Two helicopter OEMs recently announced new developments with regard to financial assistance for flight training.
Bell Textron's Bell Training Academy has expanded its flight school offerings that qualify for reimbursement from the U.S. Veterans Administration under the GI Bill. Veterans who meet qualifications can have all or part of their flight training costs covered. Since 1944, the GI Bill has helped qualifying veterans with reimbursement for the costs of school or training.
Approved GI Bill courses at the academy currently include those for the Bell 206, 505, 407 and 429, as well as courses for pilot initial transition, pilot initial night vision goggles (NVG), pilot refresher NVG, flight instructor NVG, ground course NVG, and an airline transport pilot (ATP) rating course. Bell offers pilot, technical, and specialized training to 140,000 customers from more than 135 countries and has provided more than 230,000 total flight instruction hours.
Separately, MD Helicopters announced that it has awarded its annual 2021 MD 500 Transition Training Scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott campus student Brandon Hutchins. The scholarship is valued at $12,000. Over the scholarship’s 10-year history, MD Helicopters has awarded more than $200,000 in training opportunities to 12 students. Recipients attend a week-long, one-on-one training course held at MD Helicopters’ headquarters and production facility in Mesa, Arizona.