Helicopter PPL

[superkartracer]

Hi all

Looking into training for the above and wondered if anyone had experience with any schools based around the Warwickshire area? am planning on doing my private first then building hours for full commercial training in the future.

Costs per hour have certainly shot-up but looking at booking 10 hour blocks it seems just about affordable @ £250 per hour.

Any people on here with Heli PPL willing to share their experience's as a newbie, any help would be much appreciated

Thanks

S

[tegwin]

Im a PPL(H)... Been flying for 5 years now.. love every moment..

Come on the helitorque forum and say hi!

If your ever over in the Heferord area, drop me an email and il take you up for a bit... just incase you need more persuasion to learn!


Its difficult... I love the challenge of flying the helicopter, the fun of landing it anywhere (there are some cracking pubs in the Welsh hills with helipads).... But if its just a "hobby" it can get expensive quickly..

Part of me almost wishes I had spend the money I did on training on buying a large microlight/plane type thing and getting licensed on that... would cost much much less... I think around £50/hour instead of £250!

Only plus side I guess is eventually I might have managed to get enough hours rotary to get some sort of a job

Just depends how deep your pockets are!

Edited by tegwin on Tuesday 11th May 13:20

[Geneve]

I'm a great advocate of all types of flying, and there is normally something to suit most budgets and interests.

But helicopters really are up there at the top - simply fantastic, with unbelievably clever capabilities, and a life changing sense of achievement once mastered. Unfortunately, they are expensive and totally addictive - but worth it.

Not sure of the best Clubs near to you, but Heliair are at Wellsbourne (and shortly Silverstone), and Gloucester Airport is virtually 'state of the art' for helicopter training - Bristows, Bond, Rise, Heliflight, Ray Jones, etc. Worth checking a few out. Other option is the US.

You will need:
- A committed, enthusiastic mind set
- A professional training organisation
- A first class instructor
- A really good airport set up (ideally with full atc)
- The best training aircraft

Most schools operate the ubiquitous Robinson R22. This is a cheap, simple helicopter with a reasonable track record. Wouldn't be my choice - bit twitchy and underpowered and, interestingly, it was never designed as a trainer. R44 (ideally Raven 2) is better. Some Enstroms also quite good.

However, my recommendation would be the Hughes/Schweizer 300 (aka 269). These are less common because, although small, they are quite expensive. Most operate the 300CBi, but the 300'C' is probabably the best training and light utility helicopter in the world. The US Army taught 35,000 pilots on its earlier derivitive. Conventional control systems, very tough and well engineered, safe, predictable handling, and a joy to fly - the 'mini-cooper' of helicopters.

Main bit of advice is to really enjoy the training. It's not a race, it's something to learn thoroughly over a reasonable period. Most people, from ab initio, will take at least 75 hrs+ to qualify for PPL(H) and even when you get the licence you'll always be wanting to learn more and improve your skills, perhaps going for FI before CPL. And then, of course, there's Turbines !!!

Finally, I browse some of the car forums on here and it often amuses me how seriously some people take their, often very expensive, cars. Believe me, there isn't a car that offers as much fun, freedom and brilliance as a really good helicopter.

Good luck.

PS This month's Flyer mag has a 'helicopter special' feature.

And, presumably, you've ventured here http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads-23/ (especially if you are considering a comercial licence).

Edited by Geneve on Tuesday 11th May 21:31

[eharding]

Geneve said:

But helicopters are up there at the top - simply fantastic, with unbelievably clever capabilities, and a life changing sense of achievement once mastered. Unfortunately, they are expensive and totally addictive.

I have a record of being the biggest fixed-wing-aerobatics-is-the-best-thing-going-helicopters-are-whirling-oil-leak-in-the-sky-deathtraps bigot on PH, but I had a bit of an epiphany this weekend, being ferried around Mull and the surrounding area by a couple of mates in an R44. There are places you can get to in those things which you can only go thundering past in a Yak, and being delivered back onto the lawn at the Glenforsa Hotel means you cut-out the 2 minute walk to the food that the fixed-wing types have to endure, and that alone sells the whole concept to me.

How the hell I'm going to fund it, I don't know - particularly as I think turbines are the way to go - but I've changed my mind: rotors rock. Oh yes.

Edited by eharding on Tuesday 11th May 21:31

[WelshBoyo]

Is Kemble airfield too far for you? I've flown with the guys there a few times and Ollie has done my yearly check exam for the last couple of years (very friendly and experienced pilots). They have plenty of R22's and R44's so I've never had problem trying to rent one out, plus the flying club is excellent and friends family really enjoy it there.

http://www.cotswoldhelicopters.co.uk/

[Smart roadster]

Wellesbourne Mountford is just south of Stratford so it should be pretty close to you. No idea about the quality of the schools there but they definatly do hele training.
Oh and R22s are the work of the devil and will kill you given even the hint of a chance.

[superkartracer]

Thanks for all the help chaps, i think the best thing to do is pop over to helitorque, looks like a great forum.

The guys based at Coventry Airport look very interesting but it seems they moved? as the airport was shutdown but has now been purchased?..

Anyway catch you on the helitorque site, it's a complex subject and can't wait to get stuck-in

Cheers

S

P.S. Stop the scares with the R22 will you ha ha thats what i plan to fly!

[Turbodiesel1690]

Wouldn't worry too much about the R22's - have you ever seen them used for mustering cattle in Australia? Amazing what performance those pilots can get out of the small piston engine and they seem agile enough to outmanoeuvre an apache!

[mattdaniels]

As a humble 50 hour PPL(A) stude without a current flying school having lost enthusiasm due to becoming a "creditor" in liquidator-speak, can I suggest you research your school very carefully and even if all seems well, think hard before comitting any kind of block amounts of cash to the training establishment.