Helicopter pilot
Helicopter pilots fly single and multi-engined helicopters for business, leisure or emergency services.
- Starter salary£30,000 a year
- Experienced£55,000 a year
- Typical hours39 to 41 a week
What you'll do
As a helicopter pilot, you could:
- check weather conditions and airspace restrictions to plan routes
- work out fuel requirements and maximum loads
- file flight plans with authorities
- carry out pre-flight safety checks on equipment and instruments
- speak with air traffic controllers, crew and passengers during flights
- control navigation, speed and altitude along routes, using flight instruments
- complete paperwork after landing
As a pilot, you might:
- take passengers on charter or leisure flights
- transfer staff working in the offshore energy industry
- operate search and rescue aircraft
- assist police and emergency services
- carry out aerial photography and filming
- support training and combat operation in the armed forces
Working environment
You could work on an aircraft or at an airport.
Your working environment may be at height and you'll travel often.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to operate and control equipment
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of transport methods, costs and benefits
- excellent verbal communication skills
- knowledge of geography
- observation and recording skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a helicopter pilot
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- courses run by private training organisations
University
Although not essential, you could do a university degree in air transport or aviation, which includes helicopter pilot studies with an approved flight training organisation.
To start a course, you'll need:
- A levels or equivalent level 3 qualifications
- a minimum of a Class 2 medical certificate
- to be over 18
You'll need to apply for the higher level Class 1 medical certificate during your course to get your Commercial Pilot's Licence. If you wish, you can apply for the Class 1 certificate before your course starts.
As well as standard university fees, you will need to fund the flight training part of your course. Universities can advise you about this.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Other routes
You can apply to join a course with a flight training organisation to get your Commercial Pilot Licence CPL(H). You'll need the CPL(H) to fly helicopters commercially.
Entry requirements vary though you'll usually need:
- to pass skills tests and a thorough medical assessment
- a minimum of 155 hours' flying time
The number of flying hours needed may be lower for trained aeroplane pilots.
As a first step, you could train for a Private Pilot's Licence PPL(H) which allows you to fly for personal use and build up your flying hours. The flight training school would assess your skills, and could ask you to take some pre-course training to prove that you have the level of ability and skills needed for commercial training.
Training is expensive and you'll usually have to fund it yourself.
You can also join the Army , Royal Navy or Royal Air Force and become a trainee pilot.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- hold a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- be over 18 years of age
- pass the Civil Aviation Authority medical before you can take a course - the medical includes tests on your fitness, hearing and vision
Career path and progression
With experience, you could take further training to expand your skills, such as night flying, low altitude flying or navigating through mountainous terrain.
You might also start your own company, providing recreational or business charter flights, freight services or flying instruction.
Career tips
Pilot training requires a big investment in time and money, so it's important to research the different routes and costs before committing to training.
You could think about taking a pre-entry pilot assessment before you start training.
You could also do a trial lesson with a flight school to make sure this is the right career for you.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the The Honourable Company of Air Pilots , for professional development, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleAirline pilot
- Job roleAir traffic controller
- Job roleCoastguard
- Job roleRAF officer
- Job roleHelicopter engineer
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0