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Choosing a Helicopter School
The conscientious consumer shops around for the best value, and helicopter training should be no exception. Precision Helicopters would like to address some issues we think you should consider when making your decision to select a flight training school.
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Quality and Reputation
Helicopter training can be expensive and cost is an important factor to consider. The fact that you are willing to make a significant investment of money, time and effort in your training means you should settle for nothing less than the best.
Fortunately, there are a lot of flight schools out there vying for your patronage, resulting in very competitive prices. So what separates one school from another? QUALITY - the type and condition of the aircraft you'll be flying, the experience and teaching ability of the instructors, the flexibility and variety of the programs offered, the environments you'll be training in, and other services the flight school can offer.
Whether you want to make flying helicopters a career, or just want to fly for recreation, once you've weighed all the options, we are confident you will find that Precision Helicopters offers the best value for your money.
Employment Opportunities
Unless you have a rich uncle who owns a helicopter company, your first job in the industry will most likely be as a flight instructor. At Precision, we hire all of our flight instructors out of our school. In fact, all of our graduates in the last two years have either gotten a job with us or have been hired by another school. Precision graduates are sought-after in the helicopter training and operations industry.
Precision Helicopters uses the Hughes/Schweizer 300 exclusively for primary flight training. We do not use the Robinson R-22 because we do not feel it is the best trainer. In fact, Frank Robinson, the designer of the R-22, emphatically states that his helicopter is
not designed to be a training aircraft. Many flight schools utilize the R-22 because it is the least expensive helicopter to buy and
operate. We believe the 300 is the best all-around trainer available, and here's why:
A PROVEN TRACK RECORD...
For nearly 30 years, more pilots have learned to fly in this aircraft than any other helicopter. Originally designed by Hughes Aircraft in the 1960's, this helicopter was built to meet tough military specifications for durability and safety for armed forces training. Tens of thousands of pilots have learned their skills in this aircraft before they went to fly other helicopters. In 1983, Schweizer Aircraft Co. obtained the exclusive rights to take over production of the 300 and continues this manufacturing tradition with nearly 3000 produced.
You might ask whether this is old technology or not, but the 300 has undergone continuous upgrading and improvement, incorporating the latest technological design and equipment. The 300 combines the advantages of a time-tested design (over 4 million hours) with the latest technological features.
The 300 is a strong, reliable workhorse.
- It can be fitted with external load hooks, spray booms, cargo racks, searchlights, and floats.
- Greater Payload: a full 30% more than the R-22.
- Larger capacity: 300 - three people; R-22 - two people.
- Longer Endurance: over 2½ hours on one tank; over 5½ with auxiliary tank.
- External Load Operations: 300 - yes; R-22 - no.
- Easy to Inspect/Maintain/Service - no need to send subassemblies to factory.
It is clear that the 300 offers substantial maintenance, versatility and operational advantages to the operator. But what are the advantages to the student? Safety for one. The 300 is a
significantly safer aircraft than the R-22.
- In the event of an engine failure, the 300 provides the pilot with a full 7-8 seconds of response time before the collective must be lowered to maintain rotor rpm. Compare that to 1 second for a R-22.
- The 300 is more stable (especially in crosswinds) than the R-22.
- The landing gear, body structure, and even the specially designed seats provide ample protection to the passengers and crew.
- Energy-absorption to protect occupants in the event of a hard impact.
- The durable rotor mast acts as a built-in roll bar.
- Fuel tanks are externally mounted, providing added fire protection.
- The Lycoming engine is the same powerplant that has been used in many different kinds of general aviation aircraft for years and has a good track record for dependability and reliability.
- All maintenance and servicing of our aircraft is performed by our own certificated mechanics (Inspection Authorized) - we know every nut and bolt on our aircraft and maintain them in top condition.
Designed from the outset to provide the same stability, responsiveness and handling characteristics as larger piston and turbine helicopters, the 300 is ideally suited as a trainer. The control configuration of the 300 is the standard type and allows a pilot trained in it an effortless transition to all other kinds of helicopters. The Robinson R-22 is the only helicopter to use a non-standard, centrally-mounted yoke system for cyclic control. This, combined with other factors unique to the Robinson, does not provide the pilot with the same “feel” as other helicopters.
In fact, if you are considering flying helicopters as a career, be aware that many employers make a distinction between regular helicopter time and “Robinson Time.” Whereas they might require 1000 hours regular helicopter experience, it would not be unusual for them to require 1500 hours if your training was in an R-22. What little you save on training expenses in an R-22 may cost you much more in the long run. There simply is no better aircraft than the 300 in which to learn the essential skills and techniques necessary to become an accomplished helicopter pilot.
Comparing the 300C and the R22
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Useful Weight
(20 Gal Fuel)
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Useful Weight
(w/ Full Fuel)
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Cruise Airspeed
(kts / mph)
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Types of Training Programs
Flight training programs fall into two categories:
Part 141 and
Part 61. Part 141 schools advertise that you can get your license in fewer hours. Technically, this is true. The FAA allows a student at a Part 141 school to apply for a Private Certificate with a minimum of 35 hours of flight time compared to 40 hours at a Part 61 school (5 hours difference). BUT - anyone who tells you that you can actually achieve the level of skill necessary to successfully pass the FAA exam in less than 45-50 hours is being less than honest. The requirements for a Commercial Certificate is the same at both types of school - 150 total hours, of which 50 hours must be in helicopters.
Flight Instructor Qualifications
Precision Helicopters is not just a flight school. Our instructors are
working pilots, experienced in a wide variety of tasks including:
- Private, corporate, and government charter operations.
- Agricultural operations, such as frost control and filbert shaking.
- Surveillance/search & rescue for law enforcement, FAA and other agencies.
- External load operations, such as Christmas tree loading and construction lifting.
- Aerial photography for motion picture, film and video productions.
- Scenic tours, including wine country tours and wedding/anniversary flights.
This wealth of experience allows us to share our
real world expertise with our students, making them more knowledgeable, safer and better prospects for employment. Frankly, any school can train you well enough to pass your exams (well, OK,
most schools can). But being truly proficient is another matter. Our instructors have high standards for performance and train their students to these standards - to do otherwise is unfair and unsafe.
We also recognize that a good instructor is not only a proficient pilot but also a capable teacher. There are many good pilots out there, but far fewer who can effectively explain complicated concepts and judge student performance. An able instructor can adapt his/her teaching methods to fit each student's particular style of learning. Flying with the most highly-skilled pilot will do you no good if that person cannot pass on their knowledge to you. Be sure to consider this important quality.
In-House Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is another important attribute to look for in a flight school,  the quality of which varies widely among operators. Inspect the facilities - you should expect a neat and clean environment. Inquire about the aircraft inspection schedules and logs. The mechanics should be willing to present and explain them to you. Maintenance should be of no small concern - your safety is “riding” on the professionalism and thoroughness of the operator’s inspection and repair program.
Taxes and your Flight Training
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but there is no sales tax in Oregon. This can save you up to 9% on your flight training, depending on which state you are training in. When evaluating which flight school you are going to attend, make sure you ask what the local tax rates are. In Oregon, there are no taxes on flight training.
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