Am I eligible for a pilot certificate?
To be eligible for a pilot certificate, you must be able to read, write, speak and understand the English language. To be eligible for a Student Pilot Certificate, which allows you to solo, you must be at least 16. To be eligible for a Private Pilot Certificate, you must be at least 17. To be eligible for a Commercial Pilot Certificate, which allows you to be paid for flying, you must be at least 18. You must also be at least 18 to become a Certified Flight Instructor, or CFI. You must be at least 23 to be eligible for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate.
You must also hold a Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate, which can be issued by any number of certified Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs). You can find a local AME by visiting www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/. The AME will administer a short examination to assess your vision, hearing and general health, which usually costs around $80. If you intend to fly commercially, you should secure at least a Second-Class Medical Certificate. If you only seek a Private Pilot Certificate, a Third-Class Medical Certificate is adequate.
Most people don’t have a problem passing their medical examinations.
However, you should obtain a medical
certificate before or as soon as possible
after commencing your training, to be sure that you are indeed eligible
for the rating you seek. For more information on medical qualifications,
see www.faa.gov/pilots/medical/.
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Do I need to learn how to fly airplanes before moving on to helicopters?
Not at all. Helicopters and airplanes fly using different principles and controls. Although the general aviation knowledge you acquire while flying airplanes may prove useful in your helicopter training, some fixed-wing habits actually make learning to fly helicopters more difficult.
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Why do you train in Robinson helicopters?
We use Robinson helicopters because they’re fast, cost-effective and extremely reliable — traits
that have made Robinsons the most popular
training helicopters in the world. Most
professional pilots start their careers
as flight instructors. By training in
Robinson helicopters, our graduates are attractive to the largest number
of potential employers. Because of their versatility and low operating
costs, Robinsons are an extremely popular choice with private owners,
too. Learn more about these outstanding helicopters at www.robinsonheli.com.
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What is the difference between a Part 141 and a Part 61 school?
Pilot schools can operate under two parts of the Federal Aviation
Regulations: Part 141 and Part 61. Part
141 schools have more rigorous requirements
for certification, staffing and federal oversight.
Is one type of school
better than the other? Not necessarily.
Part 141 is a guarantee that a school
meets high government standards, but students may still receive
excellent instruction under Part 61 programs.
Generally speaking, employers are interested
in the overall reputation of the school where you did your training,
and not strictly its Part 141 or Part 61 status.
All of Quantum’s
training programs have met the comprehensive certification requirements
of Part 141. However, we also conduct Part 61 training when doing
so would prove more cost-effective for our students — as
when a Part 61 program has lower hour
requirements than the equivalent 141
program. We strive to offer the highest
standards of training at the best possible
value.
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Do you train foreign students?
Absolutely. Quantum is approved to offer M1 visas to eligible
students. Please contact us for more information
on how to apply or read more on our international
students page.
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Do you train for all ratings?
Yes, Quantum trains for all ratings from Private to Airline Transport
Pilot, including Instrument and Instrument
Instructor ratings.
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Do I need an Instrument rating?
If you intend to fly professionally, we strongly recommend an
Instrument rating. Until recently, helicopter Instrument
ratings were the exception, not the rule.
However, an increasing number of employers
(and their insurance companies) now require
that their pilots be Instrument-rated.
We’re seeing
a number of very experienced pilots returning
to Quantum for their Instrument training.
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What aircraft will I train in for my Instrument rating?
Quantum is relatively unique in being able to offer Instrument
training in your choice of the R22 or
the R44. R22 Instrument trainers are
no longer in current production. Quantum
maintains three R22 instrument trainers
in like-new condition, allowing us to
offer a low-cost alternative to Instrument
training in the R44. However, you may
choose to do your Instrument training in the R44 if you prefer.
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Do you use simulators?
Quantum does not train using simulators. The flight time you
acquire at Quantum will be real-world experience
that will count toward the rating you’re pursuing, as well
as your eventual career goals.
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How is your ground school conducted?
Our ground school is conducted one-on-one between the student
and his or her instructor. Our students are
able to learn at their own pace and enjoy
their instructors’ undivided attention. Like our flight training, our ground training is scheduled entirely at the student’s
convenience.
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How often can I train?
As often as you’d like, and at your convenience. During
your training, we recommend that you fly at
least three times per week, though again,
this is up to you.
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What is a typical day in the life of your students?
Because our students set their own schedules and train at their
own paces, it’s hard to generalize. However, if you plan on
training full-time, you can expect to spend four
hours a day in formal training.
Our training
day is divided into two-hour blocks that
begin at 7 a.m. Scheduling is done at
your convenience. On a typical day, you will have a flight during
one of these blocks. Once you’ve learned how to preflight your
aircraft, you’ll spend the first part of this block on your
own, conducting a preflight inspection and obtaining
fuel. (You will not be charged for this
time.) Then, you’ll
spend one to one-and-a-half hours in
the air, plus some time afterward discussing
the flight with your instructor.
You will
have one instructor for both flight and
ground training. Ground instruction is also conducted in two-hour
blocks, and is a full two hours of classroom
instruction. You will be expected to
spend substantial time outside of this
studying on your own, which you can choose
to do at the school or at home. Depending
on your stage of training, you might
also need to spend an hour or two on
a computer (yours or ours), planning
a cross-country flight or preparing for
an FAA written exam.
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Do you offer college degree programs?
We do. Please see our college degrees
page for more information.
Note, however, that a college degree
is not necessary for success as a commercial
helicopter pilot. Graduates of our Professional
Pilot Instrument Program are fully qualified
for employment in the helicopter industry.
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What is your maintenance program like?
Our maintenance is outstanding. Our Director of Maintenance, Paul
Mansfield, has been building and maintaining
Robinson helicopters since 1986. He and
the rest of our full-time maintenance
staff maintain our fleet to the absolute
highest standards. Moreover, we conduct
most of our maintenance after hours,
allowing us to maximize the availability
of our helicopters for training. Read
more on our maintenance services page.
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Do you conduct checkrides on site?
Yes. Our students have the advantage of being able to take their
FAA practical exams in familiar airspace,
without incurring any travel expenses.
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Can I finance my training?
Yes, and most of our Professional Pilot Instrument students do
finance their training. See our financial
aid page for more information, or contact
us to discuss your options. Learn more
on our finanical aid page.
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How long will it take me to complete my training?
That depends on how often you’re able to train. Our students
are allowed 16 months to complete the
Professional Pilot Instrument Program.
However, most of our full-time students
complete the course in around nine months.
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Why is helicopter training more expensive than airplane training?
Helicopters are substantially more complex than airplanes and require
specialized maintenance. They are inherently
more expensive to acquire, maintain and
insure. Robinson helicopters are the
most cost-effective helicopters available
for training.
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Are there hidden costs?
No, our quoted prices are complete. However, you may expect to
incur incidental costs associated with
your training, which are estimated in
Addendum A of our course listings, or on
our tuition and other expenses page.
Students
who eventually intend to seek employment
as flight instructors should note that
most schools, including Quantum, require
that their instructors attend the Robinson Helicopter Factory Safety
Course. Conducted at the Robinson Factory
in Torrance, California, the three-and-a-half-day
course costs $350 (for R22 instruction)
or $450 (for R44 instruction). This is
an excellent course for any pilot of
Robinson helicopters. See www.robinsonheli.com/training.htm for
more information.
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Do you require your students to sign contracts?
No, we do not. Please see our page on enrollment info for more
information. Training at Quantum is pay-as-you-go.
We do NOT require our students to maintain
large positive balances on their accounts
and we do NOT ask them to sign contracts.
There is NO penalty for withdrawing from
training. ALL account balances are refundable
with 48 hours notice.
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Do you provide free housing?
Nothing is free. Because so much affordable housing is available
in the vicinity of our Chandler location,
we do not provide our students with housing
(although we are happy to help them locate
housing: see our page on housing assistance).
The savings help us keep our rates down
and allow us to pay our instructors an
above-average salary. Since most of our
Flight Instructor graduates accept positions
with us, they benefit in the long run.
For more help, check out our housing assistance
page.
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Do you offer high-altitude training?
Our location is close to mountain
ranges with elevations ranging from 4,500
feet to 7,500 feet. We offer advanced
training at altitude upon request. In
addition, we offer mountain training
as an integral part of our commercial-level
training, at no additional charge.
For
basic training, however, we feel strongly
that the safety margin afforded by lower altitudes far outweighs
any benefits of high-altitude training. When
you’re learning how to fly, you’ll have better aircraft performance
and more room for error at Chandler’s
elevation of 1,243 feet than you would
at higher elevations.
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What is the current job market like for helicopter pilots?
Now is an excellent time to become a helicopter pilot. Demand
for pilots continues to increase, even as
more and more Vietnam-era pilots retire.
Neither is this group being replaced
by younger military pilots. Since 1995,
the number of active civilian helicopter
pilots (Commercial and ATP) has actually
declined. Our Professional Pilot graduates
have been in high demand in the job market.
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What
job placement assistance do you offer?
We’re loyal to our graduates, and, because of our high volume
of training, we’re able to hire almost all of our Certified Flight
Instructor graduates as full-time instructors.
Most new pilots begin their careers as
CFIs and instruct until they have 1,000
hours of pilot-in-command, or PIC, time
(the minimum for most entry-level turbine
helicopter jobs). An instructor at Quantum
will log this time in about one year.
When our instructors are ready to move
on, we’re
happy to help them advance their careers.
Our employees have been in high demand
throughout the industry. Read more on our
job placement page.
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How many helicopter pilots are there?
According to the FAA, in 2004, there were 27,135 active helicopter
pilots. That includes 5,912 private pilots;
18,062 commercial pilots; 3,161 airline
transport pilots; and one recreational
pilot.
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How many female helicopter pilots are there?
The FAA no longer tracks rotorcraft pilots by gender. Whirly-Girls,
an international organization of female
helicopter pilots, had 1,374 registered
members as of 2006 (see www.whirlygirls.org).
Whatever the number, there could always
be more, and Quantum actively encourages
women with an interest in helicopters
to pursue pilot training.
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How do I get started?
The best way to get started is to contact us to discuss the
training options that are right for you.
You may wish to tour our facilities or
schedule an introductory flight to learn more
about our training. Eventually you will
need to complete an Enrollment Application and return it to us with a deposit. Then
arrive on your scheduled start date,
and take it from there.
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