By Andy Toomer

Learning to fly helicopters was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences in my life, from the first flight trying and struggling to maintain straight and level flight to nailing 180 degree autorotations (simulated engine failures) to a specified spot, it was a learning curve riddled with milestones to keep aiming for, such as the first solo, private license, mountain check flights, cross country check flights and finally the commercial flight test and the golden hand shake and a few beverages to wash it all down.

If you're about to begin your training for a helicopter pilot career than congratulations are in order. Learning to fly a helicopter is like trying to balance a basketball on a broom handle until the one day when everything clicks.

When you begin your training you'll have to choose a school based on cost, the instructors, and the helicopters used for training. Currently there are three helicopters used by most flight schools. They are the Robinson R-22, the Schweizer 300, and the Bell 47. Each aircraft is piston powered and each has its strengths and weaknesses.