Helicopter training flight school

For about $75,000 we'll take you from zero to 300 hours and your commercial helicopter license as you pay for the first hours at $300/hour until you pass your private license and the remaining hours at $225/hr. You can complete your private pilot rating in as little as 35 hours. After the private helicopter license you'll do almost exclusively photo and will learn this skill that is valuable to our photo contract and making you a valuable pilot to us. You'll need to opt for the instructors rating (CFI) for $5000 and we'll give you a job like we have to every graduating pilot since our founding in January 1986. We have been in seamless operation with the same owner/manager and now have a large fleet of properly maintained helicopters.

Guaranteed jobs

Bay Bridge Helicopters is the only school in the world that can guarantee you a helicopter pilot job. This is very important if you are looking at training elsewhere because we are the only helicopter flight school that offers helicopter pilot jobs after training. Bay Bridge Helicopters operates a fleet of helicopters and like other schools our insurance requires 300 hours helicopter time and an instructor's rating to fly for us. We train you to 300 hours and an instructors rating and offer you a job as long as after your first hour with us all your subsequent hours and ratings are with us. We offer a first job to all graduates as an instructor pilot on a photo contract and showers hours and opportunities on our pilots that is unique in the world. We fly photo on Saturdays and Sundays when the temperature is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Helicopter Careers

Obtaining a career in the helicopter industry today is understanding the requirements and needs of the operators. As an entry-level helicopter pilot, flight instruction is often the first step on the career path. On April 14, 1995, the FAA imposed a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR-73) requiring 200 hours of helicopter flight time in order to instruct in a Robinson R22/R44.   That's MORE experience than is required for the Commercial and Flight Instructor Certificates, and the prospective job-seeker's problem is how to get that additional flying time. Not only that, but most insurance companies in the USA require not 200 but 300 hours before giving instruction; AND, beyond that, 1000 hours in small piston-engine helicopters like the R-22 is the generally-accepted minimum number of flying hours before one can secure employment flying turbine helicopter. (more...)

Student testimonial

"Having joined BOATPIX/Bay Bridge Helicopters was the best career decision I have ever made. It gave me the opportunity to learn the basics of a commercial operation, hands-on. I am grateful for this experience, which proves to be the basis for my success - to this day. Years later I still remember the good times at BOATPIX."

Capt. Schmied Adolf
Chief Pilot Dhillon Aviation

Financial aid

You can pay by cash, loan or credit card. Note that financial aid is very hard to get and you will only likely be approved if you have equity in your home and it's thriftier to get a home equity loan than a flight training loan. If you have $75,000 available in your checking account call us to enroll at 561-346-2816 and prepare to make payments in four phased monthly payments. We'll also recommend that you should get your Instrument Rating which is another $10,000. You'll need some additional money to pay for books, a simple medical exam and some examinations with the FAA, too. Figure about another $3000 for these "other" items such as $100 to pay a medical doctor for a physical exam, several payments of about $500 each to an examiner from the FAA that certifies you to fly when obtaining each license and about $300 for books and computer programs to help you take grounds school at home.

Although helicopter training is one of the MOST expensive educations in the world it is financially rewarding because perhaps 1% can obtain the funds for the training. You can pay hourly for training but we need to see folks that are financially prepared.

Pilot salaries

Our recent graduates that have accumulated about 1200 hours helicopter "pilot in command" time have been receiving offers at $52,000 a year to fly to oil rigs. They build about 600 hours a year in this "offshore" work and at about 3,000 hours they're reporting salaries of $85,000 a year. A pilot that flew for us ten years ago reported he's currently making $120,000 a year but has to travel and live out of a suitcase. We have placed graduates throughout the industry and the world. The highest paying jobs are outside of the United States, in remote areas or both. Most jobs in the helicopter world are carrying people to areas where there aren't runways.

Helicopter Rides

Visiting South Florida and want to take a helicopter ride? We offer helicopter tours in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Key Biscayne.