Although it may seem like a glamorous and easy occupation, don't be fooled--becoming a professional helicopter pilot takes practice, training and lots of hard work. You will need to get a minimum of two licenses and log hundreds of hours of flight time before you'll be eligible for the job. This guide will introduce you to the schooling, training and certification you will need to become a professional helicopter pilot.

• Becoming a professional helicopter pilot requires a great deal of expensive instruction, hundreds of hours of practice and the successful completion of several tests. However, for those who can meet the challenge, pursuing a career as a helicopter pilot can prove to be a financially and personally rewarding career.

• Before you sign up for time-consuming and expensive helicopter lessons, it's a good idea to go for a trial flight to ensure that you enjoy the experience. Most flight schools offer introductory flights or trial lessons, so contact your local flight school and make an appointment.

(Creative Commons photo by Secret Tenerife)

• Once you have decided that you want to pursue helicopter flight training, do some research into flight schools in your area. Depending on your individual situation, some things you may want to look into are:

1. Instructors' credentials
2. Tuition costs
3. Availability of financial aid
4. School hours
5. Helicopters used during instruction

• After doing some research, you will learn that helicopter flight school can be costly. If you are determined to become a helicopter pilot, but are concerned that you may not be able to afford it, you can look into military options. By joining the military or National Guard, you may be able to receive helicopter flight training and log flight hours as part of your service.

• However, joining the military is not a decision to be entered into lightly. Be certain that you are fully aware of the commitment and ensure that you will, in fact, be able to fly helicopters during your service.

• Although you do not need a student pilot's certificate to take lessons, you will need it to fly solo. You must log a specific number of solo hours to get both your private and commercial licenses. To get a student pilot's certificate, you must:

1. Be fluent in English
2. Be at least 16 years of age
3. Have a current medical certificate issued by a designated FAA Medical Examiner

• Once you have logged a minimum of 40 hours flying a helicopter and have met other specific requirements, you can take the three exams necessary to be awarded your private pilot's license. You will have to pass a written, oral and practical (flight) exam. Once you have your license, you can fly anywhere at any time, but cannot yet receive financial compensation as a helicopter pilot.

• To pursue a career and get paid for your work as a helicopter pilot, you will have to get your commercial license. As with the private license, you will have to pass written, oral and practical exams. However, before you can take these tests, you must have logged at least 150 hours of flight time and must meet other specific requirements.

• Working as a professional helicopter pilot can be an exciting, challenging and rewarding career. However, like many other professions, becoming a successful helicopter pilot requires education, practice and lots of experience.

•