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HeliTahoe Helicopters

HeliTahoe - Superior Training, Unforgettable Experiences, Unsurpassed Safety

Helicotper training is available in California and Nevada. If you are serious about flying helicopters, join us here at HeliTahoe in South Lake Tahoe and you will never regret it. Rotorcraft Private, Commercial, and CFI courses are available, along with add-ons and Mountain Flight Training. Founded in December 2005, Helitahoe is committed to providing superior training, unforgettable experiences, and an unsurpassed safety record.

About HeliTahoe

My name is Claudio Walter, owner and instructor pilot of HeliTahoe. I have countless hours flying Hercules C 130 for the Italian Air Force, but my real passion is helicopter flight instruction. You have undoubtedly heard stories about flying schools staffed by inexperienced pilots just logging the necessary pilot in command hours to land a better job, only to leave the minute they reach 1000 hours. At schools with high instructor turnover, the students suffer. At HeliTahoe, we already have stacks of logbooks and are instructors by choice. We are committed to the students, with one-on-one training.

Flight Training at HeliTahoe

HeliTahoe is proud to average 43 hours of instruction for passing the Private Pilot license, compared to the US average of 58 to 64 hours.

Our objective is to have you flying competently and safely with efficient use of training time. HeliTahoe operates out of South Lake Tahoe Airport, one of the most popular destinations in North America, and every flight is logged as Mountain Training. Mountain flight experience is critical when applying for commercial job opportunities, but more generally valuable for developing a complete set of safe flying skills.

HeliTahoe is the only school in US and Canada that operates above 6,000 ft. My background includes a college degree in aeronautical engineering, a degree in communications, about 6,800 hours of flight time mainly in Hercules C-130 and about 3,000 hours in helicopters.

We operate an R 44 Raven II helicopter, widely considered a masterpiece of safety and reliability, and a superior training craft. Whether you want to fly for a profession or recreationally, to be a private pilot, instructor, or commercial pilot, or just want to add some Mountain Flight training, join us here at HeliTahoe.

My pricing structure is kept very simple:

Private Rotorcraft Helicopter and Helicopter rating add on: $21,000 to $25,000, Commercial Rotorcraft Helicopter: $55,000 to $65,000
Instructor Helicopter: $5,000 to $10,000

For Commercial add-ons, instrument training please contact me.

Although HeliTahoe does not offer financing, please contact Pilot Finance at www.pilotfinance.com for your financial needs.

Testimonials

Over the course of several years I have been lucky to meet Claudio and work with him in this industry. He is a great pilot and instructor but the thing that sets him apart to me is his passion and skill for training others- "I can hear it in his voice". I actually use this to help train my instructors to be the best CFI's they can be. Most flight schools spend a lot of time worrying about this or that and not taking the time to teach instructors how to actually "teach" in the cockpit and on the ground. It is a special skill and one that Claudio has mastered. Take the time to see for yourself what it is to be good as an instructor and visit Claudio and his operation. We feel so good about him that we actually send our students to learn Mountain flying from him when we are only an 1.5 hours away-
Chris-
Rating: 10

"Several students and I are just finishing our private training with Claudio at HeliTahoe. I can't praise him enough for the excellent job he does. Training first-rate and safe pilots is Claudio's first love and highest priority, even though he has thousands of hours and could choose other commercial pursuits. Claudio sets very high ethical standards--he is almost obsessive about using time efficiently (he is very proud that his students pass check rides with lower hours than the national averages), and has shunned any business model that depends on large up-front commitments that trap students. Claudio is demanding but patient, and very safety oriented (he is also the FAA safety representative for KTVL where he operates). The South Lake Tahoe R44-based training location provides mountain flying awareness and experience (every hour is considered mountain flying time)." --MountainFlyer

"I recently read the comments by 'Mountain Flyer' and I have to tell you that I absolutely agree! Claudio Bellotto is one of the best flight instructors I have ever had--and I am commercially rated in both fixed-wing and my love, helicopters! Some of the things I really liked about Claudio are his charming personality and sense of humor. He loves to teach and this is so obvious in the way he treats the student. He encourages the student each and every step of the way. One of my favorite things is that on one of our flights, he noticed I was a bit tired. He turned me right around and we went back. I have had other instructors who spent an entire hour making me repeat the maneuver even though I was not getting it that day. If nothing else, go and meet Claudio and see the airport. I am confident that you will be happy that you did!" --Roger

References are always available upon request, and calls or visits are welcome. Please click "Request More Info" to Contact us. We look forward to working with you!

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