Helicopter pilot (commercial)

Commercial helicopter pilots fly people, and sometimes cargo to places over land and offshore. The work they do is varied and can include many different types of flight, for example, taking people on sightseeing trip, an inaccessible island or a far-flung workplace. Before flying, pilots have to check weather conditions and make sure that all the helicopter’s instruments are working properly.

Also known as:

Commercial helicopter pilot
Pilot (helicopter)

Work activities

Commercial helicopter pilots fly people, and sometimes cargo, to places over land and also offshore. The work they do is varied and can include:

Surveying work: flying over areas to help professionals with seismic surveying.
Police work: for example, overseeing a demonstration or looking for a suspect.
Taking people on short pleasure trips, or taking business or sports people to and from their destinations.
Extracting people from an emergency situation.

Inside the helicopter’s cockpit, there is a control panel showing things like altitude, the speed the vehicle is travelling at, and the fuel level. It looks a bit like a car’s dashboard, just a lot more complicated. The pilot will need to check that everything in the cockpit is working properly before take-off. Before take-off for longer flights, helicopter pilots produce a flight plan. This plan will include a route for the journey and also details of what height they should be flying at, for example. Weather conditions will also need to be checked. Also, before taking off, helicopter pilots usually need to get clearance from an air traffic controller (ATCO). There are some occasions when a pilot is unable to get clearance, for example, some places where helicopters take off do not have any air traffic control. In this situation, the pilot will need to contact an ATCO once they are in the air.

Once the flight has started, pilots are responsible for the safety of all passengers and need to keep them informed of any changes to the flight conditions. Before landing at an airport, pilots need to get clearance from air traffic control. Once the flight is over, pilots have to write a report giving details of any problems during the journey. Many helicopters are piloted by one person, but some larger ones will have a captain and a co-pilot. The cockpit of a helicopter is often quite small and will also be very noisy. Pilots might sometimes be asked to fly in dangerous conditions. It may be necessary to stay away from home for short periods of time.

Personal qualities and skills

To do well in this career, you’ll need:

To be a calm and mature person.
Good hand-eye co-ordination and strong spatial awareness.
To be someone who can cope with pressure.
Good communication skills, if you’re dealing with passengers a lot.
An interest in aviation and some knowledge of the subject.
Excellent observation skills and the ability to interpret maps and displays.

All pilots have to pass the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) medical exams, so you’ll need to be physically fit. You should have good vision. However, if you wear glasses it does not mean automatic rejection. Normal colour vision is essential.

The following future skills shortages have been identified:

Customer service skills.
Communication skills.
IT skills.
Safety/accident management skills.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Helicopter pilots begin earning in the range of £25,000, rising to as much as £45,000 with experience. Senior positions can earn more. Much higher salaries are possible for more lucrative jobs.

Flying hours are strictly regulated. Work patterns vary depending on the type of flying required. Early starts, late finishes, evening and weekend work, may be expected.

Employers include:

Police and emergency services.
Commercial airlines.
Large corporations, for example, flying executive parties.
Firms involved in transporting cargo or in land survey operations.
Firms in the leisure and tourism industry.
Flying Training Organisations (instructor posts).

Helicopter pilots work from airports throughout the UK. Opportunities for UK trained pilots also occur with foreign airlines.

What’s happening in this work area?

The aviation industry throughout the UK is currently facing a major overhaul, with a range of new policies aimed at developing a more sustainable approach to air travel coming into effect. There is increasing pressure to reduce the CO2 emissions generated by transport and the industry will require suitably qualified and skilled professionals.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised on all the major job boards, on the Government’s Find a Job service. Vacancies are advertised on helicopter operators’ websites.

Entry routes and training

To become a commercial helicopter pilot, you’ll need to do a lot of training. Entrants need to be at least 18 years of age. All prospective pilots who want to make money from their flying aim to get the Commercial Pilot’s Licence - Helicopter, CPL (H). Some students take a course known as the Private Pilot’s Licence - Helicopter, PPL (H). This is for people who want to fly themselves and their friends or colleagues. Pilots with this licence cannot charge people to fly with them.

The place where pilots train is called a Flying Training Organisation (FTO). The Civil Aviation Authority produces a full list of all the approved FTOs in the UK. Check their website for details. Training for the CPL (H) is expensive.

Some helicopter pilots, after training, work as airline pilots. People trained as pilots in the armed forces can take a bridging course to qualify with the Airline Transport Pilot (Helicopter) Licence ATPL (H).

Qualifications

For entry to a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)-approved training school, the minimum requirement is five GCSEs at grades 9-4; preferred subjects include English language, maths and physics. However, as competition for places is strong, a large percentage of applicants will have A-levels. Maths and science-based subjects can be useful. Alternatives to academic qualifications are sometimes acceptable. Check with the CAA for full details.

Some applicants have degrees. A range of colleges and universities offer relevant courses in aviation studies / pilot studies, including with part time/flexible and distance learning study options– see Ucas.com for a full listing.

For entry to a degree in any subject, the usual requirement is:

Two to three A-levels.
GCSEs at grades 9-4 in your A-level subjects.
Two to three GCSEs at grades 9-4, including English and maths. Always check a specialist source for up-to-date information about courses and entry requirements.

Other qualifications are often acceptable as alternatives to A-levels, for example:

Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualifications.
International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

However, entry requirements for different courses vary, so check university prospectuses for more details.

Adult opportunities

Age limits apply to this occupation: you must be 18 to start training.

This can be a second career for adults with the financial resources to afford the training. Those with previous flying experience, for example, Private Pilot Licence holders, can undertake further modular training to achieve the Commercial Pilot Licence (Helicopter) CPL (H) and the more advanced Airline Transport Pilot (Helicopter) Licence ATPL (H).

Related careers

Aeronautical engineer
Air traffic controller
Airline pilot
Armed forces pilot
Meteorologist
RAF airman/woman
RAF officer