Students and ops

Posted by Sabrina Valentine on 19 August 2010

When a potential student walks in the door at ATS Helicopters, the first person he/she meets is the Operations Manager (Ops Manager)

The dream of becoming a helicopter pilot realises when action is taken and the Ops Manager ensure that the potential student meets with the Manager of ATS Helicopters and thereafter with one of the Instructors to answer all the possible questions relating the training.

At the first booking, the Ops Manager introduces the student to all the different aspects of ATS Helicopters Training facility as well as to the instructors and other students.

The Ops Manager also hands out the heap of books and gadgets and maps that makes up the PPL Kit. The reaction is usually the same when I give out the kit: “Is this all for me?”. At this point the Ops Manager as well as the Instructor needs to reassure the student about their commitment to help and to support the training schedule.

The relationship between the student and Instructor, as well as the student and the Ops Manager begins.

The Instructor teaches the student the technical portion of the industry and the Ops Manager sitting at the front desk make sure that the bookings are made with the Instructor, the Student, the Helicopter and the Hangar Staff.

The Ops Manager is the link and the heart of the training school. She teaches and guides the student through the paperwork process of the medical, CAA application for the Student Pilot’s Licence (SPL) and gives the information regarding the online exams system.

By working as Ops Manager with ATS over the past years, I have learned to recognise the voice of every student over the phone and make sure to give personal assistance to the student. I think that this gives a peace of mind of that student. (When one of the other staff answers the phone, 99% the following question comes: Is Sabrina there?)

When the PPL training and the PPL test has been completed, I assist with teaching the students how to do a logbook summary for the application to the CAA. I reach a sense of achievement and contentment as I have taught the student the first steps of something they will remember and use throughout their flying career – THE LOGBOOK!

This part of a student’s training makes me smile because I know that without 1 person, the Ops Manager, the student would not have reached the point where he is now – the completion of his Private Pilot’s Lisence in Helicopter.

The Operational Manager is therefore a very important link in the chain of training.