Great Slave Heli Program

[TreeBlender]

I'm looking at converting my Commercial Fixed Wing and stumbled across this company. They sound like they only train 2-4 people a year and hire everyone that successfully completes the course. Does anyone have any experience with this program? What is the work like afterwards? Do you have to sign a training bond and how long do you have to work with them? Is the company safe and respectable? What are the pay/hours like? I know a lot of company's advertise hiring their students but, unlike everyone else, they sound like they actually mean it. Any info is greatly appreciated.

[Sparker]

I'm looking at converting my Commercial Fixed Wing and stumbled across this company. They sound like they only train 2-4 people a year and hire everyone that successfully completes the course. Does anyone have any experience with this program? What is the work like afterwards? Do you have to sign a training bond and how long do you have to work with them? Is the company safe and respectable? What are the pay/hours like? I know a lot of company's advertise hiring their students but, unlike everyone else, they sound like they actually mean it. Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

If they only train four people a year I can assure you they cannot afford to hire all four of them. Usually you have to be a CFI when you complete a program and they pay you with peanuts and potato chips. Unless they force you to sign a contract, which I doubt, you can work as a CFI anywhere. Give em a call...

 

The name of the company puts me off a bit...

Edited August 31, 2007 by Sparker

[Apache]

I looked up their site. It's a pretty big company, w/ a fleet of about 65 birds. They only train in turbines now. 206B's, if I read correctly. At $800/hr and a min of 100 hrs for the Canukistanian Commercial ticket, that's gonna get pretty darn pricey. They mentioned something about possibly throwing in a 500 endorsement as well. Such a deal!!

 

If you read closely, that flight trainig info is from back '05.

 

Great Slave Heli

[TreeBlender]

Well, past practice has been to hire 2-4 a year while training a dozen. Now they are only training 2-4 a year and I imagine the other instructors are up north working at their base in NWT. Why would they not hire the same amount if they're training less and still running the same amount of birds with no sign of business slowing? You're a slave anywhere for the first couple of years so why not be a Great Slave??

 

Sure it's bloody expensive but I only need 60hrs for the conversion and if you're paying 27g for a useless licence and 5 years on the deck, why not spend 54g and start paying it off with a flying job right away???

 

I'd just like to hear from some people that work or worked with the company to see if they're safe and whether there is a max/min time you can work for them, pay, conditions etc. or how exactly their program works. I'm going to talk to the company as well, but would prefer to hear an unbiased opinion first.