Adirondack Hour-Builder Package
100 hours of commercial helicopter time, four months of room and board, full ground school, and the FAA-EASA logbook documentation you need to bring it all home.
🇳🇱 Nederland 🇩🇪 Deutschland 🇸🇪 Sverige 🇩🇰 Danmark 🇳🇴 Norge 🇫🇮 Suomi
The Adirondack Hour-Builder
100 hours of Robinson R-44 II pilot-in-command time, six weeks of room and board, and the FAA-EASA logbook documentation your home authority expects for conversion.
Bored of the flatlands? Come fly the Adirondacks.
Block time in our Robinson R-44 with a CFII beside you — mountains, lakes, real weather and real decision-making. From $650/hr Hobbs in 5, 10, 25 and 50-hour blocks. On-site housing available at Harris Airport (83K) so you can fly two or three sessions a day and go home current, confident and with hours that mean something.
- 80 hrs solo PIC in our R-44 II
- 20 hrs dual with Walter (CFII-H)
- 15 hrs ground school
- FAA §61.75 paperwork support
- Private housing & breakfast included
- KALB pickup & drop-off
- TSA FTSP (flight-training security) processing assistance
- EASA-credit logbook conversion package + sealed completion letter
Want to add an FAA rating? Some visiting pilots also pursue an FAA Instrument Rating or Commercial Pilot certificate during their stay. Those add-ons involve additional flight training, TSA clearance, and visa considerations that we tailor to each pilot — so we handle them privately rather than as an off-the-shelf package. Mention it when you write and we'll build a plan around your goals.
Full program packet — pricing, the aircraft & base, living quarters, and how it works — plus the new value addendum: included cross-country flights (Boston, NYC/Newark, Burlington, Albany & more) and a West Coast excursion to Rogue Aviation for advanced autorotations, high-altitude training, and a tour of the Robinson factory.
Why fly your hours in the Adirondacks
European Commercial Pilot–Helicopter (CPL-H) hour-building is one of the most expensive ways to advance an aviation career. In the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia, an R-44 hour with EASA documentation runs €1,000 to €1,300 with hangar, fuel, taxes, and instructor administration costs baked in. By the time you've built 250 hours of pilot-in-command time, you're often €200,000+ deep in costs, and you've spent two years working part-time around weather and instructor availability.
NCHF offers a different path. The same 100 hours, in the same R-44 II, with American instructional rates, room and board included, four months of full immersion, and end-of-program FAA logbook documentation in the format your home aviation authority expects for conversion. You go home with the hours, the experience, and a story your future employer cares about — flying mountains, lakes, and weather you can't find at most US flight schools.
Cost comparison — NCHF vs the EASA path
| Item | EASA in-country path (Netherlands / Germany) | NCHF Hour-Builder (Adirondack) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Hobbs hours, R-44 II | ~€110,000 | $69,000 |
| Ground instruction (15 hr) | ~€2,500 | Included |
| Housing for duration | Pilot pays separately (~€2,200/mo × 1.5 = €3,300) | Included (private room + utilities, breakfast) |
| Charts, books, ForeFlight | ~€800 | Included |
| Airport transfers + grocery runs | Pilot arranges | Included |
| EASA logbook conversion review | ~€500 | Included |
| Total | ~€117,100 (~$127,000) | $69,000 introductory (reg. $75,000) |
Exchange rates approximate. EASA program costs vary by country and school; figures above reflect typical 2026 R-44 II rates at established schools in the Randstad and around Frankfurt. FAA Commercial and Instrument rating add-ons are available on request and quoted individually.
What's included with every tier
Included in the Hour-Builder package. Optional FAA rating add-ons are quoted separately.
🚁 100 Hobbs hours in N668SA
Our Robinson R-44 II (Raven II). 80 hours solo PIC + 20 hours dual with Walter, all logged for EASA hour-credit. The aircraft sleeps on the airfield; you fly when the weather allows, not when an instructor is free.
📚 15 hours ground school
R-44 II systems deep-dive, US airspace and FARs, weather framework for the Adirondacks, weight-and-balance, autorotation theory, FAA-EASA logbook reconciliation. In English, Dutch, or German.
🏠 On-airfield housing, 6 weeks
Private bedroom at Hangar 83K or at the Chief Instructor's residence (5 min away). Utilities, Wi-Fi, kitchen, laundry, weekly cleaning. Wake up to a Robinson being preflighted; walk 50 feet to morning brief.
🥣 Breakfast included
High-protein pre-flight breakfast every training day. Coffee strong enough to taste twice. You focus on the flying; we handle the morning.
🚐 KALB pickup & drop-off
Airport pickup at Albany International (KALB) on arrival, return drop-off at end of program. No rental car needed — everything you need to fly, eat, and sleep is on the airfield or within walking distance.
🪪 FAA §61.75 paperwork support
We walk you through Form 8060-71 in IACRA, coordinate with your home CAA for license verification, and introduce you to a DPE who can issue your FAA Private Pilot Certificate Based on Foreign License before you ever board the plane.
🛂 TSA FTSP coordination
Walter is our designated Security Coordinator. He notifies the TSA Flight Training Security Program portal of each dual-training event; you pay the one-time security-assessment fee (~$140) and submit fingerprints. A positive determination is valid for five years. Approval typically in 5–10 business days.
🛡️ Renter's insurance broker intro
You'll carry your own $1M renter's policy with NCHF named as additional insured. We introduce you to AOPA Insurance Services, Avemco, or Travers Aviation — all of which issue to foreign nationals for short-term US operation.
📝 EASA-credit logbook docs
End-of-program logbook review with Walter, sealed completion letter on NCHF letterhead, country-specific guidance for CAA-NL, LBA, Transportstyrelsen, Trafikstyrelsen, Luftfartstilsynet, and Traficom.
The legal stack — skip the M-1 headache
What we built this program around: you already hold an EASA PPL(H) (or other ICAO-state PPL). You are not a US flight-training student — you are a licensed pilot renting an aircraft and flying yourself. That single fact changes the legal stack and lets us bypass the M-1 student-visa complexity other US schools force on Europeans.
1 · Your FAA Certificate Based on Foreign License (14 CFR §61.75)
Before you arrive, you apply to the FAA for a Private Pilot Certificate Based on Foreign License under 14 CFR §61.75. This is a one-page application (FAA Form 8060-71) filed through IACRA. The FAA verifies your EASA license with your home authority (CAA-NL, LBA, Luftfartstilsynet, etc.) — verification takes 60–90 days, which is why we recommend starting as soon as you place your deposit. Once the Letter of Verification is in hand, any FAA Designated Pilot Examiner or Aviation Safety Inspector can issue your §61.75 certificate (no flight check required). We walk you through the entire process and can introduce you to a DPE in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, or London who can issue it before you board the plane. Note: a §61.75 certificate carries instrument privileges only if your foreign license already holds an instrument rating and you pass the FAA instrument knowledge test; a from-scratch FAA Instrument Rating (available as a private add-on) is full flight training under FTSP.
2 · Your visa — ESTA or B-1/B-2 (no M-1 needed)
Citizens of the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland, and most other EU countries enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) — apply online at esta.cbp.dhs.gov, $21 fee, approval in minutes. Valid for 90-day stays. Citizens of other countries apply for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa ($185) at the nearest US embassy. Solo rental PIC flying with an FAA §61.75 certificate is not "flight training" under the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual — it is exercising the privileges of your existing license, with no weekly hour cap and no TSA requirement. The 18-hour-per-week limit applies only to the dual instruction portion of your program: any flight training (your checkout, plus any FAA rating add-on you arrange with us) must stay under 18 hours per week to remain "incidental" to a visitor entry — above that threshold it becomes a course of study requiring an M-1 student visa. Because the Hour-Builder is overwhelmingly solo PIC time with only a short checkout, you stay comfortably inside the visitor rules. NCHF is not SEVP-certified to issue M-1 paperwork, and for the Hour-Builder you do not need it. We provide an invitation letter on NCHF letterhead documenting the rental arrangement, housing, and return travel date to support your CBP interview at port of entry.
3 · TSA Flight Training Security Program (FTSP)
Any dual instruction — your checkout flight, and any FAA rating add-on you arrange with us — is flight training, so under 49 CFR Part 1552 it requires clearance through the TSA Flight Training Security Program (FTSP, the program that replaced the former Alien Flight Student Program under TSA's 2024 final rule). Walter is our designated Security Coordinator and notifies TSA, through the FTSP portal (fts.tsa.dhs.gov), of each training event that substantially enhances your skills — regardless of whether it leads to a certificate. You complete a one-time security threat assessment: pay the published fee (currently about $140, or roughly $125 if you hold a prior TSA assessment), and submit fingerprints via the Universal Enroll system in your home country or in the US. A positive determination is valid for five years, so you do not re-apply for each lesson. TSA approval typically issues in 5–10 business days. Solo rental PIC flying needs no FTSP clearance — with no US instructor aboard, it is not flight training.
4 · Renter's aviation insurance ($1M minimum)
You carry a non-owned aircraft / renter's policy in your own name with $1,000,000 combined-single-limit liability plus hull-damage liability matching NCHF's hull-policy deductible, with NCHF named as additional insured. AOPA Insurance Services, Avemco Renter's Coverage, and Travers Aviation issue these policies to foreign nationals operating short-term in the US; we help with the application. Most European underwriters can also extend a renter's policy for short-term US use — check your home broker first.
Language
Ground school can be conducted in English, Dutch, or German — your preference. Walter is Dutch-born; his English is native-level for instruction, and his Dutch is your mother tongue if you'd rather. All paperwork (FAA, TSA, insurance) is in English; we walk you through it. Aviation English is the ICAO standard and you'll be using it with US air-traffic control regardless.
Getting here
Fly into Albany International (KALB), where direct flights from Amsterdam (KLM via JFK or BOS), Frankfurt (Lufthansa via JFK), and most major European hubs connect in under 12 hours. We pick you up at KALB and have you in your room at Harris Airport (83K) within 50 minutes. Average daytime temperature: 16°C / 60°F (April–May), 18°C / 65°F (September–October). Pack as you would for a fall in Bavaria.
FAA-to-EASA logbook conversion
Your home aviation authority is the gatekeeper. Each one accepts FAA-logged hours under slightly different rules. Here's what to know:
| Country | Authority | Key conversion notes |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | CAA-NL | Accepts FAA logbook for EASA Part-FCL hour credit. Bring sealed end-of-program letter from NCHF. |
| Germany | LBA | Accepts FAA logbook with documented signatures. May require translated narrative of training events. |
| Sweden | Transportstyrelsen | Accepts FAA logbook for hour credit. Requires NCHF letter on letterhead with signature and CFI certificate number. |
| Denmark | Trafikstyrelsen | Same as Sweden. Trafikstyrelsen is generally pragmatic about US-built hours. |
| Norway | Luftfartstilsynet | Requires sealed letter and standard EASA Form FCL. |
| Finland | Traficom | Standard EASA hour-credit acceptance; minimal additional documentation required. |
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check with your authority before you book if you have unusual circumstances.
How to apply
Send a short note to hour-builder@flyheliadk.com with:
- Your country of citizenship and current European license type (CPL-H, PPL-H, etc.)
- Your current total helicopter hours
- Your target start date (or "September Start cohort")
- Any specific concerns — TSA FTSP timing, dietary requirements, etc.
We respond within 24 hours, send the package PDF and cost-breakdown spreadsheet, and offer a 30-minute video call with Walter to answer questions. If you decide to proceed, a 35% enrollment deposit holds your cohort seat ($24,150 on the $69,000 introductory rate). Balance due at the 50-hour and 75-hour milestones.
Questions about the training plan, weather, instructor experience, or how a typical day unfolds? Walter is a Dutch-born CFII flying the Adirondacks. Email him directly at training@flyheliadk.com and you'll get an answer from the pilot, not the marketing team.