Commercial Pilot Program (currently available only under Part 61)

The COMMERCIAL PILOT Program is geared toward the student who wishes to make a career as a helicopter pilot. The syllabus is designed to prepare you for the practical demands of professional flying. The certificate you obtain at the end of this course will qualify you to fly most of the commonly-used civilian helicopters.

Stage 1 (Private Pilot) This Stage will be conducted as outlined in the Private Pilot Program. The main advantages to obtaining a Private Pilot Certificate are that you may carry passengers and that the time you spend flying with your instructor can be recorded in your logbook as Pilot In Command (PIC) time.
Stage 2 (Solo experience) During this Stage your instructor will concentrate on two areas as you build-up your PIC time to the required 100 hours. The first of these is congested-area flying. Together you will make several flights through the busy airspace surrounding the the Houston Airports System (Hobby, Bush International, Hooks, Ellington, and Galveston). This type of flying puts considerable demands on the pilot, both in terms of flying skills and aeronautical knowledge. The second area on which your instructor will concentrate is off-airport operations. You will learn the advanced techniques of pinnacle approaches as used when landing on a mountain top or on a roof top helipad. You will also practice confined area landings. These include forest clearings, narrow streets, and other situations where the flight-path is severely restricted by obstacles.
Stage 3 (Pre-checkride) The last few hours of training will be spent with your instructor, and then with the VERTEX Stage CheckAirman, preparing for the specific requirements of the flight test.

FAA Requirements
The minimum number of flight hours required for the Commercial Certificate is 150 and it is reasonable to expect that you will attain the required standard to pass the checkride with that number of hours.

For a helicopter rating: A person who applies for a commercial pilot certificate with a rotor craft category and helicopter class rating must log at least 150 hours of flight time as a pilot that consists of at least:

• 100 hours in powered aircraft, of which 50 hours must be in helicopters.
• 100 hours of pilot-in-command flight time, which includes at least--
• 35 hours in helicopters; and
• 10 hours cross-country flight in helicopters.
• 20 hours of training that includes at least:
  • 10 hours of instrument training in an aircraft;
  • One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a helicopter in day VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure;
  • One cross-country flight of at least 2 hours in a helicopter in night VFR conditions, consisting of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
  • 3 hours in a helicopter in preparation for the practical test within the 60-day period preceding the date of the test.
• 10 hours of solo flight in a helicopter which includes at least:
  • One cross-country flight with landings at a minimum of three points, with one segment consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
  • 5 hours in night VFR conditions with 10 takeoffs and 10 landings (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern).

Please Note: The Commercial Certificate requires you to have a total of 150 hours of flight time as well as 100 hours of Pilot In Command (PIC) time, so the actual cost of the Commercial Course will vary greatly from student to student. PIC time is calculated as any flight time you log after completing the Private Pilot Certificate. Therefore, if you acquire a Private Certificate at 50 hours you will be able to achieve the 100 hours of PIC time needed to finish the Commercial Certificate in the minimum 150 hours. If it takes you more than 50 hours to get a Private Certificate then you will need more than the 150 hours to qualify for the Commercial Certificate due to the 100 hour PIC requirement. The regulations for this rating can be a bit confusing at times and we encourage you to contact or visit our offices for further clarification.

Ground School This class prepares you for the written exam and also introduces you to commerical operations through guest speakers, presentations and distributed material. Essentially, the Commercial Pilot written examination is based on the same material as the Private Pilot test, but a higher standard. The additional detail and depth of knowledge will be attained through one-on-one tuition with your instructor, combined with a program of home study.

Medical Requirements
To be eligible to take the test for a Commercial Pilot Certificate you must hold a Class II Medical Certificate. Click here to find out more about medical requirements.

All Rates include Fuel and Flight Instructor Fees. Instruction and Training Costs are non-taxable. All books and equipment costs are subject to local and state sales tax. All FAA and Medical Exam fees are paid to the respective examiners. Pricing examples shown use Block Rates. Add $25 per flight hour and $5 per ground training hour for Pay-Go Rates. Hours listed reflect FAA minimum and/or Insurance required flight hours. Many students may require additional flight training to obtain proficiency required for checkride.

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