Learning to fly a helicopter may seem an out of bounds dream but determined people will be pleased to know that there is a big demand for pilots to fulfill many different jobs. The first step in realizing the dream is to find a reputable helicopter school. There are many to choose from, especially in the USA. People from outside America often travel to the US to sign up at a school because lessons there tend to be less expensive than elsewhere.
Obtaining a pilot's license opens up several opportunities. Jobs are available in the television and film industries, transporting cargo, monitoring traffic flow and fire fighting. Aerial photography companies and crop spraying firms also require pilots. A helicopter school may also prepare a pilot to apply for a Flight Instructor's career. There are organizations that offer a Career Training Loan or a Student Career Development Loan to help with the cost.
Gift Lessons are available for anyone to buy flight time for someone who just wants the experience of flying for a brief period. Helicopter school is for people who are serious about obtaining a private or a commercial license. Some flight schools offer trial lessons, enabling a would be pilot to decide if it is really something they want to do before enrolling on a complete set of lessons. There are residential courses offered at some schools.
There are different types of pilot's license with variations in minimum age required and flight time required. In the USA, the basic Private Pilot License requires a minimum age of 17 years old and the flight time is 40 hours, which includes 10 solo hours. A Commercial License is open to 18 year olds and above and the flight time is 150 hours.
The Certified Flight Instructor license also requires a minimum of 18 years of age. For pilots wanting to apply for the Airline Transport Pilot license, 23 years of age is the minimum and the flight time is 1,200 hours. This includes 500 hours of cross country flying and 100 hours of night time flying, 15 hours of which must be in a helicopter. All the training at helicopter school involves a multiple choice written exam, oral exam and a flight test. Theory classes and the use of books, videos and CD Roms complement flying sessions. Whichever license is sought, helicopter school offers the chance to achieve a skill for life and an enjoyable way of life.
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