Hillsboro Aero Academy, a US-based provider of helicopter and fixed wing pilot training, has received approval to conduct professional helicopter pilot training in accordance with 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 US to offer joint FAA/EASA training under the F-1 visa.

The programme has the potential to transform international helicopter training, especially for European students who wish to train in the US, 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 training, students can continue to earn flight hours in the US 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 US-based training an attractive option for European students, but until now the additional time required to convert an FAA licence to an EASA licence has proven to be an obstacle. Under the Hillsboro Heli Academy programme, students complete FAA and EASA training on parallel tracks, resulting in significant savings amounting to an estimated 15-21 months versus the typical 24-36 months.

Between the parallel training path and lower hourly costs, students may save as much as 30 to 40 per cent, as well as being able to launch their careers immediately upon return to Europe.

The programme 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 programme 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,” says Natalia Cimpean, CEO of Hillsboro Aero Academy. “Our programme 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,” adds 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.”