Authorisation and period of validity

The PPL-H private pilot license entitles you as the responsible pilot or co-pilot to fly helicopters during the day. Commercial air traffic is excluded. That means that you are not allowed to conduct any work flights (e.g. load flights, film flights, etc.) or transport people for a fee. The safety requirements in aviation are high and strictly regulated, as are the regulations for the PPL-H license. So the PPL-H is issued for 5 years at a time.

Moreover, with the PPL-H you acquire a type rating on the helicopter on which you were trained. This type rating is issued for one year at a time.

Extension of the PPL-H license

The PPL-H license can be extended for 5 years at a time upon application. The extension requires a valid aviation medical certificate of fitness class 2 (valid according to age and described in more detail below) in addition to a valid certificate of reliability (as per §7 LuftSiG valid for 5 years at a time).

Extension of the certificate of fitness

The certificate of fitness is an aviation medical report which certifies the physical and psychological fitness of the private pilot. It is valid:

• Up until the age of 40 for 60 months
• Up until the age of 60 for 24 months
• For pilots over 60 for 12 months

A list of approved doctors is kept by the Federal Office of Civic Aeronautics and can be inspected here: » Overview of approved doctors of aviation medicine

Extension of the type rating

The type rating can be extended for one year at a time by at least two verified flying hours on the appropriate helicopter and a test flight with an authorised examiner TRE (H).

If you take advantage of a combined training on two different types of helicopter, at Heli Aviation you will receive two type ratings. In order to extend both, you must also demonstrate two flying hours on each machine and undertake a test flight on each. For specific helicopter combinations, the second check flight can be waived upon application to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation.