Summing It Up

The following is a synopsis of our discussion:

•  You must visit the school, tour the facility, and view the equipment. Stop by without an appointment if you wish. Your visit will give you a good idea of what it feels like to be in the middle of the organization. Pay attention as to whether or not upper-level company management is present and in control. How are you being treated? Is the facility comfortable? Are the helicopters clean? What else does the company do besides flight training? Do you feel inspired?
• During your visit or prior to your visit, establish a personal contact within the organization. You will have many questions arise pertaining to the training. This person should answer your questions honestly, and the contact should make a note of who you are and what your goals are. When you call back next month to ask another question, it should click as to who you are.
• If you have not spent much time in a helicopter, take a demonstration flight.
• What is the school’s training philosophy? Are they an FAA-approved Part 141 facility? Does the school provide concurrent ground and flight lessons?
• Having a TCO is very specific guideline on how to accomplish the workload that goes into each course. It is map for getting the job done.
• The recordkeeping measures that are provided by the TCO allow you to move from each lesson and instructor with ease, you save time, which equals money, and the cohesiveness of your training really shows.
• Before you can enroll, make sure that you have your medical certificate and that you can prove that you are a U.S. citizen or national, and make sure that you know the weight restriction of the helicopter that you will be training in.
• The school will provide you with a list of AME’s in your area so that you can obtain at least a Third Class Medical Certificate, which will also include your Student Pilot Certificate.
• When looking at Professional Pilot Programs, think in terms of the program that will get you well prepared to work as a Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor for a Part 141 school. Remember, there is no training that can compete with actual flight time.

• Look for a program that has the equipment and manpower to expeditiously move you to your goal.
• When looking at costs, the national average for the Private Rating is $19,000, and to complete the entire program, the average is $75,000 including additional costs.
• Classic provides financing through Pilot Finance.
• Because of our Part 141 status, Classic can provide training for veterans.
• Be cautious of any company that guarantees you a job. Classic has been training pilots for over 25 years and we have a great reputation within the industry. Upon completion of the program, we will provide referrals and letters of recommendation.
• If you are interested, we offer turbine transition and external load training.
• Getting started is easy. When you enroll at Classic, please bring your medical certificate and prove that you are a U.S. citizen or national. A $850 deposit is also required.
• Your first job in the industry dictates that you work as an instructor. Prepare yourself to do this job well.
• Upon building time as an instructor, the turbine helicopter world will open itself up to you with a vast number of opportunities.

Classic has been training helicopter pilots for almost 30 years. Our pilots are flying in the U.S. as well as abroad, and other helicopter operators love to hire pilots that were either trained at Classic or worked for us because they know that we hold our personnel and students to a higher level.

Boeing Field offers an incredible environment in which to train, and the weather and terrain in Western Washington offer the student the opportunity to experience diverse conditions. If you learn to fly here, then you will be able to adapt to any conditions.

We encourage you to research your options when seeking a place to train. If you do your research, then we feel confident that you will be training at Classic Helicopter Corporation.