Private Licence

Private Licence

PRIVATE PILOTS LICENCE - PPL

Do I need any special qualifications to fly a helicopter?

Many people are under the impression that they need to be an excellent mathematician, have special personal characteristics, previous flying experience or some unique ability in order to commence helicopter flight training. This is NOT TRUE. Anyone can learn to fly a helicopter. Although some may learn faster than others, given enough time and practise almost anyone can master the basic flying skills.

Helicopter flying does require good hand-eye co-ordination, but the real dividing line is the pilot's attitude to their training. The helicopter pilot requires a greater measure of awareness, sense of responsibility and self-discipline, as it is generally more difficult to fly these aircraft than a fixed wing aircraft.

The only criteria are:

You are over 17 years of age.
You have passed an aviation medical.

What are the Medical Requirements?

What the aviation medical includes:

A general physical examination
An electrocardiogram
A chest X-Ray

Although you may commence flying without it, you must be in possession of a valid medical certificate before any solo flying may be done. It is therefore advisable to get your medical completed before you commence your flying lessons. Any reasonably fit person should pass the test without a problem. You may fly if you wear glasses, as long as your vision is not totally impaired without them. Please note that the aviation medical must be done by a CAA approved medical practitioner. JNC Helicopters will supply a list of the approved doctors in the region on request.

What are the Requirements for a Helicopter Private Pilot's Licence?

You will need:

- A minimum of 50 helicopter flying hours, comprising of at least 15 solo hours, of which at least 5 must be cross country navigation hours.

- A Radio Telephony licence (restricted). We will arrange the short course and exam for you.

- To pass written examinations covering the following subjects:

Air Law

Navigation

Meteorology

Principles of Flight

Aircraft technical General

Flight performance and planning

Human performance

Engine and Airframes

HELICOPTER PRIVATE PILOTS COURSE SEQUENCE

1. Licensing Prerequisites

Aviation medical CAA approved practitioner
Including ECG and chest x-ray
Application for student pilots licence
Purchase course notes

2. Familiarization with Helicopter

Pre-flight inspections
Pre-take off procedure
Controls and effects

3. Introduction to Helicopter Flying

Attitude and power changes
Climbing and descending
Medium turns
Basic hovering

4. Radio Telephony Course

Short course of approximately 5 hours and exam covering :
- Flight rules
- Radio operator procedures
- Flight plans
- Airspaces

5. Circuit Training

Take-off and landing
Transition
Hover and taxi
Circuits

6. Emergency Procedures

Basic auto rotations
Procedures in the hover
Procedures in the climb and approach

7. Pre-solo Exam

Part 1 – Regulations
Part 2 – Flying School rules

8. Solo

Your instructor must recommend you for your First solo flight
- First solo circuit – two maximum
- Solo consolidation – 3 hours circuit practice
- At the end of the course, you must have at least 15 solo hours (minimum)

9. Advanced Flying

Techniques to be demonstrated and then practiced solo for 10 hours :
Advanced hovering and manoeuvring
Precision transition
Steep turns
Quick stops
Tight circuits
Advanced autorotation
Limited power operations
Precision translations
Slope landings
Confined area operations
Low flying
Transition in various directions

10. Cross-Country Flying

Demonstrated and solo flight to another aerodrome of at least 3 hours total
Pre-flight planning
Set heading
Map reading

11. Practical Test

Your instructor must recommend you for a test, which consists of 1-1.5 hours flying test plus a practical navigation test
- Pre-flight preparation
- Air taxi and taking off
- Climbing, level flight turns
- Flight at maximum speed
- Autorotation
- Quick stop
- Circuit
- Hovering
- Cross wind and downwind operation
- Confined area operation
- Slope landing and take off
- Cross country flying

12. Mountain Flying (optional extra)

Trip to the Drakensberg for the following syllabus content:
High altitude familiarization
Elementary mountain flying

Private Pilot License Hours Sequence – Helicopter

LESSON	DETAILS OF LESSON	HOURS
		Dual	Solo
1	Familiarisation with aircraft	-	-
2	Preparation for flight and action after flight	-	-
3	Air experience	0:30	-
4	Effect of controls in forward flight	1:00	-
5	1. Attitude changes 2. Power changes	2:00	-
6	Straight and level flight, climbing and descending	1:00	-
7	Medium turns	0:45	-
8	Basic hover in ground effect	3:00	-
9	Take-off and landing	1:00	-
10	Transition	1:00	-
11	Basic autorotation	1:00	-
12	Settling with power or vortex ring state	0:30	-
13	Hover and taxi	2:00	-
14	Circuit flying	2:00	-
15	Abnormal and emergency procedures	2:00	-
16	First solo – maximum of two circuits	0:30	0:15
17	Consolidation of skills learned so far- circuits	-	2:45
18	1. Advanced hover in ground effect 2. Advanced hover out of ground effect	1:00	1:30
19	Precision transition	0:45	0:45
20	Steep turns	1:00	0:45
21	1. Quick stops 2. Tight circuits	0:45 1:00	0:45 1:00
22	Advanced auto rotations	2:00	-
23	Limited power operations	2:00	1:30
24	Transitions in various wind directions	0:45	-
25 & 26	OMITTED
27	Slope landings and take-offs	1:30	0:45
28	Confined area	2:00	2:00
29	Low flying	1:00	-
30	Cross country flying	3:00	5:00
31	High altitude familiarization	-	-
32	Elementary mountain flying	-	-
33	Night flying	-	-
34	Instrument flying	-	-
35	Practical flight test for licence or rating	-	-

Once you have your PPL(H), you may carry passengers, but not for financial gain. To draw income from flying you will need a Commercial Helicopter Licence. This requires a total of 200 flying hours, the passing of the commercial examinations laid out by the Directorate for Civil Aviation examinations board, and the completion of a practical flight test carried out by a CAA examiner.