financial or grant money for law enforcement flight training

[davesmith]

Hello I'm helping a friend in looking for money or grants to assist in helicopter flight training . He is a police officer that was shot in the line of duty is now back at work and is wanting to finish his his goal of flying for law enforcement . He has been a police officer for 7 years and wants to continue in law enforcement , He has about half of the money for flight training but he is looking for and grants or any other programs to help with the rest . Any help you can give him would be great . Like I said I'm helping him and can pass your info or emails on to him . Thanks for your help and time

[BOATFIXERGUY]

Did he have Colonial Insurance? They'd pay a ton if he had the gunshot provision. Check into that. Great policy when you need it!

 

Also, haven't ever heard or found any grants for LE flight training for individuals. I think every one has looked...

 

Only thing I've ever heard of is individual organizations donating money, but it's for extremely limited few. (I.E. Tuskegee Airmen).

[samaritan]

Hello I'm helping a friend in looking for money or grants to assist in helicopter flight training . He is a police officer that was shot in the line of duty is now back at work and is wanting to finish his his goal of flying for law enforcement . He has been a police officer for 7 years and wants to continue in law enforcement , He has about half of the money for flight training but he is looking for and grants or any other programs to help with the rest . Any help you can give him would be great . Like I said I'm helping him and can pass your info or emails on to him . Thanks for your help and time

[samaritan]

Call Brian Parker 561-723-1911 he can help you.

[Voyager11]

Hello I'm helping a friend in looking for money or grants to assist in helicopter flight training . He is a police officer that was shot in the line of duty is now back at work and is wanting to finish his his goal of flying for law enforcement . He has been a police officer for 7 years and wants to continue in law enforcement , He has about half of the money for flight training but he is looking for and grants or any other programs to help with the rest . Any help you can give him would be great . Like I said I'm helping him and can pass your info or emails on to him . Thanks for your help and time

 

If I didn't know any better I would swear you where talking about me. The difference I did not get shot. I was a police officer for seven years and left to become a rotorcraft aviator. I ran into every type of financial wall you can imagine. However there is one route but it requires lots of patience with paperwork. The Sallie Mae Financial institution has a direct student loan program.

 

Now the direct student loan program is the only thing out there that will give you money for flight training in a rotorcraft. Go to this website: https://www.slmfinancial.com/ and click career training loan. Fill out the online application. I would suggest a coborrower as most if not all applications get bounced back the first time. If your friend is still working that would help thing very much but if he has a good cosigner then he will be okay. Not to mention working as a police officer and training full time rotorcraft does not work well thats why I left law enforcement.

 

Be patient because SLM Financial has terrible customer service and will ask for every kind of identification short of a DNA sample. If you go this route please contact me with any question. I know each document they will send you and can explain what they are talking about. Good luck and contact me if you need anything to help a brother officer.

 

Respectfully

Michael J. Buckley

[BOATFIXERGUY]

Not to mention working as a police officer and training full time rotorcraft does not work well thats why I left law enforcement.

 

Michael J. Buckley

 

I hear that Michael! I was trying to run my helicopter company at the same time I was with Denver PD. The straw that broke the camels' back for me was when I had several events scheduled for the bird all summer and at roll call my commander says, "all days off are cancelled for ---------- weekends." (every weekend i had an event or air show). Well, that was going to cost me the hard contracts I fought for over the years. So I turned in my retirement papers. I gave up a secure government job with a ton of pay to work for nothing, but fullfilling my dream of flying. Would I change anything? Nope.

 

Stay safe.

 

john

[Voyager11]

John,

 

I feel the same way and do not regret one part of my decision. I've been trying to get back in but as and aviator. The requirements are getting a bit silly if you ask me for police aviators. I'm actually finishing my instrument rating now and then on to to get my CFII. By the spring the only thing I will not have is my ATP which is a few years off. But this beats patrolling the streets, court time, overtime and mandatory shifts. I'm just glad I did it. Just this past Monday I completed my first trip from Torrance, CA. to Sarasota, Fl. shuttling a brand new R44 Raven II for a dealer in Florida. It took 23.5 hours flight time. I called some of the guys on shift back home several times teasing them saying "guess where I am?" You got to love rotorcraft aviation!

 

Respectfully

Michael J. Buckley

 

"Nothing is impossible, just improbable"

Stephen Hawking

[ascott20]

Tell your friend to check in with his state's labor and/or education departments. Many states have grant money set aside for people transitioning between professions (part of that whole new retraining thing to keep people off welfare and active in the evolving job markets). The kicker is that not many people know about it and it seldom gets utilized. Typically, it is available to anyone seeking to transition into a professional trade of some sort.

 

I learned about this a few years ago when I was apprenticing at a flight school. A prospective student called us from Indiana stating he had received "x" number of dollars from the state for vocational training in a technical field. As it turned out, commercial vehicle operator was a category and the state recognized helicopter flight training as one of the occupations. Like I mentioned earlier too, he found it by accident and the state was more than willing to help.

 

As an experienced veteran officer, he shouldn't have a problem finding some program. Also, check in with the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) and see if they have any scholarships. Good Luck.

[EC120AV8R]

But this beats patrolling the streets, court time, overtime and mandatory shifts. I'm just glad I did it.

Respectfully

Michael J. Buckley

 

"Nothing is impossible, just improbable"

Stephen Hawking

 

 

Michael, keep in mind a police helicopter is just a flying patrol car. We still get put on call for court, still have to go testify to what we saw, and yes fill short shifts too. Don't get me wrong, it's the best job in police work, but it still has a lot of the same problems as any shift (patrol) work.

[shakejke]

Tell your friend to check in with his state's labor and/or education departments. Many states have grant money set aside for people transitioning between professions (part of that whole new retraining thing to keep people off welfare and active in the evolving job markets). The kicker is that not many people know about it and it seldom gets utilized. Typically, it is available to anyone seeking to transition into a professional trade of some sort.

 

I learned about this a few years ago when I was apprenticing at a flight school. A prospective student called us from Indiana stating he had received "x" number of dollars from the state for vocational training in a technical field. As it turned out, commercial vehicle operator was a category and the state recognized helicopter flight training as one of the occupations. Like I mentioned earlier too, he found it by accident and the state was more than willing to help.

 

As an experienced veteran officer, he shouldn't have a problem finding some program. Also, check in with the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) and see if they have any scholarships. Good Luck.

 

Ascott20,

 

Do you remember the student's name from Indiana? I'm looking for money and would like to know where and how he got his money.

Edited February 10, 2008 by shakejke

[Kilkenny]

I just got my private rating myself. And I, too, have seven years as a cop. I am currently a TFO on our air unit, so I have a good network of support and resources.

 

I went to flight school everyday. I drove an hour and a half there, spent two hours there, then drove a half hour back to work. Fortunately, my day shift doesn't start until 10AM, so I didn't have to leave the house until 0530. And I only had to work until 1800 and it's only a 45 minute drive home across the county to get home at 1845. Very long days. But I sure as heck was not giving up a free retirement from the state, nor my badge and gun.

 

Sallie Mae is probably the best way to do it. I am fortunate enough to be debt free and could afford to pay cash for my private rating.

 

What I would tell him, is to get on the air unit as a TFO. Show them that you can perform well within the unit and at your job. Do that and you will be in the most advantageous position in the entire world to get your ratings.

 

But, NEVER ask to fly. I myself have never asked any of our pilots to fly the aircraft. As a result, they will be more willing to let you fly (my pilots actually made me fly) if you don't pester them and show them that you know your job is to be the TFO and not the pilot. Do that and you will pass your checkride at 40.3 "legal" hours like me (I had plenty of bootleg instruction). Now, when I go on a patrol flight with my Chief Pilot, during the day shift, he lets me sit right seat and actually start a million dollar helicopter. And it's all being logged towards my commercial, for free!

Edited February 11, 2008 by Kilkenny

[sv81]

Hello I'm helping a friend in looking for money or grants to assist in helicopter flight training . He is a police officer that was shot in the line of duty is now back at work and is wanting to finish his his goal of flying for law enforcement . He has been a police officer for 7 years and wants to continue in law enforcement , He has about half of the money for flight training but he is looking for and grants or any other programs to help with the rest . Any help you can give him would be great . Like I said I'm helping him and can pass your info or emails on to him . Thanks for your help and time

 

 

I would also be interested to find out if there are any grants out there. I am just starting flight school and have been LEO for almost 11 years. I would like to try and start an aviation unit in the future in our county.

[Goldy]

I would also be interested to find out if there are any grants out there. I am just starting flight school and have been LEO for almost 11 years. I would like to try and start an aviation unit in the future in our county.

 

The Homeland Security grants are pretty well spent. However, you could still get asset forfeiture monies (drug seizures) and use that to work a lease deal with a local school. You wouldnt need much to start, just an R44 with a spot ( Robinson used a 3 lamp police halogen spot...much cheaper than a nightsun) and an interface to a public safety radio.

 

Then you can pay to do some nightly patrol on the weekends....with a civilian pilot and a LE observer. Figure about $500 an hour under contract....about 40 hours a month...maybe more like $550/hr if you use it less.

 

I wouldnt recommend an R22 in that line of work, but there are a couple LE ships out there using the R22. Then the hourly cost would drop to $250 or so with a pilot.

[Goldy]

The Homeland Security grants are pretty well spent. However, you could still get asset forfeiture monies (drug seizures) and use that to work a lease deal with a local school. You wouldnt need much to start, just an R44 with a spot ( Robinson used a 3 lamp police halogen spot...much cheaper than a nightsun) and an interface to a public safety radio.

 

Gee, almost like I knew what the heck I was talking about. Scary

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