Does anyone have a recommendation for a helicopter flight school in the western half of the country?
I want to go somewhere, be immersed and get it done. Timeframe is fall of this year.

I did mine in Canadian TX. Flap air is the business and Trey is the one you would talk to. He has flown and taught rotor for the past 40 years and is one of the best there is.

Dont do it! You will be hooked and will not be able to escape the heli money drain grasp it will have on you.

I trained at Flight Saftery years ago at Ft. Worth Alliance (excellent training) but they no longer do heli training. I also used Precision Helicopters in Or. but I dont know if they are in business any longer. Excellent training at Precision also.

Kurt

Specialized Aviation in Watsonville, ca

Sounds expensive & fun

Silverhawk Aviation in Caldwell Idaho has about a dozen birds, plus a few C-172's. Don't know anything about their prices and such, just that they seem pretty busy.

Do you already have a fixed wing? If so I’d highly recommend a 141 RW add on program. Wrong coast but I used Tampa Bay Aviation.

Since you’re open to relocating for the duration of your training, you have a major leg up. I’ll offer the following advice, I’ve been on your path and offer this small change as the newly minted, and that is to say just barely established chief pilot of a heli company who’s spent a good deal of time in the industry in varied work. That is to say I’ve punished my wife sufficiently the last 14 years and now get to be home at night more than I’m not.

First off, I’d train in the mountains and big trees. To me that says west coast, in your country Washington state is where I would look. Flat land helicopter flying isn’t what helicopters do best, helicopters go where no other aircraft can, and often in poorer weather than you would in a fixed wing. Mountains bring all that. Weather, genuinely tight confined areas, altitude, limited landing areas due to slope and having to build the understanding of how to judge them. If you get a leg up in these early, you’ll be miles ahead. I’ve seen a lot of flat land pilots struggle to progress in the industry, I was one once, having trained in the mountains and then left to the flat parts of the North for a decade.

Secondly, I’d train on a type you have a hope of getting hired in, or buying and operating as a private owner if that’s the direction you want. Many, many accidents in rotary can be traced back to type unfamiliarity. A recent accident report I read on a tragic B3E crash that killed most of a family and the incorrect muting of the horn comes to mind. The machines are going to be simple at the training level, but getting established with a type you’ll likely fly after the licence is cheap insurance and will make your progression easier. That to me means R44, or the Jet Ranger… Jet Ranger only if you have deep pockets.

I’d avoid a 3-5hr tack on turbine endorsement after, you won’t be ready or retain enough to use it, and this is the “undercoating” sold at many schools at the end of the program. Any operator is going to put you through an apprenticeship phase before cutting you loose to work with their machine, especially a turbine, that 5hrs won’t be worth anything resume wise, but will cost you a mint. And odds are you won’t get to use it until you’ve forgotten most of it.

Good luck in the quest! If considering cross border operations, Chinook Helicopters in Abbotsford is a complete class act, and highly professional school with big college level facilitates.

Angus

While I went back to fixed wing after the Army, I want to back up what Ardent said. Look, as the banks do, at what only helicopter can do. It costs too much to operate to complete with the airplane. Just compare the number of time life parts that will kill you if not replaced before failure... considerable time before failure for safety.

The helicopter, like the much cheaper to operate Air Tractor, will have to fly year round in most operations. It's schedule not yours. If you end up in competition with airplanes, watch to be sure parts are changed on time. Transmission and tail rotor gear boxes are critical. Things that have chip detectors.

Thanks for the thought out response. I fully understand and appreciate the learning helicopters in more challenging environments.
I learned to fly almost 6 years ago at the age of 45. I am now 800hrs, I base out of and fly the mountains of western Colorado. Instrument rated, seaplane and commercial. I have 225 hours in a two stroke powered 460 pound machine, flying skis and off airport. I have never flown it below 5900’ nor anywhere flat.
I will be flying a helicopter in that same environment.

Good stuff, we have a similar evolution. I started on the Canadian version of ultralights 20 years ago, then to private FW, then helis 14 years ago. I stuck with the helis for work as I like where they go, and what they do for work. You won’t regret it… the dream machine in my eyes.

Leading Edge Aviation in Bend, OR (KBDN). They are VERY busy instructing in R22s and R44s. Thankfully, the airport separated fixed wing and rotary wing operations. Fixed wing traffic stays to the west and rotary wing to the east. Most of LEA's helis use the alpha and bravo taxiways, leaving the runway for fixed wing operations.

https://flyleadingedge.com/

I flew SFAR 73 at Leading Edge, Bend Oregon. I had a good experience. They are also a Robinson dealer with good prices and service.