Howdy all,

So I’m adding a helicopter onto my fixed wing ATP.

I found a few schools in S FL, two are 141 schools, one seems to think I can go straight to a helicopter ATP, even though I read under 61 that I need 200hrs helicopter time and a few other things, they state this as the reason.
“ Appendix I to Part 141 - Additional Aircraft Category and/or Class Rating Course
1. Applicability. This appendix prescribes the minimum curriculum for an additional aircraft category rating course or an additional aircraft class rating course required under this part, for the following ratings:

...

(4) For the airline transport pilot certificate, the course requires 25 hours of flight training in a helicopter on the areas of operation under appendix E of part 141, paragraph 4.(c) that includes 15 hours of instrument training. A flight simulator and flight training device cannot be used more than 12.5 hours to meet the training requirements, and use of the flight training device is limited to 6.25 hours of the 12.5 hours permitted.”
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14 ... o_part_141

The other 141 seems to think the best I can do is their 30hr commercial add on, go build some time, coming back later to do my instrument add on, and maybe a year after that, if I can get a tour or CFI job, for my ATP.


Any thoughts?

Ideally it would be great to save the money and time, fly at the school for 40ish hrs dual and walk out with my ATP.

Thanks all

If they are proposing this route have they done this successfully with other clients.

Not sure, but looking at the PTS compared to the commercial one, I’m not too concerned there, just might be a few more prep hours.

What I can’t wrap my head around is how they reduce it by 200hrs, that’s seems extreme

The major differences in helicopter and airplane control are that hover, like riding a unicycle, is completely different and that the helicopters require much faster cross check of instruments in non computer controlled instrument flight. However, hover is so dynamic proactive control movement of anti-torque pedals, collective and throttle, and cyclic demanding, control wise, that muscle memory will be achieved rather quickly or never. The Army solution to the helicopter trying to pitch, yaw, and roll at will during IMC was to install two pilots so that fatigue did not cause vertigo so readily as with a single pilot. The final solution, both military and civilian, has been computerized stability and pilot management. Scary, but that has been working well on airliners for years.

Maintenance is the really bigger issue with the helicopter because there are many, many more moving parts that will most likely cause fatalities should they fail in hover or flight. They are wound up and dangerous killer beasts. Missal damage goes inward, outward, up, and down to involve all in the vicinity of the crash.

I am friends with a whistle blower who aided the government in ending flight training abuses in a VA program at a University, both fixed wing and helicopter. Longer term in helicopter was being pushed and overclocking of hours.