Helicopter Pilots

In order to become a working helicopter pilot, you must become certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The first step in this process is to become a Private Pilot. A Private Pilot Certificate allows you to fly passengers and to share expenses, but you can't get paid to fly. In order to get paid as a helicopter pilot, you must hold at least a Commercial Pilot Certificate .

In the past, many working helicopter pilots only had a Commercial Pilot Certificate. Times have changed. Some highly experienced helicopter pilots are still working in the industry with just a Commercial Pilot Certificate, but they have tens of years of flying experience. Just starting out, you would be greatly limited with only a Commercial Pilot Certificate. Earning an Instrument Rating will dramatically improve your employment prospects.

The Instrument Rating allows a pilot to fly an aircraft in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (in the clouds). The world's major helicopter operators now require new pilots to hold an Instrument Rating as well as a Commercial Pilot Certificate. Additionally, eventhough an employer may not operate IFR aircraft, their insurance is cheaper if their pilots have an instrument rating.  Therefore, acquiring your instrument rating makes you a more desirable pilot candidate for hire.

The first job opportunity for almost all new helicopter pilots is that of Flight Instructor. Most Flight Instructor positions require you to be able to instruct for the private, commercial, and instrument ratings. This means you need to earn both the Certified Flight Instructor-Helicopter and Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument ratings. Once you have these two ratings, you will have the greatest eligibility for that first-time helicopter job.

You'll need about 1,000 hours of flying to get a non-flight instructing helicopter pilot job. A newly certificated Commercial Pilot only has about 150 hours. The typical way for pilots to gain that 1,000 hours of experience is to become a Certified Flight Instructor and teach others to fly. After you have flown as a Flight Instructor (and getting paid) for about 18 months, you'll have the 1,000 hours of helicopter flying experience and are then eligible for jobs in firefighting, tour operations, offshore, and other types of flying. Essentially, our flight training program is designed to get you the Flight Instructor job and the Flight Instructor job will get you the next helicopter pilot job.

In partnership with Guidance Helicopters, Inc., Yavapai College is now offering an Associate of Applied Science - Professional Helicopter Pilot Degree. The 21 to 24 month Degree Program has a balance of general education classes and helicopter ground/flight lessons each semester. This will allow you to graduate with an AAS Degree and earn a Private Pilot Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Pilot Certificate, Flight Instructor Certificate with Helicopter Rating and Instrument Helicopter Rating.

Please contact one of our Enrollment Service Representatives at 1-877-2FLY-GHI.