marasco2 Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 Wow, where to begin. First off, thanks for taking the time to read this, and all help is appreciated. I was just in Hawaii and a friend of mine had become a Helicopter tour pilot. He took me up and it was amazing. I have fallen in love, been bitten by the bug and all other metaphors for becoming infatuated. Since I have come home I have been reading and researching all sorts of flight schools and programs. I have been working for a number of years and have a good nest egg to start a project like this. I want to enroll in a school that is FAA approved, and receive as much VALUABLE training as possible. I have looked at the Los Angeles Helicopter school, Silver State, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, and a few other smaller schools in Socal. I guess I am asking for any and all advice regarding what schools are good, what kind of certifications the school should have, and what kind of equipment and facilities to be looking for. Are there certain certifications that aren't necessary, which are the most useful in finding employment? Again, I know this is a ton of info I am requesting but anything you guys can offer is greatly appreciated and needed. Thanks Quote
slick1537 Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 (edited) First of all do not go to silver state, there is just to much bad rep about them to go there. Also becoming a tour pilot in hawaii is something I would like to do, but it will take a few years to get that kind of experience. The standard civilian way of learning to fly will go something like this. You will train for about 1 to 1 + 1/2 years getting your private, instrument, commercial, instructor, and instrument instructor ratings. It is about a 50-70 thousand dollar commitment depending on where you go. After you get all your ratings you will instruct for about another 800 hours until you have around 1000 hours of flight time. Once you have 1000 hours you can find your first jobs flying a turbine powered helicopter. Generally there are only a few fields hiring 1000 hour pilots. That is working in the gulf of mexico, workings seasonal in alaska, then there are a few other odd tour companies like some in vegas and the grand canyon that will hire 1000 hour pilots. The average tour pilot in Hawaii has 2000-3000 hours of experience from what I have been told by 2 Hawaiian pilots. It will probably take 3-5 years from start to finish to get the experience necessary to work in Hawaii. Not trying to discourage you, but this isnt something you want to just want to jump into, its a long career minded path and is a huge huge huge risky investment of your money. EDIT: Also about mauna loa, I don't know about them personally, the cost of the school seems about on par with others, but remember the overall cost of living in Hawaii is huge, like $6 for a gallon of milk depending on the island. Edited September 15, 2007 by slick1537 Quote
Sparker Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 EDIT: Also about mauna loa, I don't know about them personally, the cost of the school seems about on par with others, but remember the overall cost of living in Hawaii is huge, like $6 for a gallon of milk depending on the island. The people at Muana Loa are awesome, and from what Ryan(CFI) told me the cost of living is on par with some places in California. (Not that that is saying much) but there are Cost Co's in Hawaii, too. Quote
marasco2 Posted September 15, 2007 Author Posted September 15, 2007 The people at Muana Loa are awesome, and from what Ryan(CFI) told me the cost of living is on par with some places in California. (Not that that is saying much) but there are Cost Co's in Hawaii, too. Thank you so much guys. Again, I really appreciate any and all advice. I just got back from the Big Island and prices are very similar to Socal. My good friend is a pilot for Safari tours, a volcano/waterfall trip and is one firing me up on all this. I have a number of friends there which is why I am considering that school as well. What is the bad press on Silver State? Sorry to be naive, just not sure what is going on and I need my eyes as wide open as possible. Thanks again! Quote
slick1537 Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 (edited) I am sure fry will ring in here. I know they have a number of law suits pending against them. Basically you sign a contract with them, and the way it is set up you will loose a lot of your loan dollars if you decide to leave, even if you do not receive training for the money they took. I have visited Maui and Kauai and both are very nice places. I really want to see Oahu! Edited September 15, 2007 by slick1537 Quote
Copterpilot213 Posted September 15, 2007 Posted September 15, 2007 "What is the bad press on Silver State? Sorry to be naive, just not sure what is going on and I need my eyes as wide open as possible." The main thing to keep in mind about Silver State in my opinion is that it's geared towards people that are sure they want to go from no knowledge of helicopters through CFI or CFII. It's tough to be sure about that and know that you can do it without any helicopter experience. Some people catch on quickly and have no problem, some people don't and that's one of the big reasons Silver State gets a lot of bad press on forums like this. If you look at Silver State, or for that matter any flight school make sure you read the contract carefully! Understand it completely, get a lawyer if needed. It's a big investment of time and money, don't jump into anything you haven't checked out. Quote
marasco2 Posted September 15, 2007 Author Posted September 15, 2007 "What is the bad press on Silver State? Sorry to be naive, just not sure what is going on and I need my eyes as wide open as possible." The main thing to keep in mind about Silver State in my opinion is that it's geared towards people that are sure they want to go from no knowledge of helicopters through CFI or CFII. It's tough to be sure about that and know that you can do it without any helicopter experience. Some people catch on quickly and have no problem, some people don't and that's one of the big reasons Silver State gets a lot of bad press on forums like this. If you look at Silver State, or for that matter any flight school make sure you read the contract carefully! Understand it completely, get a lawyer if needed. It's a big investment of time and money, don't jump into anything you haven't checked out. Thanks again, great info. My Misses is becoming an attorney and works at a big firm so I will make sure they pound out the contract before I sign anything. That was very, very helpful. Thanks! Quote
jehh Posted September 16, 2007 Posted September 16, 2007 Thanks again, great info. My Misses is becoming an attorney and works at a big firm so I will make sure they pound out the contract before I sign anything. That was very, very helpful. Thanks! Or better yet, don't sign any contract... Go to a school that is pay-as-you-go, so that you are not committed to some contract. Almost all flight schools work like that, however not all do, Silver State being a good example of one that does have a contract. Search is your friend... Quote
Goldy Posted September 16, 2007 Posted September 16, 2007 Thanks again, great info. My Misses is becoming an attorney and works at a big firm so I will make sure they pound out the contract before I sign anything. That was very, very helpful. Thanks! I second that reply..there is no need for a contract, and I would never fly with a school that required one ( except the insurance stuff). If you choose to learn to fly in Los Angeles area, I can recommend a few schools to go to, and a few to avoid, then make your choice. Just throw me a PM.. Goldy Quote
marasco2 Posted September 19, 2007 Author Posted September 19, 2007 Thanks again guys. I have spoken with the people at Mazzei in Fresno. They seemed very friendly and knowledgable. I have requested info from Los Angeles Helicopters as well. I am going to return the call to Mauna Loa tonight and I will let you know how they come across. After some review and a very brief and fast talking phone call I have decided that Silver State is no longer in the running. Do any of you know anything positive or negative about Mazzei. They even include subsidized apartments for 8 months during your commercial cert. Thanks again. Quote
fry Posted September 20, 2007 Posted September 20, 2007 What is the bad press on Silver State? Sorry to be naive, just not sure what is going on and I need my eyes as wide open as possible. Silver who? Never heard of 'em. There was a guy from Oakland (I believe he may have been the GM of the Silver State operation there) who posted here awhile back that "only 10% to 20%" of those who begin flight training actually make it to CFI. So, four out of five decide not to pursue it for one reason or another...but, I'm sure that all of them fully intended to go all the way to a career as a pilot when they began the training. According to a poster here not long ago, Silver State's contract with the student provides for 10% of the program cost to be charged each month...regardless of the services actually provided. In his case he dropped out of the program after only a couple of ground school classes and it cost him $8,000 (the 10% of the $70k program cost plus a thousand dollar cancellation fee). Not really such a good deal for the students, better to find a pay-as-you-fly school. Quote
MainRotor Posted September 20, 2007 Posted September 20, 2007 Not really such a good deal for the students, better to find a pay-as-you-fly school.Especially since most schools seem to operate on a pay-as-you-fly basis. Quote
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