Mountain View Helicopters is taking a very innovative and progressive approach to preparing aspiring pilots for real-world commercial operations.

Having been involved in aviation for most of my adult life, it’s sometimes difficult to recall what it felt like walking into flight school for the first time. Just like the sensation of flying itself – which we were once so in tune with, but now take for granted – it’s easy to forget the trepidation, nervousness and anxiety about what lies ahead.

Let’s face it; there’s no shortage of choice when it comes to flight training. Schools vary greatly in size, equipment, location and personality. Choosing the right one is often a daunting task that prospective students usually face with little or no guidance, and almost no first-hand information. It’s a bit like choosing a car based on color. Not many of us would consider that a sound thought process. So, why apply it to flight training?

“The first question flight schools get asked is, ‘Do your students get jobs,’ ” said Paul Bergeron, who, along with Richard Alzetta, owns and operates Mountain View Helicopters (formerly Bighorn Helicopters Flight School) in Calgary, Alta. In Mountain View’s case, the resounding answer is “yes.”

The school has committed time, energy and resources to ensure the progression of its students, post-graduation. After all, that first job or two is still – despite a recent industry-wide boom – extremely difficult to obtain.

Wait a minute. Job? Graduation? Flying for money? I still haven’t even chosen my school yet! Okay, fair enough, let’s go back to those first steps then.

Walking through the front door at Mountain View Helicopters, based out of Springbank Airport, just minutes west of Calgary, immediately gives you the impression of a serious, yet relaxed operation, where work ethic and quality are the paramount considerations. First impressions are extremely important in many aspects of life, but unless you have an idea of what you’re looking at, the most salient points can easily be overlooked.

Operating a fleet of 15 Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters, aircraft-wise Mountain View isn’t terribly different than most flight schools these days. Looking at clean, well-maintained equipment however, can give a prospective student a number of clues about the operation. The obvious care and pride in the machinery stands out, as does the team effort the students display in preparing machines for the day’s flying.

Meeting the team is always an important part of that first step too. Getting to know the instructors, and, in this case, the owners, will give the potential student a good idea of how the operation runs. When facing a bill of up to $60,000, that is essential. Investing in flight training is no different than university or college; using discretion when choosing is a must.

With 30,000 combined hours, Bergeron and Alzetta draw from a broad range of applications worldwide, bringing their experience into the classroom, cockpit and beyond. In fact, students aren’t the only beneficiaries of their know-how. Marc McGee and his fellow instructors draw constantly on “their wealth of experience and knowledge, stories of their experiences and how they would handle a given situation or student.” This kind of mentoring from above is another strong indicator for potential students to pay attention to.

Alzetta got his start in the French military, and in the ensuing 40 years he’s seen the industry fluctuate a number of times. From Europe, to Asia, to Africa, he’s flown practically every application one can think of, from long-line aerial construction to multi-engine instrument flight rules (IFR), and even fixed-wing aerobatic competition. When flying with Alzetta, the experience shows through. Couple this with a friendly, easy-going attitude, and you quickly see how his mentorship benefits students and instructors alike.

Bergeron meanwhile, began his career in a way more familiar to most of us working in Canada – the hard way. Graduating at a time when employment was scarce, and money even more so, Bergeron scratched, clawed and fought his way into the industry through hard work, dedication and perseverance. From humble beginnings flying tours in a Bell 47, to working fires in Bell mediums, Bergeron’s work ethic and dedication has brought him everything he has. He expects the same from his students, stating that “work ethic, punctuality, patience, self-motivation and attitude” are the biggest factors in achieving success in the modern helicopter industry. He’s not afraid to wash out students who don’t measure up.

If anyone at MVH has a question, chances are, one of these two guys can answer it. As Alzetta pointed out, “Students can draw from all our experience,” and that exposure to the realities of the industry gives students “a bit of an edge” when they’re out looking for work.

The old real estate axiom, “location, location, location,” holds true in flight training as well. Mountain View’s school sits at 4,000 feet, just minutes away from the Rocky Mountains, which loom to heights in excess of 10,000 feet. This gives young pilots exposure to the realities working pilots face every day – limited power, varied terrain and wind lots of wind.

The name change from Bighorn Flight School to Mountain View Helicopters was done to reflect this working environment (but it also has the added benefit of forging a new identity for Bergeron and Alzetta, who bought the school in 2000 and have moved it forward ever since).

Customers don’t pay good money to fly around in partially loaded helicopters, and the R22 at 4,000-6,000 feet above sea level requires every bit as much finesse as a fully loaded Bell JetRanger on a hot day working a fire. The sooner a pilot realizes this fact, the better, said Alzetta.

McGee, a past graduate, said the “location is a major advantage” in other ways too. “Springbank is a very busy airport,” giving students practice and confidence on the radio and in high-traffic situations. This translates directly into the working world, where, in some applications, pilots can be using up to three radios concurrently, all while flying in high-intensity environments. Once again, early exposure is key, and a potential deciding factor in the choice of a school.

Once the school has been chosen, and the course completed, it’s back to the opening question, “Do your students get jobs?”

Our industry has seen a myriad of changes in recent years, not the least of which being the increasing involvement of the insurance industry in dictating pilot, operator and equipment standards. The oil industry is a major factor in the drive toward requiring higher levels of experience, and, more recently, twin-engine, IFR-capable machines and the crews to fly them.

The problem lies in the fact that many of the jobs available to “newbies” have traditionally been in the “patch.” But, what was once a 200-hour job, now requires anywhere from 500 to 2,000 hours, depending on the customer. This presents a huge problem for operators who have limited ability to introduce new pilots to the industry. Their hands are often tied by the customer’s

insurance policies.

Recognizing the increasing difficulty of changing neophytes from freshly minted 100-hour commercial pilot programs, into well rounded, confident, safe and insurable working pilots, Bergeron and Alzetta knew their commitment to graduates couldn’t stop at a stamping of the logbook.

To that end, they set up a tour operation; much like the one on which Bergeron cut his teeth at the beginning of his career. “We don’t just take their money and ship them out the door,” stated Bergeron emphatically.

The top students each year are given an R44, a mobile office and sent out to Drumheller, Alta., for the summer tourist season. Under the guidance of a veteran tour pilot, the new graduates operate and look after the machines, help secure customers and fly in the hot, heavy conditions endemic to real-word flying in any application. It’s invaluable experience, where they can expect between 80 and 120 hours a summer, depending on the year.

Afterwards, a logical question would be, “I have 200 to 250 hours, but it’s still a long way to 1,000 hours. Now what?” Fortunately, Alzetta and Bergeron asked the same question, and the answer is: Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Toronto and the five R44s employed in these cities to cover traffic and breaking news for local television and radio stations.

Allison Wrigley, a graduate of both the flight school and the tour operation, now finds herself at the helm of an R44 each day in Calgary. A pilot graduate in January 2007, Wrigley began flying Mountain View’s traffic machine by September of the same year, and is building her experience with the goal, one day, of fire fighting in a Bell medium. “I’ll go anywhere they’ll give me a bucket,” she said, but she’s well aware of the steep learning curve on the road to her dream job.

Flying the traffic helicopter can be demanding. The pilot has to deal with night flying, crowded airspace, a nose-mounted camera, weather and two reporters (one radio, one television) on board making different demands. Wrigley feels fortunate, though, to have had the benefit of “intense training,” and “can still hear Paul in [her] head demanding perfection.” With the two and a half hours of flying she gets each day, Wrigley is well on the way to attaining her goals, as her skill set expands along with her logbook.

Through careful management and shrewd business decisions, Bergeron and Alzetta have been able to take advantage of the highs and weather the lows since purchasing the company in 2000. This strategy has allowed Mountain View to respond when opportunity arises. The tour and news gathering operations are past examples of this, but there is more to come.

Being tuned in to the changing needs of the industry, the pair have embarked on adding an IFR component to the school, one which will not only cater to the ab-initio students, but to higher-time pilots looking to retool and access some of the new, multi-engine, IFR machinery slowly being introduced into various markets here in Canada.

Mountain View’s recent purchase of a FlyIt IFR simulator is the final piece in its instrument-training program, and will be implemented in January 2009. Again, relying on Alzetta’s considerable background, Mountain View will be able to offer students not only a solid program, but one augmented with real-world operational experience.

Through careful management, foresight and a willingness to adapt to a rapidly changing industry, Mountain View Helicopters is sure to be leading the way in the Canadian flight training industry for many years to come.

A seasoned fixed-wing and helicopter pilot, Graham has flown a variety of missions in a number of unique locales throughout the U.S, Canada’s Arctic regions, Central America and the Caribbean. He currently flies a variety of long line, mountain, forestry, construction and charter work in B.C. and the Yukon. He can be reached at graham@grahamlavery.com.