Flight school, Silver State Helicopters attracts 800 in Butte

Residents of Butte and surrounding Montana cities got a taste of a new helicopter flight school Wednesday night at the Bert Mooney Airport.

More than 800 prospective student pilots and curiosity seekers registered for the evening open house held at the Butte Aviation hangar leased by Silver State Helicopters of Henderson, Nev.

By Gerard O’Brien of the Montana Standard

A stage in the hangar was flanked by two- and four-seater training helicopters flown up from Salt Lake for the presentation.

Prospective student pilots came from Missoula, Helena, Great Falls and one even registered from as far away as Laramie, Wyo., according to Dick Krott, manager for the Montana operations.

"We even had a kid in the (National) Guard call from Kuwait who was coming home in the spring," Krott said.

The pilot school is not for the faint of heart, according to two instructors interviewed Wednesday by The Montana Standard.

Adam Deets, 25, and Curt Kelsey, 31, who teach at the Utah flight schools, said the ground school is extremely rigorous and can take three to seven months to complete.

"What it really takes is strong motivation," Deets said. "The schooling is intense. Many of our pilots have fixed wing licenses, but flying a helicopter is a little different. Weather also plays a role and poor weather discourages some when they can’t fly. If they show the determination, they can do it."

Students cannot weigh more than 230 pounds and their height should be 6-foot-2 inches or under.

Deets, who had a fixed wing license, obtained his helicopter license in seven months. He was looking at becoming a real estate agent like his dad, but jumped at the chance to fly because he didn’t want to live behind a desk.

Butte was selected as a location for the school in Montana, in part, due to the higher altitude. Great Falls, which sits some 2,000 feet lower in elevation, was a potential site, but the amount of wind that blows there was a deterrent. However, it is possible the school will open a small commercial operation there, especially for aerial border patrols.

"Flying in Butte will definitely help train pilots to handle thinner air," instructor Kelsey said. "That will be a plus."

The number of those who signed up to enlist in the school Wednesday night will be winnowed down to about two classes of 30 to 35 students. They must pass a series of tests and interviews, including background checks and physicals.

"We’ll interview over the next 2 ½ weeks," Krott said. "We’ll have an instructor take students for a short flight as part of the interviewing process."

Silver State Helicopters was formed in 1999. At that time, its primary operation consisted of flight training in two-seater, Robinson R22 helicopters augmented with occasional sightseeing charters.

It has 15 aviation sites in five other states. It has more than 1,000 students and 12 flight-training facilities between Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. By year’s end, facilities in Colorado and Montana will be operational.

Washington Oregon & Idaho are facilities set to open in early 2005.

Jerry Airola, the president and founder of Silver State Helicopters, gave the introductory talk to the audience at the Butte hangar.

For more details, call 1-888-91-pilot. Their web site is http://www.silverstatehelicopters.com