Helicopter Private Pilot's Licence PPL(H) on a Robinson 22

Robinson R22

When learning to fly, there is no better place to start than on the R22. Trusted by flight schools around the world, the R22 has earned the reputation as the benchmark for primary helicopter training due to its responsive handling, proven reliability, and economical operating cost. Pilots who master the R22 often find the transition to larger helicopters straightforward because of the disciplined flying techniques the aircraft encourages.

R22 Spec:

PPL(H) requirements:

You must be 16 years of age to go solo and 17 years of age to obtain the PPL(H) licence

You will need a Class 2 medical before your first solo. We can help organise this for you.

So how do I obtain a licence? The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that you need 45 hours of flight training including 10 hours of solo within the 45 hours. 5 hours of the solo flying will be solo navigation. Within the 5 hours of solo navigation you will need to complete a solo qualifying cross country flight covering at least 100 nautical miles and landing at two different airports before returning to the home base.

If you are already have a PPL(A) then you will only need 39 hours training if you have 60 hours or more pilot in command time. You will only need to do 4 ground exams.

Note that these are minimum hour requirements.

You also need to be able to speak English to level 6 (assessed by an examiner).

There are 9 ground exams as follows:

Each exam is multi choice with a pass mark of 75%. These exams are taken at our offices. There is also a radiotelephony practical exam, which we will organise for you.

At the end of the course you will take a skills test with one of our examiners and then you can apply for the PPL(H) licence with the CAA.

Once the licence is issued, every 12 months you will need to do a proficiency check.