What is the difference between a type rating and a PPL(H) licence?

The licence says in what capacity you can fly: privately or commercially. The type rating says which specific helicopter you are allowed to fly. To take the controls of an R44, you need both.

Can I take the R44 course right after getting my PPL(H)?

Yes, the regulations allow it. You need a valid licence, a valid medical certificate, and to meet the Part-FCL requirements. The more recent your flying experience, the easier it is to fit within the syllabus hours.

Does an R44 rating let me fly the R66 or the Cabri G2 as well?

No, each of these helicopters has its own separate rating and its own course. The R66 is a turbine aircraft, so its theory course is longer. We run type ratings on the Cabri G2 and R44 for piston helicopters, and on the R66 and AS350 for turbine helicopters.

How long does the Robinson R44 type rating take?

The syllabus is 9 hours of theory and 5 hours of flying, so with good weather you can wrap it up in a few days. The real timeline depends on the weather and your availability.

How much does an R44 type rating cost?

The bill comes down to four items: flight hours on the R44, theory classes, the flight with the examiner, and the official fee for entering the rating. Only the first one moves, since some pilots need more than the five hours in the syllabus. Tell us your flying experience and we will send a quote for your case.

Can I carry passengers after the course?

With a PPL(H) you can take passengers on non-commercial flights, as long as you meet the recency requirements, meaning you have logged the required number of take-offs and landings. Commercial flights require a CPL(H) and operator approvals.

Type Rating Robinson R44: helicopter type training

The Robinson R44 is one of the most common piston helicopters around, in rental fleets and in private hangars alike. A licence on its own is not enough to take the controls of this helicopter: you also need a type rating. We run the training at Radom-Piastów airport as an approved EASA ATO. The course covers 9 hours of theory, 5 hours flying with an instructor, and a skill test.

Where pilots meet the R44, and why the type rating matters

Once you hold a helicopter licence, the R44 turns up within easy reach in plenty of places: hourly rental, scenic flights, private owners. A pilot with this type on their licence simply has something to fly beyond their home school.

A type rating is a separate document and a separate course, because every design has its own character. The R44 has a two-blade rotor with low inertia, hydraulic control assistance, a governor, and emergency procedures you cannot simply carry over from a lighter training helicopter.

Who this course is for

We aim the R44 type rating at pilots who already hold a helicopter licence and want to add another type: moving on from a light training helicopter when you need four seats and more range, or professionally, when the R44 is your working tool.

This is not a course from scratch. If you have never flown a helicopter before, start with a PPL(H), where the syllabus calls for at least 45 hours of flight training. A type rating assumes you already know how to fly, and you are learning one specific aircraft: its systems, performance, and limitations. Moving over from a lighter helicopter, the biggest adjustment is usually managing rotor energy.

The syllabus: 9 hours of theory and 5 hours in the air

The 9-hour theory course is built around the flight manual. We cover the airframe, the powertrain, the main rotor and tail rotor, onboard systems, and warning indications. We also cover operating limitations, weight and balance, and performance charts separately, since you will work these calculations out yourself before every flight. A good part of the time goes into normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures, including autorotation: the reaction needs to come from memory, not from a checklist.

The practical side is 5 hours of flying with an instructor: pre-flight checks and hovering, then take-offs, landings, the airfield circuit, and manoeuvres in the training area. We run emergency exercises under controlled conditions, in line with the approved ATO programme.

What the skill test looks like

The course ends with a skill test with an examiner. It starts with a ground briefing: helicopter systems, limitations, emergency procedures, and weight and balance worked out for that specific flight.

In the air, the examiner checks what you have practised: hovering, take-offs and landings from various profiles, a route flight, reactions to simulated failures, and autorotation. They assess your flying technique and how well you keep on top of the parameters. Once you pass, the paperwork goes to the Polish Civil Aviation Authority (ULC), which enters the rating on your licence.

What you can do once you hold the rating

What you are allowed to do on the R44 comes from your licence, not from the type rating itself. With a PPL(H) you fly non-commercially, on your own or a rented helicopter. With a CPL(H) you fly commercially within an operator's approvals.

The R44 often shows up for rental and in ads aimed at pilots: a four-seat cabin and decent range. The type rating has a limited period of validity and needs revalidating with an examiner, plus flight time on type, in line with Part-FCL.

What actually drives the cost of this course

For the R44, the real variable is basically just how many hours you fly beyond the five in the syllabus, and that depends on your current flying currency and how quickly you settle into the hydraulically assisted controls. Everything else is fixed in advance: the theory classes, the flight with the examiner, and the official fee for entering the rating. We put a quote together after talking through your helicopter experience.

Training in Radom

We train at Radom-Piastów airport. Flights on this course are on our Robinson R44 helicopters, and you can find the rest of our aircraft on the Fleet page. Theory runs in a block, flights are scheduled around your calendar, though the final word always belongs to the weather.

Course programme

9 hours of theory under the approved ATO programme
airframe: fuselage, powertrain, main rotor, tail rotor
onboard systems: fuel system, electrical system, flight controls, instruments
operating limitations, weight and balance, performance
normal procedures: pre-flight checks, start-up, hovering, shutdown
abnormal and emergency procedures, including autorotation
5 hours of practical flight training with an instructor
hovering, take-offs and landings, airfield circuit, manoeuvres in the training area
emergency exercises under controlled conditions
skill test with an examiner

Once you pass the skill test, the Robinson R44 type rating is entered on your licence. We train as an EASA ATO at Radom-Piastów airport.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a type rating and a PPL(H) licence?: The licence says in what capacity you can fly: privately or commercially. The type rating says which specific helicopter you are allowed to fly. To take the controls of an R44, you need both.
Can I take the R44 course right after getting my PPL(H)?: Yes, the regulations allow it. You need a valid licence, a valid medical certificate, and to meet the Part-FCL requirements. The more recent your flying experience, the easier it is to fit within the syllabus hours.
Does an R44 rating let me fly the R66 or the Cabri G2 as well?: No, each of these helicopters has its own separate rating and its own course. The R66 is a turbine aircraft, so its theory course is longer. We run type ratings on the Cabri G2 and R44 for piston helicopters, and on the R66 and AS350 for turbine helicopters.
How long does the Robinson R44 type rating take?: The syllabus is 9 hours of theory and 5 hours of flying, so with good weather you can wrap it up in a few days. The real timeline depends on the weather and your availability.
How much does an R44 type rating cost?: The bill comes down to four items: flight hours on the R44, theory classes, the flight with the examiner, and the official fee for entering the rating. Only the first one moves, since some pilots need more than the five hours in the syllabus. Tell us your flying experience and we will send a quote for your case.
Can I carry passengers after the course?: With a PPL(H) you can take passengers on non-commercial flights, as long as you meet the recency requirements, meaning you have logged the required number of take-offs and landings. Commercial flights require a CPL(H) and operator approvals.