subject: Make Your Dreams Come True By Taking Helicopter Lessons [print this page] Ever desired to become a helicopter pilot? It's possible by attending a helicopter flight school. The demand for trained helicopter pilots is increasing everyday. There are successful flight careers to be had all over the world. You can even find exciting career choices for pilots who would like to stay near home. Now is a great time to go into the field with lots of veteran pilots retiring and helicopter use increasing.
Most helicopter efforts are exciting, adventurous as well as dangerous. One of the most dangerous jobs in the US is as an emergency medical helicopter pilot according to air-crash investigators. Another dangerous chopper job could be the helicopter linemen who work on power lines from a helicopter. Then there is the chopper pilot who trims trees around power lines using a giant chainsaw.
Flight instruction with an FAA Certificated helicopter flight school is the first step to acquiring a helicopter pilot's license. Typically the student is at least age 16 while some schools require he be 18 years of age. Plus he has to pass a third class health check. An FAA medical is required of all pilots and student pilots. The class 3 medical certifications are for non-commercial pilots only, because they possess the least stringent requirements.
Class 3 medical exams measure distance vision (corrective lenses are OK), color vision, hearing, blood pressure and may include an electro-cardiogram. Disqualifying conditions could include diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, epilepsy and lots of others. The category 2 medical exams are for non-airline commercial pilots and can include jobs like crop dusters and charter pilots. Class 1 exams are needed of pilots of scheduled airliners.
A helicopter flight school typically is composed of ground school instruction and flight training. Ground school instructs students in the principles of flight such as how wings generate lift. Other topics include meteorology or weather factors and also the kind of climate conditions you shouldn't fly in. Regulations, navigation, air traffic control systems and radio communications may also be covered. You need to pass the FAA knowledge test to proceed further in your training.
Some students go ahead and take ground school courses at the same time they go to the flight school. You will have a Chief Flight instructor (CFI) to determine the completion of each training level during flight training. You may start with basic helicopter maneuvers and emergency procedures. Later high performance maneuvers and landings are taught. Finally cross-country flights include VOR/ADF tracking procedures, dead reckoning navigation and pre-flight planning.
The instructor in a helicopter flight school determines when a student is fully prepared to take both the flight and written exams that are given by the FAA inspectors. In the event the student completes both elements of the test successfully, he or she earns a private pilot's license. The private pilot can fly passengers for free, not for hire.
The private pilot then might take advanced instruction involving such things as flying on instruments to be eligible for a a commercial pilot's license. The commercial pilot can fly for hire. Actually, further study could earn the pilot the Air Transport Rating which qualifies him as a possible airline pilot!
