How many hours to get ppl h and best way to go about it
 

Hi all

I currently have 22 hrs ppl h training 2.5 hrs solo
I know the minimum is 45 hrs before test! Iv managed to save up fir another 23 hrs does anyone know how the best way to meet the standars are in the shortest possible time, I don't want to be robbed! I work full time so a full time course isn't an option
Fi and examiners thoughts as well as any other ppl h would be great
Happy new year

I just passed my PPL (h)
 

I did it in the high 60s, the number of hours is not important being safe is,and it takes as long as it takes. Yes some people do it in 45 hours but I would be reluctant to get in a helicopter with them. It depends on your age and ability (sounds like you went solo quite early, so ability is less of a problem then) the younger you are the quicker you pick things up. But I am late 20s and it still took me the best part of 70 hours to learn, and be confident flying on my own.

Also depends on your instructor, and the type of helicopter you are learning on, an r22 will take a bit longer than a 300, also doing the course over a relatively short period with as few breaks as possible, is best.

Good luck you have a great deal of fun flying ahead of you.

Just make sure you don't let the ground exams hold you up.

I did it in 43 hours, about a month from start to finish - flying a couple sessions a day when weather & availability permitted. I think that definitely helped speed things up...this was in the R22.

Long gaps between lessons adds to the total time, you forget stuff. Trying to cram in too much at once also is counterproductive.

In my case I also had about 800 hours of military crewmember time - that helped at least from the standpoint of not being freaked out from being in a helicopter in the first place, I also knew how to read a map & communicate.

As others have said you cannot predict how long it will take but the most important thing once you have an instructor you get on with is continuity, continuity and continuity.

Regular lessons without overloading yourself (with regards to the rest of your life) are vital. One/two lessons a day would be ideal if you can get the study and preparation done between them, two, three lessons a week would be fine, one a week would be OK but stretching it out rather imho, and less than that getting counterproductive. Continuity minimises the three steps forward, one back situation which costs £££.

Arrange your life for a month or two, make a plan and book up at regular intervals and get on with it.

It also helps if you present yourself for training in the best possible way: free from stress, issues at work or home, rested and focussed.

Oh Yes! Do your homework too!

HN has that correct, it can really effect your performance without you realising, regular flying helps, breaking the lessons into learning & a bit of fun helped.
I found when starting learning to fly at 60 a couple of hours were more than I could manage without overload & a drop in performance, that led to frustration & doubt in ability. Don't worry about the hours, I took as long as Redland but as he said safety & confidence is important.

As both an instructor and an examiner this is my recommendations

1. Fly a minimum of 2 sessions a week ( a session is a whole morning or afternoon) this will allow time for good briefings and a couple of lessons. Do no more than 3 sessions a week as this will be counter productive.
2. Make sure you have the same instructor who has at least 500 hours and preferably 1000 plus otherwise you are paying for his learning curve
3. Make sure you are ahead of the game on exams.
4. radio, get used to speaking otherwise when you start navigation solo you will be overloaded. Use crib sheets etc etc to help remember.
5. Make sure you can do well all emergencies before doing too much solo including engine off's to the ground, this will build a lot of subconscious confidence. Also God forbid the process is automatic
6. Every so often go out in the machone just to have some fun this may be engine offs quick stops etc etc it will put a smile back on your face
7. Dont let the company charge you for positioning the machine for fuel or doing short hops, to do so you will be paying a datcon rate which is normally 10% greater than air time !
8. Find out from your instructor what parameters you have to fly to so you know how well you are doing.
9. Know the flight manual backwards as we now have to quiz students on the machine, it is no good saying the oil pressure in a 300 is in the green you need to know it is 60 to 90 degrees for instance.

Consider hiring an examiner to give you an " unbiased " flight to see how you are doing, but only if you are in any doubt as to your progress

For your skills test at the end make sure you are well prepared, remember us examiners are really looking at how safe you are so make sure you are doing everything as a sunconcious action eg looking over ones shoulder to check tailboom is clear. Not just sayig T's and P's are green ( if cyl head temp is normally 330 for that machine it could be 400 but still in the green engine is telling you something) Could go on but other things that impress examiners are power margins, I have 2 inches in hand so can do a vertical take off or what ever. dont say fuel, say how much in time and relate it to the rest of the sortie and also how much you have used so far in the sortie. All these things help put the examiner at ease and he may just overlook something that you didnt quite do right.
Lastly do not come to a lesson/ exam if you are tired too stressed as you will be wsting your money

Have fun as you will always do well if you are enjoying it

H 500

PPL (H) exams: Help
 

Iv just read somewhere there is going to be 9 exam not 7 now for the ppl h do you know if this is true? And what the subjects are

Also just got a shock
Is it true i have to sit all the exams and pass the skills test within 18 months of siting first written exam

I have sat 3 written ones since march last year and only have prox 23hrs flying so if its true I'm stuffed, my instructor hasn't said anything

Await your comments

Ouch. That'll make pretty dry reading for a PPL student...

Very dry indeed

18 months to pass all the exams from the date you took first one plus to the en of that month. Once all passed you have 6 months to take your skills test !

Hughes500 - please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it is an 18 month period to complete the theoretical exams, then a further 24 months to undertake the skills test. It certainly used to be, and CAP 804 states

(b) Pass standards
(1) A pass in an examination paper will be awarded to an applicant achieving at least 75% of the marks allocated to that paper. There is no penalty marking.
(2) Unless otherwise determined in this Part, an applicant has successfully completed the required theoretical knowledge examination for the appropriate pilot licence or rating when he/she has passed all the required examination papers within a period of 18 months counted from the end of the calendar month when the applicant first attempted an examination.
(3) If an applicant has failed to pass one of the examination papers within 4 attempts, or has failed to pass all papers within either 6 sittings or the period mentioned in paragraph (2), he/she shall re-take the complete set of examination papers.
Before re-taking the examinations, the applicant shall undertake further training at an ATO. The extent and scope of the training needed shall be determined by the training organisation, based on the needs of the applicant.

(c) Validity period
(1) The successful completion of the theoretical knowledge examinations will be valid:
(i) for the issue of a light aircraft pilot licence, a private pilot licence, a sailplane pilot licence or a balloon pilot licence, for a period of 24 months;
(ii) for the issue of a commercial pilot licence or instrument rating (IR), for a period of 36 months;
(iii) the periods in (i) and (ii) shall be counted from the day when the pilot successfully completes the theoretical knowledge examination, in accordance with (b)(2).

Source is CAP 804 Section 4, Part A, Page 3 (last paragraph) for anyone who's interested

I read that that you have a total of 24 months from passing your first exam, which is why they say you have 6 months to take your skills test from passing the last theroetical exam, could be wrong !

Hughes - In the case of paragraph (C)(1)(ii) relating to CPL and IR issue i'm sure it is 36 months from the date of the last exam, I can only assume that the timings for PPL also count from the last exam. And it definitely used to be an additional 24 months under JAA/Lasors

If you're struggling to raise the cash for a safe/comfortable number of hours to get the licence you might want to think about why your doing the ppl and what you're going to do with it. I've seen so many people scrape together the funds and time to do it only to give up flying 2 or 3 years later because they can't afford to actually do anything after getting the licence other than a couple of hours in the circuit and the annual skills test. Not trying to put a damper on it, but it's an expensive hobby if you're finding it hard to justify the cash.

I did my PPL H in 70.2 hours total of which 59.6 of it was dual received.