Oregon-based Hillsboro Aero Academy (HAA) has partnered with RotorSky in Austria to offer professional helicopter training in accordance with EASA regulations, making it the only U.S. flight school to offer joint FAA/EASA training under the F-1 visa.

Under the program whose curriculum was developed between the two schools, rotorcraft students complete FAA and EASA training on parallel tracks, which combined with lower per-hour U.S.-based flight training costs of between 30 and 40 percent make the program more attractive to European students. The EASA curriculum also strengthens HAA’s career partnership with ADAC Air Rescue of Germany.

“This partnership represents a new chapter in the capabilities of our helicopter school,” said HAA CEO Natalia Cimpean. “Our program was already well-known to European students because of its global reputation and the ideal training conditions of the Pacific Northwest. But EASA certification makes us the undeniable first choice for those students.”

RotorSky CEO Christian Gruber said the partnership is a result of the two schools’ shared values. “We're both committed to safety, the quality of the training, and, above all, to mentoring students to pursue a rewarding career after the training ends,” he said.