| |
Flight Training
 There
is no better way to see the world than from a helicopter — and few
things more rewarding than learning how to fly one. Of course, not
everyone is destined to become a helicopter pilot. It’s a job that
requires commitment, concentration, and attention to detail. But
whether you’re already a fixed-wing flyer or plan to launch your
aviation career in choppers, Sunset Helicopters can get you where you
want to be: on your way to becoming a safe, proficient rotor pilot.
Transitioning Pilots
 For
our purposes, we consider a transitioning pilot to be a pilot (or
student pilot) who has a significant number of hours in fixed-wing
aircraft. How much is "significant"? Well, at least enough to where the
pilot will have to "unlearn" airplanes, since that’s a lot of what
learning helicopters can be all about.
Which is not to say that
fixed-wing pilots don’t have advantages — they do. If you’re a
fixed-wing pilot, you already understand aircraft instrumentation,
aircraft systems, airspace, and FAA regulations. You’ve already
experienced FAA-regulated flight training, and you are famililar with
the sensation of flight. Best of all, you understand that nothing comes
easy. Learning to fly a helicopter can be as challenging, and fun, as
learning to fly a traffic pattern and land an airplane.
However,
fixed-wing pilots also face challenges that novice helicopter pilots do
not — namely, overcoming a lot of habits and reflexes that make sense
in an airplane but have no place in a helicopter. For starters, a
helicopter does not exhibit overbanking tendencies, right-turning
tendencies, or adverse yaw, which means corrective inputs you might
expect to make in various maneuvers (normally with the rudder) simply
aren’t required. In fact, a helicopter doesn’t even have a rudder —
instead, the tail-rotor (also called the anti-torque rotor) offsets the
massive torque force enacted on the fuselage by the main rotor. The
anti-torque pedals control the yaw-axis, similar to rudder pedals on an
airplane, but with much greater independence and precision.
Even
more importantly, unlike airplanes, helicopters are inherently
unstable. This doesn’t mean that they are liable to crash to the ground
at any time — a bicycle could be described as inherently unstable as
well. Nonetheless, choppers are very different from airplanes in this
regard. Fixed-wing pilots know that straight-and-level flight can be
maintained with one fingertip after an airplane’s power and trim
settings have been optimized. However, stable flight in a helicopter
can only be achieved by small, constant pressure inputs from the pilot,
which eventually become second nature.
Many fixed-wing pilots
express an interest in flying helicopters, be it for the FAA Helicopter
rating, expanding their aviation skills, or even just for the heck of
it — trying it out to see what it’s like. We welcome all kinds of
transitional pilots, from those looking for a new rating to the merely
curious. Even after once or twice at the controls, helicopter flying
can reveal entirely new and unexpected horizons.
New Pilots
 You
don’t have to know a thing about helicopters to start flying them — and
as we’ve noted above, a new pilot has distinct advantages over
high-hour fixed-wing flyers. If you’re a new pilot, you aren’t burdened
with preconceived notions about aerodynamics and flight. You’re also
able to commit yourself to helicopter flying, rather than potentially
splitting it between rotorcraft and airplanes. And you need not worry
about trying to master airplanes before trying something "harder" like
helicopters — in our experience, new student pilots earn their initial
FAA Pilot’s Certificates with either an Airplane or Helicopter rating
in about as many hours.
For helicopter pilots who progress to
earning an FAA Commercial license, the variety of jobs out there is
seemingly limitless — corporate flying, agricultural support, forestry,
flight instruction, industrial applications, pipeline inspection,
fire-fighting, air medical services, law enforcement, news reporting,
and more. Think about how often you see or hear helicopters, and how
many different companies are dependent upon them. Each one of these
companies requires experienced, professional pilots.
We offer
FAA-regulated flight training with our Certified Flight Instructors in
accordance with the FAR Part 61 curriculum. We’re also the only
helicopter instruction facility on the east side of the northern
Willamette Valley, making our location an attractive choice for
students who are building hours at larger airports like Hillsboro but
would like to log some additional time closer to home.
Please contact us for more information by hitting the "Request More Info" button below.
|
|
|
|
Locations:
Sunset Helicopters Inc
23115 Airport Rd NE #12
Aurora (Portland area), OR 97002
|
|
