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Helicopter Lessons or Introductory Classes for Groupon Customers (August 2011) |
Although the Groupons sold in August 2011 have since expired we are continuing to honor them for the month of May. Please use this page to book.
Thank you for buying a Groupon for a helicopter lesson or demonstration class/flight at East Coast Aero Club. Your Groupon may be used for one of two experiences:
East Coast Aero Club has been operating at Hanscom Field since 1985. We've served more than 7000 customers, currently operate more than 30 rental aircraft, and employ 25 flight instructors. To learn more about the flight school, watch this interview with a customer or this tour of the club.
This is our fifth Groupon promotion and it has worked out well for us, with a lot of customers coming back to take additional lessons or flights. We've found that it is tough to predict how many Groupons will sell, however, and therefore we'll need a few days following the Groupon sale to develop a schedule for what we hope will be hundreds or thousands of happy customers. Please check this page starting Saturday August 20th to book your experience.
What's it like? Watch these YouTube interviews with some of our customers on March 27, 2010. Our goal with the ground school and flight is that you be familiar with the controls and concepts and comfortable during all phases of the experience.
Do the introductory reading recommended in our "preparing for your first lesson" page. We'll ask you the "study questions" at the bottom of the reading list when you book your seat in ground school. Our pre-ground school page explains why the FAA requires a bit of study prior to flying a helicopter. The pre-reading is important because most of the class is students answering questions and then discussing the answers to a 25-question final exam.
Once you've done the reading and can answer the study questions with confidence, use our online scheduler (below) to book a convenient time for ground school. Ground school will be an interactive discussion mostly about the material that you've read, but also covering some information specific to the Robinson R44 helicopter that you'll be flying (our pre-ground school page gives an outline of the course). Click the magnifying glass icon next to that slot and then click on "New Reservation". From here you'll enter your study question answers as well as contact information (important in case we need to reschedule).
If you don't see a convenient time on the schedule above, please check this page in a week or two. We add classes constantly as people complete their reading and fill up the existing classes.
Need to reschedule? Don't bother canceling your old reservation. Just make a new one. There is no need to call us or email.
Please arrive on time for your ground school class, which will be done in a small group. If everyone arrives prepared with the reading and on time, the actual instruction/discussion takes about two hours. There is a coffee break in the middle and an exam after the ground school, so the total time commitment is closer to three hours before you're signed off.
Hanscom Field in Bedford (Google Map) is one mile northwest of the intersection of Route 2 and Route 128 (Interstate 95). Take exit 30B to route 2A West and follow signs for Hanscom Field/Civil Air Terminal, which will be on the right. Continue straight down the access road and park in the lot on your left. Walk into the Civil Air Terminal go straight upstairs to the Massport conference on the third floor (the East Coast Aero Club offices are on the ground floor, but there is no need to check in at the front desk). Hanscom Field should be in your phone's GPS system, but you can also type in the street address: 200 Hanscom Drive, Bedford, MA 01730.
As noted on our pre-ground school page, all materials for the course are supplied except for a pen. Feel free to bring a friend to the ground school class.
If you're not feeling well, don't feel adequately prepared with the reading yet, or are tired, please stay home and rest up. No need to call our office. You are welcome to use this online tool to book a later ground school date at your convenience. Your coupon isn't used until you actually fly.
At the end of the ground school course, you'll be given information on scheduling the flight portion of your lesson (a one-on-one flight with an FAA-certified instructor). Due to the fickle Boston weather and the logistical challenges of scheduling a large number of customers into 2 helicopters, it is unlikely that your flight will be the same day as the ground school class.
If you enjoy the challenge of your first lesson and want to continue flight training, please see our standard training page. It takes about 10 hours to reach the "James Bond" level of helicoper flying skill, i.e., the ability to jump into a helicopter, take the controls, take off into the sky, fly around, and bring the machine back down for a safe landing.
For folks who'd like to see how the helicopter works and feels before devoting a few evenings to reading and ground school, we offer a simple introductory class and demonstration ride. After a brief introductory lesson one of our FAA-certified flight instructors will demonstrate the helicopter's capabilities while showing you the sights of Lincoln, Walden Pond and downtown Concord (route may vary depending on wind and runway in use at Hanscom).
Using the scheduler above, find a time that works for you, click the time slot, the adjacent magnifying glass icon, or the "sign in" option at the top. Create an account with your best email address (we'll use that to contact you if we need to reschedule). Then pick the time slot again. Click on "new reservation" and enter your weight (not more than 270 lbs., groups not to exceed 550 lbs total), which we need in order to load our helicopters properly.
Once you've filled out all the fields click the "Create Reservation" button. At this point your spot(s) will be reserved. Please try to show up a few minutes before your scheduled time. The actual flight is about ten minutes in length.
Need to reschedule? Sign into the SuperSaaS scheduler (above). Click on "Agenda" to see your upcoming reservations. Click the rightmost icon (looks like a notepad). Click again on a notepad icon. Click on the "Delete Reservation" button. Then pick a new more convenient slot and re-register.
If rain or winds of more than 20 mph are forecast, we'll probably cancel classes for that day. When a class is canceled, we'll contact you at the email address that you provided when reserving. Please return to this page to reschedule.
Print out your Groupon (each Groupon covers a single person). This will be your ticket for the class/flight. If you would like to bring a friend along they too require a ticket (another Groupon is acceptable or a second ticket can be purchased upon arrival).
You may be getting in and out of the helicopter while the blades are spinning. You'll get a safety briefing prior, but you may find it helpful to read our passenger safety card in advance.
Hanscom Field in Bedford (Google Map) is one mile northwest of the intersection of Route 2 and Route 128 (Interstate 95). Take exit 30B to route 2A West and follow signs for Hanscom Field/Civil Air Terminal, which will be on the right. Continue straight down the access road and park in the lot on your left. Walk into the Civil Air Terminal and turn right. East Coast Aero Club is on the first floor, down the hall on the left (after the rental car counters and cafe). Hanscom Field should be in your car's GPS system, but you can also type in the street address: 200 Hanscom Drive, Bedford, MA 01730.
Send an email to helicopters@eastcoastaeroclub.com.