How long does the FI(H) instructor course take?

The practical part is 30 hours in the air, plus theory and preparing lesson plans. On an intensive schedule the course wraps up in a few weeks; on weekends it stretches over a few months.

Do I need a CPL(H) to become a helicopter instructor?

No, a pilot with a PPL(H) can also join, but needs passed theory for the professional licence and more pilot-in-command time. Before enrolling we check your logbook and tell you plainly what is missing.

Which helicopter is the instructor training done on?

On the type you already hold a rating for and will later train students on. We run training and type ratings on the piston Cabri G2 and R44, and the turbine R66 and AS350. We settle the type before the course starts.

How much does the FI(H) course cost?

The bill covers 30 hours in the air on your type, any extra flights after a break from flying, the methodology classes, and the skill test with the official fees for entering the rating. We give you numbers after the assessment flight.

Is the instructor rating valid indefinitely?

No, FI(H) is entered on the licence for a set period and has to be revalidated. Revalidation is based on training delivered, a refresher seminar, and a proficiency check, under the current regulations.

FI(H): helicopter flight instructor course

The FI(H) rating lets you train other helicopter pilots and sign off on their progress. We run the course at our EASA ATO at Radom-Piastów airport, on our own helicopters. Below you will find the entry requirements, the syllabus, how the skill test works, and the costs involved.

What an instructor actually does, and what FI(H) changes

An instructor does not fly for the student. You sit next to them, watch their hands and feet, speak up at the moment one sentence can still change something, and know when to take the controls. That means being able to break a manoeuvre down into parts you can show and name.

The FI(H) course changes one thing on your licence: once the rating is entered, you can train others. Everything else is about rebuilding habits. For years you flew to get the result right, and now you need to fly so the person next to you understands why it came out right, and can repeat it themselves.

Who can join the course

Part-FCL allows two routes: a CPL(H) licence, or a PPL(H) licence topped up with a passed theoretical examination for the professional licence. Either way, what counts is flight time, generally at least 250 hours on helicopters, and pilot-in-command time, the amount of which depends on the licence you hold.

Before the course you fly an assessment flight. It checks whether your piloting is solid enough that the training can focus on teaching rather than fixing your own technique. That flight is also the basis for the plan and the quote.

What the training covers

The syllabus splits into theory and 30 hours of practical flight training. A large part of it is teaching methodology: how people learn motor skills, how to set a lesson goal, how to correct an error without discouraging the student. You also go back through the PPL(H) subjects and learn to teach them, which is a different skill from simply knowing them.

In the air your role changes. Instead of performing a manoeuvre, you demonstrate it and talk through it out loud, so the student understands what is happening with the cyclic, power, and pedals. You learn to run a pre-flight briefing and a post-flight debrief. Separately you practise what is hardest for an instructor: autorotations, simulated failures, and recoveries from unusual attitudes that someone else put the aircraft into.

How the training runs in Radom

We schedule flights in Radom flexibly, since the instructor course is usually done alongside a job. On an intensive schedule with good weather the practical part can wrap up in a few weeks; on a weekend schedule it stretches over a few months.

You fly the practical part on the type you hold a rating for and will later train students on. We train on the piston Cabri G2 and R44, and the turbine R66 and AS350; the rest of our fleet is described on the Fleet page.

The exam and what the rating lets you do

The course ends with a skill test in front of a flight instructor examiner. It does not test your flying on its own. You deliver a long theoretical briefing on a randomly drawn topic, then fly as the instructor while the examiner plays the student and makes mistakes you have to react to. Afterwards you debrief the flight and answer questions on teaching methodology.

Once the rating is entered on your licence, you can train students toward the PPL(H) and toward single-engine helicopter type ratings, and, with the right qualifications of your own, toward the Night VFR rating. For the first period after issue, FI privileges are restricted and you work under the supervision of a designated instructor. Training CPL(H) candidates requires additional instructor flight time.

What actually drives the cost of the instructor course

In the instructor course the helicopter type is essentially fixed, since you fly on the type you already hold a rating for and will later teach on. So the bill mainly depends on whether the 30-hour syllabus is enough, whether a longer break from flying means extra flights to refresh your technique, and the cost of the skill test, which also includes a long theoretical briefing with the examiner. On top of that come the theory classes, official fees for entering the rating, and the aeromedical examination.

Course programme

assessment flight before the course, the basis for the plan and the quote
theoretical training under the approved FI(H) syllabus
teaching methodology: lesson structure, learning psychology, assessing student progress
learning to teach the PPL(H) subjects: air law, meteorology, navigation, performance
pre-flight briefing, post-flight debrief, preparing lesson plans
30 hours of practical training, including demonstrating manoeuvres with instructor commentary
correcting typical student errors and safely taking over the controls
autorotations, simulated failures and unusual attitudes in the instructor role
preparation for the skill test

Once you pass the exam and have FI(H) entered on your licence, you train students at our EASA ATO, under the supervision of a designated instructor for the first period.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the FI(H) instructor course take?: The practical part is 30 hours in the air, plus theory and preparing lesson plans. On an intensive schedule the course wraps up in a few weeks; on weekends it stretches over a few months.
Do I need a CPL(H) to become a helicopter instructor?: No, a pilot with a PPL(H) can also join, but needs passed theory for the professional licence and more pilot-in-command time. Before enrolling we check your logbook and tell you plainly what is missing.
What can I train once I hold the FI(H) rating?: You can run training toward the PPL(H) licence and single-engine helicopter type ratings, and, with the right qualifications of your own, toward Night VFR. Training toward CPL(H) requires additional instructor experience.
Which helicopter is the instructor training done on?: On the type you already hold a rating for and will later train students on. We run training and type ratings on the piston Cabri G2 and R44, and the turbine R66 and AS350. We settle the type before the course starts.
How much does the FI(H) course cost?: The bill covers 30 hours in the air on your type, any extra flights after a break from flying, the methodology classes, and the skill test with the official fees for entering the rating. We give you numbers after the assessment flight.
Is the instructor rating valid indefinitely?: No, FI(H) is entered on the licence for a set period and has to be revalidated. Revalidation is based on training delivered, a refresher seminar, and a proficiency check, under the current regulations.