Helicopter Services

[TheLorax]

hi all, im new here.

 

im curious to see if anyone here has had any experience with Helicopter Services in Houston, TX. whether it be CFI time, being a student and getting instruction, or anything other than that.

 

in may a friend and i will be moving up near the school and will begin our flight training.

 

i've visited their hangar and have been very impressed both times.

my demo flight was badass and Hooks airport just seems like a generally cool airfield.

 

 

 

comments/concerns?

 

 

-Ian

[clay]

i've heard good and bad. . . same as every school. but i've been up there a few times. nice facility.

[mechanic]

TheLorax,

 

Who did you fly with? I am a part time student with them. I had a few set backs and Robin has been great. I heard a few neg comments but not sure if they were true. Again, Robin has been great so far. I have known them for over 2 years. If you have any spec questions just ask.

 

Hooks can be pretty busy with the fixed wing, you duck, dive, and fly between alot sometimes. 17L and 17R fly standard left traffic and the heli's fly right traffic most of the time because of the prevailing winds. One day a fixed winger flew into our pattern at 500 feet! If I had not looked over my shoulder out of the door I would have turned right in front of him. He was passing on the right but his flight path intersected ours if we would have stayed on the present course. My CFI went off as a I slowed and banked left to let the guy pass a couple hundred feet in front of us. The guy took off with the pitot tube sock on and I guess kinda forgot the rules and where he was and just was in a hurry to get down and take the sock off.

 

You will learn to listen and use the radio. You have EMS, Border Patrol, SSH, and HSI helicopters using the airspace. On busy days the tower will be asking if you have the traffic, a lot.

 

They have become real busy lately. I have to book several days in advance now. Before, I could call the day before most of the time and get on the schedule, with my job its hard to book far in advance. Since the time change maybe I can get in sooner.

[Tenacious T]

I train on the other side of Hooks at SSH, I don't know much about HSI but we share the airspace and practice areas pretty harmoniously. I agree that Hooks can get a little busy but it's a good place to learn, it is more challenging and helps teach you to stay aware of what's going on around you. We have been getting some AH-64s there lately too, they are a little intimidating to share air with when you're in an R-22. (But cool!)

[franky17]

I started my search for a school about a year ago. I went to HSI and SSH. I really tryed to do my homework after attending the SSH meeting at hooks awhile back. I went and even sat in on the SSH ground school for a week. Here is what I found:

 

After I went and flew with HSI, and talked with Robin for awhile, I felt like it was a factory line, and I also did not like the CFI they lined me up with. So they threw me in with their chief pilot, and there was an obvious language barrior I could not handle. Also I went up to Robin a few times, me being new to the game, was after some information, and it seemed like I just was not getting my full 10 cents from Robin. Maybe it was just me, who knows? I will say their Hanger is nice, usually filled with some pretty cool eye candy.

 

I will be nice and not give my opinion on SSH, not gunna waste my breathe.

 

I ended up flying with a guy who keeps the helicopters in his backyard (literally). Hes got an office out at Wieser airpark. Its been nothing but a great experience and also I feel like apart of his family. Best of all, the guy can out right fly! check out www.apaviationinc.com He is very flexable and easy to work with. But hey, 185 hrs, 34,000$ , 11 months, Commerical rating, I couldnt be happier

[TheLorax]

Thank you all for your insanely quick replies!

 

 

mechanic: I flew with Kristian. With the over steering i was so apt to do being a first time flyer, Kristian seemed to be pretty damn good at keeping me in check and a very compitent pilot (from what i can tell, what do i know?).

 

Robin i felt was very helpful and everyone at the hangar was extremely friendly and didnt mind my millions of questions. The only thing i can negatively say about Helicopter Services is the small language barrier. Everyone can speak english but being in the air when it's noisy and tough to hear on the radio it could cause some problems.

 

 

As for Anything's Possible Aviation.... i read a thread that a guy who sent his kid there and despite all of the typos i could tell he was very happy with it. It's getting close to crunch time for my friend and I and we really have been one-sided into giving our money to Helicopter Services.

 

Where does Anything's Possible Aviation fly around? You said he keeps his choppers in his back yard. Do you fly around, in, or out of Hooks? I really would prefer to have the busy airspace experience as it would benefit me greatly in my pilot career. for some reason (maybe it was that thread about the guy who sent his kid there) i feel apprehensive about APA..

 

 

anyone prove me wrong? rebuttal?

[Tenacious T]

I noticed a few people mentioned a language barrier, that was one thing I didn't mention about HSI, a lot of times when I hear their instructors making radio calls at Hooks I have no idea what they are saying. Maybe students get used to it.

[franky17]

I noticed a few people mentioned a language barrier, that was one thing I didn't mention about HSI, a lot of times when I hear their instructors making radio calls at Hooks I have no idea what they are saying. Maybe students get used to it.

 

haha students get use to it. The anythings possible guy keeps his helios which is located right on the n.w side of hooks space and usually does the pattern work at weiser (s.w of hooks). fly with them all before you make a choice, some places are better for others

[mechanic]

Language barrier? A few years ago they had 1 instructor that was Japanese, that was Atsuko, she is with PHI now, and was my 1st primary instructor. The second is Sho, the Chief Pilot, he is also Japanese. He speaks english pretty well compared to some Americans that I have been around. I am prior military so maybe thats why it doesn't bother me. HSI did train a lot of Japanese students, don't know how many are left? 9/11 really slowed that down for them. Robin is of Scottish descent, and has a slight accsent. There are other instructors there that are American. Travis is from Oregon, I am not sure about Kristian (sp). I feel comfortable with Travis. If you want language barrier, you need to fly at Conroe CXO, MVP Aero (fixed wing school) has a bunch of Indian students....And I don't mean American Indian either. That language is hard for me.

 

 

 

David at APA is a great guy also. I have flown once with him. I work with his 3rd cousin. He has about 3000 hrs or so in Robbies, so yes he can make it look easy. He is out of Weiser Airpark.

 

www.apaviationinc.com He is supposed to get a new 22BII to go with his new 44 II IFR.. this month some time.

 

 

 

I feel HSI or APA is the best options in North Houston. The thing about SSH is that you do the hole course or nothing at all and pay it all up front. Ten T seems to be having a good experience with them, so I don't know. Most of what I've read has been ugly.

 

 

 

 

 

Later

[franky17]

Language barrier? A few years ago they had 1 instructor that was Japanese, that was Atsuko, she is with PHI now, and was my 1st primary instructor. The second is Sho, the Chief Pilot, he is also Japanese. He speaks english pretty well compared to some Americans that I have been around. I am prior military so maybe thats why it doesn't bother me. HSI did train a lot of Japanese students, don't know how many are left? 9/11 really slowed that down for them. Robin is of Scottish descent, and has a slight accsent. There are other instructors there that are American. Travis is from Oregon, I am not sure about Kristian (sp). I feel comfortable with Travis. If you want language barrier, you need to fly at Conroe CXO, MVP Aero (fixed wing school) has a bunch of Indian students....And I don't mean American Indian either. That language is hard for me.

 

 

 

David at APA is a great guy also. I have flown once with him. I work with his 3rd cousin. He has about 3000 hrs or so in Robbies, so yes he can make it look easy. He is out of Weiser Airpark.

 

www.apaviationinc.com He is supposed to get a new 22BII to go with his new 44 II IFR.. this month some time.

 

 

 

I feel HSI or APA is the best options in North Houston. The thing about SSH is that you do the hole course or nothing at all and pay it all up front. Ten T seems to be having a good experience with them, so I don't know. Most of what I've read has been ugly.

 

 

 

 

 

Later

 

 

so whats the average number of hours for the CFI's at HSI? I heard from a little bird that they have around 300 hours, dont quote me on it. Being me, I would rather have some one make it look easy, than die?

[TheLorax]

kristian is from some scandanavian country i cant recall which. it's not necessarily a "language barrier" it's more like a.... "potential to misunderstand something at a critical moment" i can deal with accents quite well, i had a conversation with sho and i understood almost everything. after all i used to work in a sushi bar and my head sushi chef was very, very japanese.

 

as for average # of flight hours for a CFI at HSI i think kristian said he has around 500-600 when i took my demo around a month ago.

[franky17]

kristian is from some scandanavian country i cant recall which. it's not necessarily a "language barrier" it's more like a.... "potential to misunderstand something at a critical moment" i can deal with accents quite well, i had a conversation with sho and i understood almost everything. after all i used to work in a sushi bar and my head sushi chef was very, very japanese.

 

as for average # of flight hours for a CFI at HSI i think kristian said he has around 500-600 when i took my demo around a month ago.

 

 

I think you said it.... you can understand ALMOST everything, and at a critical moment, I am not going to be wanting to try and guess if the CFI said one thing or another, but I am gunna be on my companys side obviously, but if your in the houston area my next choice is HSI.

[mechanic]

so whats the average number of hours for the CFI's at HSI? I heard from a little bird that they have around 300 hours, dont quote me on it. Being me, I would rather have some one make it look easy, than die?

 

So every instructor is going to kill you at 300 hrs? Curious, what are you going to do with your 185 hrs? Is David going to hire you at 300? 500? Not sure what Davids min hrs are, myself. But, yes it is advertised that HSI hiring min is 300 due to the Pathfinder Insurance, which is the same insurance David uses. Travis transfered to HSI from another school in OR. Finished up at HSI and was hired after his CFII. David has done local tours, photo flights, some light ag work, flight training, weddings, long X cross country and out of Country X country so yes David is probable a more experienced pilot than most of the CFI's at HSI. Still, is someone that teachs basic flight day in and out dangerous? David taught when he was low time too.

 

Atsuko had about 800 or so when I started with her. She had about 1200 hrs when she went to PHI about a year ago. She started in 206L's and now is in 407's.

 

 

Forgot to mention, I will say again David is a great guy. Both him and his wife are some of the nicest people you will meet.

 

HSI link, click employment tab

 

300 hours helicopter

Robinson Factory School Certificate

SFAR 73

 

You can also look in the JOBS section of this site, go down to the 7th listing "CFII Wanted", and see more requirements.

 

 

Later

[southernweyr]

I know very little about any schools that are being discussed.

 

I just remember how the language differences can affect the flight training environment for myself. If a person says something it may be interpreted as something else even if you completely understood each and every word. Like, "ok, now bring in power." Does this mean raise the collective or increase throttle? All of you CFI's probably know it means raise the collective, but it is little things like this that could affect people trying to communicate with two completely different set of expressions that come from differing primary languages. If you don't have a govenor you have to do both actions, raise the collective and increase throttle to maintain RPM.

[Tenacious T]

I feel HSI or APA is the best options in North Houston. The thing about SSH is that you do the hole course or nothing at all and pay it all up front. Ten T seems to be having a good experience with them, so I don't know. Most of what I've read has been ugly.

 

 

 

 

 

Later

 

I'm having a great experience with them personally, but I don't feel any need to try and change anyones mind about them. Too much trouble with no benefit to me. However, if you are thinking about doing helicopter training in the area it couldn't hurt to check out the facility and talk to some students. Right now we have 2 44s and 5 22s.

 

That's all I have to say about that.

[bellpilot]

Hi,

 

I just meet an instructor from Helicopter Services (Travis) and it sounds like a great place to learn. They have R22's ,R44 and 206. They also do some commercial work so you can step up the ladder.

[doanut99]

What up Ian? just wanted to stop by and say helo. No pun intended.

[clay]

i did, and will soon be doing more training with salaika aviation. great school. . have heard nothing but positive about tim. i've been happy. www.salaikaaviation.com

Edited March 17, 2007 by clay

[DebosDave]

I think you said it.... you can understand ALMOST everything, and at a critical moment, I am not going to be wanting to try and guess if the CFI said one thing or another, but I am gunna be on my companys side obviously, but if your in the houston area my next choice is HSI.

 

 

I am not sure if it is going to matter what language the CFI is speaking, at the critical moment, I doubt the CFI is going to let you take them down because you didn't quite understand what he/she is saying. Not to say accidents don't happen, but I am sure a high percentage of the time, the CFI will recognize that you don't understand and will take over. I had this happen a couple times when I didn't quite understand what I was being told by my CFI who speaks perfect no-accent English...

 

Dave

[Gunner]

The second is Sho, the Chief Pilot, he is also Japanese. He speaks english pretty well compared to some Americans that I have been around.

 

I went to the RHC Factory Course with Sho... He is a funny dude! We drank a few cold beers while we were out there...

[TheLorax]

screw it. im excited, bring on the challenge... of anything! thanks for the replies

[ADRidge]

I'll be stopping by there either tomorrow or saturday to check out the school firsthand.

[TheLorax]

sounds good, i think you'll like their hangar. let me know what you think

 

-TheLorax

[clay]

im still tryin to push you guys an hour south of HSI.. go check out salaika.....

[mechanic]

Clay,

 

Not saying Salaika is a bad school, but a lot of Enstrom time won't help get a CFI job. If you have to go the CFI route you will still need some kind of 300 variant time, approx 25 hrs, or R22/44 time, approx 50 hrs TT, of which Salaika does not offer. Just need to address that if CFI hood is in the future plans. I said before on another post, that my A&P buddy took about 4 hrs at Salaika and won't go back. He got a refund because of the CFI he was flying with was a nut, don't know if that guy is still around or not, but it was not the owner. He finished his fixed at Hooks and is now thinking of adding his heli rating.