Learning to fly helicopters will
be one of the most rewarding and
satisfying experiences ever. It
will become addictive,
rewarding, challenging and fun.
It is not difficult, but it does
take some getting used to, as
you will be learning a new skill
like learning to ride a bike.
You will probably feel
frustrated at some point in the
course; at other times you will
be on cloud nine with what you
have achieved. You will
almost certainly enjoy the
flying the most, but do not neglect
the ground school which is there
to give you essential knowledge.
The
first step in learning to fly is
known as the Helicopter Private
Pilots Licence, otherwise know as
the PPL (H). It is the
basic licence that allows a
person to fly helicopters for
his or her own pleasure.
The
Course is set out by the CAA
(Civil Aviation Authority) as a
minimum training course to which
all training schools must
adhere. This is now
becoming the same licence
throughout Europe so you may use
it equally in other countries.
The requirements are:
Minimum age of 17 to fly solo
(no minimum age to start
training)
Min 45 hours instruction of which
10 must be solo
Pass 7 written exams
Obtain a Class 2 medical
Pass a Radio practical exam
Pass a flight test
The 45 hours should be viewed as
a minimum requirement and the
hours required will vary from
individual to individual.
Flight Training
You can learn to fly in whichever
aircraft you choose. Different
aircraft have different
characteristics and we offer
training on four different
types, the R44, Enstrom (piston
series), Enstrom 480 and
the Bell 206. You can see
more on these aircraft on our
gallery page. Our lessons are
normally offered in two hour
sessions, entirely flexible
around your lifestyle. The
courses are not fixed and you
can choose to do three lessons a
day or one a month. Each
lesson includes one hour of
flying and one hour pre- and
post-flight briefing. The aim
of the pre-flight briefing is to
ensure that you know in detail
the flying exercise before you
fly so that there is a greater
understanding of the flight to
be conducted. The post-flight
briefing gives you the
opportunity to discuss the
exercises you have just
performed, which are very
important, with your instructor. At
Shoreham Helicopters we prefer
you to train with one instructor
and will not change that unless
agreed with you or you dont
mind training with others.
Ground School
You will need to learn some
technicalities of helicopter
flying in order to be a safe and
competent pilot. There are
also seven subjects to cover
each with a written exam.
Aviation Law
Human Performance and
Limitations
Navigation
Meteorology
Aircraft (General and Type)
Flight Performance
Radio Communication
This is not as daunting as it
may sound as aviation is
one subject simply divided into
several topics. The exams
are multiple choice so they give
you the questions and four
answers to choose from.
The pass mark is 75% and the
papers are done in-house and
will be given to you by your
instructor when you are ready.
For PPL we tend to tackle the
subjects one at a time, moving
onto the next once one is done.
You must have passed Air Law
before going solo and should
have passed both Meteorology and
Navigation before you complete
your Cross
Country qualifier. In most
cases, the subjects are directly
relevant to your flying so most
students find them of interest.
In
addition you will take a Radio
Telephony Practical test which
gives you a licence entitling
you to talk on the aviation air
waves to Air Traffic Control
Services.
Dont be too put off by the
learning. Remember this
will be your hobby and we will
help you through a programme of
guided study recommending which
books to buy and discuss the
topics with you. The syllabus
is generally straightforward.
