Are the AS350 and the Airbus H125 the same helicopter?

They are the same family of machines. H125 is the current marketing name for the latest AS350 version, while the licence entry still reads AS350. One rating therefore covers both the older aircraft and the newer helicopters carrying the Airbus name.

How long does the AS350 type rating course take?

The amount of theory and flying follows the approved ATO programme for this type. With intensive scheduling the course can be completed in a few days, provided weather and aircraft availability allow it.

Can I do the AS350 type rating right after my PPL(H)?

Yes, a PPL(H) licence is enough. The rating itself does not give you the right to fly for payment though, for that you need a CPL(H). If you are planning to fly professionally, work out the order of your courses in advance so you do not have to renew the rating before you have had the chance to use it.

Do I need turbine helicopter experience?

No. The course introduces turbine specifics from scratch. If you have only flown piston helicopters so far, we will spend more time on start-up, engine parameter monitoring and performance calculations.

How much does the AS350 course cost?

We work out the price individually. The starting point is the number of AS350 flight hours you will realistically need, which depends on your flight time and whether you already have turbine experience. Send us your hours and the types you have flown, and we will send back a quote with an itemised breakdown.

Type Rating AS350 (Airbus H125), helicopter type rating training

The AS350 is one of the most common single engine turbine helicopters, produced today as the Airbus H125. A rating on this type opens the door to a machine that carries external sling loads, flies passengers and operates high in the mountains. We run the course at our EASA ATO at Radom-Piastów airport, on our own helicopter of this type.

What the AS350 is flown for, and who this type suits

The AS350 was built for work. Pilots fly this type on sling load jobs during power line construction and rooftop equipment installs, on firefighting tasks, on power line patrols, and on passenger and sightseeing flights over mountainous terrain. Its power reserve and high hover ceiling let it work where a piston helicopter runs out of options: high altitude, heat and full load.

Pilots who go for this rating are usually thinking about work with an air operator, owners of a helicopter from this family, or PPL(H) holders who want to move from piston to turbine. There is one entry condition: a valid helicopter pilot licence. Someone without a licence starts with a PPL(H) and comes back for the type rating afterwards.

If you have never flown a turbine before, most of your attention will go to engine handling and keeping within its limits. The handling itself is predictable, the AS350 flies well. The real difference is in the start-up, monitoring the parameters, and how the machine behaves at high weight and high temperature.

What the theory course covers

The theory covers this helicopter and its documentation only. We go through the airframe, flight controls, the three-bladed main rotor, the main gearbox, and the fuel, electrical and hydraulic systems. The longest block covers the powerplant: start-up, temperature and rotor speed monitoring, time limits on power ranges, and how to handle an engine problem.

Separately we cover performance and flight planning: charts from the flight manual, weight and balance, and assessing hover capability at a given temperature and altitude. With a turbine, this knowledge decides whether it makes sense to take off from a particular field on a hot July afternoon.

On top of that come the emergency procedures: autorotation, hydraulic failure, fire, loss of tail rotor effectiveness. We work through each of these on the ground first.

Training flights and the practical skill test

The practical part starts with getting familiar with the machine: pre-flight inspection, start-up, hover, circuit. From there it moves to off-airport landings, flights at higher weight, steep and shallow approaches, and simulated emergencies including autorotation. You fly the whole course on our AS350, and the rest of the school's helicopters are listed on the Fleet page.

The course finishes with a practical skill test with an examiner rated on this type. The examiner checks ground preparation, your knowledge of limitations and documentation, and then a flight covering a set task list. What matters is consistency, working through the checklist, and how you react to non-standard situations. The rating is entered into your licence by the Polish Civil Aviation Authority (ULC), and only that entry lets you fly the type on your own.

What an AS350 rating gives you in practice

The AS350 entry in your licence covers the whole family of these helicopters, including the older B and B2 versions and today's H125. Helicopters of this type are widely operated across Europe by air operators, so the rating opens up more places where you could end up in the seat.

What you are actually allowed to do, though, comes from your licence, not from the type. With a PPL(H) you can fly privately, without pay, for paid flights you need a CPL(H). An operator will rarely hire a pilot without a rating on the type it flies, which is why an AS350 type rating often follows straight after a commercial licence.

What drives the cost of a turbine course

The cost is driven mainly by the number of hours flown on the AS350, since a turbine helicopter hour costs noticeably more to operate than a piston one. A pilot with turbine time usually needs fewer flights than someone moving straight from a Robinson. On top of that come the skill test fee and the official fee for entering the rating into your licence.

How long the rating stays valid

A helicopter type rating is valid for one year. You renew it with a skill test with an examiner within three months before expiry, and for single engine helicopters a required amount of recent flight time on the type is added on top.

If the rating lapses, nothing is lost for good, but getting it back means a refresher course at the ATO and a new skill test.

Course programme

theoretical and practical training in line with the approved ATO training programme
airframe structure, flight controls, main rotor and tail rotor
onboard systems: fuel, electrical, hydraulic, main gearbox
powerplant: start-up, parameter monitoring, limitations and power ranges
performance, weight and balance, flight planning using the flight manual
normal, abnormal and emergency procedures, including autorotation
flights with an instructor: hover, circuit, steep and shallow approaches, off-airport landings
exam preparation and the practical type rating skill test with an examiner

Once the exam is passed, the pilot receives an AS350 type rating entry in their licence, valid for one year and renewed with a skill test.

Frequently asked questions

Are the AS350 and the Airbus H125 the same helicopter?: They are the same family of machines. H125 is the current marketing name for the latest AS350 version, while the licence entry still reads AS350. One rating therefore covers both the older aircraft and the newer helicopters carrying the Airbus name.
How long does the AS350 type rating course take?: The amount of theory and flying follows the approved ATO programme for this type. With intensive scheduling the course can be completed in a few days, provided weather and aircraft availability allow it.
Can I do the AS350 type rating right after my PPL(H)?: Yes, a PPL(H) licence is enough. The rating itself does not give you the right to fly for payment though, for that you need a CPL(H). If you are planning to fly professionally, work out the order of your courses in advance so you do not have to renew the rating before you have had the chance to use it.
Do I need turbine helicopter experience?: No. The course introduces turbine specifics from scratch. If you have only flown piston helicopters so far, we will spend more time on start-up, engine parameter monitoring and performance calculations.
How much does the AS350 course cost?: We work out the price individually. The starting point is the number of AS350 flight hours you will realistically need, which depends on your flight time and whether you already have turbine experience. Send us your hours and the types you have flown, and we will send back a quote with an itemised breakdown.