| BECOMING A HELICOPTER
PILOT |
|
| Learning to fly a helicopter
is an exciting and rewarding experience,
and one that is sure to change
your life in many ways. Whether
your intention is to become a
professional helicopter pilot
and pursue a career in aviation,
or to learn to fly and maybe own
your own aircraft, the process
is interesting, challenging and
fulfilling. Flying is a skill
you will treasure in the future
and an achievement that will bring
you great satisfaction. Whatever
your desires are, the journey
begins with obtaining a student
pilot certificate and a private
pilot rating. Let’s look at the
steps and process ahead of you. |
|
| Operations of an aircraft
within the USA are governed by
the Federal Aviation Administration
or better known as the FAA, which
is an agency controlled by the
DOT Department of Transportation.
If you are licensed to drive an
automobile, your license will
be issued by a particular state.
However, in case of pilot certificates,
they are issued by the federal
government. All regulations regarding
the certification of pilots are
contained within Part 61 of the
Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs).
Some general requirements that
you must meet in order to become
a pilot could be found at www.faa.gov or www.goaccess.gov. Some of
the requirements are as follows: |
|
- You must be at
least 16 years old for a student
pilot certificate and at least
17 years old to obtain a private
pilot certificate.
- You must be able
to speak, read, and understand
the English language.
|
| MEDICAL REQUIEREMENTS |
|
| You must also meet
certain medical requirements and
have in your possession evidence
of a medical examination. Medical
examinations in the US are given
by local doctors who have met
FAA certification and are FAA
medical examiners. Medical requirements
are found under (FARs) part 67.
There are three classes of medical
certificates and the standards
are different for each class.
The third class required for a
private pilot is the least restrictive
of the three, and is required
to be renewed every 36 months
and 24 months if over the age
of 40 years old. Generally all
three require you to be in good
physical health, with no uncorrectable
vision problems, no color blindness,
and no heart problems. Certain
health defects may be allowed
by the FAA under a special waiver.
In order to operate an aircraft
solo, with no one else aboard,
you must have a student pilot
certificate and at least a third
class medical certificate. This
student pilot certificate can
be issued as part of your medical
exam, and is valid for two years
.In order for solo flying it must
be signed by a certified flight
instructor CFI under certain conditions. |
|
| FLIGHT HOUR REQUIREMENTS |
|
| FAR part 61 also lists
the flight hours required in order
to meet the private pilot qualifications
and standards, these requirements
include. |
|
- A minimum of 40 hours of
flight time.
- Minimum 20 hours dual time
with a CFI.
- Minimum 10 hours solo time
to practice flying maneuvers
by yourself.
- Within the 40 hours the
following special requirements:
- 3 hours of instruction must
be completed within 60 days
of your check ride.
- 3 hours of night flight
training.
- 3 hours of solo cross country
time.
|
| NOTES OF CAUTION |
| |
| First, remember that
40 hours is a minimum requirement,
most students will need at least
some additional training. All
students are required to pass
a check ride with the FAA and
demonstrate proficiency in various
maneuvers. Your flight instructor
will not recommend you unless
he’s confident that you have the
necessary skill level. |
|
| Second, some FAA approved
flight training schools may quote
a reduced hour private, Instrument
and commercial program with fewer
hours. These programs do not guarantee
that you will receive a certificate
in less time, or even in the minimum
hours required. Remember that
the check ride skill level is
the final determining factor.
Also remember that is very important
to document carefully each flight
in your logbook and obtain all
the appropriate signatures and
endorsements from CFI and flight
school. Here at the training academy
we take times above the minimums
in order to meet an average length
of time, of hours per certificate. |
|
| AERONAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE |
|
| The FAA also requires
certain aeronautical knowledge
before you can rated as a pilot.
All applicants must pass an FAA
written test and present a test
report to the DPE examiner prior
to check ride in order to obtain
the desired rating. Here at the
training academy we have a full
CATS testing center certified
by the FAA. Ground instruction
will be in a classroom setting
with an approved instructor FAA
qualified who must sign your logbook
and verify that you have received
the proper training before you
can take the knowledge test, the
ground instruction includes: |
|
- Federal aviation Regulations
- Principles of aerodynamics
- Preflight action
- Safe and efficient Aircraft
Operations
- Weight and Balance
- Radio Communications and
Procedures
- Critical Weather Situations
- Navigation
- Airman Information Manual
- NTSB-FAA Accident Reporting
Procedures.
|
| GENERAL TRAINING
OVERVIEW AT THE ACADEMY |
|
| Here at the academy
we offer Fixed wing and Rotorcraft
training with a very professional
staff and a team of ground and
flight instructor with extensive
knowledge, with a proved track
record of teaching to the highest
standards of the industry and
highly experienced pilots .We
consider the FAA to be our guide
line but we take our training
and teaching methods well beyond
the basics to offer our cadets
a complete training package. Each
cadet is different so we allow
flexibility in our schedule to
accommodate changes when need
it by a specific individual. |
|
| We provide the cadets
with a new sate of the art, well
maintain facility in order for
them to have a thorough understanding
of flight principles, and to prepare
the cadet pilot to pass the FAA
test. The aircraft system training
provides all necessary knowledge
to the safe operation of aircraft
and to complete specific check
ride. |
|
| Every effort is made
to maximize the training benefit
in the aircraft by introducing
new maneuvers and allowing time
for cadets to practice each flight
block period. Which at the beginning
could be between an hour and haft
or two hours late during training
could be as much as three hours,
remember that instruction is complex
and sometimes very stressful;
time in the cockpit could be challenging
and exhausting. |
|
| In the first 20-25
hours of training, the instructor
will concentrate on basic flying
skills such as climb, descents,
turns etc. The cadet is introduced
to takeoffs, landings and hovering
flight as well. All this maneuvers
have to be mastered as training
goes forward. As general rule
the first solo flight comes around
20-30 hours of flight time but
this may vary per individual cadet.
The first solo is a milestone
for any pilot and worthy of celebration.
In the remaining of training the
instructor will concentrate on
more advance skills, such as emergency
procedures, navigation, and cross
country flying, operations of
helicopters off airports etc.
Moving forward to more advance
training during Instrument and
Commercial stages and building
time in order to meet the minimum
time and experience required to
obtain the Commercial Helicopter
Rating and Turbine Transition
aboard more complex aircrafts
such as the Bell Ranger 206B. |
|
| If you are considering
a career in the aviation industry
and helicopters to be more specific,
We offer a complete package to
an aspiring individual like yourself
on Private ,Instrument, Commercial
,Initial and Add on to Commercial
Fix wing Pilots and also Turbine
transition .Our training is based
with a fleet of Robinson R 22-R44,
Schweizer 300C, Bell 206B Helicopters. |
|
| Due to the operating
characteristics of the helicopter,
its ability to takeoff and land
vertically, and to hover for extended
periods of time, as well as the
aircraft's handling properties
under low airspeed conditions
it has been chosen to conduct
tasks that were previously not
possible with other aircraft,
or were time or work intensive
to accomplish on the ground. Today,
helicopter uses include transportation,
construction, firefighting, search
and rescue, and military uses. |
|
- Aerial photography
- Motion picture photography
- Electronic news gathering
- Search and Rescue
- Tourism or recreation
- Transport
|
| As expensive and time
consuming training may be, a career
in aviation can be rewarding and
fulfilling, remember investing
in your future is always smart.
Good Luck! |
