who is the youngest ppl(h)?

[henrymonster]

i am interested as i have seen a very talented swiss man who could hover at 2,5 hours and omly 13.

[Pandalet]

Since one has to be 17 for the issue of a PPL(H) (in the JAA, anyway), one might speculate that the youngest PPL(H) will be 17. No doubt there will be someone somewhere who passed their test on their 17th birthday.

Youngest person capable of piloting a helicopter? Now that's a rather different question.

[Whirlygig]

When I was doing my PPL(H), there was also a young girl of 9/10 years old who would have occasional lessons when she came to stay with her grandparents. I do hope she continued with it but, even now, she still wouldn't be old enough to go solo!

On my 17th birthday, I found out the hard way what the clutch on a motorcycle does! :ouch: :eek: :rolleyes:

Cheers

Whirls

[Ioan]

Fixed winging in the US I met a lad who'd similarly been flying almost since he could walk, think his father was ex-mil pilot then airlines and microlight etc. He passed while I was there (C152) on his 17th birthday.
You here a few stories like that so I imagine there must be a few heli pilots too

[Ioan]

PS
could hover at 2,5 hours and omly 13

... Too many video games. Not that I'm jealous. Honest... :cool:

[KrisRamJ]

I'm willing to put money on there being pilots in Alaska who are under 17. I was told at an ASA safety forum that one of the FAA's goals for 2005 was to get over 50% of the pilots flying in AK to get a licence.

[RotorRunner]

Check out what this young man did...

WLOX-TV and WLOX.com - Building South Mississippi Together |Ocean Springs Teen Flies High To Break World Record (http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=8719205)

[kneedwondean]

I've just been teaching a kid here in the UK who is 16. Very good pilot, demonstrate an exercise once and he will do it perfectly. The CAA said he can even do his final handling test before his 17th birthday so he will be issued his licence the day he turns 17. He can fly but my feeling is he lacks the captaincy skills of an older student - "Should I do this now? , Shall I make this decision?".

[Arnie Madsen]

A couple of miles from me is a 19 year old "teenager" who has completed her commercial ticket on the Bell Longranger. She is pretty too !!

[RavenII]

My bosses son is 13, and he can hover (after 4 hours)....but as already said, he has to wait a couple of years to get his licence.

[Chopri]

Nice thread!

I went solo on the helicopter at age of 16. Just after my bday. I wasnt allowed to drive a moped but i could fly a helicopter... That gave quite some funny reactions from some people ;). Although for me it was the most normal thing ever as i was into aviation from early age. Had to fly with a bag of sand otherwise I wasnt in the CG envelope :D.
When you are young you learn to handle things quite fast. That's why I went solo with just a few hours aswell. Got my PPL(H) 2 years later.

Nowadays i fly full time for my profession.

[DennisK]

I happen to know of one youngster who actually soloed a rotary at 13 years and 3 weeks and its on video. I think his TT was around 120 hours dual.

I presently have a 15 year old who will make his first solo at 16 next month. He has completed the PPL syllabus less the solo cross country, but of course would need the ten solo hours in one day to actually qualify for the PPL on his 16th.

Many of today's kids seem to take to rotary flying like the proverbial ducks.

DK

[mikelimapapa]

I thought I was young when I started my training at 20. Then I became an instructor and I already had one 17 year old student get his private before he even graduated high school, which I thought was pretty impressive.

Then a 16 year old shows up on my doorstep with his father wanting to get his private; funny thing is the 17 year old acted like he was 20, but 16 year old acts like hes 12.

Problem is, daddy paid for the private package up front. :ugh:

Mike