Your first career step is likely to be working as a flight instructor to gain the flight hours that helicopter employers demand. The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Rating is required if you want to instruct other pilots. We take pride in our ability to impart our vast experience to develop flight instructors who stand above the competition. What You’ll Learn Once you have your Commercial Pilot Certificate, it’s time to start thinking about your first paying job as a helicopter pilot which for most people is working as a certified flight instructor. Many people choose this path because they want an opportunity to pass on the skills and knowledge they received during their training to a new student and in the process improve their own understanding. During this training course you will learn the fundamentals of instruction, including how to teach ground training topics and flight maneuvers while also learning how to appropriately respond to student’s actions in flight. During the flight portion, you will learn how to teach flight skills and maneuvers effectively and efficiently to your students. Learning common student pitfalls and how to avoid them is also covered in your training. By employing scenarios, real-world situations and knowledge from our most senior instructors, you will learn how to use this information to best educate your students. The FAA minimum requirement for Part 141 CFI Rating is 40 hours of ground training and 25 hours of flight training. Generally, the flight time for the CFI is the difference between your flight time on earning a Commercial Pilot Certificate and 200 hours of total time, which is required for those who want to instruct in a Robinson R22.
Build the flight hours you need by learning how to teach other helicopter pilots.