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Private Pilot (Helicopter) Syllabus
Follow the actual training sequence below. Every phase is available without an account; an account adds progress tracking rather than unlocking the reading.
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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
Foundations
Establish qualifications, fitness, judgment, and helicopter control-system understanding.
- Understand pilot privileges, documents, currency, and records
- Determine medical eligibility, fitness, and human-factor limitations
- Understand helicopter systems and flight controls
- Understand aerodynamics, loading, performance, and the height-velocity diagram
2
Preflight Preparation
Establish airworthiness, weather decisions, airspace awareness, and ground-hazard knowledge before flight.
- Determine helicopter airworthiness
- Obtain weather information and make a dispatch decision
- Understand local airspace and operating requirements
- Recognize airport and heliport signs, markings, and lighting
- Communicate and interpret clearances and light signals
- Recognize rotor, ground-contact, and low-G hazards before movement
3
Ground Operations
Inspect, brief, start, engage the rotor, and prepare for controlled movement.
- Conduct the preflight assessment
- Organize the flight deck and brief occupants
- Start the powerplant and engage the rotor
- Taxi with wheel-type landing gear (if applicable)
- Complete the before-takeoff check
4
Hovering and Basic Flight
Develop stationary hovering before hover movement, then transition to normal flight and landing.
- Perform a vertical takeoff, stabilize the hover, and land vertically
- Hover taxi and maneuver over ground references
- Perform a normal takeoff and climb
- Control straight flight, turns, climbs, descents, and transitions
- Enter, maintain, and depart the traffic pattern
- Recognize an unsafe approach and execute a go-around
- Perform normal and crosswind approaches
- Complete landing, parking, rotor shutdown, and securing
- Air taxi using established takeoff, flight, and approach skills
5
Emergency Readiness Before Solo
Recognize problems, practice appropriate supervised responses, and establish conservative solo readiness.
- Recognize and manage systems and equipment malfunctions
- Select and use emergency equipment and survival gear
- Manage powerplant failure in a hover (if applicable)
- Perform rapid deceleration and quick stops
- Recognize and avoid vortex ring state; practice approved recovery
- Apply safe responses to low rotor RPM
- Establish straight-in autorotation procedures (if applicable)
- Manage powerplant failure at altitude (if applicable)
- Perform autorotation with turns (if applicable)
- Demonstrate readiness for instructor-authorized local solo
6
Local Solo Phase
Apply established proficiency on instructor-authorized traffic-pattern and local-area solo flights.
- Complete instructor-authorized traffic-pattern solo flights
- Complete instructor-authorized local-area solo flights
7
Advanced Hovering and Landing Variations
Build on normal operations with terrain, performance, and configuration-specific variations.
- Perform slope operations
- Perform maximum-performance takeoff and climb
- Perform steep approaches
- Perform rolling takeoffs with wheel-type landing gear (if applicable)
- Perform shallow approaches and running or roll-on landings (if applicable)
- Conduct confined-area operations
- Conduct pinnacle operations
- Approach and land with an engine inoperative (simulated) (if applicable)
8
Cross-Country Flight
Plan, navigate, monitor resources, and manage changing conditions with an instructor before solo cross-country.
- Plan a complete VFR cross-country flight
- 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
Cross-Country Solo Phase
Complete the applicable solo cross-country requirement with flight-specific authorization and records.
- Complete instructor-authorized solo cross-country flights
10
Night Operations
Apply established helicopter proficiency to night physiology, planning, navigation, and operations.
- Plan and conduct night helicopter operations
11
Integration and Practical-Test Readiness
Close remaining applicable proficiency and experience requirements without substituting quizzes for demonstrated flying skill.
- Verify aeronautical experience, endorsements, and practical-test readiness
- Demonstrate integrated helicopter proficiency
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