helicopter pilot

Helicopter Flying - Realise Your Dream to Fly a Helicopter By Shoren Kolter

If you are really adventure enthusiastic and desire to experience the excitement of flying then consider the helicopter flying experience. Helicopter flying is truly a thrilling experience and sure to last forever. Persons who dream of flying aircraft can realize their dream by flying a helicopter.

Flying a helicopter requires concentration and dexterity. In this experience, you will be assisted by a well trained pilot who will provide proper instructions to maneuver the controls. First the pilot will familiarise you about the control lever and its functions. You will be given lessons to move forward and point the nose up or down. This is usually executed when the pilot is sure that you have understood the necessary instructions properly. The entire experience can be booked by purchasing a voucher. Helicopter flying is provided by many flying institutes or clubs.

Helicopter flying is just trial lessons where the participants are given the essential information. However, this experience is only allowed to participants who can qualify the following principles of eligibility that are as follows - participant should be above 17 years, maximum 16 stone and maximum height 6'4''. Children are permitted are advised to be accompanied with adults. The experience is unquestionably exhilarating because they can also enjoy the aerial view and have a glimpse of some incredible and majestic landscape.

The experience of flying a helicopter is amazing and perpetuate throughout the lifetime. This experience is provided for a fixed period of time. A voucher is an ideal gift for all occasions such as - birthday gifts, wedding anniversary, Christmas, Valentine etc. By presenting this exceptional gift idea you can make the recipient's feel that you really adore her/him. So, you can treat self or someone your love with this fabulous helicopter flying experience.

To find cheap flying lessons on helicopter and helicopter tour consider the Helicopter Flying. The helicopter flying experience is also an ideal gift to treat self or someone special.

flying school

Tips On Choosing The Best Flight Training Schools By Steadman Issenburg

Learning how to fly an aircraft is the dream of many people today, and there are lots of ways to be able to learn how to fly. Flight schools that offer high-quality pilot training and instruction are available all across the country, but which one you choose will probably depend on what kind of pilot you want to be.

Many people just want to get their private pilot's license to be able to fly recreationally, and to do this you have a wide range of schools to choose from including local flight schools, usually available at a nearby airport, and mail order training schools, such as the King Flight School and Sporty's Flight Training that can help you learn the academic part of getting a private pilot's license before you actually start flying.

However, if your goal is to actually make a living as a pilot in the aviation industry, there are other schools that you can consider as well. Several flight training schools have been set up across the country where you can receive a commercial pilot's license that will allow you to fly even the largest passenger jets for the major airlines.

So as you can see, there are several ways to go about getting your flight training. You can start off small and learn a lot on your own by one of the mail order courses that were mentioned above before you actually start flying. Or you can get a private pilot's license by enrolling in a flight school at a nearby airport, where qualified instructors will oversee your training from the beginning all the way to qualifying for your private license. And if you wish, many of these local flight schools can also offer more advanced training including instrument flying and multi-engine certification.

And for those who want to be on the fast track to a career as an airline pilot, the dedicated pilot schools can take you all the way from knowing nothing about aviation to getting your commercial pilot's license in one fell swoop.

But regardless of which flight training program you choose there are certain identifying marks of a quality flight school. One of these is that the instructors need to be fully proficient in the training that you wish to receive. The school should also have all the tools and lesson plans needed to help you reach the pilot's license that is your goal.

You should also take a good look at the aircraft that the flight school has for training. They should all be properly maintained and well taken care of, and there should be enough aircraft to be able to support all of the students that are currently in their program.

Before signing up with any flight school, it's a good idea to visit the school personally and make notes on everything that you see there. Determine if the staff and instructors are friendly and helpful, and whether they honestly answer all the questions that you have. If they are not helpful at this stage, they will most likely not be very helpful when you are a student either.

It's also a good idea to talk to former students of the school, as they can give you a lot of practical information about the quality of the program and how well their training went.

By choosing the right flight school you can begin an exciting new chapter of your life as an aircraft pilot either just for pure enjoyment or as a rewarding and lucrative career.

learn how to fly

Learn to Fly - 9 Certificates Explained By Erik Johannessen

There are millions of Persons around the world, who have learned to fly. Some of them do it just for fun, others use it as a way to travel to work and there are others who become career pilots to earn a living.

If you are starting to do research on how to learn to fly, it can sometimes become an overwhelming task, but stay calm it is not as hard as it looks!!! There are 9 different types of basic certificates. In successive order of qualifications they include student, sport, recreational, private, instrument rated, commercial, certified flight instructor, airline transport pilot and designated pilot examiner.

This system of certificates, together with a set of add-on ratings is used to specify the different types of flying a pilot may do. To successfully acquire a certain certificate, a pilot must complete ground school, written examination, oral examination and flight test. The good thing is that these certificates never expire until they are surrendered, suspended or revoked. However to be able to fly the pilot is required to remain current in certain things such as to hold a valid medical certificate and to fly a certain amount of hours per year.

Let me explain to you each certificate in more detail. Note that this information is based on FAA rules. The rules imposed by the Regulatory Agencies of your country might be slightly different, however in context they are pretty much the same.

Student Pilot

This is the starting point for everyone who wants to learn to fly. It is also the point where you will know if you will like flying or not. This can happen as early as your first flight. In my case, on the first flight I felt like I was the King of the World. Student pilot privileges are very limited, however they provide enough freedom to allow you to learn all of the basics, including cross country flying and interaction with ATC. When you are starting to learn how to fly, you complete all of your flights with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) on board. If you have reached the age of 16, have a valid Class III medical and have mastered the basic skills and educational topics of flight, you can make your first solo (Make a flight normally at an airport with low traffic, the location may vary from CFI to CFI, without an instructor or other certified pilots at the controls). As a student pilot you are allowed to operate only near to your "home-base" and with a sign-off by your CFI you can travel to other local airports to practice your cross country skills. You may only fly in good weather during the day and night. You may think "I have a CFI on board and if weather gets worse he can fly back". In general terms that is true, but it would be a waste of your money, since those hours do not count towards your certificate. I personally do not recommend it, but hey, it is your money. As a student pilot you are not allowed to carry passengers or fly for hire. Flying on busy Class B airspaces is usually not permitted without a special permission from your CFI.

Sport Pilot

Sport pilots fly in aircraft that fly at low speeds - less than 100 mph. The sport pilot certificate created new medical standards for pilots. These pilots usually do not require Medical Certificates. The only proof they need is to have a current valid driver's license. To get this certificate you must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 20 hours of flight time. This includes 15 hours of flight training and 5 hours of solo flight. As a Sport pilot you may fly cross-country; however, you cannot operate at airports or airspaces that require ATC communication unless you receive the proper training and endorsements from a CFI. You are also not allowed to fly after dark and with more than one passenger on board. Every 24 months the pilot is required to revalidate their certificate by undertaking a flight review with a CFI.

Recreational Pilots

Recreational pilots are primarily people who learn to fly for fun, with little interest in becoming professional pilots or using airplanes as a practical means of traveling from place to place. Recreational pilots must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 30 hours of flight time (the real-world average is more than 40 hours), including a minimum of 15 hours of flight instruction. Recreational pilots may not fly more than 50 nautical miles (about 58 miles) from an airport at which they have received instruction, unless they receive appropriate cross-country training and a special instructor's endorsement. Recreational pilots may not carry more than one passenger at a time, and they may not fly for hire or at night. They are not permitted to operate an aircraft on any charity flights, nor in connection with a business or their employment. They may fly only single-engine airplanes that have fixed landing gear, no more than four seats, and an engine of no more than 180 hp. They may not fly in airspace where communication with air traffic control (ATC) is required unless they receive the appropriate training and have a special endorsement from a certificated flight instructor (CFI). As a result of these restrictions, the vast majority of people studying for their recreational pilot certificate continue to earn their private pilot certificate. Because of this, there usually are only about 300 pilots with the recreational certificate each year. Recreational pilots must have a current Class III medical, which they must renew every 24 or 36 months (depending upon age). They must revalidate their pilot certificates every 24 months by undertaking a flight review with a CFI.

Private Pilots

Private pilots comprise the largest group of pilots and are among the most active flyers. In 2003, there were 241,045 private pilots. To become a private pilot, one must be at least 17 years old and have a minimum of 40 hours of flight time (the actual average is about 70 hours), including 20 hours of instruction and 10 hours of solo. Pilots trained according to accelerated curricula defined in Part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations may be certified with a minimum of 35 hours of flight time. A private pilot - with appropriate training, ratings, and endorsements (e.g., floatplane, tail dragger, multiengine, helicopter, jet, retractable gear, pressurized, high-performance, complex, etc.) - may carry passengers in any aircraft, day or night, good or bad weather (see Instrument Rating below). Private pilots may not fly for compensation or hire (no passenger or revenue services) but may share equally with their passengers the direct operating expenses of a flight - specifically fuel, oil, airport parking and landing fees, and aircraft rental charges. Private pilots must have a current Class III medical, which they must renew every 24 or 36 months (depending upon age). They must revalidate their pilot certificates every 24 months by undertaking a flight review with a certificated flight instructor (CFI).

Instrument Rating

While technically not a pilot certificate, the instrument rating is the most common and logical step to take after gaining some experience while flying with a private pilot certificate. This add-on rating allows a pilot to fly in weather with reduced visibilities such as rain, low clouds, or heavy haze. When flying in these conditions, pilots follow instrument flight rules (IFR). The instrument rating provides the skills needed to complete flights without visual reference to the ground, except for the takeoff and landing phases. All pilots who fly above 18,000 feet mean sea level (msl) must have an instrument rating. The instrument rating makes the use of aircraft more practical for routine transportation because most of the time, an "IFR-rated" pilot will be able to safely conduct their flight in spite of the weather conditions they may encounter. The instrument rating requires highly specialized training by a certificated flight instructor (CFI) with a special instrument instruction rating (CFII), and completion of an additional written exam, oral exam, and flight test. Pilots applying for an instrument rating must hold at least a current private pilot certificate and medical, have logged at least 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, and have at least 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time including at least 15 hours of instrument flight training and instrument training on cross-country flight procedures. If not used on a regular and sufficient basis, pilots must revalidate their instrument rating every 12 months by undertaking an instrument proficiency check with a CFI.

Commercial Pilots

As the name implies, commercial pilots can be paid to fly aircraft. Commercial pilots must be at least 18 years old and have a minimum of 250 hours of flight time (190 hours under the accelerated curriculum defined in Part 141 of the Federal Aviation Regulations), including 100 hours in powered aircraft, 50 hours in airplanes, and 100 hours as pilot in command (of which 50 hours must be cross-country flight time). They must hold an instrument rating, or be restricted to flying for hire only in daylight, under visual flight rules (VFR), within 50 miles of the originating airport. They may fly for hire in accordance with applicable parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Certified Flight Instructor

A certificated flight instructor (CFI) is authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to give instruction to student pilots and pilots taking recurrent training or preparing for additional certificates or ratings. They also may give flight reviews and recommend their students for flight tests. CFIs must be at least 18 years old and must hold at least a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating. CFIs may earn a special instrument instructor rating, allowing them to teach instrument flying (operating an aircraft in the air solely by instrument indications without visual reference to the ground). An instructor with this rating is called a CFII. In addition to undertaking their normal flight review every 24 months, CFIs must revalidate their instructor certification every 24 months. There were 87,816 flight instructors in 2003.

Airline Transport Pilots

This is the doctorate degree of piloting - and 143,504 pilots were in this distinguished category in 2003. Airline transport pilots (ATPs) must be at least 23 years old and have a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time, including 500 hours of cross-country flight time, 100 hours of night flying, and 75 hours in actual or simulated instrument flight conditions. Most ATPs have many thousands of hours of flight time. ATPs also must have a commercial certificate and an instrument rating. ATPs may instruct other pilots in air transportation service in aircraft in which the ATP is rated. They may not instruct pilots outside of air transportation service unless they also have an appropriate fight instructor certificate. ATPs must have a current and much more stringent Class I medical, which they are required to renew every six months. Like all pilots, they must revalidate their certificates every 24 months with a flight review. However, most active ATPs undergo a check ride in an aircraft or simulator every six months.

Designated Examiner

If the airline transport pilot is the doctorate degree of piloting, then becoming a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated pilot examiner (DPE) is the equivalent of mastering advanced post-doctoral work. These individuals are few and far between. They're almost like judges in that they have to be appointed by the regional FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Before one can become a DPE, he or she usually has to wait for one of the current DPEs in that region of the United States to retire. As the name implies, these people have been designated by the FAA to test or examine the performance of their fellow pilots. DPEs typically have decades of real-world experience and perform the majority of official FAA check rides or flight tests for everyone from new pilots to seasoned airline captains.

We Were Meant to Fly

We Were Meant to Fly! By Gary Bradshaw Gary Bradshaw Level: Basic Gary Bradshaw is president of Pilot Journey, a flight school marketing company that connects flight schools and prospective students....

I believe we were put here on this planet to soar with success, to fly to new personal heights of growth to succeed and enjoy the journey we call life.

I know that we all realize that all of us have problems; the problem is that we all tend to look in the wrong place to solve those problems. It seems that problems get solved as a result of an personal experience more than some passive exercise. Why do you think that self help books are so popular, and if they work, why so many of them? Do they really work?

So what’s the problem here? Maybe it starts with the fact that most of us do not even finish reading the very books that are supposed to help us. Why?

The common thread in most all self help books seems to be that self esteem and a better self image is the key to happiness and success, however we define success. In other words if we like ourselves and our life then we do better in life. Thinking back in your life, what has caused you to like yourself? Maybe it’s when you completed a task or did something special, or both?

So the challenge then is finding that special item to focus on that will not only make the difference in our lives, but finding the item that we are passionate about doing while we get better at being the improved “us” we want to be. And that special item will never be from just words in a book in will always be in doing something, having an experience that changes our lives and we must really love what is we do or we likely will not succeed at building a better us. This is the problem with all kinds of self help things, they simple are not fun and the “payoff” is not with in our current ability to envision the out come that we want to see.

Maybe it's time to stop reading all those books and start thinking about doing something that we will be motivated about instantly and where we can see progress daily.

So now our job is to come up with something that lifts our spirit, motivates us, captivates us so much that we want to work to succeed and that the same time make enough of an impact that it helps us be a success. Wow, what sounds like a tall order may only require that in order to be someone we have never have been before we need to do something we have never done before.

That would have to be something spectacular, something that reaches insides us, and cause greatness to emerge and still be so much fun that we are motivated to finish.

What I have just described is learning how fly an airplane! Yes, most people have never tried this. Most people think this is something only “rich” or “smart” people can do. I am here to set the record straight and let you know that learning to fly will change your life. It is way more than getting from here to there fast. The best way to explain this and share how you can really do this is to share with you the short version of a seminar that I do that you may enjoy online and free at www.pilotjourney.com/fly. You do not have to give your name and address, there is no charge and believe it or not, I have nothing to sell.

Flying changed my life, not because I was flying an airplane by myself, which of course was really cool, but because it was something I never thought of doing and was not sure I could really do. I certainly am not rich, and was only an average student. Mainly because I only succeed at things that I really like doing, sound like you? Flying was the ticket that allowed me to realize that I really could so great things, really could complete a hard task and really could achieve success. And the success that I am talking about was not just earning a pilot certificate – it was everything else in life.

The success that you experience in flight will allow you to soar in other areas of your life, that is why flight training is life changing, find out why.

flying club

Choosing a Correct Flying Club That Makes You a Better Pilot By Yugal Goyal

It has always been difficult to make a choice of flying clubs. However, flying clubs need to have certain facilities like below:

1) All flying clubs should have a good number of airplanes approved by the government of the country.

2) A good flying club should have its own hangar and a runway. There is no point in joining a flying club which does not even have the basic infrastructure. Not to forget that if it is located out of town, it should have games and entertainment facilities as well.

3) All the instructors in the flying club should have valid licenses with current ratings.

4) In international flying clubs, they ensure that the number of student pilots exactly matches withe number of airplanes and the number of flying instructors as well.

5) A well recognised flying club always adheres to the rules and regulations of the government of the country.

It is always better to take a review from senior student pilots from the flying club you are planning to join. One must read more and more from the magazines, newspapers and other information available about the flying clubs. This gives aspirant an idea about how things work in a flying club and how to make a choice. The requirements for a commercial pilots license are somewhat different from the private pilots license. So one should decide from the very beginning which category of pilots license they want to go for. This will also help while looking for jobs in future.

This article helps you deciding which flying club to join and the qualities you look in a good flying club.

If all the above points are taken care of, we are sure you will be able to choose one for yourself.
HAPPY LANDINGS.