Welcome Back to the Cockpit

If you used to fly helicopters and miss it, this page is for you. Block-time packages designed for pilots who hold a rating but haven't flown in a year, five years, or twenty. We restore currency without condescension and put you back where you belong.

For pilots who haven't flown in a while

Most helicopter pilots stop flying for the same handful of reasons — career change, kids, retirement, or that one bad weather decision that took the joy out of it. Whatever brought you back here, you're not alone. We work with rusty pilots constantly. We'll meet you where you are, fly within your comfort zone on day one, and grow that zone deliberately.

This isn't a beginner program. We assume you have your certificate, you know how to weight-and-balance an R-44, you can describe a settling-with-power recovery, and you can tell us where the carburetor heat lever is by feel. What we're building back is currency, confidence, and the muscle memory that makes the aircraft feel like an extension of your hands again.

Four block-time packages

BFR Refresher

5 Hobbs hours · 2 hr ground

$3,625

$725/hr Hobbs

Biennial Flight Review per 14 CFR §61.56
2 hours of focused ground
NCHF "Currency Restored" certificate
Personalized 5-flight follow-on plan

Book BFR Refresher

Reset Block

10 Hobbs hours · 4 hr ground

$7,000

$700/hr Hobbs

Save $250 vs. à la carte

Everything in BFR Refresher
5 additional hours of focused proficiency
Doubled ground (4 hours)
Cross-country planning refresher

Book Reset Block

Confidence Block

25 Hobbs hours · 8 hr ground

$16,875

$675/hr Hobbs

Save $1,875 vs. à la carte

Everything in Reset Block
15 additional Hobbs hours including 1 mountain check ride
Logbook portfolio review with Walter
Confidence in any weather your category allows

Book Confidence Block

Pro Block

50 Hobbs hours · 12 hr ground

$32,500

$650/hr Hobbs

Save $5,000 vs. à la carte

Everything in Confidence Block
25 additional Hobbs hours
One foliage tour day on us (you fly the route)
Lifetime 10% NCHF discount on all future flights

Book Pro Block

Per-Hobbs rates assume a clean BFR exit. If we determine at hour 1 that the aircraft is not a good fit for your goals, we refund the unused balance per our cancellation policy. Ground instruction billed at $75/hr beyond included hours.

Stay on the field — housing at no additional cost

Coming from a distance? Block-time students have two places to stay, and neither adds a dollar to your package. On the field: private quarters at our hangar at Harris Airport (83K) — a full office, bed, full bath and kitchen, steps from the aircraft, so an early launch or a short weather window is never wasted. Or a B&B setting at the chief pilot's home, 55 minutes from the base. Tell us your dates when you book your block and we will hold a spot.

Ask about housing — rusty@flyheliadk.com

How it works

Email us your situation

Send a 3-line note to rusty@flyheliadk.com: what rating you hold, when you last flew, and what you want to be able to do again. Walter responds within 24 hours with a candid assessment and a block recommendation.

Pick your block, schedule your first flight

Pay the block via secure Stripe link, schedule your first session on a day that works. Most rusty pilots like to start with 2-3 sessions in a single week to get the rust off, then space out the rest. Your call.

Fly with confidence again

By the end of your block, you'll have a current BFR, restored muscle memory, and a personalized plan for what to do next. Many of our rusty pilots transition into our Partner rental program at $650/hr wet so they can keep flying without rebuilding currency from zero every time.

Common questions

How long has it been "too long" since you last flew?

Honestly, never. We've worked with pilots who hadn't flown in 25 years. The longer the gap, the more hours it typically takes to feel solid again, but the BFR Refresher block has restored currency for someone who hadn't flown in 18 years (it just took 7.5 Hobbs hours total instead of the budgeted 5). The Confidence Block exists for exactly this — gives us enough room to take you all the way back without anyone watching the clock anxiously.

What if I have a fixed-wing rating but want to add helicopters?

That's the Add-on Rotorcraft program, not the Rusty Pilot program. See our Flight Training page for the add-on pathway. Most fixed-wing pilots add on in 30-40 hours; the BFR Refresher block won't satisfy that goal because we have to teach you to hover and autorotate from scratch, not refresh skills you already have.

What's the difference between a BFR and a regular flight review?

Same thing. The FAA calls it a "flight review" under §61.56; pilots call it a BFR ("biennial flight review") because it's required every 24 months. Either way: minimum 1 hour ground + 1 hour flight, conducted by a CFI, with a logbook endorsement on satisfactory completion. Our packages bake in plenty of time for both because rusty pilots typically need more than the minimum to truly be ready.

Will my insurance carrier accept the BFR sign-off?

Yes. Walter is a certificated CFI/CFII-H in good standing with the FAA. The BFR endorsement is per FAR 61.56 and is accepted by every aviation insurance carrier. If you're returning to fly your own aircraft after the refresher, your underwriter may also require a check-out in type — we can usually accommodate that within the block.

I don't want to get current; I just want to fly for fun. Can I just take a Discovery Flight?

Absolutely. Book a Discovery Flight for $249 — 30 minutes of Hobbs time with you handling the controls in stable cruise, no BFR pressure, no syllabus. Honest fun flying. Many of our rusty pilots start there and only choose a block once they decide they want their currency back.

By booking or purchasing, you acknowledge the inherent risks of helicopter flight and agree to our Liability Waiver & Assumption of Risk.

What's the catch with the lifetime 10% discount on the Pro Block?

No catch. Pro Block customers fly enough hours with us that we want to keep them flying with us. 10% off any future flight, any tour, any gift card, in perpetuity, for you and a guest of your choosing per flight. We've never had a customer try to find a loophole; we don't have a loophole-detection budget.

Ready to get current?

Three lines is all we need to start: rating, last flight, what you want to do again.

Email rusty@flyheliadk.com