Training to become a professional helicopter pilot

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The DRF Academy bid farewell to its first six flight students, five men and one woman, after completing their training as professional helicopter pilots. The graduation ceremony took place at the DRF Air Rescue Operations Center at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.

DRF Academy graduates first professional helicopter pilots

During a celebratory event, Dr. Krystian Pracz, Chairman of the Board of DRF Stiftung Luftrettung gAG, and the two managing directors of the DRF Academy, Florian Rabe and Andreas Kneer, presented the certificates to the graduates. In his speech, Florian Rabe emphasized that the flight students had successfully met the numerous challenges. Dr. Pracz also expressed his pride in sending the graduates off to the next phase of their careers as professional helicopter pilots.

Two-year basic training

The two-year basic training course, newly introduced in 2022, covers theoretical content on aviation law, flight technology, aerodynamics, and navigation, as well as basic emergency medical skills. The student pilots receive practical training on a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter at both the DRF Academy in Bühl and the DRF Air Rescue Operations Center at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport. All six graduates agree that the training was very intensive, but the goal of obtaining a Commercial Pilot License (Helicopter) was worth the effort.

First step into a pilot career

Passing the final exam marks the first important milestone in the graduates’ pilot careers. After theoretical exams in 13 subjects and the final test flight, they can now call themselves professional helicopter pilots. Four of the graduates will begin their careers as co-pilots at DRF Air Rescue, gaining further practical experience under the supervision of experienced helicopter pilots and preparing for deployment in air rescue.

Future and application options

With this training initiative, the DRF Academy is not only contributing to aviation safety but also investing in the next generation of pilots. Interest in the training is high. The second training cohort began in August 2023 with ten flight students. The third cohort will be welcomed on September 2, 2024. Applications for the fourth training course, which begins in 2025, are possible until August 31, 2024.

The DRF Academy, a training facility of DRF Air Rescue, is dedicated to the comprehensive and safe training of helicopter pilots. With state-of-the-art equipment and experienced instructors, the academy offers a highly qualified training program.