Please reach us at info@arapahoefc.com or 719-375-0634 if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Every flight school says their program is "the best" and "safe" and "high quality". So if everyone is the best, how can you choose? Well it comes down to what is the best for you. Here are a few things that set us apart, and we encourage you to come check us out and see for yourself if it’s a good fit.
AFC is conveniently located at the Colorado Springs airport, making it accessible to a variety of locations on the Front Range. We are the only flight school in Colorado that offers both fixed wing (airplane) and helicopter training in the same place. We employ instructors with real commercial experience in aviation who are passionate about teaching, and not just building hours toward another job. The high-altitude environment here is challenging, and you’ll leave with not only an edge over other professional pilots, but also the confidence to make appropriate decisions and manage each flight safely. If you can fly here, you can fly anywhere!
We understand that you have choices in flight training. There are many flight schools out there that utilize the less expensive R22. We encourage you to do the appropriate research, or ask us for information and resources, so you can be sure to make the choice that is best for you.
A private pilot can exercise certain privileges under FAA regulations. These include recreational or hobby flying, personal business, and for charity. A private pilot can take passengers, but cannot receive any compensation for the flight.
Our program is a little different! We're all about value, and want you to be a competent pilot while also managing the financial commitment of helicopters. We respect both your time and money, and are committed to the task of training to a high standard and accomplishing your goals as close to the minimum required hours as possible.
When you train with AFC, you are entering into a partnership with your instructor and your new aviation community to accomplish that task. We tend to ask a little more of our students in terms of at-home online ground school, reading, and homework in order to make the best use of your time while in the aircraft. This approach maximizes your experience while minimizing your operational costs- all without compromising quality.
Learning to fly is often one of the more challenging and rewarding experiences of one’s life. We are committed to walking that path with you!
Helicopters are highly complex machines. Even a smaller helicopter like those produced by Robinson Helicopters are more complicated to build, maintain, and operate when compared to airplanes of the same size and weight category. That translates to a higher operating cost per hour, which is why you see an hourly rate that is significantly higher than airplanes.
When it comes to helicopter flight training, there are a few models to choose from. The Schweizer 269 (aka S300C) and Robinson R22 are 2-seat, lightweight helicopters that are common for flight training. However, these small machines also have small engines that simply do not have the power available to handle the high-altitude environment here at the Colorado Springs airport. The Robinson R44 provides a better performance envelope which translates to safer, more efficient flight training. Here are the top reasons we like the R44:
· More powerful and capable engine for the altitude and temperatures common in Colorado Springs, providing a safer training environment.
· Training at high altitude has several advantages, including better power management and decision-making skills and the ability to log mountain/high altitude time which is valuable for career track students.
· Allows for fellow students to share in the flight training so more than one person can benefit from the flight.
· If you’re on a career track, the R44 is widely used in the training, tour, and utility industries. Mastering this aircraft early in your training has future benefits. We can provide you options for gaining experience in the R22 as well.
· Some people are looking to purchase a helicopter for their personal use, and the Robinson R44 is the most popular choice for private owners.
We understand that you have choices in flight training. There are many flight schools out there that utilize the less expensive R22. We encourage you to do the appropriate research, or ask us for information and resources, so you can be sure to make the choice that is best for you.
We recommend having your finances in order before you start training. You’ll have fewer distractions and stressors while you are learning, and there’s nothing worse than having to stop and re-start your training due to financial constraints - you’ll lose valuable skills and it will end up costing you more money in the long run! At the moment, Arapahoe Flight Club does not offer loans or funding directly, however there are some resources available on our site. You can also consider loans from friends or family, or a personal loan through a bank or organization like Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
Military: If you are looking to use your VA funding, your school needs to operate under a set of federal rules called Part 141 which requires FAA approval. At the moment, Arapahoe does not have this approval, but we are working towards it. Stay tuned! Sometimes military funding will only pay for your training after your private certificate, so it might be worth getting started anyway until our Part 141 approval comes through.
Non-Military: If you do not have a military background, our financial assistance page has some scholarship and loan resources we have researched for you. The list is by no means exhaustive, however it is a great place to start.
The path towards a being a professional helicopter pilot starts with the Private Pilot Certificate (or license). Next you will work towards your Commercial Certificate, which typically includes an Instrument rating. The price breakdown and flight hour for Commercial/Instrument can be found here. Lastly, most pilots choose to pursue a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) rating as well as a Certified Flight Instructor- Instrument (CFII) rating, which are proficiency based. Our instructors can train you for all of these certificates and ratings. Contact us for details!
After all your training is done, you'll have about 200 flight hours. The next step for most pilots is to work as a flight instructor until about 500 hours, and then as a tour pilot (or a mixture) until about 1500 hours. At that point you'll be eligible for additional jobs such as firefighting, utility, or offshore oil transport, and you can start to make more targeted choices in employment based on your goals. From about 2000 hours onward, even more doors will open for you such as air ambulance or heli skiing.
Having the ability to relocate for a job, even seasonally, is an advantage.
When you start flying with us, you’ll receive both a ground and flight training syllabus to guide your study, along with thorough lesson plans that include links to videos and articles. If you enjoy video learning, there are several online subscription resources available, and all have individual certificate/rating courses and career-track bundles.
Subscription based:
o King Schools
o Helicopter Online Ground School (HOGS)
Free YouTube channels:
o Fixed wing/aviation in general: Captain Joe, Fly8MA, MzeroA, passfaaexams.com (Gian Luca Noia)
o Systems: speedkar99 (car mechanic)
o Helicopter specific: Helicopter Lessons in 10 Minutes or Less, Helicopter Online Ground School (they have some free content), Helicopter Training Videos, some flight schools put out free content as well such as Leading Edge Flight Academy
In addition, you can purchase the books you’ll need for home study. AFC has this package of materials available for purchase, but you can also research and buy your own. Some books are available as pdf downloads if you prefer digital reading. When given the option, choose the books that are in color, not black and white. See the next question for a book list.
Mandatory Book and Materials List:
- *Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) for the Robinson R44 Raven II
- *Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge
- *FAR/AIM (FAA Regulations Manual): must have a current version for check ride
- Practical Test Standards for your certificate or rating (private, commercial, etc)
- E6B flight computer, plotter, and sectional chart (you’ll need this about halfway through private. Some will be available at school for you to borrow)
- ForeFlight subscription (you’ll need this about halfway through private) and iPad
- Logbook! (Can be tracked digitally through ForeFlight)
Optional List:
- Private Pilot FAA Written Test Prep (recommended)
- Jeppesen Instrument Commercial Manual (mandatory for Commercial)
- Oral Exam Guide- Helicopters
- Robinson R44 Ultimate Pilots Operating Handbook
- Robinson R44 Cockpit Training Poster
*available as pdf download
Absolutely! Robinson Helicopters have some specific requirements in order to act as Pilot in Command. If you are already a rated helicopter pilot, you can check out the SFAR73 requirements here under (2)(b)(2). In a nutshell, you need at least 10 hours of dual instruction in the R44.
If you are a certificated fixed wing pilot looking for a helicopter rating, the requirements are the same as for the Private Pilot Certificate. When you accomplish your helicopter add-on rating in the R44, you'll be covered for the SFAR73 requirements for the R44. Feel free to contact us with any questions!
Your pace through training depends on many factors:
Aircraft and instructor availability: We currently have two instructors (soon to be three) and one aircraft available. During the summer, availability decreases slightly due to instructor scheduling (both work other commercial contracts, allowing them to bring valuable experience back to you!) and weather conditions (afternoon thunderstorms). Availability increases during the fall and winter months, when both weather and schedules are more stable.
Your availability: If your schedule is flexible, it can better match up with our availability and ideal weather conditions. If your schedule is restrictive (just evenings and weekends, for example), it will be more challenging to move quickly through training.
Weather: Always an unpredictable factor, our instructors work with students to make safe weather decisions that align with the goals of their training. Thankfully, with thousands of flight hours under their belt, they have flown in a broader range of weather conditions, which is experience newer instructors don’t typically possess (high winds, for example). You‘ll have the opportunity to safely explore those conditions through your training.
Your dedication to training and ground school: We expect students to stay ahead of reading and ground study between flight lessons, and recommend approximately 4-5 ground study hours per hour of flight training. Check out the FAQs below for ground study options. When you start flying with us, you’ll receive both a ground and flight training syllabus to guide your study, along with thorough lesson plans that include links to videos and articles.
Maintenance: We do our best to stay ahead of scheduled and preventative maintenance to avoid training interruptions. However, things do come up that are out of our control, and we will always make conservative and safe maintenance decisions.
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