I am looking for some advice. What would be the better way
of becoming a Helicopter pilot? Would it be better to train on
a fixed wing aircraft or go straight to training with Helicopters?
I have no piloting experience yet and am eager to get started.
And also which would be cheaper?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Blt2pls
I am not an avionics expert, nor have I ever actually flown anything. That said, I’ve heard that helicopters are quite a bit more difficult to fly than fixed-wing aircraft. As such, helicopter training will most likely be quite a bit more expensive.
My vote? Fixed-wing.
And welcome to the boards!
No expert here either, but I have enjoyed a few lessons in fixed wing aircraft. Based on my research, the FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight training for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Realistically, most student pilots average 50 hours before they take the FAA flight test. Depending on the region, helicopter training can cost twice as much as fixed-wing training. So, you could be looking at up to $10-12000 for a helicopter Private Pilot license. As far as which would be better, I don’t know. Most flight schools offer an introductory ‘try-out’ flight lesson at a very reasonable rate where you get to experience brief instruction and some hands-on time with the aircraft. Try both, talk to some folks, and see which fits you and your goals better.
Good luck and have fun!
Not much to add but -
Seems odd to learn on a fixed wing and then switch. Learn the theory at ground school. Buy a decent PC Flight Sim to learn VFR flying and instrument flying theory and then start lessons on helos.
Thanks LtningBug It will be fun and costly
I am a pilot. I flew professionally for 26 years. (fixed wing) My advice is to go into the military and fly. If you can’t do that, don’t bother. Reason being, aviation is a very unforgiving career in that you will be subject to seniority rules and the swings of the economy will dictate whether or not you will have to change airlines or corporations and begin anew at the bottom of the seniority list. I knew Eastern Airlines Pilots that had 15 years of seniority when the line folded and they had to start over with another line if they were fortunate enough to even find a slot with anyone. Helicopter outfits work the same way.
There are many av careers other than the airlines of course but often the av dept. is the first to go when times get bad. If I had it to do all over again I would have stayed in the military and retired and then gone and flew with someone if I wanted to.
Keep in mind that you will subject to a medical every six months (first class), yearly for second class. If something pops up or you have a test done that comes back bad…goodbye career.
Sorry, that’s the way I’ve seen it go down, time after time.
Cross train. Get a professional degree if you don’t already have one. Be ready to have to get out of aviation in a heartbeat, through no fault of your own.
It is not a career that guarantees rewards. But flying is one of if not the most rewarding skills you’ll ever aquire. Maybe fly for a hobby if you can afford it?
I am a pilot and speaking from experience in New Zealand, so although I imagine most things are fairly similar, ultimately your milage may vary!
First up, do you want to fly privately or do it for a job?
If you want to do it commercially you may find that, due to being able to cross-credit a lot of fixed-wing time, you could get a commercial fixed wing and a commercial helicopter licence for about the same price as if you’d just done the helicopter only (or even cheaper). However, if you have a CPL(H) but you only have 50-100 hours of helicopter experience then it is highly unlikely that anyone would want to employ you. People who have done the full 200 hour commercial helicopter licence still find themselves barely employable if at all. So basically there is little point doing a fixed-wing licence just so you can get a cheaper helicopter licence.
If you are only interested in doing it privately then it may be worth considering doing a fixed-wing licence first. I’m not sure exactly how much you can cross-credit and I suspect that most of the PPL stuff is not open for cross-crediting as it is mainly aircraft handling lessons and helicopters are very diferent animals from fixed-wings.
Ultimately you need to go down to your nearest flying school and talk it over with them.
Don’t listen too much to bird on a wire about not bothering if you can’t join the military, there are plenty of civilian pilots around who’ve never been through the military and are doing just fine. Sure it’s not the most secure of career moves but flying is generally something that you just want to do and if you want it badly enough then you will achieve it.
Fundamental Q:
Are you looking to get paid for flying, or to pay to fly?
Know that rotorcraft and fixed wing aircraft pretty much handle exactly BACKWARDS of each other - look for posts by Johnny L.A. (or whatever his name is) on the subject
Have to agree the first step is to ask yourself why you’re doing this flying thing.
Do you want a career? Or do you want to do this for your own amusement? You have to answer that first before anything else.
Almost all helo pilots I’ve known also fly fixed wing. They’ll also tell you rotor craft and fixed wing are two different animals.
IF you just want to fly rotors - and that’s all - start training in rotorcraft. The habits you’d acquire by flying fixed wing will only work against you in rotorcraft. If you later decide to fly fixed wing you can always go back and learn them, too.
The reality is, helicopters cost 2-3 times what fixed wing aircraft do. That applies to flight training, renting them, buying them, and maintaining them. Shop around for a flight school if you can (there are fewer rotor schools than fixed wing, so depending on your area choices may be very limited). Make sure you have the money to complete your license - on again off again flight training is not only frustrating, it will increase your costs.
Although the FAA requires only 40 hours for a private license currently people are averaging 60-80 to get their training done. In other words, don’t expect to finish in minimum time.
I’m not sure how much help a PC flight simulator would be to a wannabe chopper pilot - most are geared to fixed wing flying. You might ask some helicoptor pilots about rotorcraft sims.
And sooner or later Johnny LA will be along to comment - he flies both fixed wing and rotorcraft (like I said, most of them do) and can give you much more authoritative advice than I can.
As for bird on a wire’s comment about fly through the military or don’t bother - phooey! About 60-70% of current professional pilots in the US have never been in the military, at least as far as flying goes (I’ve met several who were military in other capacities) so obviously military time is not a requirement. (Although it can certainly be an asset). Yes, it’s an unforgiving profession at times - but if it’s what you want to do go for it (just have a backup plan in case it doesn’t work out). It’s probably less dicey that starting a career as an actor or musician.
Got a friend who took helo training as a career change. It’s true, after he got his commercial license he still wasn’t employable due to lack of total rotorcraft hours - so went went out and paid to fly, flew jobs that paid very little, and basically busted his butt until he had the necessary hours and experience to get a real job flying helicoptors. It’s called paying your dues. Yes, it was hard. He feels it was worth it because he is finally doing what he wants to do. He also now owns his own helicoptor.
So… how bad do you want it? Because that’s one of the biggest factors in whether or not you get it.
And if you just want to do it for fun - that’s OK, too. My local airfield has a guy who owns and flies an R-22 for his own amusement and has no desire to fly for money. When he says he’s leaving on a cross country he means it - he’s been from Indiana to the Pacific Ocean and back at least twice in it.
Here are some threads relating to helicopters that I found on the Boards.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Enjoy!!
Once again, I’m late to the party.
It’s been pointed out that the FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours for either fixed-wing or helicopters, and that most people average 50+ hours. If you get one rating and then want to get the other, the FAA requires an additional 30 hours for the add-on.
As *Broomstick said, you can pick up “wrong habits” in one type that will hinder you in the other type. For example, I spent several lessons trying to land a helicopter the same way I did an airplane. While many maneuvers are similar in fixed-wings and helis, some maneuvers are not. If you pick up habits, they may come back to bite you later. Another example: If you’re nose-high in an airplane, you just push the nose over. If you do that in a helicopter you can unload the rotor disc (i.e., cause a negative-g situation). This may result in a mast-bumping incident that could damage the mast or even cause the rotors to depart the aircraft. So no negative-g in a helicopter with a semi-ridid rotor system.
Is a helicopter harder to fly than a fixed-wing? A properly-trimmed fixed wing (given enough space, of course) can take off, fly until it runs out of fuel, and land all by itself. This is because most fixed-wing aircraft have “positive stability”. That is, if the aircraft is upset it will return to its original situation. Helicopters have “negative stability”, which means that they are inherently unstable. In order to fly a helicopter, the pilot has to make constant, minute control inputs. Very quickly this becomes a subconscious thing. You “fly a helicopter by not flying it”; that is, it’s easier to make the inputs if you’re not thinking about making the inputs.
That makes it sound as if helicopters are indeed more difficult to fly. But I think they’re just different. An airplane may fly on its own, but its inherent stability makes it feel a bit heavy. It’s so much easier to flick a light helicopter around with the tiniest movment of the cyclic! I think it’s easier to land a helicopter, too. Crosswind? No problem. There’s no roll-out, so you don’t have to worry about gusts lifting a wind. Just fly your pattern and land. The rotor system does not particularly care which way the nose is pointing.
Helicopters certainly are more expensive than fixed-wing. A Robinson R-22 rents for about $175/hour. It carries two people at a most-efficient cruise speed of 84 knots, but has extremely limited stowage. A Cessna 172 might rent for $75/hour. It carries four people (within weight and balance limits) at 120 knots (on virtually the same Lycoming O-320 engine), plus has room for some luggage. So a 172 goes 50% faster and costs less than half as much to rent.
Here are some useful links:
GA Serving America
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
Be a Pilot ($49 into lesson)
Sporty’s Pilot Shop