The Career Training Process

High Desert Helicopters uses a unique mix of small group ground school, flight time and one-on-one instruction. During a typical week of instruction you will have two 3 hour sessions of ground school and five days of 1½ hour flights.

High Deserts small group ground school is an instructor-lead interactive environment where all students participate by assisting one another with course topics. This method of learning builds communication skills and teamwork while further focusing students on critical material. Communication and the ability to work as a team are core employment requirements. If a student falls behind in any topic, one-on-one instruction takes place until that student is back up to full speed.

Flight training is completed concurrently with ground school. There is no requirement to complete a certain number of ground school hours before building time in the air. Pending any bad weather, you will fly your first day.

Obtaining a Degree

High Desert Helicopters recommends Utah Valley State University which offers a bachelor degree in Global Aviation. Degree requirements may be completed over the internet and concurrently with flight training at High Desert. However, most helicopter pilot employers don’t require a degree during the hiring process. They are much more keenly interested in the candidates’ applied proficiency as a pilot. This allows you to be working in the industry while completing your degree.

Training Aircraft

The Schweizer 300C has many advantages as a training aircraft. Its triple rotor design provides greater in-flight stability for new pilots. The 300C is capable of training taller or heavier students than other training aircraft. The control inputs of the 300C are the same inputs used on any professional aircraft in the industry. But above all, the 300C is easily the safest training aircraft on the market with considerably lower recorded crash statistics compared with the Robinson R22. The greatest advantage of the Robinson R22 is that it is 20% less expensive for a flight school to acquire. High Deserts use of the Schweizer 300C is a great example of their interest in student success.

We aren't the only ones who believe the Schweizer 300c is a great training aircaft. Click here for an interesting poll and discussion on the Vertical Reference website.

Available Training Programs

High Desert Helicopters offers the following training:

• Private Pilot Certification
• Commercial Pilot Certification
• Instrument Rating
• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
• Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII)
• Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)

The following rotorcraft add-on training is available to current fixed wing pilots:

• Private Pilot Add-On
• Commercial Pilot Add-On
• Instrument Add-On
• CFI / CFII Add-On

A Basic Professional Program is comprised of Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificates. The Full Professional Program adds the Instrument Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) certificates.