Training / Helicopter Pilot Training
Alan Mann Group
offers helicopter flying and engineering training and is a fully
recognised Bell Helicopter Training Academy and EASA 147 approved
facility.
Pilot Training is currently offered on the following helicopters:
Our school is also approved for Commercial Pilot Licence(H) Modular and
Instrument Training.
For further information about helicopter pilot training, please contact
Gary Savage on 01276 857777.
helitraining@alanmann.co.uk
Before committing to full training why not take a trial lesson? We
don’t offer joy-rides but if you are serious about learning, we can
offer a 30 minute flight training lesson that will give you an
introduction to helicopter flying. This includes a full pre-flight
briefing by your qualified flying instructor.
You will be given a demonstration of the helicopter controls
followed by that magic moment when you take control yourself to
experience cruise flight, climbing, descending, take offs and
landings. You’ll even get the chance to try hovering and landing
without an engine! Your trial lesson is followed by a full debrief
to help you decide whether helicopter flying is for you.
If you decide to continue training, the flight time of your trial
lesson can be counted towards the hours required for a PPL(H).
The lesson is an exhilarating experience in itself and costs less
than you think. This can be booked and paid for by telephone on
01276-857471.
Ask anyone who flies and they will all tell you that it’s a hugely
rewarding experience. We can help you to gain a Helicopter Private
Pilots Licence (PPL) so that you enjoy flying to the full.
Expert Instruction
Our fully qualified, friendly and experienced instructors will
ensure that the PPL course is tailored to suit your individual
requirements and you obtain your licence in the most efficient and
enjoyable way.
The Airport is open for helicopter training from Monday to Friday.
Lessons can be booked in advance and normally at short notice. The
course syllabus requires a mandatory minimum of 45 flying hours and
you can complete this in the space of a couple of months or spread
it over a year – the choice is yours.
Prior to your 1hour airborne lesson you will receive a briefing from
your instructor. This is followed by a debrief. You will soon become
responsible for checking the aircraft before flight, making radio
calls and navigating around the surrounding countryside.
Learn to fly solo in just two months!
This all leads to your first solo flight which, with two lessons per
week, could happen after only two months! After this you will
progress to autorotation landings, landing on sloping ground and
confined areas, instrument flying and cross country navigation to
other airfields.
Do I have to pay for the whole course up front?
No. you just pay for each lesson prior to flight.
What do the fees cover?
At Alan Mann Helicopters (AMH), all you will be asked to pay for is
the flight time from take-off to landing. Unlike many other schools,
you will not be asked to pay extra for landing fees, study books,
pre-flight briefing time, headsets or coffee!
Do I need a medical?
Yes. You need to obtain an EASA Class 2 medical prior to
your first solo flight. AMH has a list of approved doctors whom you
can contact direct.
Are there any exams?
Yes. There are mandatory PPL theory exams to take in the following
subjects: Aircraft Knowledge, Aviation Law, Navigation, Meteorology,
Communications & Human Performance. All of these exams are short
multi-choice papers that can be taken at Fairoaks. We will give you
all the required books you need to study and we’ll also guide you
through them. The practical application of these subjects will be
covered in the pre-flight briefings and we have affiliated
groundschool instructors.
How many hours will I need to qualify and how long will it take?
The minimum requirement for the PPL course is 45 hours. However,
most students take a few more hours to reach the required standard
for the skill test. The time taken to complete the syllabus is as
much a reflection of commitment as ability. Age is not a barrier as
16 to 60 year olds have learnt. Some just take longer than others
and instruction is tailored to individual abilities.
Who will my instructors be?
Whilst some flying schools use part time or Assistant Flying
Instructors who are PPL holders themselves, this is not the AMH
policy. We only employ salaried and experienced instructors holding
Professional licences.
What aircraft will I be flying?
One of the great benefits of training with AMH is that you’ll be
spoilt for choice! We offer a comprehensive range, including piston,
turbine or even twin engine helicopters. However, most students
start to learn on the ubiquitous Bell 47, a piston engine helicopter
that has a worldwide reputation for safety and easy handling. The
Bell 206 JetRanger is an increasingly popular choice for those
wishing to fly a turbine helicopter, especially given its place in
the owner/pilot market.
Why should I choose AMH?
Fly with AMH and you get the peace of mind and confidence that comes
from training with a school with a long-established reputation for
professionalism, expertise, safety and customer satisfaction. And
we’re very friendly with it!
What should I do next?
It is vital that before you commit to a training school you visit it
to establish whether you are comfortable with its location,
facilities and, most importantly, the staff. After all, learning to
fly is meant to be enjoyed, not endured.
At Fairoaks, visitors are always welcome, for a chat, or better
still take one of our popular trial lessons. Fairoaks is ideally
situated for London and the surrounding South West area, adjacent to
the M3/M25 junction - see our location map.
Contact: Helicopter School Bookings on 01276 857777
E-Mail helitraining@alanmann.co.uk
Alan Mann Helicopters Ltd (AMH) achieved EASA Part 147 approval for
our dedicated Training School in December 2002. This enabled us to
conduct engineering Type Rating courses across a wide range of
platforms.
All our engineering courses are approved to EASA Part 147 standards.
We tailor courses to meet individual or corporate requirements, as
well as offering Refresher and other courses in Human Factors and
Risk Assessment. Academy course certificates and the EASA approved
certificate are awarded upon successful completion of the training
programme.
AMH’s Training School is the approved Bell Helicopter Customer
Training Facility for Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Specialist instructors
All AMH courses are prepared and presented by specialist
instructors. The courses are designed to enable students to perform
or supervise inspections, fault diagnosis and rectification to the
level of major repair or overhaul of the helicopter and its
components.
Off-site training
Our instructors are fully qualified in offering off-site training
and maintenance programmes, either at your own facilities or at an
operational site, including overseas. This allows you greater
flexibility and convenience.
The EASA certificate applies to all the engineering training courses
listed below:
· Agusta 109A, 109AII, 109C, 109E
· Bell 47
· Bell 206 A/B/B3
· Bell 206 L and 206 LT
· Bell 407
· Bell 212
· Bell 214
· Bell 412
· Bell 212–214 con and 214-212 con
· Eurocopter 350 B/BA/B1/B2
· Eurocopter 355 F/F1/F2 and 355 N
· Eurocopter BK117C1
· Eurocopter 355 F-N con and N-F con
For further information about helicopter engineering and maintenance
training, please contact Bob Howes on 01276 857777.
Email : training@alanmann.co.uk
The following courses are currently available during 2006. Please
note, however, that this schedule is subject to confirmation and
availability. For the latest information please contact Bob Howes on
01276 587777.
All dates for courses include exam days where relevant.
Bell 206
Bell 212
Bell 407
Bell 412
S76
Eurocopter 350
Eurocopter 355
Agusta 109
AMH is the only EASA Flying Training Organisation in Europe
authorised by the Bell Helicopter Textron factory to conduct
training as a Bell Helicopter Customer Training Facility.
We offer Pilot Type Ratings and VFR refresher courses for the Bell
206B, 206L and 407 Helicopters.
Training and testing is conducted by our own team of fully qualified
EASA and Bell approved instructors and examiners at Fairoaks Airport.
Off-site training can also be organised at your request for
locations anywhere in Europe.
At Fairoaks we offer Bell Helicopter factory Field Maintenance
courses for Bell 206B, 206L and 407 helicopters. Outstanding
instruction by Bell factory approved maintenance instructors enables
students to troubleshoot, inspect, perform or supervise the
maintenance of the helicopter up to but not including major repair
or overhaul of the helicopter and its components. All training is
carried out at the highest level of safety and efficiency.
Can you train me to become a helicopter mechanic?
AMH focuses on advanced training for specific models. There are
specialists schools that can provide initial airframe and powerplant
maintenance training.
What maintenance training does AMH offer?
We provide a complete range of helicopter Field Maintenance
training. Please visit the link pages on this site for further
details of our Bell and EASA approved engineering and maintenance
courses.
Do I need a Part J66 Licence or any other requirements prior to
attending an AMH helicopter maintenance course?
There are no mandatory requirements, however, some form of
pre-engineering qualification or experience will obviously be an
advantage.
Will AMH conduct maintenance training at my facility and, if so,
what equipment will I need to provide?
AMH can conduct various maintenance courses at your facility. For
offsite training information contact us on the telephone number or
email address below.
The specific type training that I’m interested in is not on your
list – can you help?
Yes. We have listed the most popular courses. However, we can design
specialist courses on a wide range of other types to meet your
requirements. Please contact us to discus your particular needs.
For further Maintenance Training information please contact Bob
Howes on 01276 857777 or email:
training@alanmann.co.uk
JAR-FCL FOR THE PPL(H) HOLDER - WHAT'S CHANGED?
From the Flight Crew Licensing Department.
Introduction
JAR-FCL 2 (Helicopters) was implemented on 1st January 2000. AIC
126/1999 announcing the JAR-FCL Helicopter Type and Instrument
Ratings and revalidation requirements for UK Pilot's Licence
Holders. It introduced a new validity period for type and instrument
ratings of 12 months.
Revalidation of Ratings
Terminology. The term "revalidation" is used for re-establishing the
validity of a rating before the current rating expires. The term
"renewal" is used for re-establishing the validity of a rating which
has expired. All ratings can be revalidated at any time in the three
months preceding the expiry of the current rating. The new rating
will run for the appropriate validity period from the original date
of expiry. If a rating is revalidated more than three months in
advance of the expiry of the current rating, then the new rating
will be valid for the appropriate period from the date of the
proficiency check or skill test.
Revalidation. To revalidate a helicopter type rating, the applicant
must pass a proficiency check in accordance with Appendix 1 to
JAR-FCL 2.240 in the relevant type of helicopter. In addition,
he/she must also have flown at least 2 hours as pilot of the
relevant type of helicopter within the validity period of the
rating. These hours may include the proficiency check.
All helicopter types are exclusive and so each type must be
revalidated in accordance with the requirements of JAR-FCL 2.245(a)
and (b) with the exception that a proficiency check in one of the
following group of single piston helicopters will be sufficient to
revalidate licence privileges in any others in the group:
Licence Endorsement Manufacturer(s)
Bell 47 Agusta-Bell, Bell, Westland
Brantley B2 Brantley
HU 269 Breda Nardi, Hughes/Schweitzer
ENF 28 Enstrom
UH 12 Hiller
Pilots will be required to hold the appropriate type ratings and to
have flown at least 2 hours in each of the types to be revalidated.
This relaxation of the type rating proficiency check requirements
applies only to the type listed above and to no others.
Renewal. If the rating has lapsed by more than 5 years, the
Authority must be consulted with regard to the training required
before taking the proficiency check. If the rating has lapsed for
less than 5 years, the Authority does not lay down any specific
training. The training required is at the discretion of the CFI or
examiner.
Instrument Ratings. The IR is valid for 12 months and would normally
be revalidated as part of a type rating proficiency test. Since the
helicopter IR is type specific, the rating would have to be
revalidated for each type for which IR privileges were required.
Passenger-Carrying. In order to carry passengers, a licence holder
is required to have carried out 3 take-offs, circuits and landings
as sole manipulator of the controls of a helicopter of the same type
within the preceding 90 days. If the flight is to take place at
night, the licence holder will require a night qualification and to
have carried out 3 take-offs, circuits and landings at night within
the preceding 90 days. The holder of a valid IR(H) wishing to carry
passengers at night needs only to have met the 90 day requirement by
day.
FFC offers fully accredited training towards a Private Pilots
Licence (PPL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The minimum training required for the issue of a PPL is 45 hours.
Upon the successful conclusion of the training, a licence will be
issued permitting you to fly single engine aeroplanes during
daylight hours in reasonable weather conditions.
In addition to providing training for the basic PPL, we also offer
training for:-
Night Rating - which permits flight during the hours of darkness.
IMC Rating - which permits flight in cloud.
Multi Rating - which permits you to fly aircraft with two or more
engines.
Click on the relevant links for further details on these courses.
The syllabus we use at FFC is published by the Aircraft Owners and
Pilots Association.
The course syllabus requires a mandatory minimum of 45 flying hours.
The first few hours of training teach you the basic skills required
to control an aircraft. This is followed by a number of hours spent
in learning how to take off and land. Once you have mastered this to
a reasonable standard you will be ready for your first solo flight!
After this, you will spend a number of hours developing further
skills in take-offs and landings - some of the time dual
(accompanied by an instructor) and some of the time flying solo. The
remainder of the course is split between dual and solo flying and
covers more advanced skills and navigation.
Towards the end of the course there is Qualifying Cross Country
which involves flying to two other airfields. The final stage is a
Skill Test conducted by in-house examiners authorised by the CAA.
This is to confirm that you have attained a satisfactory level of
flying and navigational skills.
In addition to the flying training there are six written
examinations. Many students prepare for these examinations by self
study, but, if required, our ground instructor can provide the
relevant training.
To assist students achieve a Radio licence FFC can offer a PC based
Radio Technology Simulator which allows you the chance to practice
Radio Techniques under both normal and emergency conditions without
the added workload of flying the aircraft.
Our Chief Flying Instructor has been instructing at Fairoaks for
over nine years, having gained his initial PPL at Fairoaks, and has
amassed some 6,000 instructing hours. Some of the part-time
instructors have also been instructing at Fairoaks for over ten
years.
Our Instructors are authorised by the CAA to act as examiners for the flying tests
and ground examinations. This means there is usually little delay in
organising any of the tests or examinations.
The ultimate Birthday or Christmas present, a Trial Flying Lesson is
a great opportunity to experience at first hand the thrill of flying
a light aircraft. It’s also a good way of seeing whether flying is
really for you before committing to lessons.
A typical Trial Lesson lasts for 30 minutes from the time that the
aircraft taxies out until it returns. During this half-hour you will
have the chance to taxi the aircraft and to handle it in the air,
under the guidance of one of our Flying Instructors. If the wind
conditions are suitable, you will also be allowed to assist with the
take-off and the initial stages of the landing.
Prior to the start of the lesson the Instructor will brief you in
the basic operation of the aircraft controls. During and after the
lesson the Instructor will be happy to answer questions. As a result
a half-hour Trial Lesson usually takes about 40-45 minutes.
Should you decide that you wish to continue flying training, then
the Trial Lesson counts towards the minimum training requirements
laid down by the CAA.
It you have any special requests, such as overflying your house
during the Trial Lesson, our Instructors will do their best to fit
in with your requirements.
Once you have gained your PPL you can either train for further
ratings or simply fly for pleasure. In the main, FFC uses 4 seater
Piper Warriors which provides plenty of room for 4 passengers.
Throughout the year FFC organise a number of ‘flyaways’. In the past
these ‘flyaways’ have visited Jersey, Cork, the Isle of Man,
Luxembourg and La Rochelle, with a least one aircraft having an
instructor on board to oversee the event and provide guidance for
the less experienced pilots.
The Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) rating equips you
with skills to fly an aeroplane in much poorer weather conditions
than the basic PPL. The course for the IMC Rating involves a minimum
of 15 hours training plus a flight test.
The initial part of the course develops skills to enable you to fly
an aeroplane safely by sole reference to the cockpit instruments.
Once these techniques have been mastered, you are then taught how to
fly the aircraft with simulated failure of one or more of the
primary flight instruments, again without recourse to any external
reference.
Having attained competence in the basic instrument skills, the
course moves on to applied instrument flying. During this phase of
the course you are first taught how to navigate the aircraft using a
variety of ground based radio beacons. Finally you are taught how to
make approaches to airfields in visibility conditions as poor as
1800m with a 500ft cloudbase.
At the end of the course you are tested for your ability to take-off
and enter cloud (actual or simulated), conduct a cross-country
flight by sole reference to instruments whilst using radio beacons
for navigation and then execute a published instrument flight
approach down to the minimum altitude for that approach.
All our aircraft are suitably equipped for IMC training and some of
our aircraft also meet the requirement for flight in the airways
system. A number of nearby airfields have approved instrument
approach procedures, so it is possible to practice all the types of
approach currently available within the UK. Fairoaks is also within
the service area of Farnborough Radar which operates seven days a
week, enabling us to obtain a Radar Information or Radar Advisory
service when flying in actual cloud.
The vast majority of our IMC instructors hold the higher Instrument
Ratings (IR). The IR is similar in many ways to the IMC Rating but
demands a much higher degree of skill and knowledge.
Flying during the hours of darkness provides the advanced student
with a further challenge.
The Night Rating course is a minimum of 5 hours in duration.
Following an initial period of night familiarisation the course is
mainly devoted to circuits and navigation at night. Once you have
mastered the ability to land the aircraft at night, a variety of
lighting failures are simulated until the point is reached where you
can safely fly and land the aircraft with no internal or external
lighting apart from the runway edge and end lighting.
To complete the course you must have a total of 5 hours of night
flying including 5 solo take-offs and full stop landings and three
hours of dual instruction (one hour of which must be night
navigation). No further examination is required.
All FFC aircraft are equipped for night flying and the Airport has
taxiway and runway lighting plus “APAPIs” at both ends of the
runway.
Having mastered flying single engine aeroplanes, you can progress
onto multi-engine aircraft. Multi-engine aircraft provide the
security of a second engine combined with an increased load carrying
capability and flying speed.
FFC offer a Twin Comanche for a Multi-Engine Piston (Land) Class
Rating. The course is a minimum of 6 hours flying plus a ground
examination and flying test. Twin Comanche has variable pitch
propellers and a retractable undercarriage.
Do I need to do anything before beginning my training?
No. However, before you can fly solo you must obtain a medical
certificate issued by a CAA approved doctor. FFC has a list of these
approved doctors.
How frequently should I have flying lessons?
Ideally at least once per week – continuity is key.
Are there written examinations?
There are seven written examinations plus a practical ground test of
radio procedures. Apart from the radio examinations, which require
specific training, most students undertake self study for the
written examinations, however we have a ground instructor who can
provide additional tuition in any of the subjects.
What is the validity period of a PPL?
The licence to fly a single engine aircraft has a validity period of
two years. To revalidate the licence you must either fly for twelve
hours during the second year of validity (including a flight with an
instructor) or undertake a simple flight test.
Why should I choose Fairoaks Flight Centre?
Fairoaks has a hard runway with all the advantages that affords and
is a perfect venue for the emerging pilot.
We pride ourselves on typically achieving 10 circuits per hour
unlike some airfields where as few as six circuits per hour is the
norm. When learning to take off and land it is the number of
circuits flown rather than the time flown which determines your rate
of progress.
How experienced are the instructors at Fairoaks?
Very. We have a reliable group of experienced, friendly and
professional flying instructors, some of which have been instructing
at Fairoaks for as long as 16 years.
Is the airspace around Fairoaks crowded and complex?
Not at all. Although the airfield is situated within the airspace
controlled by Heathrow don’t be put off, in most situations we can
come and go as we please.
Does Fairoaks have radar?
No. However, Farnborough airfield is less than ten miles away and
provides us with radar cover throughout our normal operating hours.
Does Fairoaks Flight Centre train at weekends?
Yes, we train seven days per week. Our opening hours are 9AM - 6PM
Monday to Saturday and 10AM - 6PM on Sunday.
Is my licence only valid in the UK?
No, the licence which you gain will be a JAA (Joint Aviation
Authority) PPL. At present this licence entitles you to
fly a British registered aircraft anywhere in the world. In future
you will also be entitled to fly an aircraft registered in any of
the 27 JAA Countries anywhere in the world.
What do I do to start flying lessons?
Telephone us on 01276 858075
