Commercial Helicopter Pilot
Age Requirements
18 years of age at time of written test. (BC residents must be 19, or out of school for one year.)
Transport Canada Medical Certificate:
Category 1 - medical certificate validity period is 12 months (or 6 months if over 40 years of age). Visit the Transport Canada Civil Aviation website for detailed information on what is included in the Category 1 Medical Certificate Examination at www.tc gc.ca
Knowledge:
80 hours of ground school and a passing grade (60%) for the Transport Canada Commercial Pilot - Helicopter written exam.
Minimum Flying Experience:
100 hours - Includes:
- Dual: 55 hours total:
- 5 hours cross country
- 10 hours instrument
-
Solo: 35 hours total
Skill:
Passing grade for the Transport Canada Commercial Helicopter Pilot flight test.
Ground School Syllabus:
1. Air Regulations (20 hours)
1.1 Air Regulations
1.2 Air Navigation Orders
1.3 NOTAM, A.I.C., Aviation Notices
1.4 Air Traffic Services
1.5 Personnel Licensing Handbook
2. Airframes and Engines (10 hrs)
2.1 Airframes
2.2 Landing Gear and Brake
2.3 Engines-Reciprocating
2.4 Engines-Turbine
2.5 Carburetion
2.6 Fuel Injection
2.7 Electrical Systems
2.8 Lubricating Systems and Oils
2.9 Fuel Systems and Fuels
2.10 Transmissions
2.11 Hydraulics
2.12 Other Aircraft Systems
3. Theory of Flight (20 hours)
3.1 Principles of Flight
3.2 Definitions - Helicopter Aerodynamics
3.3 Load, Factor
3.4 Flight Controls
4. Flight Instruments (5 hours)
4.1 Pitot Static System
4.2 Airspeed Indicator
4.3 Vertical Speed Indicator
4.4 Altimeter
4.5 Magnetism
4.6 Direct Reading Magnetic
Compass
4.7 Gyroscope
4.8 Heading Indicator
4.9 Attitude Indicator
4.10 Turn and Bank Indicator
4.11 Flight Instruments / Instrument Flying
5. Meteorology (20 hours)
5.1 The Earth's Atmosphere
5.2 Atmospheric Pressure
5.3 Meteorological Aspects of Altimetry
5.4 Temperature
5.5 Moisture
5.6 Stability and Instability
5.7 Clouds
5.8 Turbulence
5.9 Wind
5.10 Air Masses
5.11 Fronts
5.12 Frontal Weather
5.13 Icing
5.14 Thunderstorms
5.15 Hurricanes and Tornadoes
5.16 Squall Lines
5.17 Surface Based Layers
5.18 Meteorological Services available to Pilots
5.19 Aviation Weather Reports
5.20 Aviation Forecasts
5.21 Weather Maps and Prognostic Charts
6. Navigation and Radio Aids (15 hours)
6.1 Definitions
6.2 Maps and Charts
6.3 Time and Longitude
6.4 Pilot Navigation
6.5 Triangle of Velocities
6.6 Navigation Computers
6.7 Pre-flight Preparation
6.8 Radio Theory
6.9 VOR
6.10 ADF
6.11 Other Radio and Radar Aids
7. Flight Operations (10 hours)
7.1 General
7.2 Aircraft Performance
7.3 Use of Performance Charts
7.4 Weight and Balance
7.5 Slinging
7.6 Wake Turbulence
Flight Exercises:
1. Helicopter familiarization
2. Preparation for flight
3. Effects of controls
4. Airspeed and power changes
straight and level flight
5. Climbs and descents
6. Turns
7. Autorotations 1 (upper air)
8. Hovering
9. Take-off and landing
10. Hovering exercises
11. Engine failure at the hover /hover-taxi
12. Transitions
13. Autorotations 2 (landing)
14. Emergencies
15. The circuit
16. Sideways and reverse flight
17. Steep turns
18. Autorotations 3 (range variations)
19. Practice forced approaches
20. Pilot navigation
21. Rapid decelerations
22. Low level operations
23. Sloping ground
24. Advanced take-offs and landings
25. Confined areas
26. Vortex ring
27. Practical loading and maximum weight operations
28. Sling load operations
29. Type conversion
30. Instrument flying
31. Night flying - optional
