Many people are astonished to learn that there are such things as helicopter flight training and where such services are actually offered out with the military and armed forces sphere. If this was not surprising enough, ask any helicopter flight training business operator or instructor what group of people constitute their biggest share of the market and the response will invariably be: ordinary consumers.
The helicopter training market is an extremely lucrative one (a quick look at the fees charged by the average service provider will quickly pay testimony to this fact!) and as result this directly benefits the consumer as it means that the market is a very competitive one as well. What this means then is that the consumer really is spoilt for choice, as they can rely upon the services of a number of different providers, and as a result it is the consumer and not the service provider who holds the lion’s share of power in this particular equation. For this reason, make sure that you do your homework and actually take the time to shop around and compare the different service providers and the quality of service that they happen to offer.
A common mistake made by the would be pilot is that they automatically assume that the cheapest service provider is the worst, and that conversely, the most expensive is the best. Nothing could be further from the truth and so whilst the price charged will be a major variable to consider, it should only be taken into consideration after all other variables have been weighed up first. Make sure that the prospective instructor you wish to work with is duly qualified and has been professionally vetted and licensed. How many years have they been involved in the industry, and what is their success rate?
As a general rule of thumb, any service provider that is not especially forthcoming about details is simply not worth the time. If they are reluctant to answer your questions, or are evasive then you should find someone else. Learning to fly a helicopter is a tough and very demanding process and one that will require a strong rapport and trust with your instructor. If you cannot put your faith in them, how on earth will you be able to cope with the pressures of flying an aircraft several thousand feet off the ground?
