York County Helicopters is based at Sanford Airport in Sanford, Maine. YCH specializes in photo tours across the Maine area, but it also farms out its services to the local government. YCH does surveillance for the police, crop dusting for farmers and patrols power lines during inclement weather. York does its flight training on a Robinson R22 Beta II. According to YCH, the R22 holds every performance record for a helicopter of its weight class. Training at YCH costs can range from $35 to $260 per flight hour depending on the specifics of the training you require.
Southeast Wisconsin is home to Lakeshore Helicopters. Its hangar is actually at the Kenosha Regional Airport. In addition to flight school, Lakeshore gives private tours over Lake Michigan and rents out its services to the local government. Lakeshore offers two different flight schools. The Part 141 school is a very structured and set way to learn to fly. Lakeshore equates Part 141 to "learning to drive a car from a formal driving school." Part 61 allows the student to learn at his own pace, either quickening or slowing at the student's desire. Depending on the aircraft you select to learn on, the training rates range from $210 to $355 per hour and financing is available for certain aspects of the programs.
Epic Helicopters is based in Fort Worth, Texas. Epic offers a Part 141 school that will prepare you to be a private helicopter pilot or a commercial helicopter pilot. The company trains aspiring pilots on either the R22 or the R44. Students at Epic have the option to receive a one-on-one learning experience that will allow them to set their own schedule. The total 141 program with Epic can range from $16,175 to $69,265.
Scottsdale, Arizona is home to Universal Helicopters headquarters and primary training center. Thanks to its sunny climate, Universal is able to fly 360 days out of the year. One of the most popular flyover destinations for tourists in the Scottsdale area is the Grand Canyon. Training at Universal, you'll have the option to train on either the R22 or the R44 at a price that ranges from $150 to $585 per hour. Students can either follow a set program or customize a program that best fits their availability.