BRAD KING - AUSTRALIA

Dom Brachet is now working with me so we reflect on our Becker period frequently and how fortunate we were to find you. Ex -Becker Adam Smith has moved on from Skysafari and aviation in pursuit of love and money for the time being and I have since employed 2 more pilots.

It stands to reason, get trained by a bunch of Kiwi's and there's a good chance you're going to be surrounded by them through your career. In my latest campaign to find keen, fresh and passionate pilots I now find myself working with 3 kiwi's and a Pom (also trained by yourselves). Where have all the flying Aussies gone? Of course this is in gest but these are suprising stats for me.

I have been keeping you updated on my progress since I left Beckers and my gratitude to you is without limits. You know my story so far.

The amazing Captain King thing. On the 1st of August '06 it will be 2 years to the day since I started my first aviation job in Cairns and 2 years, 3 months since I completed my CPL with Beckers.

Presently I have 900 hours total time. I have gone from being a Cairns hangar rat and toilet cleaner to a tourism line pilot to the Port Douglas Base and Marketing Manager to the company Senior Rotary Pilot to Skysafari Queensland Operations Manager to recieving part ownership of the business then, of course all of the above. What's next??

We operate 5 Aircraft, 2 x R44's, 2 x R22's and one Cessna 310 aeroplane and cross hire anything else we need. We now have 8 staff and 2 bases, Port Douglas and Cairns. My friend, business partner and the Director of Skysafari, Mark Peart has decisively taken a step back from the operational side of the business and is now flying in 500 E model helicopters in Sumatra. 20 years in the industry and 20,000 + hours in the machine he's well entitled.

I now partly own and operate a successful, dynamic aviation business in one of the most scenically beautiful and environmentally diverse locations in Australia, if not the world.
Our focus on 'Personalised Air Touring' dominates our niche market. Daily, we may fly local scenic flights and enjoy landing on ocean catamarans, pontoons, and Great Barrier Reef Islands and sand cays to flying above the oldest rainforest on the planet and landing on waterfalls and mountain tops to hosting outback tours to Gold mines, cattle stations and visiting indigenous lands and people. I am about to embark on a 5 day return trip to the Cape York.
We are also picking up contracts for government departments ie National Parks, Mining and police and plenty of Photo work.

A measurement of success is certaintainly relative sometimes but I continually believe you better be careful what you ask for in this life.

This road continues to be challenging. The business runs 7 days a week and about 10% of the job is actually flying. Through these opportunities I have also managed unwittingly to project a personal high profile in the helicopter industry which has seen me offered work by much larger companies before my time, and has even given me the opportunity to spend a few weeks flying BK117's in PNG.

My 5 year plan is certainly outdoing itself and my beautiful girlfriend has now left her management position at a noted 5 star hotel to assist me and Skysafari in our sales and marketing push.

Something they don't teach you at flight school but ultimately becomes glaringly obvious is that the journey of a helicopter pilot is more about personal growth and adventure above everything else.

Thanks again for all your ongoing help. I'll stay in touch.
Bradley King

MARTIN NAYLOR - UNITED KINGDOM
(pick of Martin to come - watch this space!)

What are you doing now? I am an all weather Search and Rescueco-pilot for HM Coastguard living in Shetland (60degrees North). I fly an S61N (pictured). Our mainbusiness is fishing boats/personnel in trouble andmedevacs from the islands or various oil rigs in theNorth Sea. I absolutely LOVE the 61 as it is verytough, reliable and has a nice big cockpit for tallpeople.

When did you leave Beckers? Left Beckers in 2000. I didall my JAR UK exams and flight test and one year later(after not having found any work), did my instructorrating. Found work in London flying R22s, R44s, B206etc. Got as much charter and teaching experience Icould, also flew H300CBs and B206L and then applied toNorth Sea companies after taking out a MASSIVE loan todo my instrument rating. (The opportunities in theNorth Sea still make it worthwhile for people to paytheir own way..). I have been doing SAR for a year(after having been sent flying 61s to oil rigs to getused to them). I will be paying off my training costsfor a long while yet, but it was so worth it!

Your best flying experience? Flying Rio Ferdinand from CardiffTremorfa Heliport to Heathrow (he's a big footballerover here). It was my first time into Heathrow. Marvellous!

Your worst flying experience? Losing RPM in the last 100 ftduring an auto with a student in an R22. Somehowmilked it back and then landed for a nice cup of tea!Aircraft undamaged.

Greatest challenge? Night flying. It never seems toget easier, but I don't have much experience at ityet. Everyone is (and should be) wary of flying at night

Flying history? I have 1500 hours and may possibly move tofly another type in the North Sea shortly to get somemore hours for captaincy (2500 needed). On the otherhand, I may stay here and get my S92 rating (coming in next year)

Do you keep in touch with other students from Beckers? Still in touch with Andrew Wanden from my student times. He and family live in West Australia.

Advice to people starting out? The same that Mike and Jan gave me as a student: Remember all the effort youput into studying for the exams? Well put the sameeffort into finding work and STAY TENACIOUS!

I do miss wonderful Oscar Charlie. What a fabulous machine... I will always prefer the older helicopters.
Best wishes,
Martin

SHANE PARRY - AUSTRALIA

When did you leave Beckers? I was on top of the world!!! As all my dreams had come true!!! (ahhhh except for that one about me & CANDISE!!!) Anyway after almost 12 months of the biggest brain melt down I've ever experienced, The light at the end of the tunnel was looking quite bright... I was now a big time commerical Helicopter Pilot? I was going out into the big wide world on a mission to find my first helicopter job... Only when I looked at my bank account? I was a BROKE Commerical Helicopter Pilot, so I had to fix that before I could even think of doing anything... So I went back to my old job in the building game for a few weeks? but not for to long, only long enough to get the money to come back to Becker's & do my R-44 Endor to try to improve my chances of getting that first job???

What are you doing now? Now I work with an awesome team of blokes at County Helicopters in Victoria... & all thanks to a good mate I made in my time at Becker's... (Nigel) I think the friends we make at school are friends for life... Nig' already had a job with County & a day came when he rang to tell me they were looking for another loader/driver, but also if I was interested in the job, that there would be "NO FLYING" for me for a long long time? or at least until he was done, as he was the the man in the hot seat. (low hour pilot being trained up)
I had only finished my CPL a few weeks earlier & started to stress out at the fact that I would never find a job doing anything with heli's at all, let a lone find someone silly enough to let me fly them... but I really love my heli's & to do anything was what I was prepared to do, as long as I could be around an airfield & watch them come & go, & some how get paid to be there? well I'd die a happy man... & as I found out later, getting that first job is all about "TIMING" ... being in the right place at the right time & the door will not only open for you? they will let you come inside, sit down & play with the buttons...

Right now in our hanger we have two R-22 Beta II, one R-44 Astro & one Hughs 500C (oooh baby) I get to fly the R-22's a fair bit, (lots of .2/.3's) as the 22's are used most often... the R-44 is only our new toy & the boy's are still setting her up, & suss'in her out? but at the same time they are really enjoying her!!! so when they start to get board with her (hopefully not to far away) I'll get to add some more 44 time to my log book... & as for my baby (the 500) well she's my dream machine that I get to play with anytime I want & i even score the odd joy ride in her from time to time? But every time she fire's up??? ooooh the tick of the starter, the burst of fuel, & my knee's go weak, heart skips a beat... I think there's no sweeter sound on earth, as turbine roars to life... & who knows? maybe one day even I could be PIC...

It's all come together for me after only a few months of starting here, as one of the first things was my boss gave me the 22 endor's...
Since leaving Becker's (June 2005) I've only logged around 60hrs, (all in the R-22) I've done three big ferry flights in the 22's more than half way across Australia (from south to north)... Two from Ballarat (YBLT) in Victoria, to Emerald in western Queensland... & one from Bankstown (YSBK) to just north of Emerald (& this flight was in a near new R-22 Beta II) So those flight alone were thousands of dollars of flying I've got to do for free... & the experience & the confidence I gained from these flights could not be put into words... (AWESOME)

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? In Australia the world of helicopter's is only a very small one? so everybody knows everybody & knows what everyone's up to... so yeah! we stay in touch, It's not like you talk everyday! but we all do talk in some way or another from time to time.... & like I said before? I think the friends we make at Heli school are friends for life...

Best / Worst flying experience at Becker's The worst experience I had in my time at Becker's was not there fault!!! it was my fear of that F*****G exam room... when ever I had to face that bloody computer!!! or trying to click that submit button? when in my heart I knew I did pretty well? but a big part of you prays to god that you didn't stuff it up? or if you did that maybe you had just edged over the line... it's the longest 5 minutes of your life! But as some of you know, there was always a 98% chance old Shane'o would be back to sit the bloody thing again... by the time I finished my theory, I was back at that bloody exam room so often, they give me my own bloody seat!!! ha ha... But to be where I am now, makes all that stress way more than worth it...

For me one of the best experience was by far my first solo... It was the morning of the 6th September 2004... When I thought it was just another day of flight training at Becker helicopters!!! only on that day it was Cpt Becker himself taking me for the flight... After getting her started, do all my run up checks, Mike came out, jumped in & said take me out to the helicopter training area!!! & I want you to give me a few perfect circuits? & you can also show me how to do all the radio work? so after completing a few circuits, & all was going well, Mike looks over to me (smiling) & said, Now when I get out? the heli will want to fly like this!!! (WHAT!!!!! HAY!!! GO BACK!!! YOUR GETTING OUT!!!!) my heart jumped in my mouth & the back of my pants started to fill rapidly as I was just about to FLY MY FIRST SOLO... But a long story made short, Mike got me focused on the job at hand & the rest is as they say history!!! Your first solo is something I'm sure none of us will ever or could ever forget!!!

& the other best thing that happened to me in my time at Becker's, was the time when I was at my PPL stage of flying. Mike gave me a chance of a lifetime, a taste of the real helicopter world, & a chance to spend some time with the real big guns of helicopter aviation in Australia... HELI AUST....

Heli Aust in Sydney/Bankstown were looking for some co-pilots to conduct the locust spotting season Christmas 2004? & man I got one of those seats... (spent almost three months with them) the size of the operation was just insane... I never did get to meet the owner "John Wayemouth" himself, but let me tell you! he's is the man... he has an awesome team of blokes working for him... the pilots i worked with, the LAME's, the staff were all really great people & not to forget the aircraft!!! man the aircraft, you name it & he's got it? or if he hasn't got it? he's getting one or it's not in this hanger it's at the other hanger...

I spent most of my time in a Bell 206 or a AS-350 Squirrel? But the hanger also had a Hugh's 500, BK-117, 206 Kiowa, two big Bell 205 Huey's & not to forget the S-76 parked up the back!!!
My time with these boys was a real eye opener & tort me so much! it changed my way of thinking when I returned to Becker's to finish my training & it still stays with me today as if I was there with them just yesterday... I could never thank Mike enough for giving me that chance, as it could have went too any of the students there at Becker's at the time... nor could I ever thank the team at Heli Aust enough for the experience & keeping me on for the whole season & not letting me go with the other newbies in the first week.....

Advice to new students? Only the strong survive... & be careful what you wish for? Because it might just come true!!! To become a helicopter pilot in the real world will cost you alot more than just your hard earned cash... If you want to be a Helicopter pilot for the fame & fortune? then you'd better stop at PPL??? (& save the rest of your money) As the only people who really love helicopters & think how cool it would be to fly one! are somewhere in the room beside you!!! & as for fortune well that's just a dream? (any high time pilot will confirm that) it's so true what they say, the only way you'll ever make a million in Heli's??? is to start with 5 million.... & if your lucky you'll be left with one when you sell everything...

But on the up side, this house has many doors & hard work really dose have it's rewards? If you can feel it in your bones & you really want to see this beautiful country as you fly around OZ? (or where ever) then just do it... only you can make it happen!!!

But just keep in mind that the light at the end of the tunnel, could always be a frigate train coming the other way!!!

& remember that when you go for that first job? you will be asking somebody who doesn't know you at all, to not only let you fly there $200,000/$400,000 helicopter? but you want them to pay you for it as well??? so put there shoes on!!! You just bought a new Ferrari & a 16 year old kid who's just got his learners permit wants to drive it around town & wants you to pay him to drive it!!!

If I did it? & so can you... Feel free to contact me at anytime sg_parry@yahoo.com... or call me 0412 677138...

Fly safe Fly smart Shane'o..............

NIGEL THOMAS - UNITED KINGDOM (NOW AUSTRALIAN)

When did you leave Beckers? in November 2004

What did you do after you trained with us? Spent a month or so in the left seat of Jetrangers with Heli-Aust (Bankstown) – chasing grasshoppers on behalf of the NSW Rural Lands Protection Board – got a feel for a real commercial helicopter operation and snuck in a few hours of stick time in the process !

Then spent a year with Ag operator in Ballarat – County Helicopters, working ground crew and doing all the ferrying / positioning flights (R22) – put on about 100 hours in that period, and worked on all sorts of missions, from crop spraying, to pasture improvement, fertilizing and orchard work all over Victoria and South Australia.

What are you doing now? Enjoying being a new father (and looking forward to wedding late September) – back in IT for as short a period as I can possibly manage (hating every moment of it, but need the dollars in the bub’s early years and like to be close to home for the time being). Plan is make use of the IT $$’s to buy up the remaining hours to be able to embark on an Instructors rating to a) Keep flying regularly, b) sharpen the skills and c) head towards the 500+ hours, study for IREX and maybe ATPL to be marketable to relatively stable big machine operators as a co-ie, offshore on a rotation to try to combine a bit of stability with the constant desire to be spending my days doing something I love.

How many hours have you flown? A smidge over 250

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? Aaah – they’re like slipping into an old pairs of slippers – very comfortable and always full of interesting updates – Shane-O, Monkey-boy, Sonic etc. It’s always fun !!!

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? Best experience – passing CPL(H). Worst experience dummy CPL(H) !!!! Apart from that it was just the most satisfying and rewarding 9 months of my life – I would have loved it to continue for longer !!!

Advice to new students? Make sure you love it. Make absolutely sure that you’ve got the funds left at the end of your training to supplement your income if you’re lucky enough to get a ground floor, hangar rat kind of job, and the pay that goes with it. Aim for a year at least !!

DENVER SILCOCK - SOUTH AFRICA

Denver Silcock, left beckers in Aug 2001 back home to South Africa, built hours on a cattle station. completed SA commercial requirements and returned to beckers for NVFR B206 and R44.

First job was contract flying (Corporate pilot B206 - Angola) then returned home at end of contract to start with Netstar - Vehicle tracking and recovery, moved to Johannesburg for current employer to fly SBV (Cash-in-Transit Vehicle surveillance) then transferred to Cape Town,Civair Helicopters - Tourism and Charter, Government contract (Dept of Water Affairs and Forestry and National Ports Authority), Offshore, Filmwork and photography.

Left Cape town in June 2004, to take a sabatical, returned Nov 2005 to Civair, next step is South African ATPL, eventually IFR and offshore/central africa.

Returned to Beckers for AS350 endoresement July 2006, currently 1400HRS
turbine +-800!

Lost contact with the guys from my time at beckers but good to catch up with Mike and Jan again, helpful and smiling as always!!!

Best experiences in flying have been the ones where you learn something new, even better when you dont scare yourself blind and tell the story to your mates over a few cold ones at the end of that long day! Made some awesome friends and already have some wicked stories to tell and best of all i've only just begun...

New students......always take whatever advice is given to you never just blow it off, most
times its the only thing you've got is the experience and previous mistakes of others.Never stop learning or teaching yourself, or else over confidence takes over, mistakes happen and people get hurt! As much fun as it is, when it goes wrong, it goes wrong very quickly!
Attitude Is Everything!

JACK FERGUSON - USA

When did you leave Beckers? October of 2002 I believe

What did you do after you trained with us? back to Colorado, finished us commercial and CFI, taught in 300c for a couple of years

What are you doing now? Enstrom helicopter rep. for rocky mtn. region and run small flight school outside Denver, Colorado

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? fly enstrom 280fx and 480b mainly training, but some photo work, tours, joyrides, ferry stuff, lot's of mtn. flying

How many hours have you flown? 1700 or so

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? somewhat

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? matter still under FAA investigation, no comment :-)

Advice to new students? get your US visa, we need you here.

HUGO CHAM - HONG KONG

When did you visit Beckers? Oct 2005

Why did you visit? Nothing related to Aviation but seeking way to pursue my PPL on fixed wing, because cheaper.

What are you doing now? Senior Fireman(Control). A Communication Officer and Despatcher actually.

How many hours have you flown? 11 Hrs on Bell 47 and attained SOLO on glider in New Zealand.

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers?
Yes, CHRISTINE!!!!!!!!

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? The best is flying with Beckers. Coz, the instructor, both Mike and Collin did trust me and gave me chances on controlling the helicopter. No worst things...

Advice to new students? Do study the ground theory well before commencing the pratical flight training.

NICOLAS LE GRANDE - FRANCE

I am Nicolas From France and i left Beckers school in december 2001. I didnot fly an helicopter since 2001.... After the school, i learned to do shiatsu and other massages....lol, which permitted me to travel a bit(Reunion Island, Bora Bora, etc...); i did little jobs too...
Now, i am in software industry back and i have my own cabinet of massage too, in France, brittany.
So i make good money to prepare the next step of my life.
I am learning to fly a paramotor at the moment, which is very funny and exciting....
Yes, i do have contacts with Ric, and sometimes with Meetu.
My best experience of flying?...welll...when you were a the arrival, of course.... (No, real one is my first solo )
My worst one?...hum....when you were not at the departure....hahaha. (No, real one is when i decide to fly a plane back to France whitout any certitude...just intuition)

TIM COUSINS - ENGLAND

Victoria and I now have two lovely children (Finley age 3 and Freya age 20 months).
I have just moved to Scotland to start and run a new executive VIP helicopter charter company - one 206L long ranger with floats and plans to start operating a twin within approx 12 ~ 18 months.
Left Beckers in approx. Aug 2001, worked with Shane Flak at Coleambally for approx. 2 months before heading home to UK.
Spent 4 years working at FAST Helicopters, Hampshire, UK as Operations Manager followed by Commercial Manager before moving to Scotland last month.
Currently approx. 250hrs but converted my licence to JAR CPL(H) with ATPL(H) theory (passed JAR CPL(H) in March 2006) and plan to start racking the hours up in the next year !
Have been in contact with / bumped into: Alan Bell; Rupert "Reg" Mellerup and another chap with a french sounding name who now works at Stirling Helicopters in Norwich, UK.
Best Experience: 2500' hover over Brands Hatch, Kent, UK with a microwave uplink on board for the on-bike cameras during the British round of the World Superbikes on a lovely sunny day - the "access all areas" pass to the Ducati Corse pit-lane garage was the icing on the cake - all my passions in a single weekend !
Worst experience: being a pax on an R44 in IMC 200' over a city bypass with the road only appearing momentarily before being hidden by cloud again, and high voltage power lines at the same altitude 100' off the port side. Having told the pilot that I was not comfortable with our situation, best CRM tactic was head in the map and glued to GPS giving constant position reports until clear of cloud. Once on ground (after kissing the earth) informed pilot that under no circumstances would he and I be in the same cockpit with him flying ever again.
Advice: Don't think any more about it - Nike !! "Just do it" ! It may be a long slow road but it sure is worth it ! Kicks the arse out of a career in IT !! Just watch out for German Film Crews convinced you want to be a mustering pilot !
Safe and happy flying to all at Beckers and best wishes to the "ground crew".
Miss the sun and the fun of the coast, but settled in a decent job at last.
Capt Capt Tim Cousins (2 x capt: CASA and JAA ! 8-} )

ELAINE HUNTER - ENGLAND

When did you leave Beckers? 2002

What you did after you trained with us?ATPL exams JAA CPL (H). FI course.

What are you doing now? Commercial and Instruction work

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? Long Ranger, Jet Ranger, H300 sunny Sheffield

How many hours have you flown? 500

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? a couple

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? all good.

Advice to new students? Keep going....

ADAM SMITH - AUSTRALIA

When did you leave Beckers? Left Beckers August 2004

What did you do after you trained with us? I was given a Job with Skysafari in the Flinders Ranges SA, then moved to Sunshine coast and onto Port Douglas, Flying R44's

What are you doing now? I have now just started working in Commercial Real Estate in Brisbane.

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? Left Skysafari May this year.

How many hours have you flown? 420

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? Yes , Worked at Skysafari with Brad King and Darren Smith, I trained with them both. Also Worked with Dominic at Skysafari. I also still keep in touch with Nigel and Simon ,both of who i trained with.

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? I have had many great flying experiences ie landing on waterfalls, pontoons, and boat decks in rough weather. dealing with bad weather constantly in Port Douglas. Saving 3 people when spotting an overturned boat in the great barrier reef. Flying solo from SA to Sunshine coast, 8 hours. Flying in tandem with Brad King on a rescue mission up to Princess Charlotte bay to pick up pilot and 3 people who went down into a river. One of the worst or most scary experiences was nearly hitting wires when i had about 170 hours working in SA.

Advice to new students? best way to get a job.... be johnny on the spot.

cool catchya

JOSEF ULRICH - SWITZERLAND

When did you leave Beckers? March2003

What did you do after you trained with us? Back to switzerland obtained CPLH went back truking for 2 Yeahrs and now in Canada since Feb 06 obtained Canadian CPLH and looking for a job now here

What are you doing now? Hous Renovating and be a Husband

If flying, who, where and what are you flying? Bad but not yet

How many hours have you flown? Now i'm up to 160 h realy low i could juse a few more as a gift ....

Do you still keep in touch with other students from Beckers? not munch some with Josh and i would realy like to know where Steve Hedrington went ... dis bastard .... hehe...

Best or worst flying experience after Beckers? all traning was worse than with Mike and his Stuff

Advice to new students? Train with MIKE if you realy realy wanna go this Stony phad to become a foot in a door somewhere , it getting worse and worse over the whole World to get a job as a low hourly guy but somtime in the future there are no more Choppers while the pilots are missing for the work and then do it in may thake 10 to 15 Years ... then yes than do it .

JERRY ENGLISH

Carol and I left Beckers with very many regrets to move back to the UK to be closer to our eldest daughter who entered into motherhood and produced our first grand-daughter: Phoebe (a right royal handful and clearly destined to become a helicopter pilot).

I worked in Nigeria for a year for Bristow helicopters as S76 Training Captain flying out to the rigs from Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt – interesting flying as many of the rigs are in the swampy Niger delta where security is a real problem. The pilot and engineers bus to work was caught up in a shoot-out one morning and two pilots were injured – it was all an interesting introduction to Africa.

I am now Head of Operations for FB Heliservices who provide all the training for Army Navy and Air Force pilots and crewmen in the UK (50 helicopters, 70 civilian instructors, 36,000 flying hours per year) and have Search and Rescue and Casevac helicopters in Cyprus (Mediterranean), Brunei (Far East) and Belize (Central America). We also have contracts in the Middle East and shortly – Australia! (Oakey). We specialise in military and government work and I am currently helping to bid a contract to provide Search and Rescue helicopters and crews for the UK starting in 2012 – plus a number of other contracts. All this means that I get precious little flying these days – but I grab every chance I can get and have recently qualified on my 36th helicopter type! I travel a lot – just been out to Canada to look at simulators and other flight training devices, but try to get home to Wales every weekend to sail my little boat.

In thousands of flying hours I have had a number of things go ‘not quite as planned’ – I had ditched two S61 helicopters by the time I was 21! Last week one of my incredibly up to date and reliable (twin-engine) helicopters had an engine failure whilst winching over the sea. The crew escaped and I am still alive because of GOOD TRAINING. It is the best investment you can ever make in this business and Mike and his team will push, pull, coax and cajole you into learning those survival skills that every helicopter pilot still needs.

Happy landings – Jerry.