1. Get medically certified
You may feel you're ready to start training right away so you can take to the sky, but unlike your driver's licence, there are medical standards you must meet before obtaining a helicopter pilot licence.
Private pilots are required to undergo electrocardiogram, audiogram and ophthalmic reviews examined by Approved Medical Examiners (AME) recognised by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD).
In Hong Kong, a Class 2 medical certificate is sufficient for student pilots to fly under the supervision of a flying instructor.
2. Book a Private Pilot License (H) training course
Now, on to the most exciting part—the flight training. Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC), Aero Institute (AI-HK) and JetOne are accredited aviation schools in Hong Kong that offer both practical and theory training.
Flight paths, instructors and programme design are important factors to consider when choosing a training programme, but the syllabus should be standardised across all aviation schools with a minimum of 40 hours of flight instruction in helicopters, including at least 10 hours of supervised solo flight time.