# Aspiring helicopter pilot
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aspiring-helicopter-pilot/179318
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 3, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aspiring-helicopter-pilot/179318 "2003-06-03T05:23:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Blt2pls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blt2pls)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2003, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aspiring-helicopter-pilot/179318/1 "2003-06-03T05:23:58Z")
I am looking at going from no piloting experience to owning my own helicopter and being a pilot for hire. I’ve heard 2 conflicting things. 1) I have been advised to obtain a fixed wing certificate first, since learning to fly a helicopter is much more expensive, in order to get the majority of my flying hours in at a lower rate. 2) I have been told to go directly to helicopter training since i would end up spending more time/money doing it the first way. Which is true? Also, if gliding is the only flight training i can afford right now, would it benefit my helicopter training or be a waste of time?
I,m itching to fly and would rather start gliding than not fly at all.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Blt2pls
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### Author:  [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aspiring-helicopter-pilot/179318/2 "2003-06-03T13:42:22Z")
Your [other thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188191) covers essentially the same territory, so I’ll close this thread and let you ask the gliding question in the other thread.
bibliophage
moderator GQ