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Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Syllabus
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Complete sequence
11 syllabus phases
Open a phase to see its ordered training steps. Risk management is included throughout the syllabus and appears again as an integrated phase where the approved syllabus calls for it.
1
Commercial Foundations
Establish commercial privileges, human performance, helicopter systems, performance, and airworthiness.
- Understand commercial pilot privileges, qualifications, currency, and records
- Apply fitness, human factors, aeromedical knowledge, and sound decision-making
- Understand helicopter systems, controls, and indications
- Determine helicopter loading, performance, limitations, and operating margins
- Determine helicopter legality and airworthiness
2
Dispatch and Operating Environment
Interpret weather, airspace, flight-planning, and operating information before movement.
- Obtain, interpret, and apply weather information
- Understand airspace and commercial VFR operating requirements
- Plan a commercial VFR cross-country flight
- Interpret airport, heliport, helipad, runway, and taxiway markings and lighting
- Communicate and interpret clearances, light signals, and lighting systems
3
Preflight and Ground Operations
Inspect, brief, start, engage the rotor, taxi when applicable, and complete the before-takeoff check.
- Conduct the preflight assessment and inspection
- Organize the flight deck, secure occupants and cargo, and use checklists
- Start the powerplant and engage the rotor safely
- Taxi with wheel-type landing gear (if applicable)
- Complete the before-takeoff check and departure briefing
4
Hovering and Normal Operations
Build commercial precision from vertical operations through traffic patterns, approaches, go-arounds, and securing.
- Perform a vertical takeoff, stabilize the hover, and land vertically
- Hover taxi with coordinated control and obstacle clearance
- Perform a normal takeoff and climb
- Enter, maintain, and depart traffic patterns safely
- Recognize an unsafe approach and execute a go-around
- Perform normal and crosswind approaches
- Complete after-landing, parking, rotor shutdown, and securing procedures
- Air taxi using established takeoff, flight, and approach skills
5
Advanced Takeoff, Landing, and Hovering Operations
Apply established control to slope, performance, configuration-specific, and rapid-deceleration operations.
- Perform slope operations
- Perform a maximum-performance takeoff and climb
- Perform a steep approach
- Perform a rolling takeoff with wheel-type landing gear (if applicable)
- Perform a shallow approach and running or roll-on landing (if applicable)
- Perform rapid deceleration and quick stops
6
Abnormal and Emergency Operations
Recognize hazards early and manage system, aerodynamic, powerplant, and survival emergencies.
- Recognize system abnormalities and manage equipment malfunctions
- Select and use emergency equipment and survival resources
- Recognize, avoid, and recover from vortex ring state
- Recognize and respond to low rotor RPM
- Recognize and manage antitorque system failure
- Recognize, prevent, and respond to dynamic rollover
- Recognize, prevent, and respond to ground resonance
- Recognize, avoid, and recover from low-G conditions
- Manage a powerplant failure in a hover (single-engine helicopter)
- Manage a powerplant failure at altitude (single-engine helicopter)
- Perform a straight-in autorotation (single-engine helicopter)
- Perform an autorotation with turns (single-engine helicopter)
- Approach and land with one engine inoperative (multiengine helicopter)
7
Instrument Contingencies
Maintain control by reference to instruments and recover from unusual attitudes.
- Control the helicopter solely by reference to instruments
- Recognize and recover from unusual flight attitudes
8
Navigation
Navigate, monitor resources, divert, and recover from uncertainty during commercial operations.
- Navigate using pilotage and dead reckoning
- Use navigation systems and radar services
- Divert when conditions or resources change
- Apply lost procedures and obtain assistance
9
Night Operations
Apply established proficiency to night physiology, planning, navigation, and commercial operations.
- Plan and conduct commercial night helicopter operations
10
Special Operations
Plan and execute confined-area and pinnacle operations with commercial judgment and precision.
- Conduct confined-area operations
- Conduct pinnacle operations
11
Integration and Practical-Test Readiness
Verify eligibility and demonstrate complete commercial-helicopter proficiency.
- Verify commercial-helicopter aeronautical experience, endorsements, and practical-test readiness
- Demonstrate integrated commercial-helicopter proficiency
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