Helicopter Training

Learning to fly and undertaking helicopter flying lessons can be one of the most challenging and definitely the most rewarding activities you will ever undertake. It’s incredibly addictive and if you haven’t already got one, you will form a real passion for helicopters and helicopter flying. At Phoenix we are a specialist helicopter training school with training as the core of our business. Our instructors are passionate about training and take each student as an individual; they will work with you to ensure that your training is conducted in a manner and time frame that is convenient to your situation. We believe that the combination of career dedicated instructors coupled with the helicopter friendly Goodwood Aerodrome and beautiful West Sussex countryside accompanied by quality aircraft makes for the perfect mix for the business of learning to fly helicopters.

Phoenix Helicopter Academy is a young and enthusiastic helicopter flying school with very experienced instructors. Our instructors will go out of their way to make your lessons as enjoyable and productive as possible. Each lesson is based on a structured format of full pre and after flight briefing, stage check assessments combined with individual training plans. We constantly monitor your progress to ensure that you are benefitting from each lesson and constantly learning and improving your skills towards your ultimate goal. We work to build a strong relationship with all of our students so that everyone feels comfortable in the training environment and able to express any concerns directly. A method that we have found creates a relaxed and professional experience, creating ideal conditions for learning.

Goodwood Aerodrome is an ideal site to learn to fly, it is based in uncontrolled airspace, has large helicopter hovering areas and unusually for airfields these days does not have circuit charge which will save you over £600 compared to other airfields. Goodwood is and aerodrome steeped in history, once being a Spitfire base during the Second World War. It forms part of the Goodwood estate with a motor racing circuit around the aerodrome, and of course the famous horse racing track just to the North. The majority of our flight training away from the aerodrome is undertaken either along the West Sussex coast line, or the South Downs, which makes for spectacular scenery. Another advantage to our location is the favourable weather conditions that this part of the South of England receives. Due to our location by the South Downs, we often receive great flying weather while the rest of the country experiences rain or low cloud.

At Phoenix your training starts straight away and as we are not based in controlled airspace there is no need for large parts of your lesson to be spent either departing or rejoining a control zone, we can get straight into your training from the word go. You are also advantaged when training with Phoenix, when you consider that we have one of the largest training fleets in the South of England. We have two fully equipped R22 helicopters as well as two of the larger and more powerful R44 helicopters available constantly, as well as a Bell 206 Jet Ranger. Having a large fleet means that we can always have an aircraft and instructor available to meet the changing diaries of our students, allowing ultimate flexibility for our customers.

There are two main Licences, the PPL (H) Private Pilots Licence Helicopter and the CPL (H) Commercial Pilots Licence Helicopter.

The PPL (H) is a licence set out by the CAA which allows you to fly any helicopter you are rated on and entitled to fly without remuneration or pay. It is a leisure licence. It is also the first stepping stone to becoming a commercial pilot where you will be able to fly helicopters for pay. In order to obtain a PPL licence you must complete a CAA recognised course of 45 hours flight training and 7 written exams all done in-house with us, obtain a class 2 medical and a Radio Telephony (RT) licence followed by a flight test.

The CPL (H) allows you to work as a helicopter pilot in any JAR European Country. It does require more exams but they are the same subjects as the PPL, just in more detail. Undertaking a CPL (H) is a big decision requiring a big commitment both in time and money. At Phoenix we can help you through the decision making process by providing all the facts helping you decide if it is a career for you. We carry out a free Commercial Pilot Seminar normally every month, but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Type Ratings are additional aircraft you would like to add to  your licence. Once you have passed your PPL the aircraft you take your test on will be the first aircraft on your licence. Inevitably you will want to try and fly additional aircraft and add them to your licence. At Phoenix we can offer you type ratings on the R22, R44, H269, Bell 206 and the AS350.

PPL Training Document

Click the icon below to open up our PPL Training Document

CPL Training Document

Click the icon below to open up our PPL Training Document

If you are interested in becoming a Commercial Pilot then this is your best first step. Completely free seminar with like-minded people where we simply give you the facts in helping you make up your mind.

The seminar is normally a half day event with a Powerpoint presentation and hopefully we will be able to answer all of your questions.

Please register your interest as there are limited places available. The next seminar will be on Sunday 4th March at  2 o'clock.  Click here to contact us and register for a seminar.