Extensive Training FacilityWe have a larger training facility than most other schools. Some of its features are:
* A large classroom that will hold up to 12 students comfortably
* Two private office areas for confidential discussions with your instructors
* Four briefing rooms which will accommodate from 1 to 4 students for private briefing or study
* A computer study area with 7 workstations. (Three other workstations are in the small briefing rooms.)
* Wireless internet access available throughout the building
* Four portable VCR/DVD players that can be relocated as required
* A simulator room that houses our ATC 112H Helicopter Simulator
* A lunch area with microwave, toaster, and fridge available for student use
* A large reception area that includes a comfy couch with coffee and hot chocolate always available
* A dispatch area where training flights are booked in advance and signed in and out
* Two hangar areas that house our four aircraft and parts stores
* Administration offices and Student Services Desk area.
Ground School Program
This is the portion of your training that you can't afford to cut corners on. Your performance in the aircraft is directly related to how well you learn on the ground. Complete and thorough mastery of the standard ground school subjects required by Transport Canada is important. At Heli-College, we don't just stop at the requirements of the Transport Canada examinations.
We cover
additional material in our ground school that is essential
background knowledge enabling smooth integration into commercial
operations. This includes subjects such as external load operations,
aircraft costing, contract bidding, as well as resume and interview
skills. Attendance at a day long Underwater Egress Course is also
part of our commercial program. Having all the right tools available to you can make a huge
difference.As one of Heli-College Canada's graduates, you will be able to not only fly your aircraft skilfully and safely, but also to show your prospective employers that you are competent to work the machine in a commercial operation.
Some important and often unique aspects of our school's unique program are listed below.
For a detailed description of each class offered, see also our Ground School Calendar or download a pdf copy here.
Superior Ground School Results
Average passing mark of Heli-College students --- 87% on final Transport Canada examinations.
For 2014, this was a grade over 9% higher than the Regional average, and a full 13% higher than the National average for the helicopter candidates who didn't choose to train at Heli-College.
As demonstrated below, our advanced training facility gets the results that employers want to see.
Extensive ground school courses
Our in-house ground school courses, taught exclusively by our Chief Flight Instructor, are second to none. At Heli-College Canada, you will receive over four times the minimum requirement. A better understanding on the ground invariably translates into better performance in the air.
Proprietary Ground School Manuals
Our custom designed ground school manuals have been created to help you work your way through the mass of information that you are required to learn in an organized fashion. A detailed syllabus developed for each course lays out the briefings and lectures to be expected, appropriate reference material, pre-reading assignments, videos/DVDs to watch, homework and worksheet assignments, computer quizzes and exams to expect.
Safety and training videos
We have collected many videos, DVDs, and other training aids to assist the student in their studies. Many of these items are simply just not available to the general public. Pre-recorded flight briefings can be reviewed as often as desired by the students in their own time.
Computer assisted examination preparation programs
In addition to our classroom ground school, we offer all our students, the opportunity to use these simple, yet very effective self-paced computer training programs. These programs allow you to learn at a rate that is comfortable for you. Don't expect to find this particular training aid at other schools ... you won't. Why? We wrote the program! We have been updating and improving it for almost 35 years. While there are a few other programs commercially available now, there isn't another exam preparation program on the market for helicopters that has the depth, accuracy, and relevance to the Transport Canada exams, that our unique system has.
Experienced Instructors Available
Class I Instructors / IFR, ATP rated Instructors
Of our three instructors, we have two who hold the Class I instructor rating. This is the highest Instructor rating presently possible in Canada. Our other instructor holds a Class II instructor rating. We also have two Instrument rated, multi-engine rated instructors, and two Airline Transport rated instructors available as required. Our instructors each have between 15000 to 24000 hours of helicopter experience.
In-house Examiner for Transport Canada final flight tests
We have a licensed Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) on staff --- one of only six in British Columbia. This allows greater flexibility in scheduling the final flight ride, and also ensures that we are fully aware of current licensing standards. We also have one of only two helicopter instructors in Canada who is also a DPEI, or instrument rating examiner, and an examiner of Instructors.
