Colorado Heli-Ops has taken the “student first” approach to VA training. Colorado Heli-Ops Photo
Colorado Heli-Ops has announced the formation of a new industry partnership with nearby Morgan Community College, developing an educational program that will allow students to achieve an associate’s degree while earning their pilot certificates. In addition to the broad and high quality education the degree program will provide, the program has been tailored specifically to open up new opportunities in financing helicopter flight training, catering to both civilians and veterans seeking to obtain helicopter flight training.
With VA flight training a hot topic in the industry, Colorado Heli-Ops owner Dennis Pierce was very optimistic about the new partnership and the new ability to offer training to veterans. “We already provide highly respected, safety focused training at Colorado Heli-Ops, so it was only a matter of time before we partnered with an educational institution to offer a degree program through our flight school, which we believe we have found with Morgan Community College,” he said. “They have a similar outlook on education and preparing students not just to get through exams, but to prepare them for the real world, which is the way our flight school has always trained.”
“We designed our VA training to exceed governmental and student expectations, while working towards future proofing the program to protect our VA students from any new rules imposed by the VA, and ensuring that our students are flying the most effective aircraft,” said Pierce. “The programs are structured so that students have all of the relevant hours needed for that first job that satisfies insurance, SFAR and time in type requirements, all in the right aircraft, giving our students the best chance at finding post training employment along known career paths.”
Colorado Heli-Ops will also be welcoming transfer students from other programs after completion of their private certificate elsewhere.
The expansion of training courses and curriculum offered by the recent partnership with Morgan Community College will also allow Colorado Heli-Ops to offer non degree-based piston transition courses through VA funding to those who may already have flight time in the military, but do not meet the civilian industry requirements for their first turbine role in the civilian market. The company aims to provide training in the Robinson R22, R44 and Schweitzer 300c that will give students the minimums required to make them employable in civilian pilot positions for piston helicopter operations and meet all industry requirements.
Colorado Heli-Ops will also be offering instrument training courses and aims to conduct certified flight instructor and certified flight instructor instrument courses for veterans in the future.
