Hillsboro Aero Academy, a U.S.-based leading provider of helicopter and airplane pilot career training, announced that it had received approval to conduct professional helicopter pilot training in accordance with European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. The approval comes through a partnership with Austria-based helicopter flight school RotorSky. HAA’s helicopter school, Hillsboro Heli Academy, will effectively become the only flight school in the U.S. to offer joint FAA/EASA training under the F-1 visa.
The new program has the potential to transform international helicopter training, especially for European students who wish to train in the U.S., because it provides those students with a cost-efficient path to achieving the flight hours required to become a professional pilot. At the completion of their helicopter pilot training, students can continue to earn flight hours in the U.S. for up to 23 months under the F-1 visa’s Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) rules. Students who qualify can also receive employment as Certified Flight Instructors for HAA while building their hours.
Lower per-hour flight training costs have made U.S.-based training an attractive option for European students, but until now, the additional time required to convert an FAA license to an EASA license has proven to be an obstacle. Under the Hillsboro Heli Academy program, students complete FAA and EASA training on parallel tracks, resulting in significant savings (an estimated 15-21 months vs. the typical 24- 36 months).
Between the parallel training path and lower hourly costs, students may save as much as 30-40%, and they’re able to launch their careers immediately upon return to Europe.
The program is made possible by the joint partnership between HAA and RotorSky. The two companies have worked together to develop the curriculum, and plan to share best practices to ensure that the program is tailored to the needs of the European hiring market. The EASA curriculum will also strengthen HAA’s career partnership with ADAC Air Rescue of Germany by further ensuring the readiness of job candidates.
“This partnership represents a new chapter in the capabilities of our helicopter school,” said Natalia Cimpean, CEO of Hillsboro Aero Academy. “Our program was already well-known to European students because of its global reputation and the ideal training conditions of the Pacific Northwest. But EASA certification makes us the undeniable first choice for those students.”
“We chose to partner with HAA for this venture because we discovered that our two schools share common values,” said Christian Gruber, CEO of RotorSky. “We’re both committed to safety, the quality of the training, and above all, to mentoring students to pursue a rewarding career after the training ends.”
Hillsboro Aero Academy and RotorSky have already begun to welcome students under the new program.
So that’s great for European students? Who already occupy a significant number of CFI positions in this country as it is.
The question that begs asking? Does this program allow US students who might desire to work in Europe or any where a EASA license is required, i.e. most anywhere else internationally in this world? The same opportunity to have this training in the US and also obtain the EASA ratings?