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Flight Training Info
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The UK Helicopter Private Pilots Licence PPL (H) is the basic licence that allows a person to fly helicopters. It may be your ultimate goal or the first step towards a commercial helicopter-flying career. We have compiled these notes to give you some informal guidance about the PPL(H). The aim of any PPL(H) course should be to:
Learning to fly helicopters will be one of the most rewarding and satisfying things you do. It is not difficult, but it does take some getting used to and you will probably feel frustrated at some point in the course. It is like anything else in life which is valuable, it requires some degree of effort on your part to succeed. You will almost certainly enjoy the flying most, but do not neglect the ground school which is there to give you essential knowledge. Consider the PPL(H) licence as the starting point of your flying - the best pilots continue to learn throughout their flying career. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) specifies what must be included in a course of training for the PPL(H) and the standards which must be achieved to gain your licence. There are two main parts:
Lessons are normally offered in two hour sessions, which 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 it is flown, maximising the value gained from the flying time. The post-flight briefing gives you the opportunity to discuss in detail with your instructor the exercises you have just put in to practice. Weather and other practical matters may limit what can be undertaken and could even require a slot to be cancelled. We will ring you immediately if it will not be possible for you to fly for any reason. We would ask that you please do the same if you are unable to keep an appointment. We try to arrange for you to train with one or possibly two instructors. This way you form a bond with your instructor and tend to progress through the course in a more relaxed atmosphere GLORIOUS GOODWOODGoodwood is ranked amongst Britain’s most attractive airfields and is famous for its wartime connections and motor racing circuit, which is still in regular use today. Glorious Goodwood nestles peacefully between the South Downs and the Coast. Equipped to modern standards well beyond many other small airfields, Goodwood offers plenty of uncontrolled airspace giving pilots freedom of the sky to enjoy the spectacular local scenery. Being close to Chichester and the coast there are plenty of attractions available to occupy the family while you enjoy your flying. Access is easy and nearby there is a wide variety of accommodation and places to eat for those wishing to spend time in the area. OUR COMPANYElite Helicopters & Aviation Services was established in 1994 at White Waltham Airfield, in Berkshire, where one office still remains. The Company has grown at a steady pace over the years and is now recognised as one of the major single-engine helicopter operators in the U.K. In addition to flight training, our Company provides helicopter charter, pleasure flying, sales, self-fly hire and operates temporary heliports at special events. We are approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and work to the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR). We pride ourselves on the personal and friendly service that we offer to all our students and clients seven days a week.OUR FLEETOur training fleet consists of the Enstrom F28A, Robinson R22, the Bell Jet Ranger 206B and Long Ranger 206L turbine engine helicopter, along with the Eurocopter AS350.For cost reasons the Robinson R22 helicopter is generally the most popular training helicopter, although your Course can be undertaken on any type on our fleet. Improvements have made this the most widely accepted helicopter in the training school field.Flying Training The Civil Aviation Authority stipulates that the flying training course must include at least 45 hours of flying training, all of which is supervised by a helicopter flying instructor. Of the total hours, at least:
Of the solo time, there must be at least five hours' cross-country, including a cross country flight where you land at least 185km away from your home airfield, during which full stop landings at two aerodromes other than the departure point shall be made. Most people take more than the basic 45 hours to complete their course. You will progress best if you can fly regularly, particularly at certain stages in the course. The flying training course consists of 26 air exercises, which are listed, in the attached appendix. The course is undertaken in two main parts and as outlined below. Basic Helicopter Flying leading to your First Solo Flight In this part of the course you learn to control the helicopter in forward flight, the turn, the climb, descents, the hover and most importantly to take off and land. You will also learn to fly the helicopter without engine power, this is known as Autorotation. You will also gain experience in making radio calls and the way that aircraft fly in and around an airfield (known as the "circuit"). Advanced Exercises, including Practical Navigation Building on your basic flying skills you will be taught to carry out advanced techniques such as those which you would need to land safely in areas which are confined, and in circumstances where you have limited power available. Autorotation skills will be developed so that you can safely land the helicopter if an engine were to fail. As a competent pilot you must be able to find your way from A to B to avoid dangerous or restricted areas, high ground, obstructions and other aircraft. Using the theory you have learnt in ground school, you will plan and fly cross-country trips, you will then fly a solo cross-country flight yourself. Flying Test At the end of your flying training course you will take a General Fight Test (GFT) alongside a qualified examiner. In the test the examiner will expect you to demonstrate that you can fly competently and safely, perfection is not required ! Ground School You will need to learn some technicalities of helicopter flying in order to be a safe and competent pilot. The CAA also require that the following topics be studied and an exam taken in each subject.
In addition you will take a RadioTelephony exam which qualifies you to use the helicopter radio and talk to Air Traffic Control Services. Only you can learn these things yourself. However 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 fairly straightforward. There is no attempt to turn you into an aircraft engineer or a weatherman. Ground Exam Exams set by the CAA are multiple choice papers, which can be taken at the school when convenient. We plan the study to fit in with your flying training, enabling you to learn the basics before you need to use them in your flying. Medical Certificate You must have a medical certificate before you undertake your first solo flight. It is recommended that you get the certificate very early in the course, or preferably before you start the course. The certificate must be a CAA Class 3 or higher grade certificate. The standards for the class 3 Medical are rather similar to a life insurance medical - nevertheless to avoid disappointment arrange this early. The certificate is obtained from specially appointed Aviation Medical Examiners - they are located throughout the country and we can give you the addresses of AME's convenient to you. You will need to be subsequently re-examined at intervals determined by your age. Costs The main cost of completing your course will be the flying training. Our rates include all the costs of running the helicopter. Helicopters are by no means cheap to operate and the pilot instructors are highly qualified and experienced people. This is obviously reflected in the hourly rates quoted, however remember that the flying training costs shown do include all the briefing time and the ground school tuition. Other costs are:
The CAA publish various documents about the PPL (H) licence and training and we can obtain copies of these for you if you wish If you have any questions please ask - we are very happy to talk about helicopters !
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