Helicopter Pilot Training | Helicopter Pilot Courses | Helicopter Flying School | Townsville Helicopter Services
Home PILOT TRAINING Instructors
Send this page to a friend   Sitemap   Bookmark this Page   Print Page  

Instructors

CHIEF FLYING INSTRUCTOR - NIK McMANUS

GRADE 2 INSTRUCTOR - DICK ARNOLD

NIK McMANUS

Nik is Townsville helicopter’s inaugural Chief Flight Instructor.  He has over 13 years of commercial aviation experience in New Zealand and Australia with an extensive background in helicopter pilot training and is endorsed on several aircraft types including R22, R44, H269, EN28, Bell 47, Bell 206 and Bell 407

Nik is proficient in a variety of commercial operations and has worked for several different companies in the Sydney and Gold Coast areas. After 4 years with one company, combined with a passion and dedication to training student pilots, he moved into the role as Chief Flight Instructor/ Senior Pilot for that company.  He then had an opportunity to move to QLD closer to his family, and was appointed Chief Flight Instructor of a Sydney based company, for which he ran a secondary training and charter base at the Gold Coast.

Now, with a young family, Nik has taken the opportunity to move to Townsville and help establish a training school within a family orientated community and great tropical climate.

Nik’s previous experience as a CFI had made for an easy transition into Townsville Helicopters and is very capable of directing the helicopter training operations at the company. He will be working closely with the other instructors to pass on their extensive experience to new and upcoming students.  Nik believes Townsville Helicopters will give prospective students the best start to their career due to the variety of work undertaken by Townsville Helicopters.

DICK ARNOLD

Dick has been flying helicopters for over 20 years. During this time he has accummulated over 12,500 hours in command of helicopters. He is endorsed in a variety of aircraft including the following

  • Bell 47
  • R22
  • H269
  • R44
  • Bell 206 and Bell 206L
  • Bell 407
  • Bell 204/205
  • AS350 BA, B2, B3, FX
  • H500

His career has included 11 years mustering in the Cloncurry/Gulf region and 6 years permanent flying in Canada.  He has flown in almost all VFR operations including:

  •  Wildlife surveys
  • Precision longline and sling work
  • Film and photography
  • Tranquilizer darting of Bears
  • Geophysical Survey/ Bird Towing
  • Aerial fire suppression both in Australia and Canada