Du behöver 40 timmar i en helikopter för att få ett PPL-tillägg om du redan har en ASEL PPL?

Med tanke på skillnaden mellan juridisk och smart kan du ändå potentiellt uppfylla träningskraven med bara några timmar i en helikopter. FAR 61.109 noterar särskilt att vissa Kraven måste uppfyllas i en helikopter:

• 61.109(c)(1): "3 hours of cross-country flight training in a helicopter;"
• 61.109(c)(2): "[...] 3 hours of night flight training in a helicopter that includes" a 50nm flight and 10 takeoffs and landings
• 61.109(c)(3): "3 hours of flight training with an authorized instructor in a helicopter in preparation for the practical test..."
• 61.109(c)(4): "10 hours of solo flight time in a helicopter..."

Teoretiskt sett kan flygträningen kombineras, vilket resulterar i tre dubbla och 10 solo timmar i en helikopter, övriga krav uppfylls i en annan kategori eller klass av flygplan.

FAA utfärdade en tolkning (O'Mara, 2012) om dessa regler under 2012. Diskussionen gällde tyngdskiftkontrollflygplan (61.109 (j)), men resonemanget är gäller för andra delar av 61.109:

In your letter you indicate that an examiner you spoke with stated that all of the aeronautical experience requirements specified in § 61.109(j), to include the 40 hours of flight time, 20 hours of flight training, and 10 hours of solo flight training must be completed in a weight-shift-control aircraft. That statement was incorrect.

[...]

...[T]he requirement for an applicant for a weight-shift-control aircraft to have 40 hours of flight time may be met by obtaining flight time in any category and class of aircraft.

Paragraphs (j)(1) through (j)(5) of § 61.109 specify the flight training that must be received by an applicant to receive a weight-shift-control aircraft rating. Flight training is defined in § 61.1 as "training, other than ground training, received from an authorized instructor in flight in an aircraft." Similar to the definition of flight time, it also does not include a limitation that the training be obtained in any particular category and class of aircraft.

Det sägs att detta är något akademiskt: för att få en solo-signoff från en CFI, skulle en student åtminstone kräva obehaglig träningstid i en helikopter. Jag ska också citera en annan tolkning (Zomnir, 2010) Jag kom över i min forskning, som kanske har det mest uppenbara uttalandet i en FAA juridisk tolkning:

First, you ask whether your student is required to be proficient to the practical test standards to pass a practical exam. The answer is yes.

Ja det måste vara i en helikopter.

§61.107 Flight proficiency. (a) General. A person who applies for a private pilot certificate must receive and log ground and flight training from an authorized instructor on the areas of operation of this section that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.

Du bör observera att formuleringen i § 61.109 c måste "logga minst 40 timmars flygtid som omfattar minst 20 timmars flygträning från en auktoriserad instruktör och 10 timmars solo flygträning i" är identisk med Ordalydelsen i § 61.109 (a) för flygplanskategori.

Tolkningen är att du behöver 40 timmar totalt med minst 20 timmars dubbla och minst 10 timmars solo. De andra 10 timmarna kan vara antingen dubbla eller solo.

Du bör notera kraven i §61.63 (b) för ytterligare betyg. I grund och botten är det enda du är undantagen från det privata pilot kunskapstestet.

§61.63 Additional aircraft ratings (other than for ratings at the airline transport pilot certification level). (a) General. For an additional aircraft rating on a pilot certificate, other than for an airline transport pilot certificate, a person must meet the requirements of this section appropriate to the additional aircraft rating sought.

(b) Additional aircraft category rating. A person who applies to add a category rating to a pilot certificate:

(1) Must complete the training and have the applicable aeronautical experience.

(2) Must have a logbook or training record endorsement from an authorized instructor attesting that the person was found competent in the appropriate aeronautical knowledge areas and proficient in the appropriate areas of operation.

(3) Must pass the practical test.

(4) Need not take an additional knowledge test, provided the applicant holds an airplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift, weight-shift-control aircraft, powered parachute, or airship rating at that pilot certificate level.