Home › Helicopter Pilot Jobs › Hawaii

Back to Category

Helicopter Pilot Jobs in Hawaii

Cities in Hawaii with Aviation Schools:

Helicopter Pilot Jobs in Hawaii

Seeking Professional Helicopter Pilot Jobs in Hawaii

To land the top helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii depends so much upon the "type" of piloting job you are pursuing. Meaning, not all helicopter jobs in Hawaii are the same. Not all helicopter jobs in Hawaii are considered to be the "best-paying jobs." The top commercial helicopter pilot jobs around Hawaii will require set minimum requirements.


Brand new helicopter pilots from Hawaii are very limited in the type of piloting jobs in Hawaii they qualify for because new pilots typically don't have enough flight experience. Most entry-level helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii require a minimum of 1,200 flight hours. Brand new commercial pilots (those right out of pilot training school) typically have only 220 total flight hours. Two-hundred and twenty hours is not a lot of hours.

Unfortunately, many times there is a 1,000 flight hour gap between completing commercial flight training and having the minimum requirements to land an industry "entry-level" pilot job in Hawaii. Somehow the new commercial helicopter graduate must earn 1,000 additional hours or they don't qualify for the best paying helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii.

Due to a lack of flight experience, the only pilot job a new commercial pilot can land is the CFI job (Certified Flight Instructors), training new student pilots in Hawaii. The truth is, most professional helicopter pilots start their piloting career as a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). Their first entry-level helicopter pilot job is a CFI in Hawaii.

After helicopter school, start earning that helicopter pilot salary with an entry level helicopter tour pilot job

In the early stages of a new helicopter pilot career, new pilots from Hawaii are very limited in what helicopter pilot jobs they qualify for. The main problem with hiring brand new commercial pilots is that they do not have enough flight hours. Typically, a brand new commercial helicopter pilot in Hawaii has earned 220 flight hours.

Essentially, the process of securing a commercial pilot rating will net a newly rated pilot with 220 total flight hours, and 100 of those hours are "pilot in command" hours, also known as "PIC" hours. The point is, the new commercial helicopter pilot in Hawaii don't qualify for one of the good-paying pilot jobs in Hawaii, therefore the only piloting jobs available are CFI jobs.

Commercial helicopter pilots only have a couple of ways to earn enough PIC hours to land the best-paying commercial piloting job in Hawaii, and most pilots earn their required hours as Certified Flight Instructors.

Researching Helicopter Pilot Salary?Here are some of the top-paying helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii

Law Enforcement Pilot: Police Helicopter Pilots in Hawaii are typically police officers and commercial helicopter pilots. The typical law enforcement pilot job requirements are simple and clear: Must be a US citizen, pass a background check, and has either attended and graduated from a police academy or is willing to participate in and graduate.

The flight requirements of helicopter pilots seeking a job as a law enforcement helicopter pilot in Hawaii include a Commercial Instrument Rotor-wing Certificate, Class II Flight Physical, a minimum of 1,200 total times, 800 PIC hours, and 700 turbine hours.

Fighting fires is one of the top helicopter pilot jobs available after completing your helicopter training

Emergency Medical Services Helicopter Pilot: Professional helicopter pilots seeking a full-time job piloting for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) companies in Hawaii need to be the best of the best. Keep in mind, EMS helicopter pilots are "the best of the best" and the "top dogs" in the aviation industry, therefore most employers give preference to pilots with previous EMS experience with VFR proficiency.

Strong communication skills are a must. Desire to being an integral member of a medical-based team is a must. Job seekers must be able to perform strenuous physical tasks such as lifting and carrying weight up to 90 lbs.

Other helicopter pilot requirements include a current FAA Commercial Certificate, Class II Medical Certificate, Helicopter Instrument Rating, and it is preferred that pilot candidates possess ATP helicopter rating and have recent IFR experience.

Utility Inspection Pilot: Utility Inspect Helicopter Pilots in Hawaii must be able to survey powerlines using LiDAR and photographic/video equipment to inspect and document the condition of power poles. Top utility companies are looking for helicopter pilots with extraordinary helicopter experience flying in and around a "wire environment" (utility lines).

Helicopter pilots seeking employment with utility companies must demonstrate and prove their skills to operate a helicopter safely and in a professional manner. To land the best paying utility jobs, they must prove their ability to follow and comply with all Federal (FAA), State, and local regulations. Employers realize that the best utility helicopter pilots have established their ability to work independently and with a team.

Helicopter Pilot Jobs: Use your Helicopter Pilot License for Emergency Medical Services

Typically, helicopter pilot job candidates need a minimum of 3000 hours as Pilot In Command, a minimum of 300 hours in a turbine, flying utility inspections around power lines with photography is preferred. Job candidates should have FAA commercial license, current medical, clean driving record, clean background check, clean drug test, and no accidents or incident reports.

Charter Tour Pilot: The top helicopter tour companies typically recruit full-time helicopter pilots from Hawaii to fly public tours. Job seekers need a commercial pilot rating along with CFI and/or CFII.

Helicopter tour pilots must demonstrate their skills in operating a helicopter safely and in a professional manner. To land the best paying utility jobs, helicopter pilot candidates must prove their ability to follow and comply with all Federal (FAA), State, and local regulations.

Tour helicopter pilots have training in a Robinson R44 and Robinson R66, and turbine hours is preferred or considered an advantage. Helicopter tour pilots need a minimum of 250-1,000 hours and should be qualified for aerial photography, aerial surveys, and sightseeing tour jobs.

Certified Flight Instructor: Helicopter pilots from Hawaii looking to land the best flight instructor jobs must have plenty of hours in a Robinson R22 and R44 and R66 Helicopters. Strangely enough, the highest-paid flight instructors also conduct sightseeing tours as long as the pilot meets specific hourly requirements.

Job candidates need to be able to operate as independent contractors working on an hourly basis, flying anywhere from 5 to 25 hours a week.

Flight training job candidates need the following to be current: FAA Commercial Rotorcraft Certificate, Instrument Rotorcraft Rating, Flight Instructor Certificate, (“Instrument” rated Flight Instructor Rating usually preferred), Class II Medical Certificate, and SFAR CFI Endorsement for R22 and R44

Minimum flight experience - a minimum of 250 hours total time in a helicopter, and preferably 150 of those hours in Robinson Rotorcraft.

FAA - A History of Helicopter 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 helicopter 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.


Landing the Top Helicopter Pilot Jobs in Hawaii

Are you seeking the top helicopter pilot jobs near Hawaii? Are you searching for a helicopter flight school? Or if we're starting from scratch, have you ever flown in a helicopter? Have you ever spoken to a professional helicopter pilot? Do you know anything about the average helicopter pilot salary in Hawaii? The reason why we ask is due to the inherent challenge of flying helicopters as a career or as a job. Helicopters are not aerodynamic and they are very difficult to fly, and helicopters pilots require extraordinary skills.


To fly, Helicopter pilots require extreme coordination between their eyes, ears, hands, and feet. Yes, in order to fly, helicopter pilots use their sight, hearing, and all four limbs simultaneously. The question is, do you have what it takes to learn to fly and then go on to land the top paying helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii?

Flying helicopters is not a natural activity, meaning, no one is born with the "natural" talent or skills to fly a helicopter. To become a great helicopter pilot landing the top helicopter pilot jobs, pilots from Hawaii have to devote a great deal of time, energy, and passion into developing unique skills that do not come naturally.

Flying helicopters is counterintuitive and there is no other job in the world similar to flying helicopters. Meaning, your previous experience does not help you in any way, and as a matter of fact, it might hurt you as you seek to develop helicopter pilot skills.

The truth is helicopter pilots, seeking helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii are very unique people with unique and peculiar skills. The good news is, helicopter pilots in Hawaii are in high demand!

Helicopter Pilot Salary in Hawaii:How much do helicopter pilots make and why you should pursue helicopter flight school

Professional helicopter pilots do not get rich flying helicopters in Hawaii. It's possible to become rich, but most helicopter pilot jobs pay anywhere from $65,000 and $100,000 annually. In other words, people usually do not pursue helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii to become rich and wealthy. However, being a professional helicopter pilot in Hawaii provides one with a very "rich" life experience, as well as a healthy income.

Want a career of flying helicopters in Hawaii? Are you looking at flying search and rescue missions in Hawaii or aerial firefighting operations around Hawaii? Do you see yourself flying a helicopter near Hawaii as an EMS pilot, Fire Fighting pilot, Forestry pilot, etc? The demand for helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii is very high and competitive, and it's important for any helicopter pilot from Hawaii to know your desired career course.

Types of Helicopter Pilot Jobs and Careers in Hawaii:

  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Fire Fighting
  • Forestry
  • Law Enforcement
  • Offshore Oil and Gas
  • Tourism & Sightseeing
  • Utility Inspection (pipeline and power line)

Regardless of the type of helicopter pilot job you pursue, the top-paying jobs require commitment, perseverance, diligence, discipline, good training, a strong love for flying, great communication skills, and professionalism. If you are willing to commit yourself to the best training and you are devoted to your craft, eventually you will be landing the best paying helicopter pilot jobs in Hawaii. You will be in high-demand too!


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.