The latest at Silver State Helicopters?

[Helipro53]

Don't know about the flight school side, but here in Yuma word on the street is that Silver State is liquidating all of their helicopter assets ... We've got EMS crews and pilots asking about positions. Anybody else heard anything ???

[puravida]

They are still advertising here in las vegas.

[More_Cowbell]

They are still advertising here in las vegas.

 

I was out at my local airport this afternoon trying to track down a guy, and one of the guys at the FBO was telling me that SSH was starting a school there in the next month to train air traffic controllers.

 

Has anybody else heard about them starting this type of training?

[Tenacious T]

I was out at my local airport this afternoon trying to track down a guy, and one of the guys at the FBO was telling me that SSH was starting a school there in the next month to train air traffic controllers.

 

Has anybody else heard about them starting this type of training?

 

 

They've had an ATC school in New Braunfels, TX for a few years now.

[Autorotator]

I have heard that somewhere. Can't say how much truth there is to it though.

 

edit: Tenacious T posted a minute before me. I am not disagreeing with him.

[fry]

They've had an ATC school in New Braunfels, TX for a few years now.

 

And after "a few years" have any students gotten a job?

[captkirkyota]

And after "a few years" have any students gotten a job?

Oh for cryin' out loud Fry, EVERY post????? I am not a SSH student either but dude, every post????? Go have some ice cream and relax a little already.

[fry]

Oh for cryin' out loud Fry, EVERY post????? I am not a SSH student either but dude, every post????? Go have some ice cream and relax a little already.

 

Wow, sounds like someone else needs to "have some ice cream and relax a little already". It was just a question...and a suggested question for someone considering paying real money to for the training. I'm sorry if those kinds of straight forward questions upset you but unless a prospective customer asks them they will be cannon fodder for a fast-talking salesperson. Now about that ice cream, what flavor are we talkin?

[captkirkyota]

Wow, sounds like someone else needs to "have some ice cream and relax a little already". It was just a question...and a suggested question for someone considering paying real money to for the training. I'm sorry if those kinds of straight forward questions upset you but unless a prospective customer asks them they will be cannon fodder for a fast-talking salesperson. Now about that ice cream, what flavor are we talkin?

 

Gold Medal ribbon from Baskin Robbins.

[jehh]

Gold Medal ribbon from Baskin Robbins.

 

You must be joking... Chocolate Devotion from ColdStone...

[ascott20]

And after "a few years" have any students gotten a job?

 

 

Can't speak for SSH, but ERAU's ATC students could barely stay all 4 years in the classroom. They were getting job offers like crazy. Unlike their flying counterparts, who were either CFIing at the school or pumping gas at a local airport

 

Oh yeah... Phish Food from Ben & Jerry's! I gotta represent Vermont at some point here:)

[icqa]

I live in New Braunfels, but attend a flight school half an hour away. The SSH ATC school opened last year as did the tower that SSH funded and they just graduated their first class of 15. From what was reported in the local paper 13-14 (the number seems to change between articles) of the students got offers from the FAA.

 

And after "a few years" have any students gotten a job?

[icqa]

Here's the article

 

First Class: Air traffic controllers graduate

By Chris Cobb

The Herald-Zeitung

Published October 21, 2007

 

The Silver State Air Traffic Control Academy celebrated the graduation of its inaugural class on Friday at the McKenna Events Center.

 

Fifteen students from the unique academy graduated with their Control Tower Operator certification in hand, something that can’t be done at any other private training tower in the nation.

 

“It’s obviously a phenomenal feeling for us,†said Kevin Sonnier, Silver State’s associate director of air traffic control. “We’re very proud of the work that these young men and women have put into the program.â€

 

The new graduates also will be moving on to new jobs, as the Federal Aviation Administration has said it offered employment to 13 of the class’ 15 members. It’s the first time in history the FAA has employed graduates from a trade school. The federal agency is expecting to hire more than 15,000 new controllers as they brace for an increasing number of retirements over the next 10 years. Many of those new controllers could potentially come from New Braunfels.

 

“They’re getting taught the right way,†said New Braunfels Municipal Airport Manager Andy Spinks. “The FAA has seen that these guys are as good anyone they’re training, anyone the military is training and the ones being trained by anybody else.â€

 

Spinks said the offers to the graduates are not only unprecedented, but unheard of to some veterans of the aviation industry. The majority of students are getting their pick of assignments around the country.

 

“The industry is so shorthanded right now they really need controllers,†said Aaron Bewley, a current student who will be part of the academy’s second class. “You can kind of place yourself where you want to go. If you want to go to a huge, busy airport like Hobby or (Houston) Intercontinental, you can.â€

 

The program lasts one year, with the first four months spent in the classroom learning how to handle standard procedures and problems. The next eight months include more classroom time, but students also get on-the-job training, splitting time between the facility’s state-of-the-art air traffic control simulator and working with live aircraft in the airport’s control tower.

 

The simulator allows students to look in every direction, a full 360 degrees, through the computer-screen windows of their virtual tower. Essentially it’s a video game worth over $1 million, a game that could save lives in the future.

 

“It allows you to do things and experience things that you could never do safely in the real world,†Sonnier said. “It really enhances the program.â€

 

Lessons learned in the simulator are quickly applied to real-life training, as students get plenty of time in the tower, directing all traffic coming in and going out of New Braunfels.

 

And even with a relatively short training period, the FAA has enough confidence in the program to send students to airports across the country.

 

“(The FAA) is a really tough crowd to please,†said Dylan Krassensky, one of the graduates who’s going to work in the tower in his hometown of San Luis Obispo. “So if we earn their praise, that’s pretty good.â€

Edited December 7, 2007 by icqa

[Tenacious T]

And after "a few years" have any students gotten a job?

 

Not sure why the quotes, the existence of the school and how long it's been around can easily be verified, but anyway, I don't know any ATC students but a student pilot from the same location said grads from the first class were heavily recruited. Obviously this is just hearsay, I really don't know for sure.

[Bradley P]

Did someone say Baskin Robbins!!?? Can you pick me up some Butter Pecan?? Make it a double

[Ryan G]

Did someone say Baskin Robbins!!?? Can you pick me up some Butter Pecan?? Make it a double

 

 

Hey....can you pick me up a quart of Rocky Road and Mint Chocolate Chip while you are there?

[puravida]

http://www.963kklz.com/index.php?page=81

still advertising locally

[Hogan]

Chris Engel at KING TV in Seattle is supposedly researching a story about SSH in Seattle. He's looking for intel.

KING5.com

[Jason H]

It is all true about the Turbine expire time, and contract terms expire time. At a meeting last month we were all told the turbine time that was an extra 5000 would be droped if you didnt use it. And there are no more single unit GM's anymore there is one GM overseeing 4-5 locations now. That happened at my location. I am a student on the east coast.

[whirlybirdflyer]

I am currently a student at SSH. I don't like to say that, but it is true. All of you people that are trying to "stay positive." WAKE UP!!! Your fellow helicopter pilots of America are being screwed. All of you that tell it how it really is without sugarcoating, keep it up. I bought into the lie, it took a year to get my private and I have flown about five times since Thanksgiving. It is now January 08. At my location there are 2 R-22's and 1 R-44. When 2 of our birds got wrecked, it took 3 months to replace one and the other was never replaced. We lost one recently for an overhaul and currently we are awaiting parts to one of the two 22's in service. So...about the time limit. I work full time and I have flown 5 times since thanksgiving. 18 months??? forget it. It cannot happen. One thing I will say, they train well, when you get to fly. The instructors are great. They are extremely knowledgeable and could tell you everything there is to know about flying helicopters. Bottom line Jerry is only in it for himself. He cares nothing about students or training pilots. only money. Go train somewhere else.

[GarciaM25]

Go train somewhere else.

 

thank you, thank everyone for this thread.... i've been lurking here for a few days, reading up, and wanted to make my first post in regards to this thread.... a former co-worker of mine is a SSH student, and i can guarantee he won't graduate in 18 months - he's been there for many months, not sure how many, and he only has one day a week to fly with his work schedule (i know, he was my employee when i worked with him), and still was on ground school....

 

i haven't decided on a school yet, but the fact is SSH is out of the question - thank you to those who have brought this kind of detail to the forums for people like myself to figure that out....

[CyclicClimb]

WoW, I can barely believe all the stuff I hear from people in here.

I am a student at SSH, and have no biases, positive or negative regarding my training. I do have opinions that swing to both sides however, but I don't think I would ever come on here to bash a company out of spite. Those of you that are spending all of your time crying about SSH program, yet never signed on with them, what is your point? Either train somewhere else, or don't be pilots. Remember, your attitude determines who you are. Although, I do agree with some of you to an extent. I train at the Chino, CA school, and have witnessed plenty of contract enforcements, including one on myself. How did I overcome it? I spoke to the GM, presented my argument, and won. Simple. I am one of those that is a victim of circumstance. Weather, downed birds, overlapping students, maintenance issues, all of those are problems inherent in aviation, and I was lucky enough to be training under a staff that understands that, and doesn't hold me accountable. I am in my 24th month, have 205 hours, and am about to "graduate," and so far, I haven't heard thing one about being "expired." Why? Because I am vocal about my intentions. I am also respectful. I personally know 3 guys from my private class that washed out because they would browbeat the GMs, and really just lay into SSH about it's procedures. What good is that?

I certainly have my issues with SSH, as i would with any academy. It pisses me off when I get to the school only to find out that my bird was squawked for maintenance, and i have to go home, but it's no reason to cry. I just plug along.

Now second, to those of you that are squealing about the 69,900 i "plunked down...." think of it this way: aviation is the only career I ever truly wanted to pursue, and I definitely have the motivation. I don't care if SSH is a "pilot mill," the fact is, I could spend that money at MIT, or Stanford, or <insert educational institution here>, and come out with a degree. Great. Or I could spend that money on a few pilot certificates. Since I don't want to go to a college, to get a degree in some field that hundreds of thousands of people are trying to get into, why not spend the same money on a school that trains me to do what I want to do, that relatively few people are doing? I did not spend 70k on the promise that SSH was going to hand me 7 licenses in 18 months. I spent that money as an investment in my future, a future that I am going to work for, and frankly, if SSH DID just find a way to masturbate the FAA and "give me" 7 licenses, I'd be a little upset. So those of you that are depressed that you only got 3 of the promised 7 licenses, and it took you 25 months to do it, take some Zanex and relax, because the only reason you didn't receive those certs, is because you expected them to be handed to you.

Here's a fun one....at least SSH hires its trainees. Not one flight school I looked at prior to SSH hires its students. Not because they won't, but because they're not expanding.

Yeah, this bubble will pop soon, (and EOS might be the ice pick that pops it), but my training is real. I can't give back my CFI cert just because some contract expired. Eventually Ill get hired somewhere, if not with SSH, and it may take a while, but Im ok with that.

 

Additionally, if anyone out there knows more about this EOS thing, I am a bit curious. I looked them up online, but haven't gotten much of anything....as far as their intentions for the academy.

[K-38]

" Here's a fun one....at least SSH hires its trainees. Not one flight school I looked at prior to SSH hires its students. Not because they won't, but because they're not expanding."

 

Wow I did not know that S.S.H. was the "only" flight school that hired it's former students. Thank you for taking the time to enlighten all of us here at V.R. with your logic and superior knowledge of the industry.

[Bell206Pilot]

WoW, I can barely believe all the stuff I hear from people in here.

I am a student at SSH, and have no biases, positive or negative regarding my training. I do have opinions that swing to both sides however, but I don't think I would ever come on here to bash a company out of spite. Those of you that are spending all of your time crying about SSH program, yet never signed on with them, what is your point? Either train somewhere else, or don't be pilots. Remember, your attitude determines who you are. Although, I do agree with some of you to an extent. I train at the Chino, CA school, and have witnessed plenty of contract enforcements, including one on myself. How did I overcome it? I spoke to the GM, presented my argument, and won. Simple. I am one of those that is a victim of circumstance. Weather, downed birds, overlapping students, maintenance issues, all of those are problems inherent in aviation, and I was lucky enough to be training under a staff that understands that, and doesn't hold me accountable. I am in my 24th month, have 205 hours, and am about to "graduate," and so far, I haven't heard thing one about being "expired." Why? Because I am vocal about my intentions. I am also respectful. I personally know 3 guys from my private class that washed out because they would browbeat the GMs, and really just lay into SSH about it's procedures. What good is that?

I certainly have my issues with SSH, as i would with any academy. It pisses me off when I get to the school only to find out that my bird was squawked for maintenance, and i have to go home, but it's no reason to cry. I just plug along.

Now second, to those of you that are squealing about the 69,900 i "plunked down...." think of it this way: aviation is the only career I ever truly wanted to pursue, and I definitely have the motivation. I don't care if SSH is a "pilot mill," the fact is, I could spend that money at MIT, or Stanford, or <insert educational institution here>, and come out with a degree. Great. Or I could spend that money on a few pilot certificates. Since I don't want to go to a college, to get a degree in some field that hundreds of thousands of people are trying to get into, why not spend the same money on a school that trains me to do what I want to do, that relatively few people are doing? I did not spend 70k on the promise that SSH was going to hand me 7 licenses in 18 months. I spent that money as an investment in my future, a future that I am going to work for, and frankly, if SSH DID just find a way to masturbate the FAA and "give me" 7 licenses, I'd be a little upset. So those of you that are depressed that you only got 3 of the promised 7 licenses, and it took you 25 months to do it, take some Zanex and relax, because the only reason you didn't receive those certs, is because you expected them to be handed to you.

Here's a fun one....at least SSH hires its trainees. Not one flight school I looked at prior to SSH hires its students. Not because they won't, but because they're not expanding.

Yeah, this bubble will pop soon, (and EOS might be the ice pick that pops it), but my training is real. I can't give back my CFI cert just because some contract expired. Eventually Ill get hired somewhere, if not with SSH, and it may take a while, but Im ok with that.

 

Additionally, if anyone out there knows more about this EOS thing, I am a bit curious. I looked them up online, but haven't gotten much of anything....as far as their intentions for the academy.

 

 

Hello

 

I find it all interesting reading, a perspective of a student with SSH that isn't all that unhappy...

 

Now it should be known right up front that I am not a SSH student, or grad and have no affiliation with SSH in any way shape or form!

 

I've been reading threads here and there about this firm, alot of bad and a few good as well!

 

Many valid points are made in these threads against the SSH ways of operations and in favor of.

 

If one is happy that after 24 months of their time and effort to have logged 205 hours and now has whatever ticket they have...I guess "you" might be happy with such, and if you are...well OK for you!

 

I can respect your stance and opinion, that you personally feel you have gotten what you paid for and what you worked for in that time frame.

 

However I think we would have to agree that we will disagree here!

 

24 months with 205 hours averaging 8.5 hours a month for a pilot in training is truly shameful of any school, even more so for one that has you pay your tuition in to up front.

 

I do realize that there are always variables that are out of the control of pilots and flight ops,

weather...well fog would play a factor for you on some occasions in the Chino area, but over 24 months I don't see it being a huge problem (last year I believe we had about 10 days of IFR and could not launch from KVNY)

 

Maintenance squawks ok it is a machine being operated on a near daily schedule (however not by you apparently)

 

Call Group3 and ask them how long it would have taken you to get what you currently have and along with that how much as well (NO...I don't work for them, didn't do my training with them either...just know that they are not SSH)

 

Well this thread really sums it up when it comes to the raw numbers of it

Goldy's SSH & Do the math thread

 

On the EOS the most recent thing I found was this from Rotor&Wing

R&W SSH EOS

 

Take note of what the only poster had to say about his visit to the SSH open cattle call after hearing their mass media ad on the radio!

 

I guess when it is all said and done, if you are happy with 200 hours after 2 years of your time, effort and money...well OK for you!

 

Myself I wouldn't be posting such in all honestly, I would actually be embarrassed to admit as much after letting them have my 70K+ and the interest on it as well.

 

Now I know how SSH perpetuates themselves and their myth of doing right by their students

 

There are so many other ways to get your training completed and yourself to a CFI marketable level

 

Sadly you are not even 1/4 of the way to your real first entry level flying job (1000-1500) is the current accepted entry level.

 

And with the rate you are building hours with SSH you only have about 8 to 10 years to go until you hit the hours, are you really thinking that as a CFI for SSH you'll be flying that much more that you did as a student?

I just have to wonder is all...

 

Aviation is a very finicky business and the R/W side of it even more so, SSH has earned their reputation beacuase of what hey haven't and didn't do...not because of what they have done!

 

If it all sounds to good to be true, it generally is just that too!

Edited February 3, 2008 by Bell206Pilot

[brushfire21]

After readnig the previous two threads, I have come away with some new information and glad to see we are all getting along, even though we disagree. But I will have to agree with Bell206, spending 70k with 200 hours in 24 months seems a little absurd. The rating could have been done quicker at alot of other places, and you may possibly have already been employed and repaying that loan and making use of those 7 certificates. I am not one to bend over and let someone walk all over me, like they have with alot of students, and especially after paying everything upfront.

 

But it was refreshing to hear a postive story now and again on this School.