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LA Schools: Orbic and Los Angeles Heli (out of long beach)


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Orbic Helicopters has a very good reputation. We do our checkrides with their helicopters and the touchdown autorotation training with Ken Orbic.

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I know nothing of these two schools. Personally, I went thru TwinAir in Van Nuys and never had a problem, and always had a helo or CFI available, sometimes on one day notice.

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I personally haven't heard of Orbic, but I'm a student at LAH.

 

Obviously I'm a bit bias, being a student and all, but I've been very happy with them. I'm 10mos and 176hrs towards CFII. Hit my PPL checkride at 63hrs, have 14hrs left for my IFR rating. I don't yet have my CPL, but that's due to family issues, nothing to do with the school (just being honest).

 

There's always a CFI available, the instructors I've had (one each PPL, CPL, IFR) have all given their cell numbers if I have a question while studying at home (don't know if that's common practice or not).

 

Current fleet of R22s

 

1 HP

 

1 Beta

 

3 Beta IIs

 

2 R44s (not sure of the model - one is used for tours and one is rented to a PD in the area whose pilots LAH also trains)

 

I've never asked a question and not gotten an answer within the day, if not that minute (depending on the collective experience/knowledge of the CFI's onsite).

 

All the people are friendly, no show boats, and no jerks. The school is located above The Pilot Shop at LGB, so any books you need are a flight of stairs away - plus you can charge the cost of any supplies to your account upstairs (handy if you're on a budget of what you give to the school at a time)

 

OH!! this seems to be a big point on here PAY AS YOU GO! They ask that you keep $2000 in your account, as flight hour costs rack up pretty quickly, but if you decide to leave, you get back whatever you haven't spent. Also, I didn't sign a contract.

 

Other than that, while they don't guarantee it, they've hired every CFI they've produced (one just hit his 1000, and got a spot as a Robinson test pilot over at Torrance), they train Long Beach PD in their EC130, and L.A. Sheriffs.

 

So that's about it - excuse the stream of constiousnous, but that's as non-biased as I can make it.

 

 

My 2 cents,

Kali

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