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International Students

If you are from outside the U.S. and are thinking about coming here to start or even complete your training, then look no further.

We can offer advice to all international students from all over the world.
Whether you are from the UK, Australia, Canada or The Caribbean we can help you.

Ocean Helicopters has contacts with flight schools in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, The Caribbean and the Far East.

These relationships allow us to keep up to date with the requirements and regulations for each country and offer you the best advise when it comes to flight training.

Please contact us and tell us of your individual needs and we will do our best to cater for you.

UK Students

Flying in Britain is expensive. We have unfortunately been there and done that. Helicopter instruction in the USA is on average about 40 % cheaper than back in the UK.

This is a huge saving and a very good reason in itself to make the trip, but coming to America is not only about saving money.
As we all know the weather in the UK is somewhat unpredictable, here in sunny Florida, with the exception of the odd couple of days here and there, it is all year round flying conditions.
However, this doesn't mean that you will only be used to flying in good weather. With our location being very near to the ocean, we also experience the coastal winds.
These two factors in the weather make for excellent conditions to learn in because not only do you manage to get you licences or ratings done quickly but also you get real time weather experience.

The main question that you may be thinking is "Will my licence be valid back in the UK?". The simple answer to that question is "Yes". If you come to Ocean Helicopters and obtain your Helicopter Private Pilots Licence, you can then go back to the UK and legally fly on that licence without any conversion.

"Can I convert to the JAA/PPL?"
Again the simple answer is "Yes". If you have less than 100 hours then you would have to do all the written tests, which, to be honest are not difficult and if you have more than 100 hours, you only have to do two of the written tests. In both cases you would have to do a flight test, but after gaining your flight training at Ocean, you will be more than prepared to breeze through that.

Some people don't go overseas for their flight training, the simple reason being because of the uncertainty of going to another county, especially if they haven't been there before. Here at Ocean we understand this fully and have taken several steps to make your stay as accommodating as possible. The following lists just some of the services we provide:

• Pick you up at Palm Beach International Airport or the train station when you arrive
• Take you to your already pre-arranged accommodation
• Pre book you in the daily flight schedule
• Provide 24 hours - 7 days a week emergency contact numbers
• Make sure that your stay is as comfortable as possible

All you would have to do is book your flight to Palm Beach International Airport and that's it!! We do recommend, for your convenience, that you acquire a rental car for the duration of your stay.

When you have passed your licences or ratings, Ocean Helicopters will then drive you back to the airport and stay with you until you are checked in and safely on your way home.

Before you decide on any flight school to do your training, you should really go and visit them before you commit to anything, so why not come and see us, maybe coupled with a holiday. We offer a package called "An Introduction Week" and it is aimed at people that are thinking about trying their hand at helicopter flying before they commit to a whole course. Or simply for people that want a week in the sun trying something a little different.

For the people that come over here to try helicopter flying before making the big decision of committing themselves, this is a particularly good idea. If you come here and like it and decide you want to go ahead and carry on, EVERYTHING that you do whilst here in that week will count FULLY towards your next course. So in monetary terms, everything that you spend on this course towards your flight training will be taken off the cost of your final course. On the other hand, if you come here and decide that helicopter flying is not for you, then you haven't committed, time wise and financially to a whole course.

So we see the introduction week as a "win/win" situation for our students, but not only do we think this, our students' do too. Every student, bar none that has come over to Ocean Helicopters to do this, has come back to us to complete their training.
Below is a complete break down of what's included in the "Introduction Week"

• Ocean Helicopters staff will pick you up from the airport
• Drive you to your luxury accommodation and settle you in
• One weeks accommodation in our student house
• 5 hours dual instruction in a Robinson R-22 with a certified flight instructor
• 5 hours ground school. This is conducted on a one-to-one basis in a classroom
• Headset hire
• Insurance whilst in the helicopter
• Driven back to your departing airport, to catch your flight home

All the above costs under £1,000.00 (actual price dependant on current exchange rates.)

To compare prices, 5 hours dual instruction back in the UK, based on £220.00 an hour plus v.a.t. (£258.50 an hour) = £1,292.50

So as you see it is actually CHEAPER to come the U.S.A for a week and do 5 hours of helicopter training than it is to do 5 hours of training in the UK.
Its sounds crazy but it's true. That's why we have had such a good response with this introduction week.

The following is a comparison in doing your Private Helicopters Pilots Licence in the UK and the USA. The minimum hours needed in the UK is 45 hours but in the USA its actually only 40 hours, either way the national average to gain your license in both countries in about 60 hours.

Below is a comparison of both courses, a 45-hour and a 60-hour course, both in the USA and the UK, based on an exchange rate of $1.99 = £1.00.

So as you can see there is a huge saving of £4,790.68 or 46%

So as you can see there is a saving of £5,252.02

As mentioned earlier, the national average to gain your license in both countries is about 60 hours. So to get a realistic price on how much your total licence will cost you should really use the figures above, whether you decide to come to the USA or stay in the UK. Even if your instructor tells you after your first introduction lesson "You're a natural, you will do this in the minimum hours, I was never this good", you should budget for around 60 hours, we have heard all the old lines before, don't believe them!!

The above costs, in both the USA and the UK are including the hidden costs. There are no surprises. Here at Ocean Helicopters we tell you the open truth. We are honest and will give you impartial advice.

We offer the Commercial Licence, Instrument Rating, Certified Flight Instructors Licence, Certified Instrument Flight Instructors Licence and Airline Transport Pilots Licence to our UK students.
If you want to convert back to the JAA licenses, we also offer free honest advice on how to do this. We already have in place good relationships with flight schools all over the UK, that we will email on your return, to inform them of your exact needs and requirements, so you can continue where you left off after your training with Ocean Helicopters.

If you need any more information regarding training, please feel free to contact us via either our U.K or Ireland phone number, or email us.

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