Jonny's guide to becoming a helicopter pilot - Your first helicopter instructor can shape your flying habits, safety standards and approach to aviation for years to come. Jonny Greenall explains what to look for in a good instructor — and why choosing the right one matters from your very first lesson.

Why Your First Flight Instructor Matters More Than You Think

So, you've signed up for your first helicopter flying lesson and you're on your way to becoming a helicopter pilot!

Well done!

But who exactly is this person sitting next to you whose job it is to teach you to become a safe, competent and proficient helicopter pilot?

I've previously written about the two types of Flight Instructor : Is FI(H) a Good Way to Build Helicopter Hours? read that article here.

But let's delve a little deeper into this strange “God of Helicopters” sitting to your left (in a Robinson, anyway).

I believe this is nowadays called a “deep dive” …?

Your helicopter flight instructor is going to produce a “little versions of themselves”.  To you he is the Helicopter Guru, Fountain of all knowledge and you will believe everything they say and do.

This means that they need to be beyond reproach…

NORMALISATION OF DEVIANCY

Sounds terrible… and it is.  Normalisation of deviance is when a violation of a safety standard or proper procedure gradually becomes accepted as normal behaviour.  You will mimic your instructor.

If they behave badly, so will you.  If they do not bother with checklists, pre-flights, briefings, etc, so will you.  If they flight overweight, or perform dangerous manoeuvres, so will you.  If they fly in adverse weather, or push limits, so will you.

If you ever hear your instructor say, “Watch this….!”  Get out, bad things are about to happen.

LAW OF PRIMACY

This is the idea that things experienced, learned or presented first are often the easiest to remember.  In aviation, this matters enormously because when something goes wrong and the pressure goes up, we often fall back on what was first taught.

So, you need to be taught correctly the first time, and every time subsequently, to build on your learning.  We cannot let “things slide” and tell ourselves we'll fix them later.  We must fix that issue there and then.

 I can tell you from personal experience, trying to reteach a student something they have learnt incorrectly is virtually impossible, and they may still revert to their previous learning is a high stress situation.

SUBJECT AUTHORITY & KNOWING WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW

For the Flight Instructor Course we require a pre-entry test, this is not just the quick flight and tick box most people think it is, it is to see whether you have the capability and capacity to actually fly and teach.  Your knowledge AND flying skills need to be above average before you even start the course.

EASA's AMC for the FI(H) course specifically requires the training to develop safety awareness, refresh technical knowledge, develop teaching skills and ensure that the student instructor's flying is to a sufficiently high standard.

So, your instructor needs to know all aspects of BOTH the flight training and theoretical knowledge you are undertaking as well as flying to a high standard.

Does this mean that I know everything helicoptery...?? 

No, and one of my bug bears, are instructors who spout off things that “they know”.  Make sure the instructor can back it up with actual references or evidence.  If they get it wrong and the student knows then the instructor will lose credibility.  If your the instructor does not know or is not sure you can “go on a journey of discovery together” and find the correct answer.

Nobody knows everything.

ADAPTABLE

The instructor teaches the student, not the syllabus.  The instructor needs to have many different teaching techniques in their armoury.  This is adult learning, and adults learn differently.  Some are visual, and like to see things, whilst others are aural and like to hear, some people prefer reading and book learning, whilst others are “doing” and need the physical touch to learn.  Actually, the course is a mixture of all of these things, but the instructor must know which are your strengths and weaknesses and adapt their training accordingly.

MANNERISMS

By the time you have your licence you’ll be fluent in pilotese, a special language that only we can speak, it is full of strange words and acronyms – but if we start using these first, you’ll be lost and have little idea what we are talking about.  Your instructor should teach you this whole new language during your training, step by step.

Your instructor should behave like they care, are well presented, and eager to teach (because you’re eager to learn!) with plenty of empathy – we were there once as well remember!  A good instructor also has plenty of patience.  There is no such thing as a stupid question.

Good communication skills are essential, not just speaking, and talking, but also listening and feedback from the student is just as important as teaching.

CHANGE

If something doesn't feel right, speak to your instructor.

If the problem isn't resolved, ask to change instructor.

And if the school tells you that “you can’t”

Change school (as much as they tell you “You can’t”) - you can!

You are the customer and, ultimately, it is your licence, your training and your safety.

Your first instructor matters

Your first flight instructor is going to influence far more than whether you can hover a helicopter or pass a skills test. They are helping to establish your habits, your standards, your approach to safety and, ultimately, the sort of pilot you become.

Choose an instructor who you want to become like.

At Balearic Helicopters, we believe an instructor's job is not simply to get you through the syllabus. It is to develop a safe, knowledgeable and confident pilot who understands why they are doing things, not just what buttons to press and what exercises to pass.

If you're considering learning to fly, come and meet us, talk to an instructor and see how we approach training. Your first instructor could influence the rest of your flying career.

Choose carefully.

About Jonny

Jonny Greenall is the Head of Training and founder of Balearic Helicopters. With more than 25 years of helicopter flying and training experience and over 9000 hours, he has extensive experience across private, commercial and instructor training.

The views and advice in this article are based on Jonny's experience of helicopter flying and flight training.

Interested in becoming a helicopter flight instructor?