Flight Training - Pre-requisites

Many members of the public are more familiar with fixed-wing aviation than the helicopter industry, so those interested in a career as a helicopter pilot often don't know where to begin. We are here to help. One common misconception is that you must get a private helicopter license before progressing to a commercial license. This may be true for the fixed-wing license, but not for a helicopter license.

Another misconception is that getting some fixed-wing experience is required before converting to helicopter training. If you choose to train as a commercial helicopter pilot you do not require any previous flying experience. In fact since flying helicopters vs. fixed-wing is quite different, fixed-wing flying may add some confusion to students at the beginning of their helicopter training.

The only formal pre-requisites required to obtain a private or commercial helicopter pilot license are:

• You must be a Canadian citizen, landed immigrant, or lawfully admitted to Canada as a student.
• You must be at least 16 years of age at time of first solo flight, and 18 years of age to obtain a license.
• Hold a valid Transport Canada medical certificate - Category 1 for Commercial, or Category 3 for Private.
• Training may commence before obtaining the medical exam, but we recommend this as a first step to your aviation career to avoid delays.