Training Programs
Training
Located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, we have access to some of the very best flying environments that provide for the ultimate training experience. You’ll learn to fly Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters in varied and spectacular airspace.
What a rush it is to go out for your first time! The best part of it is that most seasoned helicopter pilots would say that it still feels that way when they fly. The challenge of a helicopter is like sitting on top of a large ball that you need to maneuver so that you don’t slip forward, backward or to either side. You might be wondering if that makes helicoptering harder than flying a fixed-wing airplane. We look at the experience of piloting helicopters in a different way—as an exciting, fun, multi-dimensional challenge. Rather than just manage the linear motion of an airplane, you literally fly a helicopter. You learn to be in constant control of opposing forces while you’re aloft and, essentially, master how to be “on the ball.”
A great way to get this feeling is to schedule a Discovery Flight. By doing so, you’ll also have an opportunity to visit our flight school, meet our phenomenal staff and get familiarized with our training style. First you’ll get a brief overview of helicoptering basics in our ground school, and then one of our Utah Helicopter flight instructors will take you up for a hands-on flight. For most people, it’s an experience they never forget—one that solidifies their vision to become a pilot.
After visiting us it will be clear that our ongoing objective at Utah Helicopter is to create an ideal flight training environment. From experience, we realize that it’s the special attention to crucial key factors that differentiate the few great schools from the adequate ones.
Flexible instruction planning
Our goal is to accommodate the individual schedules and career paths of our students in every way possible. Since our ground school instruction is one-on-one, you can start whenever you wish and progress through flight training at your own pace. Studying on a full-time basis, it’s possible to complete the Private, Commercial, Instrument, CFI and CFII certificates in as little as six to eight months.
Ideal location
Finding a school close to home is certainly a convenient advantage, but the benefits we’re talking about in regard to an ideal location are those that enhance your flight education. Utah Helicopter Flight Academy is located at the Spanish Fork-Springville and Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airports—both near the base of a magnificent mountain range. Utah is renowned for the best snow on earth, and these are the formidable mountains that are blanketed by it for a majority of the year. Learning to fly in a high-altitude flight environment demands greater finesse and better energy management than at sea level. So, right from the start, you’ll be learning to operate aircraft at or near their performance limitations—the type of mountainous flight experience many employers are seeking. The second location advantage is that you’ll be introduced to two classifications of airspace in the metropolitan Salt Lake City area—Class B and Class D. This means that you will be exposed to a variety of essential air traffic controller language that will broaden your knowledge base and experience.
Excellent quality of instruction
Robinson R22s are the most common helicopter trainer in the United States. And by training in one, you will meet more employers’ hiring requirements. We have a fleet of new Robinson R22 and R44 helicopters. And with ideal student/instructor and student/aircraft ratios, you’ll get personalized instruction and plenty of access to helicopter flight time that you need to meet your certification requirements.