Helicopter Private Pilot's Licence PPL(H) on a Robinson 44
Robinson R44:
Building on the legendary reputation of the R22, The R44 offers pilots a more powerful, spacious and versatile helicopter that prepares them for the demands of real-world flying. If you can afford the upgrade this should be the aircraft of choice for your training.
R44 Spec:
| Type: | Robinson 44 |
|---|---|
| Engine: | Single Engine |
| Seats: | 4 including pilot |
| Cruise speed: | 100 kts |
| Range: | 370 miles |
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 retuning 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:
- Air Law
- Aircraft General Knowledge
- Communications
- Flight Performance and Planning
- Human Performance
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Operational Procedures
- Principles of Flight
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.
