Bern airport, Switzerland-based Mountainflyers has recently introduced a commercial helicopter pilot training programme from Loft Dynamics into its flight school that incorporates VR simulators. The first student to complete the course, Manuel Meyerhans, has passed the commercial helicopter pilot licence (CPL) exam and secured a job as a freelance sightseeing pilot.

Comprehensive training is crucial for aspiring helicopter pilots to develop the necessary competencies. Mountainflyers has developed a training concept, using Loft Dynamics simulators at its base in Bern, to equip future commercial helicopter pilots with a wide array of skills in normal and abnormal operating environments.

Students can now obtain a commercial pilot licence and AS350 type rating more cost-effectively than before. The programme includes 10 hours of flight time on a Robinson R22, followed by 10 hours in the Airbus H125 VR simulator from Loft Dynamics and 10 hours in a real H125.

“With this training concept, we prepare student pilots for their specific future careers,” explains owner and CEO Christoph Graf. “Training in the simulator can effectively complement training in a real helicopter, as it increases the depth and scope of training and reduces costs.”

Meyerhans now holds a CPL, including an AS350 type rating. After first realising his dream of flying in the Robinson R22, he also completed his mountain training on the Robinson R44.

“I opted for the Mountainflyers CPL training concept because I can practise manoeuvres in the simulator that can't be trained in a real helicopter,” he says. “Because the cockpit layout, procedures and flight dynamics in the simulator are exactly the same as the helicopter, the transition is very easy. The simulator allows for cost-effective and consistent training of manoeuvres and procedures, making it a safe and efficient way to learn.”

Meyerhans can now pilot commercial flights and plans to obtain his flight instructor licence.

Graf emphasises the importance of early planning for career development: “Good career planning is essential in the helicopter industry due to the high level of investment necessary to acquire the commercial helicopter pilot licence. Our basic training on Robinson helicopters and turbine training on the Bell 505 and H125, combined with the realistic training on the Loft Dynamics simulators, offer the most efficient and cost-effective CPL training available. Mountainflyers is also one of the few companies that employs its trained commercial pilots as freelance pilots, allowing them to build up 40 to 60 hours of flying experience in one season.”

After obtaining a CPL, many pilots pursue basic flight instructor training (FI), which requires at least 250 hours of total flight experience. Additional type ratings in other helicopters can also be completed.

Graf adds: “We offer sling load training (HESLO 1 and 2) on the R44 or the H125, which is now also available on the Loft Dynamics simulator. This realistic simulation enables safe sling load training using mirror and vertical reference techniques, which has never been achieved before. With more flying experience, pilots can also complete the mountain flight instructor course up to 2,000 metres and obtain the MOU FI unrestricted rating. These qualifications provide a solid foundation for a career as a helicopter pilot.”