air orlando helicopter training

[Ruby Soho]

Hey... I was just wondering if anyone out there might have been to or heard anything about Air Orlando Aviation?

 

Anyone???

 

Someone???

 

I'm looking for a school in Florida that I can get my PPL, CPL, IFR, CFI and CFII... BUT I also want to do tailwheel and aerobatic flight as well and air orlando offers the rotor craft training and tailwheel and aerobatics in one place.

 

Anyone know anything about them? Or maybe any other schools where I can get this training?

[ascott20]

Go to Tomlinson Aviation, Inc. in Ormond Beach, FL. They can't be beat as far as helo instruction goes. For the tailwheel and aerobatics stuff, there's a Sport Aviation Club that has a Piper Cub and a Pitts S-2B at Embry-Riddle 9 miles down the road. The club is technically for ERAU students only, but the instructors are always looking to train new aerobatic pilots. A word to the wise though, you'll need to get a fixed-wing private to get trained on that stuff (unless you're thinking about the sport pilot certificate... which I know very little about). Good Luck!!!

[svtcobra66]

I got my private through air orlando, they are good but they are very expensive. There's a great school in Leesburg called Tropical Helicopter (www.tropicalhelicopter.com), they are a lot cheaper and don't gouge you for ground instruction (which is 45 an hour at air orlando I believe). They also have a Flyit heli sim for IFR training. They operate 300Cs and an enstrom, also have a piper warrior for fixed wing. PM me if you want more info on either of the schools, as I have experience w/ both.

Chris

[HelliBoy]

I'd reccommend checking out Helicopter Adventures in Titusville. (30 min E of orlando) Especially if you plan on training full time. They've got lots of aircraft so you'll get done quick and they're the cheapest around. If you plan on getting a FW ppl, do it before you start your heli. You'll spend less time learning the aeronautical basics and be able to spend your money practicing maneuvers. good luck.

 

Helicopter Adventures, Inc.

[Wesp]

Air Orlando is very good. Especially when yoy want to do the fixed wing flying. They have really top notch equipment.

 

Most of the helicopter training is done right on the airfield, so you don't lose a lot of time flying to practice areas. (HAI)

 

(I have no connections with them nor work there)

 

Highly recommended!

[Ruby Soho]

Hey... thanks for the advice everyone. I am actually just a few more hours away from my fixed wing ppl... flying a Cessna 152... good fun! Anyway, so that takes care of the fixed wing PPL.

 

I am actually very interested in Tomlinson and HAI but when I saw Air Orlando I just thought of the convenience... BUT, if the school is very expensive, I am on a ridiculously tight budget (as I'm sure most students are) so I'd rather go somewhere that fits my school needs as well as my teeny wallet! Also, I'm not too impressed with the fact that I wrote Air Orlando what seems like ages ago, asking for information and they still haven't replied... its a small thing but you'd think they'd pounce on potential students.

 

Anyway... thanks again guys! I'm going to check out the Sport Aviation Club at Embry Riddle.

 

P.S... am I correct in thinking that you need to have an aerobatics ticket to be hired to do crop dusting? My uncle used to fly as a crop duster here and although he said he only got his CPL (fixed wing) to be hired, he thinks its different now. I'd do the course anyway, but I'm really aiming toward crop dusting... helicopter first priority though!!!!