 2.04, U.K-USD = 1.75 - essentially doubling our money!

 

Cheap as chips.

Edited December 16, 2005 by MrGlass

[OceanPaddler]

WOW...that is pretty cheap for you to go to Canada.

Have you looked into this SCHOOL AT ALL http://www.greatslaveheli.com/mainframe.html they seem to have a good program that encompasses everything by the time you’re done and for a reasonable price. The also start out from day one and through your entire training in a Bell 206.

[67november]

OP, for Canadian school questions goto www.verticalmag.com this is a canadian helicopter web site.

great people there.

Edited December 16, 2005 by 67november

[matty03]

I'm a little late on this reply but I definately can give some input on the Canadian Vs. American. I'm actually from Canada (actually lived in calgary before coming to the US) and I have come to long beach for helicopter flight training. The main reason I came here was the cost.

 

I'm just finishing up my instructors liscence and at the end of febuary am going to convert my liscence back to a canadian and probably end up flying in canada sometime not to far down the road. (wanna see a bit more of the world first)

 

From what I've heard and read. The training in Canada is better than what it is in the US. The training standards are more rigid (commercial pilots learn full down-autos and some schools require students to do over 200 of these before going for a checkride). The canadian system also differs by not allowing low hours pilots to be instructors. Meaning most of the instructors are retired commercial pilots.

 

But From any research I have done I have found that it is much cheaper to train in the United States

 

The other replies to this had pretty acturate numbers:

 

From what i've seen right about now and R-22 rents out for $440CDN/hr , the R-44 $700CDN/hr and a B-206 $950CDN/hr

 

The CDN:USD Exchange rate isn't actually that different recently; Today it was 1 to 1.49

 

R-22 $440CDN x .87 = $382.8USD

R-44 $700CDN x .87 = $609USD

B-206 $900CDN x .87 = $783USD

 

At the school I train at in long beach the club rate for an R-22 is $167/hr which is pretty standard for southern california. Meaning the hourly costs are well less than half of what it would cost in canada.

 

There is a bit of a curve thrown by the fact that the canadian commercial liscence only requires 100 hours minimum and and the american requires 150 hours.

 

So for a commercial liscence (in minimums) the costs changes a little:

 

(Without including instruction, books, other fees)

In Calgary -> 100 x 440CDN = 44000CDN x .87 = 38280USD

In Long Beach - > 150 x 167USD = 25050USD

 

Also you are only getting 100 hours in canada so there is alot more chance you will go over the tougher standards that are held.

 

The last problem you have with the training in canada is that you finish your commercial liscence with 100 hours and there isn't really a system there in place for low hours instructors. So the catch is to get from the 100 hours you finish with to the 500 hours you need to be actually employable. I know of alot of guys back home in this situation. Can take years. Basically you need to get extremely lucky or do sweep the floor or fill tanks for a while till someone takes a chance on you.

 

As for the Cost of Living/Standard of living in Canada. The cost of living is lower; And the standard of living is higher.....but its cold. I lived in Calgary and I would guess the cost of housing less than a third of what it is in long beach once its converted. And, as the UN Humanities index confirms every year, the standard of living is way higher than here in the US. And if you research heli pilot salaries you will also find that the same sort of jobs pay alot better in canada. Meaning if you fly there you will live better, live for cheaper and make more money on top of it......but you will be cold.

 

You will probably figure out for yourself what you want to do but if I had to reccommend a path. I would say get your commercial/ instructors in southern california teach here for a while to build up your hours (500-1000), Then if you still want to live in the great white north; convert it to a canadain (I'm doing it at chinook helicopters in abbotsford, BC (www.chinookhelicopters.com). Also I wouldn't worry too much about training on a turbine. Just get the hours and a turbine transition. I occasionally fly a jet ranger and trust me if you can fly an r-22, then the b-206 is a dream.

 

Sorry about the long post. I've done alot of reseach on this and its rare that i find someone else that it applies too. If you have any other questions I would be happy to try and answer them. Anyways Good Luck.

 

 

WOW...that is pretty cheap for you to go to Canada.

Have you looked into this SCHOOL AT ALL http://www.greatslaveheli.com/mainframe.html they seem to have a good program that encompasses everything by the time you’re done and for a reasonable price. The also start out from day one and through your entire training in a Bell 206.

[West Coaster]

Live and trained in Canada. I know a few pilots here who've gotten an FAA conversion as work is far easier to come by south of our boarder. Am told converting from a Canadian to American license is a cake-walk as standards are far higher here.

 

And yes 95% of the schools here do full autos right to the ground. I estimate that in my 4 months of training I easily did at least 250 of them. Some onto the runway, some onto grass, a few were a surprise test from the instructor and he'd make me put it down in an unprepared confined area just as if it were a real situation.

 

From talking to many pilot on both sides of the boarder, you will recieve better training in Canada... but get less hours with your license. Odds are you won't finds an instructor here with less than 1000 hours of operational flying under their belt. Most have far more than that. My two instructors had close to 25,000 between them both.

 

The bad part is that the helicopter industry here has even higher standards than Transport Canada does. Most jobs require at least 1500-2000 hours on turbines. Like Matty says, most here start as ground crew and earn the right to fly. The only exception to this rule is IFR pilots. There is a huge shortage of IFR pilots here and they can find work pretty quick if they know where to look.

 

Anyone interested in training up north can check out these schools. All have great reputations:

-Coast Helicopter College

-BC Helicopters

-Chinook Helicopters

-Okanagan Helicopters

-Great Slave Helicopters

-Bighorn Helicopters

-Canadian Helicopters

[crheli]

If you are looking for a Canadian or FAA license in Canada, Chinook Helicopters near Vancouver is the only place to go. I know with the excange it's cheaper in California, but they are a top notch school. I got my Canadian and FAA commercial license with them and the training is far superior than in the US. They also have a Bell 206 that I did some training on and after they helped to get me a job. Check out their website at www.chinookhelicopters.com and hopefully they can help you out.