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How much do commercial helicopter pilots earn?

Attention aero-pilots---On which of these is it harder to learn/earn your license-airplane or helicopter?

  • Answer:

    Here are my personal experience learning to fly both airplanes and helicopters... The controls of a helicopter are much less intuitive to a beginner than an airplane. In my first airplane lesson, I felt that I could more or less make the plane do what I want, and if the instructor were to suddenly have a heart attack, I felt like I could probably get it on the ground without dying (although with a banged up plane most likely). In my first helicopter lesson, which I took after I already had a CFI airplane, I felt like I would have about 10 seconds to live if the instructor were to suddenly have a heart attack. On the other hand, I had a hard time learning to flare while taking airplane lessons and soloed somewhat later than most people, but in the helicopter (an R22) I soloed in a little over the 20 hour regulatory minimum of SFAR 73 (and my instructor said that I could have soloed earlier if not for the mandated minimum). I don't know how long it would have taken me to solo had I started with the helicopter. In the end, it took me about 60 hours to get my helicopter private, which is a typical time, with or without previous airplane experience. Typical times to get an airplane private may be slightly less than this.

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Helicopters are the hardest hands down. Aircraft can be trimmed for hands off flight or better yet some have an auto pilot and are more stable(less maneuverable) where as helicopters have the collective, cyclic and yaw peddles that must be coordinated, for every power change(up or down collective) you must adjust the anti torque peddles. Learning this is hard, but once mastered helicopters are where it is at. Air craft can be boring, but a helicopter never is as you can really get busy.

laptopgamingdude

well i fly planes for a living and have tried to fly several types of helicopter and the helicopters are definetly harder to fly in my opinion. much more touchy and they act like a pendulum with all the power at the top and weight at the bottom. As for the exam side of the licenses they are really pretty similar and in fact for commercial and atpl levels some of the exams are actually the exact same exam.

zadinir

I have never flown a helicopter but I have always been told that it is harder. It requires alot more skill then flying an airplane. Both are hard at times and some people just can't do it but I think that Airplanes are much easier to learn on.

victory_aviation

Definetly helicopters are significantly more difficult.

Obelix

helo is easy. Their soo ugly the earth repells them. Seriously thou the helo is the hardest , you can let the stick of a plane go and nothing really happens. Tell a rotor head to let go of the stick and cycle.......

Billy

Earning is the hardest. becuase some times students get crapy examiner, you know. Hopefully I will get luck.

Flying Soldier

i got in an airplane and took off flew to my destination and made the approach to the runway on my first flight no problems. i got in a helicopter and almost killed me and may instructor after 5 hrs of trainig trying to learn how to hover. Helicopters are way cooler

ovet81

Navigation, weather aerodynamics and flight instruments are the same. To a lesser degree FAR's and mechanics. Helicopters take more coordination and are a lot of seat of the pants flying. You always have to fly a helicopter. (Until you fly real big ones) Airplanes are more docile and forgiving. I found them both fun to fly in their own ways. It's like riding a motorcycle vs a car. Ether way go for one or both certificates.

Chet W

Helicopter's easier and doesn't take as long. But you can't go nearly as far or as fast in a helicopter, and the options for making a living are more limited.

TG

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