Your Way To Becoming a Helicopter Pilot

And, it’s never too late to start. New folks are entering the field every day-from their late teens to older and their 50s. And, it should go without saying-women aviators have the same chances as men and are every bit as welcome.

Flying choppers is empowering, challenging, exciting and just plain fun. But, like any worthwhile goal, the achievement of your rotorcraft aviator’s license(s) needs devotion, commitment, hard work, and, depending upon your financial condition, a degree of forfeit.

There are generally two paths to pursuing a career flying choppers: a military career and the civilian course. Please contact a recruiting office nearby and get the details from them if you’re thinking about the military option. Read the small print. Please recognize, nevertheless, that with all of the attending duties, responsibilities and commitments first, second, and a pilot, you are a military officer above all, as a military aviator. This site will describe the career path that is civilian.

Licensing
Virtually all, however, have also attained their Certificated Flight Instructor’s (CFI) credentials (for reasons which will soon become clear) and many have their instrument evaluation too. So, how do you get there from here?
The typical permit advancement moves through Pupil, Private, Commercial, and CFI. Their instrument rating will be acquired by many between Private and Commercial. The device evaluation, though not compulsory for some jobs, is increasingly becoming either an important benefit or prerequisite for many of the jobs that are better. It will also make you a better pilot.
Flight training, for all levels of licensure, requires both flight and ground training. There are several flight training schools around the globe that supply this amount of training. Helicopter flight training is expensive! Considerably more expensive than fixed wing (airplane) training. Why? Because helicopters are expensive machines to acquire and manage and insurance costs high, have climbed since 9/11/2001.

All aviators, from pupil on, are required to pass an FAA structured medical exam supplied by an FAA approved doctor. Along with normal, healthy body function, eyesight and hearing are additionally tested. No, you don’t need to have perfect, uncorrected vision to be a pilot. But, your vision must be correctable with lenses to a relatively high amount. Color perception is, in addition, significant. For most folks, the physical will not be a problem. Nonetheless, particular, red flag regions do exist: history of drug abuse, psychological disorders, specific heart problems, and anything that may imply lapses in consciousness. If in doubt, contact an FAA approved doctor and discuss your dilemma. Often, matters can be resolved satisfactorily.

Helicopter Pilot Professions
Working as a helicopter pilot can take you all over the world, into many different industries. Helicopter pilot opportunities include training, offshore support, fire fighting, law enforcement, agriculture, pipeline and utility support, sightseeing, executive transportation, fishing, EMS (Emergency Medical Services), search and rescue, logging, evaluation piloting, and more. It is sometimes a rewarding and satisfying career path.