How long does it take to complete a helicopter pilot program?

Question

Furthermore, do they make helicopters large enough for a pilot that is 6'2" and 300 Lbs?

Answer 1

Im 6' 3" but not even close to 300# so height isn't a problem. Some smaller helicopters have a max load capacity of a little over 400# though so you'll need to find a tiny instructor. I'm afraid the only program I'm familiar with is the army which was a little over ten months long. One of the civilian guys here will be of more help I hope. Good luck.

Answer 2

Wow Apollo, you always write the longest answers Ive ever seen. What would you do without cut and paste, your fingers would get tired..

The only extra info I can offer you is that while training, in a 300c as mentioned above, I was 6'2" and 270 at my heaviest. Weight and balance at this stage is not a problem if your instructor is light, about the 170 mark.

You do want to get rid of as much weight as you can though. Pilot training is a big commitment so why not couple that with some physical fitness? Walking for an hour a day 6 days a week and you will be down to 220 before you finish your training.

Where you will run into problems is once youve finished training and spend a year or so as an instructor, as almost everyone does to get the hours required. You will be limited to only the smaller students and it will take longer to get a real job if you dont get rid of some weight.

Good luck.

Answer 3

The largest guy I flew with in a Schweizer 300C was 6'1 and 270. I think you will be fine, but you won't be able to train in a Robinson 22 helicopter. Many schools use that model because of the low cost. You will need to find a school that uses a Schweizer, preferably a C model. I'm not sure about the weight and balance of Enstroms or Bell 47's, but they may work too. If you go into the military, they use turbine aircraft that can carry more weight for primary training.

It may be to your advantage to shed a few pounds, especially early in your career. If two guys with equal experience apply for a job, the lighter candidate would get it because that is extra fuel, passengers, or cargo you can carry, or a heavier student you can train as an instructor. Don't worry about it too much, though, it's just one factor among many.

Requirements (Civilian, US):

You will undergo flight and ground training, a flight physical, written tests, and practical tests. You can train at one of the many helicopter flight schools throughout the country. A private helicopter license takes 40 hours minimum flight time, and a commercial license takes 150 hours minimum. An instrument rating requires 40 hours. The most efficient way is to complete this rating while working on your commercial. The average student is often able to finish private, instrument, and commercial ratings within the 150 hours, assuming consistent training.

With a commercial certificate and 150 hours, few, if any, employers will hire you due to your lack of experience. Most people therefore get a flight instructor certificate as well. Instructing will usually be your first job until you have about 1000 hours of flight time. Then, you can move on to flying offshore or tours. Schools do often hire their own graduates and help with job placement, but there are never any guarantees. Flight schools are a great place to make industry connections, but do not assume that there will be a job waiting for you when you finish training.

Duration:

How long it will take depends on how frequently you fly, and what your ultimate goals are. I've seen some people complete all of their ratings (private, instrument, commercial, CFI, CFII) in as little as 8 months. I have also seen others take several years just to get their private.

How often you fly will depend on three things: your schedule, the flight school's schedule, and the availability of funds. Any one of those may cause you to get stuck, and to take longer. Do some research, and plan ahead carefully to minimize delays created by any of these.

Once you start instructing, you might be able to get 1000 hours in 12-18 months at an average school.

Costs:

Flight time is the bulk of the expense. If your average instruction rate is $250/hr., then 150 hours will cost $37,500. Your books, supplies, written tests, CFI/CFII (flight instructor) training, etc. will be in addition to that. Furthermore, many flight schools will require some minimum experience before they hire you as an instructor, between 200 and 300 hours. Some or all of the additional time may come out of your pocket as well. $250 x 200 = $50,000 + some of the expenses mentioned above.

To find a helicopter school near you, you can refer to these websites:

http://www.sacusa.com/1directory/states....

http://www.verticalreference.com/helicop...

Choosing a Flight School:

There is no one best school out there. There are many good ones, and there are some bad ones. It will be up to you to find out if the school is good or bad, and you should do A LOT of homework before starting. Please avoid the schools that make grand promises about being a helicopter pilot and then require full payment up front for their program. Here are some other things to consider:

- There are many schools that allow you to pay as you go.

- Make sure the school will have enough aircraft and instructor availability to meet your needs. You don't want your training to take longer because you are unable to fly as often as you like.

- Many schools hire their own graduates, but do not assume that you will automatically get a job with them after graduating. There may not be enough positions available to accommodate all graduates.

- Delays will always cause you to spend more money, but try to find a school that will not penalize you for taking a break from flying, or for failing to complete the training for some reason. You never know what is going to happen, don't let yourself get stuck.

- With regard to safety, you can always check if the school you plan to attend has any accident records. Go to the NTSB website, and do a search with the name of the school, and see what comes up.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp

- CAVEAT EMPTOR, when looking at ANY flight school. You're making a huge investment in time, effort, and money. Give this decision the careful consideration and research it deserves.

On Training Aircraft:

The two main civilian training aircraft are the Robinson 22 and the Schweizer 300. Investigate the differences between the two, as there are pros and cons to each. Some people prefer one or the other. I personally prefer the Schweizer. Be sure to look a step ahead and consider the types of flight instructor positions available for someone with experience each one. Once you get to 1000 hours or so and start looking for a "real" pilot position, which one you flew becomes much less significant. Also, you can always consider getting some experience in both during your training.

Civilian or Military:

You will also no doubt also get this answer from someone: "Join the army, it's free", like it's the easiest thing in the world. The military is an AWESOME option for many people, just don't assume that it will be easy. It is not 'free', but they do pay for your training. Not everyone who joins the military automatically becomes a pilot, so find out about that first. Civilian or military, you will be making a huge commitment and it will take a great effort to finish. Understand fully every aspect of what you are getting into before you start.

If you do take the military route, you can convert your experience to civilian pilot certificates when you finish your required duty.

Flying Airplanes:

Some people make the argument that you should fly airplanes first to save money. They assume this to be true rather than actually tallying the costs to see if it holds true. They are basing this on the assumption that you will finish your helicopter add-ons in the minimum time. Also, they often forget that a commercial helicopter license only requires 150, not 250 hours. In my opinion, if you really want to fly helicopters, then fly helicopters.

Spend some time on the following helicopter websites. They have a lot of information, as well as discussion forums and flight school listings:

http://www.verticalreference.com/

http://www.justhelicopters.com/

This is another great site:

http://www.helicopterflight.net/

Aviation is an awesome and rewarding career, but you can get burned if just dive in head first. Talk to pilots, research schools, get information from several different sources, figure the costs, and go into it fully prepared and knowledgeable about every possible path towards your goals. Don't start until you can prove to yourself that the path you have selected is the right one.

Good luck!