What is the difference between the integrated 0-CPL(H) course and the modular one?

The integrated course runs on one approved programme from zero to a professional licence. The modular course consists of stages completed separately: PPL(H), flight hours, then CPL(H) theory and practice. The integrated path puts more pressure on your calendar, but it keeps one continuous course of study and usually finishes faster.

Do I need a PPL(H) licence before starting the course?

No. That is what sets 0-CPL(H) apart from the standalone CPL(H) practical course, where a PPL(H) is required at the start. Here you begin with no flight hours at all.

How much does the 0-CPL(H) course cost?

We do not quote a single price for the whole course, because the integrated training is billed in stages, and the final total depends on your actual flight hours and on when you move onto turbine equipment. We prepare a quote broken down into theory and flying hours after a conversation about your intended start date. ULC fees and the Class 1 medical are paid separately from your agreement with the school.

How long does training for a professional helicopter pilot licence take?

It depends on the weather, the authority's exam dates, and how quickly you work through the theory. The programme assumes continuous study, so it is measured in months, not weeks.

What medical examinations are needed for CPL(H)?

A Class 1 medical certificate from an authorised aviation medicine centre. It is worth getting it before signing the agreement, so you rule out any health issues early.

Can you start working as a pilot right after earning CPL(H)?

The licence gives you the right to fly for payment, but employers usually set their own requirements for flight hours and type ratings used in their operations. That is why the FI(H) instructor course is popular right after the professional licence.

Integrated 0-CPL(H) course: from zero to a professional helicopter pilot licence

The integrated 0-CPL(H) course takes you from your first flight to a professional helicopter pilot licence. You start with no aviation experience and finish qualified to fly for payment. We run the course at our EASA ATO based at Radom-Piastów airport, as one continuous path, not a string of separately bought courses.

Integrated versus modular: who this path is for

The difference sits in how the programme is built. In the integrated version, theory and flying form one course approved by the aviation authority, running from zero to CPL(H), and you learn the regulations roughly when you start applying them in the cockpit. In the modular version, you take the stages separately: first PPL(H), then flight hours, then CPL(H) theory and practice, each on its own schedule.

The integrated path makes sense when flying is going to be your profession and you can give the course several months without long breaks. 350 hours of theory plus the flying programme does not fit around a day job. If you need to spread the training over years or pay for it in small instalments, the modular route gives you more flexibility.

You do not need a PPL(H) licence or any flight hours to start.

What the course covers

The programme runs on two tracks.

Theory means 350 hours of classes: air law, general aircraft knowledge, principles of flight, performance and flight planning, meteorology, navigation, operational procedures, human performance, and communications. The scope matches what you later sit for the authority's exams, so we structure the classes around those exams.

Flying follows the approved ATO syllabus. First hovering, take-off, landing and the airfield circuit. Then navigation, solo flights, cross-country flights to other airfields, emergency procedures, autorotation, and instrument flying within the scope the syllabus covers. A good part of the learning happens outside the cockpit: pre-flight briefing, post-flight debrief, mass and balance, weather assessment.

What training at Radom-Piastów looks like

You complete the whole course from one airfield, so the time goes into flying, not travelling. We plan the successive phases in blocks rather than single hours scattered across the month, because on a professional programme, consistency matters more than any one good flight.

We train in the air on piston Cabri G2 and R44 helicopters, with the turbine stage on the R66 and AS350; the rest of our fleet is described on the Fleet page.

The navigation cross-country flight required by the CPL(H) syllabus covers at least 185 kilometres and includes full-stop landings at two other airfields.

The exams, step by step

Theoretical exams are taken before the Polish Civil Aviation Authority (ULC), subject by subject, in test form. A pass requires at least 75 percent of the points for a given subject. You sit them once you have completed the relevant part of the course at the ATO, and the authority sets the dates, so plan this stage with margin.

The CPL(H) practical exam is a flight with an examiner covering the full scope of the training: handling, navigation, emergency procedures, in-flight decision making. It is preceded by a check flight with an instructor. Issuing the licence requires you to be at least 18 years old and hold a valid Class 1 medical certificate. The exam is taken on a specific helicopter type, and the rating for that type is entered on the licence.

What drives the cost of 0-CPL(H)

The bill is shaped above all by flight hours: the syllabus sets a minimum, and how many hours you add on top depends on how quickly you reach the level required for the professional exam. The moment you move from a piston machine to a turbine one also matters, since an hour on the turbine costs noticeably more. Separately from the course fees you pay ULC charges, billed per subject and per attempt, plus the Class 1 medical examination.

What you can do after earning your CPL(H)

A CPL(H) licence lets you fly a helicopter for payment, moving you from private into professional aviation. In practice that means passenger and sightseeing flights, external-load work, patrol flights, or photogrammetry flights.

This is rarely the final stage of training. Next usually come ratings on another type, Night VFR, ATPL(H) theory with an IR rating, or an FI(H) instructor course, which is often a way of building flight hours.

Course programme

350 hours of theoretical training for the CPL(H) licence
air law, general aircraft knowledge, principles of flight
performance and flight planning, meteorology, navigation
operational procedures, human performance, communications
practical training under the approved ATO syllabus
hovering, take-off, landing, the airfield circuit
navigation, solo flights, cross-country flights to other airfields
navigation cross-country flight of at least 185 km with two landings
emergency procedures and autorotation
instrument flying within the scope of the syllabus
preparation for the CPL(H) theoretical exams at ULC
check flight and the CPL(H) practical exam

After passing the exams, the pilot receives a professional CPL(H) licence with a rating for the helicopter type on which they took the practical exam.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the integrated 0-CPL(H) course and the modular one?: The integrated course runs on one approved programme from zero to a professional licence. The modular course consists of stages completed separately: PPL(H), flight hours, then CPL(H) theory and practice. The integrated path puts more pressure on your calendar, but it keeps one continuous course of study and usually finishes faster.
Do I need a PPL(H) licence before starting the course?: No. That is what sets 0-CPL(H) apart from the standalone CPL(H) practical course, where a PPL(H) is required at the start. Here you begin with no flight hours at all.
How much does the 0-CPL(H) course cost?: We do not quote a single price for the whole course, because the integrated training is billed in stages, and the final total depends on your actual flight hours and on when you move onto turbine equipment. We prepare a quote broken down into theory and flying hours after a conversation about your intended start date. ULC fees and the Class 1 medical are paid separately from your agreement with the school.
How long does training for a professional helicopter pilot licence take?: It depends on the weather, the authority's exam dates, and how quickly you work through the theory. The programme assumes continuous study, so it is measured in months, not weeks.
What medical examinations are needed for CPL(H)?: A Class 1 medical certificate from an authorised aviation medicine centre. It is worth getting it before signing the agreement, so you rule out any health issues early.
Can you start working as a pilot right after earning CPL(H)?: The licence gives you the right to fly for payment, but employers usually set their own requirements for flight hours and type ratings used in their operations. That is why the FI(H) instructor course is popular right after the professional licence.