Helicopters

MAUNA LOA HELICOPTERS, USA

Welcome to one of the countrys top helicopter training schools. Our focus from day one is to guide our student pilots on a path to career success. At Mauna Loa we give you the training you need to become a confident and competent professional, prepared to work anywhere in the world.

We are located on three of the tropical islands in the Hawaiian chain. Mauna Loa emphasizes quality helicopter training in the diverse environment that makes up Hawaii. You are about to embark on perhaps the greatest adventure of your life. Mauna Loa will provide you the knowledge and skills you need to start on a rewarding and promising career in aviation. You can learn to fly anywhere you want, why not train in one of the most stunning places on earth? Mauna Loa Helicopter Schools are unique in that you can choose the location and island that best suits your lifestyle and temperament. Some people like the big city, others like a more rural setting. Whichever base of operations you choose, youll be assured of receiving Mauna Loas professional and consistently excellent helicopter pilot training. Here are your choices:

Kona (Main School Location)

Hawaii is frequently referred to as The Big Island, and for an excellent reason: Its land mass is more than twice the size of all the other Hawaiian island combined, over 4000 square miles. From our helicopter school and headquarters at the Kona International Airport, you will find convenient practice areas virtually everywhere: cinder cones (old volcanic craters) to practice pinnacle approaches and confined area operations; towering elevations (from 8000 to nearly 14,000) close by for mountain training and ridgeline operations. Much of the wide open spaces found on the Big Island are within uncontrolled airspace, which is ideal for flight training. There are lush valleys on the north side of the island with 2000 cliffs, & also smaller airports available for your cross-country work, with miles and miles of eye-popping scenery to keep you awake in between. On the southeast side of the island is where the worlds newest land is being created at the Kilauea Volcano. Students have a number of opportunities to see new earth being made during their training. In Kona, all of our instrument flight training in done in a Robinson R44 combined with the Fly-It helicopter flight Simulator that is located there as well.

Lihue (Satellite Location)

There is perhaps no lovelier island in the Hawaiian chain than this, the Garden Island. Most tourists understand that a helicopter tour of the famed Na Pali Coast is a must. But Kauai also offers wonderful opportunities for the helicopter-pilot-in-training. Youll see firsthand how the helicopter tourism industry works and gain valuable insight into whether this would make a good career choice for you as a professional pilot. Although small in terms of square miles, 520 to be exact, there are no fewer than seven helicopter operators working on the island. Yet for all this, Lihue Airport is quiet enough that you can practice auto rotations right at the field.

Honolulu (Satellite Location)

Our Honolulu base offers the hustle and bustle of an island of one million people and busy Class B airspace at Honolulu International Airport. Flying in and out of this airport will help you build the skills and confidence youll need to fly in the busiest airspace in the country. Oahu gives you all the advantages of living in a large city while retaining the relaxed island lifestyle residents here cherish. Honolulu offers a vibrant cosmopolitan population, the excitement of a first-class tourist destination in Waikiki Beach, a myriad of job opportunities, cultural attractions, nightlife, and some of the worlds best surfing on the fabled North Shore.

A Training Environment Second To None Hawaiis unique environment includes high mountains up to 13,796 ft/4,200 meters, active volcanoes, constantly changing weather conditions and the 11th busiest airspace in the U.S. at Honolulu International Airport. Hawaii is the perfect place to complete your helicopter pilot training.

The weather in the Hawaiian Islands is excellent for year-round training. In fact, Hawaii offers the best climate in the U.S. You dont have to put up with the extreme heat of states such as Arizona, nor the bitter cold or high summer humidity of the eastern and southern states, which makes your flight training uncomfortable. Our flight operations are unobstructed by fog, which is common on the west coast. Our average daily temperature is in the low to mid eighties during summer months and the mid-to-upper seventies in the winter. Its never too hot here and certainly not cold.

Train For Flying In The Real World

The best helicopter schools prepare you for flying in the real world. In addition to mountain flying and sling load training, Mauna Loa Helicopters offer you the opportunities to experience offshore operations. Your cross-country fights will be conducted between airports and other designated landing areas, and also between the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. During your training, youll have many opportunities to practice flying in the bush, rugged terrain, mountains and valleys. Some of your Commercial training will be focused around confined area and ridgeline landings. Night flight training is included in our Private and Commercial courses. We also have a state-of-the-art, FAA approved Fly-It flight simulator to speed up your instrument training, while making it more economical.

A word about pricing

Helicopter training schools generally quote training prices based on the minimum number of hours required by the CFR, or Code of Federal Regulations. While its possible to complete the various courses within the minimums, most people require more flight hours to complete their training.

Most of our graduates have between 200 and 220 hours when they complete all the courses. The average cost for this, based on the cost of Av gas at the end of July, 2008, is between $70,000 and $75,000.

Variables include how quickly you train, how dedicated you are to your course of study, how often you fly the more expensive R-44, whether or not you include additional training, (such as External Load, Mountain Flying, etc.), and other factors. Completion time is based upon a 40 hour week of school; 20 hours in classes and 20 hours studying.

Please call us for an individual estimate if you have previous helicopter training and experience. We provide individualized training and will be happy to provide you with an exclusive quote based on the experience you already have.

There are no secrets in pricing the R-22 and R-44: operational costs are pretty much standard across the country. Mauna Loas pricing is equal to or less than most reputable flight schools. You may find a lower hourly rate quoted elsewhere but often these rates incorporate other fees and expenses. You will NOT find any hidden fees at a Mauna Loa Helicopters Training School.

Additional expenses you can anticipate include books and supplies, medical exam and written test expenses and, of course, flight examination fees.

Aircrafts

Tiffin Aviation, USA

Tiffin Aviation Services offers a variety of FAA Approved School Part 141 and Part 61 training programs from Commercial Pilot through Airline Transport Pilot as well as Flight Instructor Certification.

Our facility at Nogales International Airport provides for comfortable and well rounded base for your flight instruction. Located in southern Arizona south of Tucson at an elevation of 3996' we have outstanding year round flying weather and temperatures 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the lower elevations. Additionally, our traffic loads at Nogales allow for minimum delays, which translate to a very cost effective use of your training flight time and dollars.

Our Chief-Flight Instructor, Larry Tiffin brings over 30,000 flight hours and 40 years of experience to our program management and customer service.

Why Tiffin Aviation-Nogales?

  • Optimal weather conditions maximize training efficiency.
  • Lodging is close to the airport for comfort and convenience.
  • Aircraft maintenance is performed on site for reliability and safety.
  • Flexible individualized scheduling allows for you to attain your goal in minimum time.
  • Instrument Approaches ILS, PAR, VOR, NDB and RNAV/GPS all a short flight from Nogales.
  • Our runway (7199' long) and taxiways have just finished reconstruction and surfacing and are in outstanding condition, and easily handle aircraft as large as Boeing 737's.

Foreign Student Training

We are approved to issue I-20 applications for your M-1 Student Visa through SEVIS/ICE for your Pilot Training. Our staff is experienced and ready to handle your specific flight training needs.

Philipines

ALL ASIA AVIATION ACADEMY (AAA ACADEMY)

As a result of robust economic performance, Asian countries are rapidly developing their air transportation infrastructure. In places in which ground transportation infrastructure is inadequate, small airports suitable for propeller-driven airplanes are rapidly being constructed. Many new airline companies are being established, and competition in passenger and cargo transportation fares is increasing. The era of air fare competition has now started.

In the flourishing air transportation industry, the pilot shortage is becoming a critical problem. Established and start-up airline companies are competing for qualified pilots, leading to pilot salary hikes. It is both costly and time consuming to earn a pilot's license. The number of schools and their capacity for students are limited. The air industry demand for pilots has skyrocketed recently. Being a professional pilot is now one of the most profitable occupations in the world, especially in Asia.

"I want to become a pilot as quickly and effectively as possible. I do not want to waste my time. I want to make my living as a professional pilot in my country ASAP!"

ALL ASIA AVIATION ACADEMY (AAA ACADEMY) is open to people who want to earn pilot's licenses (or licenses for other aviation careers) as quickly as possible. It targets those who want to begin work as professionals in their home country.

Facilities and Equipment Facilities and Equipment

AAA ACADEMY is proud of its pleasant and well-equipped training centers. Offices, pilot's lounges, and classrooms are comfortable and inviting. Ground and briefing sessions are taught in clean, air-conditioned classrooms. Pre-flight facilities are state-of-the-art, with computer-generated weather services and flight planning. AAA ACADEMY provides its students with unlimited access to the most current weather data available. Features include gin-motionh radar images and local/regional outlooks.

AAA ACADEMY also provides its students with a library room equipped with personal computers, comprehensive references, and reading and educational materials for students to freely utilize. Students can also use this room to study with interactive DVDs and watch videos, and they can unwind and socialize with each other and with the instructors in the lounge.

AAA ACADEMY maintains a flight simulator and a clean, well-maintained fleet composed of Cessna 150/152, 172N, Piper Seneca and 421 Golden Eagle planes serviced by a team of experienced on-site technicians.
Airplanes line-up as of today (updated)

  • Cessna152 ... 13
  • Cessna172 ... 3
  • Piper Seneca ... 2
  • Cessna421C ... 1
  • PFC Class III flight simulator ... 1

Facilities and Equipment Accommodation and Food

The dormitory is composed of 30 single rooms. All are fully furnished with a desk and a chair, a closet, an air conditioner, and a single bed with a sleeping comforter. All rooms are equipped with broadband Internet capabilities. There is neither a time limit nor a fee for using personal computers. This allows you to communicate with your friends and family wherever they are, at any time. Male and female students live on separate dormitory floors. Laundry facilities are also available for student use at all hours. For their safety and security, students who are taking the Integrated Course are required to live in the dormitory.

In order to adjust to the demography of international students, a wide variety of Asian and continental cuisine can be found everyday at the cafeteria for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Our licensed cooks serve your food with an eye toward balanced nutrition. All meals are included in the charges for board and lodging.