Our testimonials are written by our students themselves and are published in their original form to preserve their authenticity (spelling mistakes and all…!).
First Name:Benjamin
Age: 50
Hometown:Rouen (France)
Training: A.E.C.
Helicopter: R22, R44
Start of training: September 2020
Hello,
Let me introduce myself: my name is Benjamin, also known as “Tac.” I’m 50 years old and I’m originally from Rouen in the Seine-Maritime department.
My career path has been quite unconventional: after working in a variety of jobs over the past 30 years—as a Blue Helmet in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a cook, a waiter, an executive assistant in the hospitality industry, and then a scuba diving instructor—I have now fulfilled my childhood dream of becoming a professional helicopter pilot.
I arrived on Réunion Island in 1998, thinking I’d stay for about two years—but in the end, I’ve been here for over twenty years! It was on Reunion Island that I discovered scuba diving, and I gradually transitioned into a new career as a diving instructor—a profession I practiced for 20 years on the island, including 10 years as a self-employed owner of my own diving school.
Since I’m someone who likes to take on new challenges, I decided to sell my dive shop, leave Réunion, and move to Bali to start a dive shop there.
Although life on the island of Bali and the surrounding area is idyllic, I haven’t found any satisfying job opportunities.
The idea of getting my helicopter pilot’s license was on my mind more and more, so I was thinking about it more and more, and then, just like you, I went online and typed:
“How do I become a helicopter pilot?”
What are the different programs and countries where you can pursue this training?
What is the cost difference between France and other countries?
It quickly becomes clear that education is less expensive in the United States and Canada than in France.
Having traveled all over the world, my English is good enough to get by while traveling, but not good enough to complete an entire course of study in English.
So I quickly decided on Quebec, a French-speaking province in Canada.
I soon started wondering about my age, because I was 48 when I began looking into this career change.
After exchanging emails with Helicraft, I had the opportunity to meet Jimmy Joubert (Operations Manager) and Benjamin Toïgo (Sales Director) at an informational meeting in France. They took the time to answer all my questions and reassure me about my age, explaining that the North American mindset is different and that as long as you’re serious, hardworking, and deserving, you’ll be given a chance—and that age isn’t an issue.
Because when you have a taste for something, when you have a taste for things done well, for the beautiful gesture, sometimes you don’t find that person across from you—I’d say, that mirror that helps you move forward. So that’s not my case, as I was saying, since I, on the contrary, have been able to—and I thank life for it, I thank it, I sing of life, I dance to life…
More seriously, the proof is that today (at age 50), after completing the training, I was able to join the Career Plus program with my partner Tic (you can read his testimonial on the website).
In addition to the very positive impression I got from my first interactions with the school, there were several factors that influenced my decision to pursue my training at Helicraft:
The first is the AEC program, which makes it easy to obtain a (renewable) visa.
The second is the school’s tuition compared to other schools on the market and the housing option at the Helicraft residence.
The third is the opportunity to secure a first job immediately upon earning a bachelor’s degree through the “Career+” program.
I’d like to talk a little about my experience at Hélicraft. As soon as you start working on the theory, you quickly realize just how much independent study you’ll have to put in.
I was lucky enough to be part of the shared living arrangement at the Hélicraft house, which I think is a huge advantage when it comes to studying and reviewing.
The entire staff is friendly and helpful; they’ll be happy to answer your questions because they’ve been through it too and know how important it is.
I would like to thank Thomas, my ground instructor, for his professionalism and his availability 24/7. I would also like to thank Francis, aka Captain Pesant, my flight instructor, for his patience and dedication.
To wrap things up, I’d say that so far, I’m really glad I chose Helicraft, and if you’re over 50 like me, here’s some advice: go for it—forget about thinking you don’t stand a chance; sometimes, even a misunderstanding can work out!!