AggieGunslinger said:
I have a 12-year-old son interested in possibly getting his private license. How do I go about finding a good school for him to take his discovery flight with?
We are in Tyler
I've got a gift certificate to do one in Longview, but haven't gone yet, so can't speak on the school.
I did do a helicopter discovery flight last year with TruFlight Academy outside of Sherman. It was an awesome experience. The instructor was a Blackhawk pilot in the Army an currently flies Lakotas for the National Guard. He was a CFI before joining the service as well.
My first time at the controls was lifting into a hover off the grass runway. I flew around the area some and did three take off and landing circuits. He did some low level flying and an autorotation. It was a blast! Would love to go back, but it's a three hour drive from Longview and I don't get that much free time.
They have Cabri G2 helicopters that are a much more modern and a safer design than the Robinsons most schools use.

TruFlight Academy