Helicopter flight instructors teach students how to fly helicopters, including ground school and actual flight instruction. They often turn passengers into potential students and must educate them on weather conditions, controls, and identifying tall structures. After ground school, instructors lead students through actual training and allow them to take control of the aircraft before allowing them to perform a solo flight.
A helicopter flight instructor is responsible for teaching students how to fly a helicopter. Both ground school and actual flight instruction are the responsibility of a helicopter flight instructor. Often, an established and licensed helicopter pilot decides to become an instructor. Additional training to become an instructor is given by a certified helicopter flight instructor. Many flight instructors share time between helicopter and airplane flight instruction, which requires instructors to be certified in both types of aircraft.
Often the first step in a student’s interest in becoming a pilot comes as a result of a first flight. In many cases, that first flight in a helicopter is performed by a certified flight instructor. The instructor will take the passenger on a flight and occasionally allow the passenger to take control of the aircraft. This is, however, limited control as the instructor rarely cedes full control of the vessel to an untrained operator. The helicopter flight instructor tries to satisfy the passenger’s interest in becoming a licensed pilot, often turning a passenger into a potential student.
Most flight schools require students to complete ground school training. In this training component, the helicopter flight instructor educates students about weather conditions and the helicopter’s controls and flight properties. Other areas of great importance that are covered in the ground school portion of pilot training include learning to read topographic maps and learning to identify tall structures such as antennas, trees and water towers. All tallest objects in a given area are clearly listed on the pilot’s map. The student must be educated on the dangers of coming into contact with power lines and antennas, in addition to any emergency action that must be taken if accidental contact is made with one of these objects.
After the ground school portion is complete, the instructor will lead students through the actual portion of the training. During this time, the instructor will have students travel in a helicopter and learn the various features of the aircraft. As students progress through training, the helicopter flight instructor will allow them to take control of the aircraft and try to fly it. During this period, the instructor generally keeps a close eye on the controls in order to overcome any emergency conditions that may occur during the student’s flight. After a student completes the entire training session and demonstrates the appropriate level of knowledge to safely operate a helicopter, the flight instructor will allow the student to perform a solo flight.
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