Diploma in Aviation

Assessments

• Trial Exams On completion of the commercial helicopter theory subjects, students will complete several trial exams.  These are practice exams allowing student to become familiar with the style of questions presented in the CASA cyber exams.
• Cyber Exams The CASA Cyber exams are conducted at an off-site exam centre.  There is a cyber exam for each of the 7 commercial helicopter theory subjects, which must be completed with a pass rate of 70% before you can sit the final flight test.
• Written assessments The student completes a written assessment answering a range of different questions about a subject.  They are an instruction tool to assess a student’s understanding of a subject.  They are used to assess whether a student has the knowledge and understanding required to progress onto the next stage of flying. 
• Oral assessments the student answers questions presented by the Instructor.  They are used to assess whether a student has the knowledge and understanding required to progress onto the next stage of flying.
• Flight assessments at key points during the course, the instructor will perform a flight assessment, by observing the students flight techniques and marking them as being competent or not competent.  A student must successfully complete all flight assessments before they can undertake the final flight test.
• Flight tests at the conclusion of the course, the student will sit a flight test conducted by a CASA approved testing officer (ATO).  The student must successfully complete the flight test in order to be awarded with the CASA Commercial Pilot Licence (Helicopters).

Formal Assessments

Successful completion of this course depends on the successful completion of 3 formal assessments:

• Theory assessment (conducted off-site at a CASA approved testing centre)
• Interim Flight Assessment (conducted in the Simulator)
• Final Flight Assessment (conducted in the Aircraft)

Failing to pass your formal assessments

• Every effort is made by the instructors to ensure you are ready for your final assessment.
• In the event that you fail your final assessment, your instructor will carry out remedial training to help you address any problems encountered in your final assessment.
• The minimum flight hours for the qualification is 40 instrument hours.  However, it may take more than 40 hours to successfully complete your assessment.  You need to consider that possible eventuality in planning your budget and calculating your course costs.

Entry Requirements

Prior to commencing this course, you need to have:

• Appropriate helicopter pilot qualifications and experience, by holding a:
  
• AVI40208 – Certificate IV in Aviation (Commercial Pilot Helicopter Licence), or
  
• Commercial Pilot Licence (Helicopters) (with a CASA Certificate of Validation for overseas licences), or
  
• Recognition of Prior Learning sufficient to be equivalent to a Commercial Pilot Licence (Helicopters).
  AND
  
• English language proficiency equivalent to either:
  
• the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) English language proficiency standard of Level 4
• Operational English required for an International Commercial Pilot Licence, or
• the CASA English language proficiency requirements specified in CAO40 in order to obtain a Student Pilot Licence (which is equivalent to an IELTS 5.5).  

Pre-requisites

There are no pre-requisites qualifications required for this course. 
Note:  Please make sure you meet the Entry Requirements for this course.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Due to the nature of the helicopter training syllabus there are many and varied levels of competencies that the student could have obtained throughout either prior flying and/or theory.  We recognise prior learning, but assessments must be determined upon application.  Fees for the RPL assessments shall be determined upon application.
Despite the student having the minimum number of hours to achieve his Licence the flying standard is competency-based and even with prior learning the student may need to allow for revision and currency of their flying training and / or ability.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has guidelines in the regulations in regards to overseas licence recognition.

RPL is very much a liaison process with CASA and the flight school. At times it cannot be determined how much RPL can be attributed until validation of log books and syllabus item that also are under joined by the ICAO standards internationally.

Course Credit

If you have completed flight training previously (without completing a qualification) and you want recognition for that training, then the following policy applies:

• A student must present their flight log book, statement of attainment and all other training records.
  
• Advice from CASA may be sought where training has been undertaken at an overseas training provider.
  
• Course credit may be given for units within the course, on the basis of:
  
  • a full CASA recognised qualification has been awarded (e.g. GFPT, PPL, CPL(S)) or
    
  • a foreign or military qualification has been recognised by CASA, or
    
  • a student completes a gap analysis (3 flight hours, not necessary all at the same time) to evaluate their competency and currency in course units. 
    
• The Head of School and Senior Flight Instructor will consider the records of prior learning and the results of the gap analysis and will award any course credit and prepare a plan to complete the remaining course credits.
  
• A student must complete at least 20% of the course flight hours (to the nearest full hour) with BHS in order to finalise a qualification, even if a student already has the minimum flight hours as required by CASA.  This allows instructors to carry out an effective gap analysis, and to ensure the student is competent in all areas required to successfully complete the qualification.

Nil Flying Experience

105 hours
125 hours *
155 hours International Course
*if final 30 hours not completed in 3 months

• Flight Radio Telephone Operator Rating
  
• Basic Aeronautical Knowledge BAK
  
• Pre-Solo Air Legislation
  
• Technical Courses and questions on helicopters trained in
  
• CASA PPL(H) Theory Exams or for CASA CPL(H) Theory Exams
  
• Flight Test
  
• Current Medical Class 1 or 2
  
• Sling load course if required

Private Fixed Wing PPL(A)

70 hours

• Pre-Solo Air Legislation
  
• Basic Aeronautical Knowledge BAK
  
• Technical Courses and questions on helicopters trained in
  
• CASA Helicopter Theory Exams (all 7 exams) – for CPL
  
• Flight Test
  
• Current Medical Class 1 or 2

Commercial Fixed Wing CPL(A)

60 hours
70 hours *
*if final 30 hours not completed in 3 months

• Basic Aeronautical Knowledge BAK
  
• Technical Courses and questions on helicopters trained in
  
• CASA Helicopter Theory Exams (all 7 exams) – for CPL
  
• Flight Test
  
• Current Medical Class 1 or 2

Theory timetable

Flight training timetable