Commercial Pilot Course

If you want to fly helicopters for a living, you will need a Commercial helicopter rating. After obtaining your Private License, the M1 Commercial Pilot Course is the next step on your path toward becoming a professional helicopter pilot.

The FAA requires a minimum of 150 hours flight time for the Commercial Rotorcraft Rating. Approximately 50-60 of those hours are typically acquired during your Private rating. The checkride for your Commercial License is basically identical to your Private checkride, except that you will be held to stricter standards and tighter flight tolerances. For this reason, 150 hours is usually ample time to train to proficiency. This gives you a sufficient amount of time and many options for advanced training in between your Private and Commercial ratings. Many students wisely choose to complete their instrument rating and mountain training while working toward their Commercial certificate. Mountain One Helicopters will customize your training program based on your specific goals and budget, and we often focus on the following skills during the Commercial Pilot Course:

-Transition to Various Helicopters-

-Navigation and Communications in Complex Airspace-

-Instrument Rating-

-Turbine Transition-

-Mountain Training-

-Advanced Weather Analysis-

-Advanced Autorotations-

-Advanced Emergency Procedures-

-Off-Airport & Confined Area Operations-

Upon your successful completion of the Commercial Pilot Course and FAA checkride, you will be legally allowed to get paid to fly! Most professional-track pilots will then go on to get their Certified Flight Instructor rating, which will allow them to teach helicopter flying to other students, and is the most common 'first job' for professional helicopter pilots.

Mountain One Helicopters is proud to provide our training programs with NO EXTRANEOUS FEES for administration, scheduling, or fuel surcharges.

Commercial Pilot Course -- Example A
Below is an outline of one common course of study which includes an instrument rating, turbine transition, and mountain training. We encourage professional-track students to follow a course similar to this, as it will provide you with a great diversity of experience, all while working toward your Commercial License. This example assumes 50 flight hours were obtained during your Private rating. Your course will be individually customized for your specific training goals and choice of helicopter model(s), and these times may vary by individual.

Commercial Pilot Course -- Example B
The following is an outline of an alternative course of study for the Commercial Pilot Course. This example assumes 50 flight hours were obtained during your Private rating. This example is shown as being conducted entirely in the Schweizer 300C. Again, your course will be individually customized for your specific training goals and choice of helicopter model(s), and these times may vary by individual.

Our current RATES may be viewed here.

Please CONTACT us for a customized Commercial Pilot Course cost estimate.