Thank you for your interest in our flight school, and welcome to our “Lift-off” newsletter! My name is Phil Haupt, and I’m here to answer your questions about helicopter pilot training and career opportunities, as well as give you more information about Hillsboro Heli Academy.
A little about me: I’ve been a helicopter pilot since 2013 and have worked at Hillsboro Heli Academy since 2015. In 2022, I flew firefighting missions with the CH-54 Skycrane, and after that, I spent almost two years flying the EC-135 with ADAC Air Rescue in Germany. You can find more about my journey, photos, and videos on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heli.phil
About our school: Hillsboro Heli Academy, part of Hillsboro Aero Academy, has been training pilots since 1980. Our dedicated helicopter training campus is located in Troutdale, Oregon, near Portland on the U.S. West Coast. We have approximately 100 students, 20 instructors, and a fleet of 21 Robinson helicopters (R22 and R44). We are the only U.S. flight school that offers combined FAA/EASA training on the F1 visa, which is perfect for aspiring pilots looking to work globally. After completing the training, you can work in the U.S. for up to 23.5 months, allowing you to build between 1200 and 1500 valuable flight hours.
Lift-off – Newsletter
With this newsletter, we aim to provide you with in-depth insights into helicopter pilot training and the aviation industry. Every Thursday, you’ll receive emails from me with detailed information about specific topics related to the training and career as a helicopter pilot. If you’d like to jump ahead and explore some topics on your own, I’ll include links at the end of each email.
Key Facts about Hillsboro Heli Academy:
- Combined FAA/EASA training on the F1 visa.
- Training duration: Approximately 18-20 months.
- Training cost: Around $100,000 (excluding living costs).
- Licenses included: FAA PPL, IFR, CPL, CFI, CFII, and EASA CPL (ATPL-IFR theory).
- After training: 23.5 months to work in the U.S., with 1200-1500 flight hours.
FAQs
On our website, we’ve created a very comprehensive list of common questions about pilot training. You should definitely take a look at it! http://en.flyhaa.de/faq
Webinars
We regularly host webinars and live events around Europe, where we share a lot of information about the training and the career in the helicopter cockpit. You can watch the recording of our latest webinar here:
