Helicopter training set to take off at Blackpool airport

The team behind international helicopter support business Helispeed Services has started offering helicopter flying lessons based at Hangar 3.

These will be the first rotary wing lessons to come from the airport in two years.

But more significantly, because the Helispeed has years of experience in matching pilots and engineers to jobs world wide, the new Helispeed Academy aims to train helicopter pilots with the specific skills they need to secure high paid jobs.

Business owner Geoff Packer, who himself learned to fly at Blackpool Airport 30 years ago said, depending on which specific skills and roel a pilot has, helicopter pilots could earn between £300 and £800 a day.

He said: “We will teach beginners to fly and help existing pilots keep their skills up, but we will also offer specific world-class training so that our students’ skills will be top class and suited to the role they want to carry out, from flying for the oil and gas sector, to being a helicopter ferry pilot, to search and rescue or flying from the back of a millionaire’s luxury yacht.

“The skills in each case are different.

“We have our sister business Helispeed Solutions where we source pilots and engineers for jobs all over the world. So we know what specific skills are needed. There is a real skills shortage out there.

“We have got approved training organisation status, which is the highest level, and we have experienced teachers and carefully structured, modular courses.”

He said while learning to fly a helicopter is not cheap, the wages and rewards far outweigh the cost and hard work needed.

“Blackpool Airport is ideal for learning to fly a helicopter. It has a lot of great facilities for a small airport and is suited to maximising training.

“It is also a great place to come to study as there is so much entertainment for the down time. We also have some fantastic hotels for students to stay in.

“I learned to fly here, while I was working at BAE Systems in Preston at the time, and the academy could bring in people from all over the world and raise Blackpool’s profile and make a hub for helicopter training for the future. We will also offer trial lessons so beginners can see what its all about.”