Rotary-wing
Add-ons
Private Rotary | Commercial
Rotary | Instrument Rotary | CFI/CFII
Rotary
Already flying fixed wing, glider, or gyroplane? Want to add the
thrill of flying a helicopter?
Add-on training courses allow a
pilot to add a Rotorcraft Category and Helicopter Class rating
to their existing pilot certificate.
The requirements for the add-on ratings are less stringent that
the ones for the initial certificate and/or rating. The requirements
listed below are the FAA minimums. Due to the wide variety in
previous experience, pilot should file and return the “Pilot
Information Form” for a personal cost
estimate.
Private Pilot (H) Add-On
 According to the 2009 FAR, the requirements to add a Rotorcraft
Category and Helicopter Class rating to your existing certificate
are:
- 40 hours total time
- 20 hours of dual flight training including:
- 3 hours cross country training in a helicopter
- 3 hours night training in a helicopter
- 3 hours in a helicopter in preparation for the practical
test
- 10 hours solo training in a helicopter including:
- 3 hours cross country time in a helicopter
- One solo cross-country flight of at least 75 nautical miles
total distance
Commercial Pilot (H) Add-On
According to the 2009 FAR, the requirements to add a Rotorcraft
Category and Helicopter Class rating to your existing Commercial
or ATP certificate are:
- 50 hours total time in a helicopter (55 if flying in a Robinson
Helicopter)
- 35 hours PIC in a helicopter
- 10 hour cross-country in a helicopter including
- One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a helicopter
in day VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line
distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original
point of departure;
- One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a helicopter
in night VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line
distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original
point of departure; and
- 20 hours of dual flight training including:
- 3 hours in a helicopter in preparation for the practical test
- 10 hours solo training in a helicopter including:
- 5 hours at night
- One cross-country flight with landings at a minimum of
three points, with one segment consisting of a straight-line
distance of at least 50 nautical miles from the original point
of departure; and
Pilots can apply for a Commercial Add-on without taking a Private
add-on first.
Instrument (H) Add-On
According to the 2009 FAR, the requirements to add an Instrument
Helicopter Class rating to your
existing Private/IFR, Commercial/IFR or ATP certificate are:
- 15 hours instrument flight training in a helicopter including
- 3 hours in preparation for the practical test
- one cross-country flight in a helicopter that is performed
under IFR, and consists of—
- A distance of at least 100 nautical miles along airways
or ATC-directed routing;
- An instrument approach at each airport; and
- Three different kinds of approaches with the use of
navigation systems; and
CFI / CFII (H) Add-On
The
FAA does not prescribe any minimum for the CFI and CFII add-on
ratings. A minimum of 15 hours will be required in Helicopter
to be eligible for the practical test.
In addition a minimum of
200 hours total time in helicopter is required to be eligible to
provide flight instruction in a Robinson R22 or R44.
How long will it take?
The length of time that is required to complete an add-on rating
depends largely on your previous flying experience, motivation
to learn and proficiency. Please contact us for further information.
How much will it cost?
Due to the wide variety in previous experience, pilot should
file and return the “Pilot Information Form” for a
personal cost estimate.
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