Concept

CCAT offers a fully JAA Approved course for a Professional Helicopter Licence, conducted entirely from Cranfield Airport, Bedford. The Commercial Pilot (CPLH) course is completed over 48 weeks with the graduate holding a JAA Commercial Pilot’s Licence, restricted to use for visual flying.

Students will study theoretical knowledge to full ATPH standard allowing the straight forward issue of this qualification provided that an instrument rating is added to the licence within 36 months of licence issue. The mandatory flying experience required for issue of full ATPH is 1,000 hours of total time, which must include 350 hours of time flown on multi-crew operations.

In General Students will either be funding their own training, usually having secured bank or parental support, or, in the case of aeroplane courses, will have been selected by an airline for full or part sponsorship. At this time, students for helicopter licences are required to fund their own training. Helicopter students join their fixed wing counterparts on CCAT Integrated courses as much of the theoretical knowledge syllabus is common to both syllabuses. Integrated course size is restricted to sixteen places with each typically containing a mixture of self-funded and part-sponsored students.

Applicants for the Integrated course do not require previous flying experience. Those already holding a PPL, or a Non-JAA Commercial Licence may apply to CCAT for an abridgement to the full course of training. This will allow a small reduction in the single engine flying hours, so reducing the cost and in some cases the duration.

Course Schedule

The 48 week CPLH course timetable is as follows:

Weeks 01-26 Theoretical Knowledge Training in the classroom
Weeks 27-48 Flight Training - Phases 1 and 2

Theoretical Knowledge Training

The Integrated course Theory syllabus is taught over at total of 26 weeks and is delivered in one or six well equipped and air conditioned lecture rooms, each capable of accommodating classes of sixteen students. The College of Aeronautics and the School of Mechanical Engineering are located adjacent to CCAT and offer, by arrangement, many areas of interests to support the students studies. Integrated course students are automatically allowed study and borrowing rights at the new Cranfield University technical library.

CCAT Instructors have vast experience gained from a wide variety of aeronautical backgrounds, both civil and military, and are expert in their own particular fields. They are justly proud of their students high examination pass rates since the introduction of the new JAA syllabus in January 2000.

Flight Training

The Flight School is located next to the Air Traffic Control Tower on Cranfield Airport. There is a fully equipped Operations Centre with briefing and planning facilities, with dedicated space available to Integrated course helicopter students. The airport is located on a four hundred acre site offering ample space for both fixed wing and helicopter training. There is an 1800 metre runway with Instrument Landing System (ILS) and two Beacon approaches. Special areas are set aside for sloping ground , confined area and low-level operations training.

The Flight Instructors are well experienced in teaching the Integrated course and have a minimum of 1,000 hours instructional time. The Chief Helicopter Instructor has several thousand hours of Public Transport/Charter and Instructional time and all students benefit enormously from this experience.

CCAT has a fleet of 3 Robinson R-22 Betas (single engine piston), one Bell 206 Jet Ranger (single engine turbine) and two Aerospatiale AS-355F Twin Squirrels (multi engine turbine). The turbine engine helicopters are also utilised on Public Transport operations by Cabair Helicopters. On the CPL(H) course, the Robinson R-22 is used for the entire syllabus. The Bell 206 is available as an additional option in order to complete a five hour turbine conversion, and the AS-355F is further available for multi engine turbine conversions.

The composition of the Flight Phases, as shown in the preceding course schedule, is as follows:

Phase 1
12.5 hours on R-22B: Basic dual instruction to first solo flight.

Phase 2
122.5 hours on R-22B: Covers all syllabus requirements for dual and solo flight training in General Handling, Navigation, Instrument and Night flying.

3 hours on R-22B Commercial Pilot’s Licence Skill Test.

To Summarise

The CPL (Helicopter) Integrated Programme includes:


The Programme does not include the following:

1. JAA Examination, Flight Test and Licence Issue Fees

These are currently £780 for the first attempt at 13 Theory examinations (£60 per examination), £691 for the final CPL(H) Skill Test and £210 for CPL(H) licence issue. There is no VAT on JAA charges. The student will be expected to pay these fees to CCAT when bookings are made. Additional charges will be made for all further attempts if necessary.

2. Accommodation. There are various options available as shown on our Accommodation page.



For a Data Sheet and current Price List for this course please visit the Seminars & Brochures Section.