So you want to fly helicopters?

As a new pilot, there are many factors to consider when choosing a flight school. At Helicopters Northwest, Inc. we make those decisions as easy as possible by offering extremely flexible options for your training. Some of our students fly almost daily, others are on a weekly or monthly basis. Whether your goals are to finish your training as quickly as possible or to take your time in the process, we will tailor your program to fit your personal needs.

Financial Aid

Helicopters Northwest, Inc. offers in-house financing to help you afford flight training. Fly as often as you want and make monthly payments with terms that are negotiable on a case-by-case basis. If you have been considering flight training, don't let the challenge of financing stop you. We will do everything we can to set up a manageable financial situation for you so you can stop putting off the future and get started flying sooner rather than later!

Training Programs

Private Pilot Training

A Private Pilot Helicopter rating entitles you to fly recreationally or for personal purposes, but you cannot fly "for hire" (be paid to fly). Our Private Pilot Helicopter course includes the ground instruction and flight training required to take your written and practical (flight) tests. You will learn all aspects of flight needed to be a safe pilot and pass the FAA examinations, including:
• Aerodynamics
• Aircraft Systems
• How to Interact with Air Traffic Control
• Interpreting and Understanding Weather
• Cross Country Flight Planning
• FAA Rules & Regulations (FARs)

The FAA requires 40 hours of flight training towards the Private Pilot certificate; however, helicopter flight is a little different and most students complete their Private Pilot Helicopter in about 65 hours.

Instrument Pilot Training

Instrument training is not required by the FAA to fly in most "Private Pilot" applications but some instrument training is necessary to qualify for a Commercial Certificate. It is also an excellent way for pilots to learn more about the aviation environment and thereby increase the safety of all flights. Having an Instrument rating enables a pilot to fly under Instrument Flight Rules, making that pilot more attractive to prospective employers. At Helicopters Northwest Inc., we have an instrument training helicopter available and an excellent training environment due to our proximity to several airports with instrument landing capability. The FAA requires 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight in preparation for the checkride and most students complete it in this time.

Commercial Pilot Training

A Commercial Pilot Helicopter rating entitles you to fly for hire as well as recreationally. The maneuvers taught for this license are more advanced than for a Private Pilot and the FAA test standards are more stringent. Additionally, to get your Commercial helicopter rating you must have 150 hours of flight time logged, with a minimum of 100 hours as Pilot In Command (PIC).

CFI Training

A Certified Flight Instructor rating is required in order to teach students and most pilots start their helicopter flying careers as flight instructors. During this training you will become even more proficient in your flying and you will practice describing and demonstrating the maneuvers as you would when teaching a student. The amount of additional flight time for most students is minimal, typically around 30 hours, but you can plan on a lot more "homework" as the FAA's Oral Examination for the CFI is very challenging.

CFII Training

A Certified Flight Instructor - Instrument rating will enable you to instruct students as they earn either their instrument ratings or the
instrument time for their commercial license. There is no flight time required beyond the hours necessary for your initial instrument rating
although 3 hours of flight time for preparation for the exam are necessary and 10 hours post-CFI is about average.

Add-On Programs

It is not as difficult as many people believe to add a helicopter rating to your fixed wing license. Many fixed wing pilots want to continue their flight education and add a helicopter rating. Here at Helicopters Northwest, Inc. we will do our best to make it as efficient as possible. Flying a helicopter requires a different set of skills than flying an airplane. Many fixed wing pilots experience some initial difficulty adapting what they already know about flying to a helicopter. Some of the ingrained reactions in a fixed wing pilot are inappropriate to rotary wing flight and it can take some extra flight time for pilots to "break" those old habits. However, prior understanding of aviation rules and aerodynamics will make ground school that much simpler!