Columbia Helicopters Selects LAH
January 24, 2004
Andre Hutchings
Los Angeles Helicopters
4235 Donald Douglas Dr, Second Floor
Long Beach, CA 90808 USA
Hello Andre,
Columbia Helicopters Inc. (CHI) would like to commend Los Angeles Helicopters (LAH) on its continual production of top quality candidates for hire to the commercial helicopter industry. CHI continues to be impressed with the skill-level and professionalism your curriculum instills, and are proud to have several of your graduates among our ranks.
With more than three decades of heavy lift experience and an exceptional safety record, CHI has successfully served its contracts throughout the world by hiring only the best trained pilots. As you are aware, our staff pilots fly extremely complex operations that include logging, offshore services, fire-fighting and numerous construction related missions. Clearly, our organization is unique in its capabilities and the opportunities it provides to its elite staff of pilots.
Columbia Helicopters recognizes the higher standard of training provided by Los Angeles Helicopters, and the valuable experience your student pilots obtain throughout your Professional Helicopter Pilot Certification Program.
For these reasons, CHI has decided to award a 'preferred status' to LAH commercial-pilot graduates meeting the following qualifications:
- Successful completion of the LAH Professional Helicopter Pilot Certification Program.
- Hold a minimum of 500 Pilot-in-Command hours in a helicopter
- Receive a written recommendation by the LAH Chief Flight Instructor.
A graduating LAH pilot meeting these qualifications will receive a 'preferred status', improving their chances of being selected to fill one of our seasonal co-pilot internship positions should CHI have an opening at that time. These co-pilot positions are paid positions equal to our standard co-pilot compensation. Such internships typically last 3-4 months, and are flown in our tandem rotor, twin-engine Boeing Vertol or Chinook helicopters. These opportunities allow selected pilots to build valuable 'real-world' flight experience as they begin their careers in the commercial market. The rest is up to them as all of our standard employment criteria will apply.
Moreover, should a co-pilot position become available at CHI, we will turn to LAH in search of a candidate who meets the above requirements, but holds a minimum of 1000 PIC hours of flight experience. CHI will guarantee that LAH graduate an interview for that co-pilot position.
Sincerely,
Jim Coates, Chief Pilot
COLUMBIA HELICOPTERS, INC.
