Recommendation Date
Recipient Name
CAA
Text
Review the minimum flight times specified for issue of a CPL-H.
Reply Text
The differences in pilot licence experience requirements for different categories of aircraft are well known, and have drawn comment during the rewriting of Part 61.
At PPL level, 50 hours are required for a full licence, for both aeroplanes and helicopters.
However, for CPL, an aeroplane pilot requires either 150 or 200 hours depending upon training. A helicopter pilot requires 125 or 150. A glider pilot requires 150 hours. A balloon pilot requires 50 hours.
For ATPL, an aeroplane pilot requires 1500 hours, while a helicopter pilot requires 1000 hours.
The breakdown of these totals into dual, solo and pilot in command also varies between different aircraft categories. There are also differences in the cross-crediting allowances between the different aircraft categories.
The differences are in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 requirements. The 35 hour pilot-in-command for the CPL-H referred to in your recommendation is the Annex 1 requirement.
Helicopter pilots justify the lesser hours they require on the basis that helicopter flying is more exacting and every hour flown is therefore more meaningful. Flight time logged is all air time without associated taxiing time.
The question of flight time requirements is complex and the decision had already been taken to refer the helicopter requirements to the HURDA process for a full analysis.
Meanwhile the solo flight time requirement for PPL-H has been increased from 10 hours to 15 hours in the new Part 61 AC. This is in full accordance with your recommendation.
At PPL level, 50 hours are required for a full licence, for both aeroplanes and helicopters.
However, for CPL, an aeroplane pilot requires either 150 or 200 hours depending upon training. A helicopter pilot requires 125 or 150. A glider pilot requires 150 hours. A balloon pilot requires 50 hours.
For ATPL, an aeroplane pilot requires 1500 hours, while a helicopter pilot requires 1000 hours.
The breakdown of these totals into dual, solo and pilot in command also varies between different aircraft categories. There are also differences in the cross-crediting allowances between the different aircraft categories.
The differences are in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 requirements. The 35 hour pilot-in-command for the CPL-H referred to in your recommendation is the Annex 1 requirement.
Helicopter pilots justify the lesser hours they require on the basis that helicopter flying is more exacting and every hour flown is therefore more meaningful. Flight time logged is all air time without associated taxiing time.
The question of flight time requirements is complex and the decision had already been taken to refer the helicopter requirements to the HURDA process for a full analysis.
Meanwhile the solo flight time requirement for PPL-H has been increased from 10 hours to 15 hours in the new Part 61 AC. This is in full accordance with your recommendation.
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