Getting a chopper pilot license

cuttlefish · 24 June 2008

I'm toying with the idea of getting a chopper pilots license and was just curious if anyone on here has got one?

Reading through some stuff on the web it say's a medical exam is required - for anyone thats done this, is this just a straightforward health check or will I be required to have 20/20 vision and the ability to run a marathon without my pulse going over 80?

Can anyone comment on how long it actually takes to become properly proficient as a pilot?

Any other info about the process of getting an aircraft or chopper license would be gratefully received.

wavepicker · 24 June 2008

cuttlefish said:
I'm toying with the idea of getting a chopper pilots license and was just curious if anyone on here has got one?

Reading through some stuff on the web it say's a medical exam is required - for anyone thats done this, is this just a straightforward health check or will I be required to have 20/20 vision and the ability to run a marathon without my pulse going over 80?

Can anyone comment on how long it actually takes to become properly proficient as a pilot?

Any other info about the process of getting an aircraft or chopper license would be gratefully received.

Hello Cuttlefish, I don't have a chopper license but do have fixed wing. Not sure if the requiremetns are the same or not.

Medical exam costs $100-120 from memory(might be more now as was a few ago)) and covers such things as
-vision
-spirometry
-reflexes
to name a few. You maybe however be asked some detailed questions re prior medical history

To become a proficent pilot, not sure what the min requirements are at present, but 10 years back it was 20 hrs min for student pilot license(General Progress Flying Test) of which 15 hrs dual, 5 Hrs sim, and 5 hrs solo min was also required. Tack another 20hrs navs min to obtain your full license.

Unless you are really gifted these min hrs 40 hrs are rarely achieved and average is probably in the order of 50-80 hrs but really depends on the individual and your instructor.

All the best

nioka · 24 June 2008

I got a pilot licence many years ago the cheap way. I joined an Aero Club. That way the costs were as cheap as it was possible. There were often club members qualified to instruct that were happy to take you out for free providing you paid the charter fees which were reduced for club members. There was one instructer that was a keen fisherman and he would always be in for a flight over his favourite fishing spots.

I've been away from flying for some time now and things may have changed but it would be worth looking into. Flying is great. Nothing like it.

nq6 · 24 June 2008

Hi Cuttlefish I'm in the process of doing my commercial chopper licence. Theory is 9 weeks straight or you can do home study. Practical is 105 hr s under instruction. Then find some one who will let you in their chopper or buy your own. I am planning on the latter.
OR you can do you Private license, 50 hrs under Instruction and a lot less theory. Most flying schools for chopper will try to talk you into doing commercial as they make more money from commercial training,and the more knowledge you have the safer pilot you are. I am actually thinking of doing just my private for a start as that is all i need for my application, Private use, and not carrying passengers for money.

However if you have a carreer of flying in mind do the commercial theory, which by the way , Is quite difficult at first , and then your right for commercial flying. Cost of chopper is $ 400 hr with instruct for 2 seat Robinson R22. Some places it's dearer.up to $470 hr.

Hope I've been some help, NQ6 in Nth Qld.

ps Most chopper schools do intro flights where they take you for a blast and maybe let you feel the dual controls to see if you like it or are not suited to it.

Boggo · 24 June 2008

cuttlefish said:
I'm toying with the idea of getting a chopper pilots license and was just curious if anyone on here has got one?

Reading through some stuff on the web it say's a medical exam is required - for anyone thats done this, is this just a straightforward health check or will I be required to have 20/20 vision and the ability to run a marathon without my pulse going over 80?

Can anyone comment on how long it actually takes to become properly proficient as a pilot?

Any other info about the process of getting an aircraft or chopper license would be gratefully received.

Seems like the posts above have covered it well.
These links should provide all the legal requirements

Medicals... http://casa.gov.au/avmed/medreq.htm

and

The rules you will live by daily (and the official answers to most questions)
http://www.casa.gov.au/rules/orders/index.htm

Cheers
Mike

cuttlefish · 24 June 2008

Thanks for all of the replies - cheers for those links Boggo.

NQ6 and others that have done it, what timeframe are you doing it over or did you do it over?

Is it possible to complete it over a period of two or three months?

And if I'm getting the cost right its 105 hours by the hourly hire rate which is approx $40 to $50k for commercial?

I'm mainly thinking of it as a recreational exercise but if I like it I'd consider looking at trying to generate some kind of income from it, so I guess I'd start with the private license and get an understanding of what sort of commercial opportunities there might be out there and see how things went.

malachii · 25 June 2008

Cuttlefish,

You will also get credits for any fixed wing flying hours. It doesn't help towards the initial stuff but when it comes to nav exercises it doesn't matter if your fixed or rotary - you nav the same!

For a private licence it allows you to only do 38 hours rotary instead of 50. Not sure if this would make it that much cheaper though - if you do the time in a fixed wing you may find that you need more time in a rotary to gain experience. It all depends on you. My suggestion would be to do it all on a rotary if thats what you want to fly.

I must admit to not having a rotary license although I hold an Australian ATPL and work in the industry as a pilot instructor (on large jets).

malachii

nq6 · 25 June 2008

Hey Cuttlefish My angle was to do around 14 hours flying first , to make sure i had no phobias with flying the machine. Now i'm doing the theory bit over 6 or 8 months , then will do the rest of the flying instruction, probably on a full time basis at one of the flying schools . Full time simply because you progress much faster in a chopper flying every day rather than once a week. When starting you will only do 1 or 2 hours a day as the that is all you'll be able to handle concentrating on 3 controls and keeping it in the air. Once you get past 10 hrs it becomes FUN.
Many fling schools on sunshine coast ie Beckers Fying School, Blue Tongue [only mustering] Chopperline at Caloundra and several others around Caboolture and Redcliffe .
Many people just get there Private licence if all they want is to fly privately. To pass theory it is one 35 question exam on 7 subjects. For commercial its 35 questions on each subject with 70% pass rate and 80% for air law.

You can sit in on individual subjects at any time they are on, this is what i'm doing as i could not take 9 weeks off in one go.The more commercial subjects you can sit in on the easier the Private exam will be.

Hope i've been some help, Cheers NQ 6

cuttlefish · 25 June 2008

malachii said:
Cuttlefish,

You will also get credits for any fixed wing flying hours. It doesn't help towards the initial stuff but when it comes to nav exercises it doesn't matter if your fixed or rotary - you nav the same!

For a private licence it allows you to only do 38 hours rotary instead of 50. Not sure if this would make it that much cheaper though - if you do the time in a fixed wing you may find that you need more time in a rotary to gain experience. It all depends on you. My suggestion would be to do it all on a rotary if thats what you want to fly.

I must admit to not having a rotary license although I hold an Australian ATPL and work in the industry as a pilot instructor (on large jets).

malachii

thanks Malachii - I'll look into that option as well - it certainly would do no harm to have at least some experience in aircraft as well to broaden the experience.

cuttlefish · 25 June 2008

nq6 said:
Hey Cuttlefish My angle was to do around 14 hours flying first , to make sure i had no phobias with flying the machine. Now i'm doing the theory bit over 6 or 8 months , then will do the rest of the flying instruction, probably on a full time basis at one of the flying schools . Full time simply because you progress much faster in a chopper flying every day rather than once a week. When starting you will only do 1 or 2 hours a day as the that is all you'll be able to handle concentrating on 3 controls and keeping it in the air. Once you get past 10 hrs it becomes FUN.
Many fling schools on sunshine coast ie Beckers Fying School, Blue Tongue [only mustering] Chopperline at Caloundra and several others around Caboolture and Redcliffe .
Many people just get there Private licence if all they want is to fly privately. To pass theory it is one 35 question exam on 7 subjects. For commercial its 35 questions on each subject with 70% pass rate and 80% for air law.

You can sit in on individual subjects at any time they are on, this is what i'm doing as i could not take 9 weeks off in one go.The more commercial subjects you can sit in on the easier the Private exam will be.

Hope i've been some help, Cheers NQ 6

cheers for the extra detail NQ6. When you say 6 to 8 months for the theory is that because you are working full time as well or is the theory extensive enough to require that amount of study time?

Also another question can anyone recommend flying schools for a chopper license in the greater Sydney region?

nq6 · 26 June 2008

Hi Cuttlefish I'm doing it in 6 to 8 months because of my time restrictions with my work. Each subject takes about 8 to 10 days to do at the theory school. After each one you can sit the exam straight away.Being self employed this suits me. Try Bankstown Helicopters.0297910500 Don't know anything about them . Shop around as the hourly rate can vary a lot on R22's. They will all try to tell you they have the best flying school. If youre in the newsagent the latest edition ofAustralian Flying July/ August edition has a good Helicopter article section on Learning to fly and you'll find where other schools are... Cheers NQ6

Getting a chopper pilot license

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