Are you interested in learning how to fly a helicopter?
Does
it seem like you could never be able to fly a helicopter on your
own, or just for fun with friends, or even for a career?
Imagine
you like to invite your friend, fly in the mountains or to a quiet
beach and have a nice picnic?
Those
were the thoughts that ran through my head before, and I never even
dreamed that I would be where I am today. Now, two years after I
started flying I wonder why I didn't discover earlier how much fun
flying can be. For me it was always too expensive (in Germany),
and it looked so difficult!
But
yes, I would be lying if I said that this it isn't so! In the beginning,
it is very difficult especially when you do it like me, and go to
a country where you know nothing and don't even speak the language
properly. For me it was the only way to get to my goal achieved
because in Germany it
would be much too expensive to get to the level of flying that I
am at now.
Currently,
I am working as a contract pilot all over the US, and I enjoy my
job very much.
I would be very happy to answer your questions about flying in the
U.S., and
assist you in finding a flight school. I will also help you with
what is even more necessary: to avoid all unnecessary costs and
tell you about all hidden cost that flight schools never like to
talk about.
If it is one thing that disappointed me every time than always had
to pay where nobody before told me about !
A necessary
point also is to find the right accommodation where you don't pay
too much but still have enough silence to study.
Frequently
Asked Questions ...
Q Is it very difficult to drive a helicopter?
A Now, first of all a helicopter does not drive a helicopter
flies. With regards to this question it is certainly not easy to
answerer, because some people learn faster some slower, but if you
finally get a feeling for the controls, you never will forget it
again. Its like bike riding if you learn it once you will never
forget it again.
Q Can you fly also a airplane ?
A No. All controls in a helicopter act totally different than
in an airplane. But flying an airplane is certainly less expensive
and much more easy than to fly helicopter.
If you want to fly both you can easily get
an add-on
rating with requires less time and flight training.
Q Is it very expensive to learn to fly?
A Yes and No. It depends what your budget
and what your final goal is. Flying
an airplane is certainly much cheaper if you want to fly just for
you self. If you want to fly commercially both licenses are similar
expensive. To get your Commercial license airplane
you have to fly at least 250 hours for a helicopter you have to
fly at least 150 hours.
Q With kind of helicopters can you fly ?
A In the US
you can fly any helicopter up to 12.500lb. But what really limits
you is experience and also insurances. No company let you
fly a bigger helicopter if you dont have the necessary experience.
The magic word here is time building. For most young pilots
that means finishing the instructor license and work as an flight
instructor until they build enough flight time.
Q How long does the training take and what do I need?
A This depends totally on the individual person. Some people start with their training and
keep their normal job. Here it maid take longer. Other people exclusively do their helicopter
training without any delays. If you continuously keep flying and
studying you can get the private pilot license in less than 8 weeks
and the commercial and instructor license in less than a few month.
That totally depends on your ability to learn and understand.
Q - Is there a lot of book study evolved?
A Yes, you have to pass several tests written, oral and flight
tests Usually you receive individual ground instruction in your
flight school. Some times, but very seldom there are classes with
more than one student. The average in ground instruction for the
private pilot license is about 20 to 30 hours. Here it also depends
on your learning skills how quick you can finish this part of the
training. You can save a lot of money if you do a lot
of home study. I can recommend this to a certain level but if your
final goal is the instructor license it is better to do really really
resent ground form the beginning, so you will save a lot of time
and money later on.
Q Who build the first helicopter ?
A The first helicopter got designed by Leonardo Da Vinci but he did not have a
engine to make it fly. The first flyable helicopter was build by
Igor Sikorsky.
Q
Can a helicopter fly loops?
A Yes, helicopters with a special design can fly loops and fly
on the back. There are some RC helicopters that fly upside down.
It requires a lot of power and training to do loops
a helicopter. In most common helicopters acrobatic maneuvers are
prohibited
Q
How dangerous is it to fly helicopter
and what happens when the engine in a helicopter stops?
A The helicopter is a very safe transport device. In fact the
helicopter is the only vehicle that saved more lives than it killed
in a accident with a helicopter. With a helicopter you can
land almost every where at the first sign of trouble. In your training
you will practice a lot of emergency procedures. One of them is
a autorotation, with allows the helicopter to glide down and land
without an working engine.
Q Can you land a helicopter anywhere
you want?
A There is now law in the US with prohibits landings anywhere.
You even can land on a open field or in
a parking lot, if you make sure no one gets hurt or injured. Some
cities or national parks have certain flight restrictions or procedures
you have to fulfill in order to land.
Q What type of work can you do if you
get you commercial license?
A If you have finally your commercial pilot license there is
a big verity of work you can do. Flying sight seeing tours, traffic
watch, oil industry or if you have your instructor license giving
flight instruction are only a few options from many. Everything
depends from your actual flight time. Flying bigger helicopters
usually starts with 1500 hrs.
Q
What is Instrument license and do I really need this license
?
A To fly a helicopter you dont necessarily
need a Instrument license. With a Instrument license you are able
to fly and navigate the helicopter only by looking on the instrument
panel inside the cockpit. For example flying in clouds, fog or bad
weather. However if you want to fly later for a bigger company it
is very common that they require a Instrument license or better
their insurance does
If
you have any more questions regarding flying und flight training
in the us please write me a e-mail I will be happy to answerer your
questions!
Mike
Schroeder
(CFII-H-FAA)
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