Home › A&P Aircraft Mechanic Jobs › Hawaii

Back to Category

A&P Aircraft Mechanic Jobs in Hawaii

Cities in Hawaii with Aviation Schools:

A&P Aircraft Mechanic Jobs in Hawaii

Aircraft Mechanic Jobs Hawaii

What's the Job Outlook for A&P Mechanics? Aircraft mechanic jobs in Hawaii should continue to grow, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their study suggests that the number of people working in aviation mechanic jobs will increase by 7% between 2008 and 2018.


This growth will be primarily caused by an increase in air traffic due to growing worldwide populations, economies, and increased desire for travel. As the airlines and associated industries expand, the need for A&P Mechanics will go up accordingly. Read more about aviation maintenance technician salaries.

In the coming years, many job openings will be created by retiring A&P Mechanics and others leaving the industry to work in related jobs like auto and diesel repair. If you become an aircraft mechanic, you can rest assured knowing your trade crosses over to many other industries.

A&P Mechanic Jobs in Hawaii

A&P mechanic jobs are in high demand in Hawaii. The highest paying aircraft mechanic jobs in Hawaii are found at the major airlines. As can be expected, competition for these jobs is also huge. However, you're most likely to get a job at a regional airline or discount airline, because these types of carriers are growing quickly. But don't expect the same pay and benefits as the majors.

How to get your license, training requirements, eligibility, and links to more info. To earn your A&P License, you must attend a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified AMT school OR have at least 30 months of relevant civilian or military work experience (supervised by a certified aviation mechanic). The FAA issues the A&P certificates (airframe and powerplant), and mechanics can get either an airframe rating or a power plant rating or both--most mechanics get both. Those who want a certificate with just a single rating and who base their application on practical experience must demonstrate 18 months of work experience applicable to the chosen rating. Learn more about the training and experience requirements to become an aircraft mechanic.

After your education or training qualifications are met, you'll be eligible to take the required oral, practical, and written tests. You must pass all these tests within 24 months. The tests cover 43 technical subjects. Typically, tests for one certificate--airframe or power plant--take about 8 hours. (Get more details about the A&P Mechanics Tests.) When you pass, you will have earned your FAA mechanic license with airframe and/or powerplant certificates (A&P license), and you'll be on your way to a successful career in aviation maintenance! Learn more about aviation maintenance technician training now.

A&P License Currency

Although your A&P certificates don't expire, you must remain "current" by meeting several criteria, including completing a minimum of 1,000 hours of hands-on work experience during the previous 24 months (or completing a refresher course) and completing at least 16 hours of additional training every 24 months. The additional training requirement is usually satisfied by attending manufacturer events or training with outside contractors hired to conduct the training.

Avionics Technician Specialty Training
As an A&P mechanic, if you have the training, qualifications, and tools, the FAA will allow you to work on avionics as well. Avionics technicians are not specifically required to have FAA certification if they received their avionics training in the military or from working for an avionics manufacturer.

A&P Mechanic Training: Using Veteran's Benefits

Your veteran's benefits, especially the Post 9/11 GI Bill, are one of the best sources of funding available to pay for A&P mechanic training. With the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you can be reimbursed for up to 100% of your aviation mechanic training expenses. This is a sizeable amount of funding that goes a long way toward making you an A&P mechanic, but there are a few things to consider before taking the leap.

A&P mechanic training expenses can be covered up to $10,000 dollar per academic year. Qualified veterans can use Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to cover 100% of their training costs up to $10,000 dollars per academic year. Depending on the program, this is a big portion of the expense of aviation mechanic training. While it is worth noting this limitation, it is hardly causing alarm since it covers or severely reduces the costs of most A&P mechanic courses.

Aviation mechanic training programs require VA approval for reimbursement. An arguably more important consideration before beginning your A&P mechanic training is whether a particular training provider is approved by the VA. The good news is there is a pretty standard process and it isn't a secret whether a school is approved.

The only potential catch is that the VA must also approve individual courses before they will reimburse your flight training costs. This means that while a school may have approval, every course they offer isn't necessarily covered by your Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits.

Aviation mechanic training is improved by the approval process. The requirements for receiving an A&P mechanic certificate are standardized, but there is still a lot of variation in training programs. Since the VA mandates a fairly stringent approval process and there are ongoing paperwork requirements, most schools have a VA representative who is very familiar with the system.

This representative, the approval process, and the paperwork have a net effect of improving the quality of your aviation mechanic training by weeding out weak training courses and keeping you active in your training. Once you start training, most of the paperwork can be managed for you, allowing you to focus on your A&P mechanic training.

In fact, this is the most important takeaway. The stringent requirements of the Post 9/11 GI Bill create better-equipped schools, more efficient training courses, and save you money during your aviation mechanic training. For more information and to verify your eligibility, call 1-888-GIBILL-1 or check out the GI Bill website

FAA - A History of Aircraft Structures Facts for Hawaii

It was Cayley who first stacked wings and created a tri-wing glider that flew a man in 1853. Earlier, Cayley studied the center of gravity of flying machines, as well as the effects of wing dihedral. Furthermore, he pioneered directional control of aircraft by including the earliest form of a rudder on his gliders.

Helicopter Landing Gear or Skids

As mentioned, a helicopter’s landing gear can be simply a set of tubular metal skids. Many helicopters do have landing gear with wheels, some retractable.


Aircraft Mechanic Jobs Hawaii

An aircraft mechanic is a hot career! The A&P Mechanic industry is in need of trained A&P mechanics right now. Whether you want to work for the airlines, a smaller corporate operation, or for yourself as an independent A&P, we offer the following training resources to help you get started. Learn more about A&P Mechanic Technician Training


What is the typical A&P Mechanic Technician salary? Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) can make a comfortable living repairing and performing scheduled maintenance on aircraft, with top earners at major airlines earning well over $70,000 a year.

According to 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most AMTs make somewhere between $16.92 and $36.86 per hour, with median income at $26.55 per hour or $55,210 a year. The middle 50% earned between $45,670 and $65,750. At the lowest end of the scale, 10% of AMTs earned less than $35,190, while the top 10% earned more than $76,660.

As you might expect with aircraft mechanic jobs in Hawaii, the positions with the highest aircraft maintenance salary are in the major airline and federal government sectors, where A&P mechanics typically work on large jet aircraft. (In the U.S., AMTs usually refer to themselves as A&Ps, which stands for airframe and powerplant mechanics. In Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, the equivalent of an AMT is an aircraft maintenance engineer.) Learn more about A&P Mechanic Technician Training

When compared to other professional technicians (such as auto mechanics, electricians, electro-mechanical technicians, and heavy vehicle service technicians), AMTs tend to earn a higher salary. In fact, AMTs' median annual income is typically between $4,000 and $18,000 higher than these technical professions. Get more info about aircraft mechanic jobs in Hawaii.

A&P Mechanic Jobs in Hawaii

There are several training routes to take to land the top A&P mechanic jobs. Attend a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved A&P Mechanic. Currently, the FAA has approximately 170 approved A&P Mechanic schools listed on their website. For those interested in landing the top A&P mechanic jobs in Hawaii, you need to attend an A&P Mechanic School and get the practical experience you'll need to become an A&P Mechanic.

Many A&P mechanics who have the best jobs get their training in the military. As a military A&P mechanic looking for the best paying job, you could be working on anything from large airliners and transports to jet fighters and attack helicopters. If you decide to go the military route, upon your discharge from the military, you'll still need to take the necessary FAA tests and have the proper documentation of your practical experience. That means you'll have to take all the courses too!

Once you have passed the required tests, you'll be eligible to apply for the very best A&P jobs in Hawaii. However, please note that military experience can sometimes be too specific, and not meet the broad specifications required by the FAA. Even after discharge, you may have to attend one of the FAA-approved AMT schools.

On the job training - a very few people earn the required minimum coursework and skill set needed to pass the A&P certification tests through on the job training. Typically, you must be under the direct supervision of an A&P for at least 30 months and be logging all of your hours to go this route. Your time log must be notarized by your employer or signed off by the supervising A&P. Find out more about A&P Mechanic jobs.

A&P Mechanic Requirements

To be a certified A&P mechanic or avionics technician you need to meet several qualifications:

  • Age 18 or older
  • Read, write, speak, and understand the English language
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Display the required technical skills

Avionics Technician Salary

Avionics Technicians test electronic instruments, assemble components, install instrument panels, interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and problems, and repair or replace malfunctioning components. According to 2012 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most Avionics Technicians earned somewhere between $18.82 and $35.47 per hour, with median income at $26.61 per hour or $55,350 a year. The middle 50% earned between $47,210 and $64,890. At the lowest end of the scale, 10% of Avionics Technicians earned less than $39,150, while the top 10% earned more than $73,770.

The positions with the highest avionics technician salary are in the aerospace, major airline, and federal government sectors. The chart below shows Avionics Technicians' mean annual salary by industry (for those industries with the highest levels of employment):

A&P Mechanic Technician Benefits

Salaries and benefits can vary. Salary is often dependent on the size of the company, work location, past work experience, licenses (e.g., A&P certificate), and type of craft serviced. In terms of benefits packages, both airline and general aviation employers typically offer paid holidays, vacations, insurance plans, retirement programs, and sick leave. A&P Mechanic technicians working for the largest companies can expect top-notch benefits packages, including both health and life insurance and, for those working for airlines, travel benefits for themselves and immediate family (e.g., free or reduced-price transportation to route destinations and travel exchange privileges with other airlines).


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Ahuimanu

Under SFAR 73, a Robinson pilot must be signed off by an instructor act as pilot in command of a particular model of Robinson helicopter. Pilots with less experience must have a flight review every year rather than the standard two years. Any flight review must be accomplished in the precise model of Robinson helicopter to be flown. So, for example, a pilot who flew a Robinson R22 for 500 hours then upgraded to a four-seat R44 and flew it for a few years would not be legal to get back in and fly the R22 unless he or she first did a flight review with an instructor. An instructor cannot teach in the Robinson R22 or R44 unless he or she has been specifically signed off for that privilege by an FAA-designated examiner.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Ahuimanu

A separate issue is that the helicopter is reasonably stable when hovering nose-into-the-wind. If, however, the pilot deems it necessary to rotate the helicopter, perhaps to fit into a conventional parking space, the helicopter can be difficult to control. The left crosswind is the worst for an American helicopter such as the Robinson or JetRanger; it blows disturbed air pushed sideways by the tail rotor back into the tail rotor. In a strong enough left crosswind, even the world's best helicopter pilot may not be able to maintain control while hovering.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Aiea

For pilots of Robinson helicopters, the FAA imposes an additional range of training and recurrent training requirements via \SFAR 73 to Part 61\ which was written into the law on February 23 1995 after a rash of accidents involving Robinson helicopters and three special certification reviews by the FAA (source: National Transportation Safety Board Special Investigation Report PB96-917003 NTSB/SIR-96/03Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Loss of Main Rotor Control Accidents).

Post World War Pilot Training: At Randolph the course was divided into three stages: H-13, H-19 and H-21 with 30 hours in each aircraft. In January 1958 ATC added a fourth phase, an operational or combat crew-training phase which was conducted at Stead AFB, Reno, Nevada. Stead would allow realistic desert, water, snow, mountainous, and high altitude training as well as collateral training with Air Training Command's survival school.

Helicopter Factoid for Aiea

Helicopters that are simultaneously moving slowly and descending are subject to a hazardous condition known as \settling with power or vortex ring state. The helicopter sinks into its own previously disturbed air and the result is a dramatic increase in descent rate that cannot be arrested by adding collective pitch and engine power.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Big Island

Under SFAR 73, a Robinson pilot must be signed off by an instructor act as pilot in command of a particular model of Robinson helicopter. Pilots with less experience must have a flight review every year rather than the standard two years. Any flight review must be accomplished in the precise model of Robinson helicopter to be flown. So, for example, a pilot who flew a Robinson R22 for 500 hours then upgraded to a four-seat R44 and flew it for a few years would not be legal to get back in and fly the R22 unless he or she first did a flight review with an instructor. An instructor cannot teach in the Robinson R22 or R44 unless he or she has been specifically signed off for that privilege by an FAA-designated examiner.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Big Island

A separate issue is that the helicopter is reasonably stable when hovering nose-into-the-wind. If, however, the pilot deems it necessary to rotate the helicopter, perhaps to fit into a conventional parking space, the helicopter can be difficult to control. The left crosswind is the worst for an American helicopter such as the Robinson or JetRanger; it blows disturbed air pushed sideways by the tail rotor back into the tail rotor. In a strong enough left crosswind, even the world's best helicopter pilot may not be able to maintain control while hovering.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for East Honolulu

A depressing number of helicopter accidents occur before the helicopter has left the ground. It is difficult to restart a hot jet engine and therefore many times people are loaded or unloaded while the blades are spinning. This can lead to fatal encounters with main and tail rotors.

Aviation Training History and Facts for East Honolulu

Designed as a rich guy's transportation helicopter, the Robinson R22 quickly became instead the world's most popular training helicopter. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous machines in which to train. Why? Much of helicopter training is practicing autorotations, in which the engine is twisted toward idle and the helicopter glides toward the ground. This maneuver requires the student to adjust the collective pitch control to maintain rotor RPM within safe limits.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Ewa Beach

Helicopter Training Facts: Most pilots develop a physical fitness regime during training to help them build the muscle strength required for this role. Maintaining a high degree of personal fitness also reduces the residual physical stress and strain of maintaining a fixed position.

Helicopter Factoid for Ewa Beach

Military Helicopters: There are different types of military helicopters that have different roles to play. We may often come across chopper names such as the SH-60B Seahawk Wood, Comanche RAH66, Chinook CH47, etc.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Ewa Gentry

Under SFAR 73, a Robinson pilot must be signed off by an instructor act as pilot in command of a particular model of Robinson helicopter. Pilots with less experience must have a flight review every year rather than the standard two years. Any flight review must be accomplished in the precise model of Robinson helicopter to be flown. So, for example, a pilot who flew a Robinson R22 for 500 hours then upgraded to a four-seat R44 and flew it for a few years would not be legal to get back in and fly the R22 unless he or she first did a flight review with an instructor. An instructor cannot teach in the Robinson R22 or R44 unless he or she has been specifically signed off for that privilege by an FAA-designated examiner.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Ewa Gentry

The heavier the rotor blades the more stable their speed will be due to inertia. With a low-inertia system, the student will have to react very quickly to a simulated engine failure or the simulated emergency becomes a real emergency. In the R22, the student and instructor have 1.6 seconds to act after a simulated engine failure. If neither lowers the collective and enters an autorotation within that 1.6 seconds, both are likely to die.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Haiku-Pauwela

Helicopter Training Facts: Most pilots develop a physical fitness regime during training to help them build the muscle strength required for this role. Maintaining a high degree of personal fitness also reduces the residual physical stress and strain of maintaining a fixed position.

Helicopter Factoid for Haiku-Pauwela

Military Helicopters: There are different types of military helicopters that have different roles to play. We may often come across chopper names such as the SH-60B Seahawk Wood, Comanche RAH66, Chinook CH47, etc.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Halawa

A depressing number of helicopter accidents occur before the helicopter has left the ground. It is difficult to restart a hot jet engine and therefore many times people are loaded or unloaded while the blades are spinning. This can lead to fatal encounters with main and tail rotors.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Halawa

Designed as a rich guy's transportation helicopter, the Robinson R22 quickly became instead the world's most popular training helicopter. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous machines in which to train. Why? Much of helicopter training is practicing autorotations, in which the engine is twisted toward idle and the helicopter glides toward the ground. This maneuver requires the student to adjust the collective pitch control to maintain rotor RPM within safe limits.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Hawaiian Paradise Park

Military Helicopters: weapons include machine-guns, rockets, guided missiles as well as autocannons. They're used to destroy enemy armor concentrations due to their anti-tank target capability as well as provide close air support to troops on the ground.

Helicopter Factoid for Hawaiian Paradise Park

Two-bladed helicopters, e.g., the Huey, Bell JetRanger, and Robinsons, are subject to a hazard known as mast bumping. Due to gravity, the helicopter hangs from a \teetering rotor system. The pilot flies the rotor system and the helicopter fuselage follows giving the pilot the illusion that he is flying the helicopter. If gravity is no longer acting on the helicopter i.e. if the helicopter is in a low G condition the tail rotor will tend to roll the helicopter to the right. The alarmed pilot will reflexively apply left cyclic which causes the rotor system to tilt but without gravity the helicopter fuselage won't follow. This puts the rotor blades and the mast into an extreme orientation and an inner portion of the blades will smack into (bump) the stationary mast that is holding up the rotor system.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Hilo

How Long Does it Take to Become a Helicopter Pilot: Keep in mind that you will be required to build up to 1,000 flying hours as well. Once you start instructing it will likely take you 12 - 18 months to build up to 1,000 hours.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Hilo

A separate issue is that the helicopter is reasonably stable when hovering nose-into-the-wind. If, however, the pilot deems it necessary to rotate the helicopter, perhaps to fit into a conventional parking space, the helicopter can be difficult to control. The left crosswind is the worst for an American helicopter such as the Robinson or JetRanger; it blows disturbed air pushed sideways by the tail rotor back into the tail rotor. In a strong enough left crosswind, even the world's best helicopter pilot may not be able to maintain control while hovering.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Holualoa

How Long Does it Take to Become a Helicopter Pilot: Keep in mind that you will be required to build up to 1,000 flying hours as well. Once you start instructing it will likely take you 12 - 18 months to build up to 1,000 hours.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Holualoa

In a hover, the stability provided by air flowing over the tail is gone and minor attitude variations lead to alarming translations over the ground. In a strong gusty wind, the helicopter moves in and out of Effective Translational Lift (ETL), becoming dramatically more or less efficient. This requires large collective adjustments to maintain hover height, since the amount of power required to hold a 5' hover without ETL will cause the helicopter to fly away if the wind or a pilot-induced drift causes the helicopter to get into ETL.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Honolulu

Military Helicopters: weapons include machine-guns, rockets, guided missiles as well as autocannons. They're used to destroy enemy armor concentrations due to their anti-tank target capability as well as provide close air support to troops on the ground.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Honolulu

In a hover, the stability provided by air flowing over the tail is gone and minor attitude variations lead to alarming translations over the ground. In a strong gusty wind, the helicopter moves in and out of Effective Translational Lift (ETL), becoming dramatically more or less efficient. This requires large collective adjustments to maintain hover height, since the amount of power required to hold a 5' hover without ETL will cause the helicopter to fly away if the wind or a pilot-induced drift causes the helicopter to get into ETL.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kahului

Insurance companies often impose more stringent requirements, e.g., recurrent training on an annual basis. In order to guarantee the ticket-buying public a higher level of safety, the FAA similarly imposes more stringent requirements on pilots of commercially-operated aircraft, e.g., ground and flight tests every 12 months for charter pilots (FAR 135.293) and proficiency checks every 6 months for airline pilots (FAR 121.441).

Helicopter Factoid for Kahuluis for Kahului

Two-bladed helicopters, e.g., the Huey, Bell JetRanger, and Robinsons, are subject to a hazard known as mast bumping. Due to gravity, the helicopter hangs from a \teetering rotor system. The pilot flies the rotor system and the helicopter fuselage follows giving the pilot the illusion that he is flying the helicopter. If gravity is no longer acting on the helicopter i.e. if the helicopter is in a low G condition the tail rotor will tend to roll the helicopter to the right. The alarmed pilot will reflexively apply left cyclic which causes the rotor system to tilt but without gravity the helicopter fuselage won't follow. This puts the rotor blades and the mast into an extreme orientation and an inner portion of the blades will smack into (bump) the stationary mast that is holding up the rotor system.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Kailua

Helicopter Training Facts: Most pilots develop a physical fitness regime during training to help them build the muscle strength required for this role. Maintaining a high degree of personal fitness also reduces the residual physical stress and strain of maintaining a fixed position.

Helicopter Factoid for Kailuas for Kailua

The Robinson R44 has a potentially lethal design defect: the electronic governor, which is supposed to ensure that rotor speed remains at a safe 100% is not hooked up to the rotor tachometer. It is hooked up to the engine tachometer. To make matters worse the engine tachometer is driven by a set of mechanical points inside one of the ignition magnetos.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Kalaoa

Helicopter Training Facts: Most pilots develop a physical fitness regime during training to help them build the muscle strength required for this role. Maintaining a high degree of personal fitness also reduces the residual physical stress and strain of maintaining a fixed position.

Helicopter Factoid for Kalaoa

Military Helicopters: There are different types of military helicopters that have different roles to play. We may often come across chopper names such as the SH-60B Seahawk Wood, Comanche RAH66, Chinook CH47, etc.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kaneohe

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR but generally FARs) restrict maintenance on certified aircraft to FAA-certificated mechanics and repair stations.

Helicopter Factoid for Kaneohes for Kaneohe

Military Helicopters: There are different types of military helicopters that have different roles to play. We may often come across chopper names such as the SH-60B Seahawk Wood, Comanche RAH66, Chinook CH47, etc.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kaneohe Station

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR but generally FARs) restrict maintenance on certified aircraft to FAA-certificated mechanics and repair stations.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Kaneohe Station

The engineer behind the R22, Frank Robinson, stated repeatedly that he did not design the R22 as a trainer and did not want people using it as a trainer, suggesting that they use the more expensive R44 instead (it has about 4 seconds of rotor inertia instead of 1.6 seconds). However, flight schools using the R44 could generally not compete with those using the R22 (a brand-new student can tell the difference between $200/hour and $400/hour, but he or she probably can't understand the practical consequences of lower rotor inertia). Thus the R22 continues to be used at flight schools around the world and its low-inertia rotor system and lack of power reserve result in frequent accidents during practice autorotations.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kapaa

Insurance companies often impose more stringent requirements, e.g., recurrent training on an annual basis. In order to guarantee the ticket-buying public a higher level of safety, the FAA similarly imposes more stringent requirements on pilots of commercially-operated aircraft, e.g., ground and flight tests every 12 months for charter pilots (FAR 135.293) and proficiency checks every 6 months for airline pilots (FAR 121.441).

Helicopter Factoid for Kapaa

The Robinson R44 has a potentially lethal design defect: the electronic governor, which is supposed to ensure that rotor speed remains at a safe 100% is not hooked up to the rotor tachometer. It is hooked up to the engine tachometer. To make matters worse the engine tachometer is driven by a set of mechanical points inside one of the ignition magnetos.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kapolei

Insurance companies often impose more stringent requirements, e.g., recurrent training on an annual basis. In order to guarantee the ticket-buying public a higher level of safety, the FAA similarly imposes more stringent requirements on pilots of commercially-operated aircraft, e.g., ground and flight tests every 12 months for charter pilots (FAR 135.293) and proficiency checks every 6 months for airline pilots (FAR 121.441).

Helicopter Factoid for Kapolei

The Robinson R44 has a potentially lethal design defect: the electronic governor, which is supposed to ensure that rotor speed remains at a safe 100% is not hooked up to the rotor tachometer. It is hooked up to the engine tachometer. To make matters worse the engine tachometer is driven by a set of mechanical points inside one of the ignition magnetos.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kauai

Insurance companies often impose more stringent requirements, e.g., recurrent training on an annual basis. In order to guarantee the ticket-buying public a higher level of safety, the FAA similarly imposes more stringent requirements on pilots of commercially-operated aircraft, e.g., ground and flight tests every 12 months for charter pilots (FAR 135.293) and proficiency checks every 6 months for airline pilots (FAR 121.441).

Helicopter Factoid for Kauai

The Robinson R44 has a potentially lethal design defect: the electronic governor, which is supposed to ensure that rotor speed remains at a safe 100% is not hooked up to the rotor tachometer. It is hooked up to the engine tachometer. To make matters worse the engine tachometer is driven by a set of mechanical points inside one of the ignition magnetos.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Kihei

A depressing number of helicopter accidents occur before the helicopter has left the ground. It is difficult to restart a hot jet engine and therefore many times people are loaded or unloaded while the blades are spinning. This can lead to fatal encounters with main and tail rotors.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Kihei

The engineer behind the R22, Frank Robinson, stated repeatedly that he did not design the R22 as a trainer and did not want people using it as a trainer, suggesting that they use the more expensive R44 instead (it has about 4 seconds of rotor inertia instead of 1.6 seconds). However, flight schools using the R44 could generally not compete with those using the R22 (a brand-new student can tell the difference between $200/hour and $400/hour, but he or she probably can't understand the practical consequences of lower rotor inertia). Thus the R22 continues to be used at flight schools around the world and its low-inertia rotor system and lack of power reserve result in frequent accidents during practice autorotations.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Lahaina

Under SFAR 73, a Robinson pilot must be signed off by an instructor act as pilot in command of a particular model of Robinson helicopter. Pilots with less experience must have a flight review every year rather than the standard two years. Any flight review must be accomplished in the precise model of Robinson helicopter to be flown. So, for example, a pilot who flew a Robinson R22 for 500 hours then upgraded to a four-seat R44 and flew it for a few years would not be legal to get back in and fly the R22 unless he or she first did a flight review with an instructor. An instructor cannot teach in the Robinson R22 or R44 unless he or she has been specifically signed off for that privilege by an FAA-designated examiner.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Lahaina

A separate issue is that the helicopter is reasonably stable when hovering nose-into-the-wind. If, however, the pilot deems it necessary to rotate the helicopter, perhaps to fit into a conventional parking space, the helicopter can be difficult to control. The left crosswind is the worst for an American helicopter such as the Robinson or JetRanger; it blows disturbed air pushed sideways by the tail rotor back into the tail rotor. In a strong enough left crosswind, even the world's best helicopter pilot may not be able to maintain control while hovering.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Lanai

Helicopter Training Facts: Most pilots develop a physical fitness regime during training to help them build the muscle strength required for this role. Maintaining a high degree of personal fitness also reduces the residual physical stress and strain of maintaining a fixed position.

Helicopter Factoid for Lanai

Military Helicopters: There are different types of military helicopters that have different roles to play. We may often come across chopper names such as the SH-60B Seahawk Wood, Comanche RAH66, Chinook CH47, etc.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Maili

A depressing number of helicopter accidents occur before the helicopter has left the ground. It is difficult to restart a hot jet engine and therefore many times people are loaded or unloaded while the blades are spinning. This can lead to fatal encounters with main and tail rotors.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Maili

Designed as a rich guy's transportation helicopter, the Robinson R22 quickly became instead the world's most popular training helicopter. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous machines in which to train. Why? Much of helicopter training is practicing autorotations, in which the engine is twisted toward idle and the helicopter glides toward the ground. This maneuver requires the student to adjust the collective pitch control to maintain rotor RPM within safe limits.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Makaha

Insurance companies often impose more stringent requirements, e.g., recurrent training on an annual basis. In order to guarantee the ticket-buying public a higher level of safety, the FAA similarly imposes more stringent requirements on pilots of commercially-operated aircraft, e.g., ground and flight tests every 12 months for charter pilots (FAR 135.293) and proficiency checks every 6 months for airline pilots (FAR 121.441).

Helicopter Factoid for Makaha

The Robinson R44 has a potentially lethal design defect: the electronic governor, which is supposed to ensure that rotor speed remains at a safe 100% is not hooked up to the rotor tachometer. It is hooked up to the engine tachometer. To make matters worse the engine tachometer is driven by a set of mechanical points inside one of the ignition magnetos.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Makakilo

Future rotary wing aviators are required to pass the Class 1 Flying Duty Medical Examination. This entails a thorough physical examination, and candidates can be disqualified if they are diagnosed with common physical and mental illnesses and conditions. The Army conducts interviews with potential candidates for rotary wing training after they pass the AFAST.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Makakilo

The heavier the rotor blades the more stable their speed will be due to inertia. With a low-inertia system, the student will have to react very quickly to a simulated engine failure or the simulated emergency becomes a real emergency. In the R22, the student and instructor have 1.6 seconds to act after a simulated engine failure. If neither lowers the collective and enters an autorotation within that 1.6 seconds, both are likely to die.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Makawao

Robinson Helicopters: The Robinson R22 Beta II is flown throughout the world for many applications, ranging from flight training to livestock mustering to patrolling pipelines, that require dependability, low operating costs, and performance.

Helicopter Factoid for Makawao

Pilots receive some ground school education on how to recover from a low-G condition, but the prudent way to avoid mast bumping is by avoiding the situations that will tend to cause a low-G condition. Extreme maneuvers by a pilot can result in the helicopter going low-G, but a more common source of reduced G forces in two-bladed helicopters is turbulence. Did the accident flight occur on a day when the wind was gusting to 30 knots and the FAA had issued an AIRMET for turbulence? If so, look into the possibility of mast bumping.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Maui

Military Helicopters: weapons include machine-guns, rockets, guided missiles as well as autocannons. They're used to destroy enemy armor concentrations due to their anti-tank target capability as well as provide close air support to troops on the ground.

Helicopter Factoid for Maui

Two-bladed helicopters, e.g., the Huey, Bell JetRanger, and Robinsons, are subject to a hazard known as mast bumping. Due to gravity, the helicopter hangs from a \teetering rotor system. The pilot flies the rotor system and the helicopter fuselage follows giving the pilot the illusion that he is flying the helicopter. If gravity is no longer acting on the helicopter i.e. if the helicopter is in a low G condition the tail rotor will tend to roll the helicopter to the right. The alarmed pilot will reflexively apply left cyclic which causes the rotor system to tilt but without gravity the helicopter fuselage won't follow. This puts the rotor blades and the mast into an extreme orientation and an inner portion of the blades will smack into (bump) the stationary mast that is holding up the rotor system.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Mililani

For pilots of Robinson helicopters, the FAA imposes an additional range of training and recurrent training requirements via \SFAR 73 to Part 61\ which was written into the law on February 23 1995 after a rash of accidents involving Robinson helicopters and three special certification reviews by the FAA (source: National Transportation Safety Board Special Investigation Report PB96-917003 NTSB/SIR-96/03Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Loss of Main Rotor Control Accidents).

Post World War Pilot Training: At Randolph the course was divided into three stages: H-13, H-19 and H-21 with 30 hours in each aircraft. In January 1958 ATC added a fourth phase, an operational or combat crew-training phase which was conducted at Stead AFB, Reno, Nevada. Stead would allow realistic desert, water, snow, mountainous, and high altitude training as well as collateral training with Air Training Command's survival school.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Mililani

Designed as a rich guy's transportation helicopter, the Robinson R22 quickly became instead the world's most popular training helicopter. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous machines in which to train. Why? Much of helicopter training is practicing autorotations, in which the engine is twisted toward idle and the helicopter glides toward the ground. This maneuver requires the student to adjust the collective pitch control to maintain rotor RPM within safe limits.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Mililani Mauka

Robinson Helicopters: The Robinson R22 Beta II is flown throughout the world for many applications, ranging from flight training to livestock mustering to patrolling pipelines, that require dependability, low operating costs, and performance.

Helicopter Factoid for Mililani Mauka

Pilots receive some ground school education on how to recover from a low-G condition, but the prudent way to avoid mast bumping is by avoiding the situations that will tend to cause a low-G condition. Extreme maneuvers by a pilot can result in the helicopter going low-G, but a more common source of reduced G forces in two-bladed helicopters is turbulence. Did the accident flight occur on a day when the wind was gusting to 30 knots and the FAA had issued an AIRMET for turbulence? If so, look into the possibility of mast bumping.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Molokai

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR but generally FARs) restrict maintenance on certified aircraft to FAA-certificated mechanics and repair stations.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Molokai

The engineer behind the R22, Frank Robinson, stated repeatedly that he did not design the R22 as a trainer and did not want people using it as a trainer, suggesting that they use the more expensive R44 instead (it has about 4 seconds of rotor inertia instead of 1.6 seconds). However, flight schools using the R44 could generally not compete with those using the R22 (a brand-new student can tell the difference between $200/hour and $400/hour, but he or she probably can't understand the practical consequences of lower rotor inertia). Thus the R22 continues to be used at flight schools around the world and its low-inertia rotor system and lack of power reserve result in frequent accidents during practice autorotations.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Nanakuli

Future rotary wing aviators are required to pass the Class 1 Flying Duty Medical Examination. This entails a thorough physical examination, and candidates can be disqualified if they are diagnosed with common physical and mental illnesses and conditions. The Army conducts interviews with potential candidates for rotary wing training after they pass the AFAST.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Nanakuli

The heavier the rotor blades the more stable their speed will be due to inertia. With a low-inertia system, the student will have to react very quickly to a simulated engine failure or the simulated emergency becomes a real emergency. In the R22, the student and instructor have 1.6 seconds to act after a simulated engine failure. If neither lowers the collective and enters an autorotation within that 1.6 seconds, both are likely to die.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Napili-Honokowai

For pilots of Robinson helicopters, the FAA imposes an additional range of training and recurrent training requirements via \SFAR 73 to Part 61\ which was written into the law on February 23 1995 after a rash of accidents involving Robinson helicopters and three special certification reviews by the FAA (source: National Transportation Safety Board Special Investigation Report PB96-917003 NTSB/SIR-96/03Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Loss of Main Rotor Control Accidents).

Post World War Pilot Training: At Randolph the course was divided into three stages: H-13, H-19 and H-21 with 30 hours in each aircraft. In January 1958 ATC added a fourth phase, an operational or combat crew-training phase which was conducted at Stead AFB, Reno, Nevada. Stead would allow realistic desert, water, snow, mountainous, and high altitude training as well as collateral training with Air Training Command's survival school.

Helicopter Factoid for Napili-Honokowai

Helicopters that are simultaneously moving slowly and descending are subject to a hazardous condition known as \settling with power or vortex ring state. The helicopter sinks into its own previously disturbed air and the result is a dramatic increase in descent rate that cannot be arrested by adding collective pitch and engine power.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Oahu

How Long Does it Take to Become a Helicopter Pilot: Keep in mind that you will be required to build up to 1,000 flying hours as well. Once you start instructing it will likely take you 12 - 18 months to build up to 1,000 hours.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Oahu

In a hover, the stability provided by air flowing over the tail is gone and minor attitude variations lead to alarming translations over the ground. In a strong gusty wind, the helicopter moves in and out of Effective Translational Lift (ETL), becoming dramatically more or less efficient. This requires large collective adjustments to maintain hover height, since the amount of power required to hold a 5' hover without ETL will cause the helicopter to fly away if the wind or a pilot-induced drift causes the helicopter to get into ETL.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Ocean Pointe

Military Helicopters: weapons include machine-guns, rockets, guided missiles as well as autocannons. They're used to destroy enemy armor concentrations due to their anti-tank target capability as well as provide close air support to troops on the ground.

Helicopter Factoid for Ocean Pointe

Two-bladed helicopters, e.g., the Huey, Bell JetRanger, and Robinsons, are subject to a hazard known as mast bumping. Due to gravity, the helicopter hangs from a \teetering rotor system. The pilot flies the rotor system and the helicopter fuselage follows giving the pilot the illusion that he is flying the helicopter. If gravity is no longer acting on the helicopter i.e. if the helicopter is in a low G condition the tail rotor will tend to roll the helicopter to the right. The alarmed pilot will reflexively apply left cyclic which causes the rotor system to tilt but without gravity the helicopter fuselage won't follow. This puts the rotor blades and the mast into an extreme orientation and an inner portion of the blades will smack into (bump) the stationary mast that is holding up the rotor system.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Pearl City

Robinson Helicopters: The Robinson R22 Beta II is flown throughout the world for many applications, ranging from flight training to livestock mustering to patrolling pipelines, that require dependability, low operating costs, and performance.

Helicopter Factoid for Pearl Citys for Pearl City

Helicopters that are simultaneously moving slowly and descending are subject to a hazardous condition known as \settling with power or vortex ring state. The helicopter sinks into its own previously disturbed air and the result is a dramatic increase in descent rate that cannot be arrested by adding collective pitch and engine power.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Pukalani

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR but generally FARs) restrict maintenance on certified aircraft to FAA-certificated mechanics and repair stations.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Pukalani

The engineer behind the R22, Frank Robinson, stated repeatedly that he did not design the R22 as a trainer and did not want people using it as a trainer, suggesting that they use the more expensive R44 instead (it has about 4 seconds of rotor inertia instead of 1.6 seconds). However, flight schools using the R44 could generally not compete with those using the R22 (a brand-new student can tell the difference between $200/hour and $400/hour, but he or she probably can't understand the practical consequences of lower rotor inertia). Thus the R22 continues to be used at flight schools around the world and its low-inertia rotor system and lack of power reserve result in frequent accidents during practice autorotations.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Royal Kunia

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR but generally FARs) restrict maintenance on certified aircraft to FAA-certificated mechanics and repair stations.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Royal Kunia

The engineer behind the R22, Frank Robinson, stated repeatedly that he did not design the R22 as a trainer and did not want people using it as a trainer, suggesting that they use the more expensive R44 instead (it has about 4 seconds of rotor inertia instead of 1.6 seconds). However, flight schools using the R44 could generally not compete with those using the R22 (a brand-new student can tell the difference between $200/hour and $400/hour, but he or she probably can't understand the practical consequences of lower rotor inertia). Thus the R22 continues to be used at flight schools around the world and its low-inertia rotor system and lack of power reserve result in frequent accidents during practice autorotations.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Schofield Barracks

How Long Does it Take to Become a Helicopter Pilot: Keep in mind that you will be required to build up to 1,000 flying hours as well. Once you start instructing it will likely take you 12 - 18 months to build up to 1,000 hours.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Schofield Barracks

In a hover, the stability provided by air flowing over the tail is gone and minor attitude variations lead to alarming translations over the ground. In a strong gusty wind, the helicopter moves in and out of Effective Translational Lift (ETL), becoming dramatically more or less efficient. This requires large collective adjustments to maintain hover height, since the amount of power required to hold a 5' hover without ETL will cause the helicopter to fly away if the wind or a pilot-induced drift causes the helicopter to get into ETL.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Wahiawa

Under SFAR 73, a Robinson pilot must be signed off by an instructor act as pilot in command of a particular model of Robinson helicopter. Pilots with less experience must have a flight review every year rather than the standard two years. Any flight review must be accomplished in the precise model of Robinson helicopter to be flown. So, for example, a pilot who flew a Robinson R22 for 500 hours then upgraded to a four-seat R44 and flew it for a few years would not be legal to get back in and fly the R22 unless he or she first did a flight review with an instructor. An instructor cannot teach in the Robinson R22 or R44 unless he or she has been specifically signed off for that privilege by an FAA-designated examiner.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Wahiawa

A separate issue is that the helicopter is reasonably stable when hovering nose-into-the-wind. If, however, the pilot deems it necessary to rotate the helicopter, perhaps to fit into a conventional parking space, the helicopter can be difficult to control. The left crosswind is the worst for an American helicopter such as the Robinson or JetRanger; it blows disturbed air pushed sideways by the tail rotor back into the tail rotor. In a strong enough left crosswind, even the world's best helicopter pilot may not be able to maintain control while hovering.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Waianae

Robinson Helicopters: The Robinson R22 Beta II is flown throughout the world for many applications, ranging from flight training to livestock mustering to patrolling pipelines, that require dependability, low operating costs, and performance.

Helicopter Factoid for Waianae

Pilots receive some ground school education on how to recover from a low-G condition, but the prudent way to avoid mast bumping is by avoiding the situations that will tend to cause a low-G condition. Extreme maneuvers by a pilot can result in the helicopter going low-G, but a more common source of reduced G forces in two-bladed helicopters is turbulence. Did the accident flight occur on a day when the wind was gusting to 30 knots and the FAA had issued an AIRMET for turbulence? If so, look into the possibility of mast bumping.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Waihee-Waiehu

Future rotary wing aviators are required to pass the Class 1 Flying Duty Medical Examination. This entails a thorough physical examination, and candidates can be disqualified if they are diagnosed with common physical and mental illnesses and conditions. The Army conducts interviews with potential candidates for rotary wing training after they pass the AFAST.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Waihee-Waiehu

The heavier the rotor blades the more stable their speed will be due to inertia. With a low-inertia system, the student will have to react very quickly to a simulated engine failure or the simulated emergency becomes a real emergency. In the R22, the student and instructor have 1.6 seconds to act after a simulated engine failure. If neither lowers the collective and enters an autorotation within that 1.6 seconds, both are likely to die.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Waikele

A depressing number of helicopter accidents occur before the helicopter has left the ground. It is difficult to restart a hot jet engine and therefore many times people are loaded or unloaded while the blades are spinning. This can lead to fatal encounters with main and tail rotors.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Waikele

Designed as a rich guy's transportation helicopter, the Robinson R22 quickly became instead the world's most popular training helicopter. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous machines in which to train. Why? Much of helicopter training is practicing autorotations, in which the engine is twisted toward idle and the helicopter glides toward the ground. This maneuver requires the student to adjust the collective pitch control to maintain rotor RPM within safe limits.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Wailuku

Military Helicopters: weapons include machine-guns, rockets, guided missiles as well as autocannons. They're used to destroy enemy armor concentrations due to their anti-tank target capability as well as provide close air support to troops on the ground.

Helicopter Factoid for Wailuku

Two-bladed helicopters, e.g., the Huey, Bell JetRanger, and Robinsons, are subject to a hazard known as mast bumping. Due to gravity, the helicopter hangs from a \teetering rotor system. The pilot flies the rotor system and the helicopter fuselage follows giving the pilot the illusion that he is flying the helicopter. If gravity is no longer acting on the helicopter i.e. if the helicopter is in a low G condition the tail rotor will tend to roll the helicopter to the right. The alarmed pilot will reflexively apply left cyclic which causes the rotor system to tilt but without gravity the helicopter fuselage won't follow. This puts the rotor blades and the mast into an extreme orientation and an inner portion of the blades will smack into (bump) the stationary mast that is holding up the rotor system.


Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Waimalu

For pilots of Robinson helicopters, the FAA imposes an additional range of training and recurrent training requirements via \SFAR 73 to Part 61\ which was written into the law on February 23 1995 after a rash of accidents involving Robinson helicopters and three special certification reviews by the FAA (source: National Transportation Safety Board Special Investigation Report PB96-917003 NTSB/SIR-96/03Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Loss of Main Rotor Control Accidents).

Post World War Pilot Training: At Randolph the course was divided into three stages: H-13, H-19 and H-21 with 30 hours in each aircraft. In January 1958 ATC added a fourth phase, an operational or combat crew-training phase which was conducted at Stead AFB, Reno, Nevada. Stead would allow realistic desert, water, snow, mountainous, and high altitude training as well as collateral training with Air Training Command's survival school.

Helicopter Factoid for Waimalu

Helicopters that are simultaneously moving slowly and descending are subject to a hazardous condition known as \settling with power or vortex ring state. The helicopter sinks into its own previously disturbed air and the result is a dramatic increase in descent rate that cannot be arrested by adding collective pitch and engine power.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Waimea

Robinson Helicopters: The Robinson R22 Beta II is flown throughout the world for many applications, ranging from flight training to livestock mustering to patrolling pipelines, that require dependability, low operating costs, and performance.

Helicopter Factoid for Waimea

Pilots receive some ground school education on how to recover from a low-G condition, but the prudent way to avoid mast bumping is by avoiding the situations that will tend to cause a low-G condition. Extreme maneuvers by a pilot can result in the helicopter going low-G, but a more common source of reduced G forces in two-bladed helicopters is turbulence. Did the accident flight occur on a day when the wind was gusting to 30 knots and the FAA had issued an AIRMET for turbulence? If so, look into the possibility of mast bumping.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Waipahu

Future rotary wing aviators are required to pass the Class 1 Flying Duty Medical Examination. This entails a thorough physical examination, and candidates can be disqualified if they are diagnosed with common physical and mental illnesses and conditions. The Army conducts interviews with potential candidates for rotary wing training after they pass the AFAST.

Helicopter Factoid for Waipahus for Waipahu

Pilots receive some ground school education on how to recover from a low-G condition, but the prudent way to avoid mast bumping is by avoiding the situations that will tend to cause a low-G condition. Extreme maneuvers by a pilot can result in the helicopter going low-G, but a more common source of reduced G forces in two-bladed helicopters is turbulence. Did the accident flight occur on a day when the wind was gusting to 30 knots and the FAA had issued an AIRMET for turbulence? If so, look into the possibility of mast bumping.


Helicopter Fun Facts for Waipio

How Long Does it Take to Become a Helicopter Pilot: Keep in mind that you will be required to build up to 1,000 flying hours as well. Once you start instructing it will likely take you 12 - 18 months to build up to 1,000 hours.

Aviation Training History and Facts for Waipio

In a hover, the stability provided by air flowing over the tail is gone and minor attitude variations lead to alarming translations over the ground. In a strong gusty wind, the helicopter moves in and out of Effective Translational Lift (ETL), becoming dramatically more or less efficient. This requires large collective adjustments to maintain hover height, since the amount of power required to hold a 5' hover without ETL will cause the helicopter to fly away if the wind or a pilot-induced drift causes the helicopter to get into ETL.