"ryuzu" wrote in message
...
OK, so like many before me, I'm looking at a professional heli career.
Let's assume for now that the decision is made.

I'm a UK citizen looking for HPPL,HCPL,IR,CFI,CFII + 200hrs - CFI/I job.
I
want to study full time, have the funds available - around £40000 (about
$55000 US) and am looking to start in the next few months, probably before
christmas.

At the moment I'm favouring Hillsboro Aviation in the USA - but I still
have some reservations.

I've done a lot of research about Australia, USA, South Africa, New
Zealand
and a little on Panama (!) and so far I'm stuck as to which to choose.
Anyone care to comment on the following?

Today I began my first enquiries along the same lines.
I live in Canberra Australia.
Spoke to a person at Heliair operating from Canberra Airport.

Commercial licence, total cost, around $40,000 Aus. and around 125hrs (I
assume this is the bare minimum).

The amount of help offered over the phone was amazing, considering they must
get a lot of less than particuarly serious "enquirers" taking up their
time. The lady I spoke to - Rebecca - was also Secretary for Helicopter
Association of Australasia, and gave me some very helpful advice on how to
evaluate various training companies, and strongly advised that I actually
contact a number of companies - not just the one she works for - before
making any decisions. So far I've been impressed, but my enquiry was by
phone, not email, and I'm a local, so I may have been given a status of
"more serious" than someone from a foreign country enquiring by email. But
I'll wait and see what the package of information contains that she is
supposed to be sending out to me.

Trentus