Whether you have your heart set on firefighting or emergency medical services, or you dream of flying tourists over breathtaking scenery, Hillsboro will help you achieve the ratings and certificates needs to be eligible for these roles. Our flight school has the helicopter flight lessons and courses you need to start your career training. All of our helicopter flight training courses are Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved and we offer Federation Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 141 training. We also offer European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved courses. We even offer specialty helicopter flight courses to include with your FAA helicopter training—like external load operations and mountain flying—so that you can set yourself up for the career you’ve always dreamed of. Our helicopter pilot school offers a full training program for people whose goal is to work as a career helicopter pilot. The Professional Pilot Program includes helicopter flight lessons for these certificates and ratings: Private, Instrument, Commercial, and Certified Flight Instructor. Our first-of-its-kind EASA/FAA program is for international students who wish to pursue a helicopter pilot career in Europe. It includes the same certificates as our FAA helicopter training program, plus all required EASA coursework. If you want to prepare for a more challenging and exciting career, it’s a great idea to add specialized helicopter flight lessons to your Professional Pilot Program to further enhance your skills and expand your career opportunities. Our Helicopter Professional Pilot Program helps you gain valuable piloting experience.
Training Programs
and Additional Ratings
Professional Pilot Program
EASA/FAA Professional Pilot Program
Additional Ratings: Specialized
Helicopter Flight Training FAQs
Our Professional Pilot Program includes private, instrument, commercial, and flight instructor courses. We also encourage student to obtain their CFII as well. Current program costs can be found here.
The program estimates are based on average program pricing. The only item not included in this estimate is the cost of the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) for your FAA examinations, known as check rides.
At Hillsboro Heli Academy, you will join a large community of students and instructors ready to provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills required for pursuing your dream to fly. You will participate in one-on-one flight and ground instruction with a certified flight instructor who will prepare you to meet the FAA requirements for each certificate or rating.
Our helicopter program is designed to take less than 15 months to complete if you are a full-time student committing to being on the flight schedule five times per week. Your training speed can change depending on how often you fly, amount of study time you commit, and the time of year you start your training.
The first step in your training program is the Private Pilot Certificate which is where you learn the fundamentals of operating a helicopter. You will have to complete solo and cross country flight requirements, in order to take the FAA examination also known as a check ride with an FAA-designated examiner. The FAA requires a minimum of 35 hours of ground training and 35 hours of flight training for this certification. However, most people require more flight hours to become proficient enough to pass the exam, often averaging 50-60 hours.
It can seem difficult initially to learn to fly a helicopter. However, our helicopter flying lessons are designed to encourage effective skill development, practical learning, and consistent enthusiasm for upskilling.