As in all technical areas, pilots are often guilty of using abbreviations, acronyms, and buzzwords. Midwest pleads guilty of using such words in this Website. Hopefully, this page will help to decode many of those terms for the non-pilot who plans and dreams to fly helicopters.

Helicopter Terms:

• "Block Time"

  Most flight schools sell aircraft training time in 10-hour, pre-paid "blocks". Normally, the student or rental pilot is offered a discount if they purchase a "block" of time in advance. This saves the pilot money and minimizes paperwork and bookkeeping expenses for the school.

• CFI

  A Certified Flight Instructor, approved by the FAA. A pilot who has met the requirements and earned the right to teach others to fly and earn their pilot's licenses.

• CFII

  An FAA-Certified Flight Instructor who is qualified to teach other pilots to fly in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) and to earn their Instrument Rating, which then allows them to fly in the clouds and when the flight visibilities are less that those required for flight under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). Actual Instrument Flight is conducted under the direction of Air Traffic Control (ATC) Flight Controllers.

• Commercial Pilot

  A licensed pilot who has met the additional experience and testing requirements that allows that person to be employed as a professional pilot. There are, however, FAR limitations on what types of flying a Commercial Pilot may or may not perform "for hire" or as an employed pilot.

• FAA

  The Federal Aviation Administration. The branch of the Department of Transportation that regulates air traffic in the United States and sets standards, rules, and regulations for pilot training and certification.

• FARs

  The Federal Aviation Regulations. Issued by the FAA, these are the Rules and Regulations governing all flight operations in the United States.

• PIC

  Pilot-in-Command Flight Time - Simply put, that flight time when a student pilot is flying solo or a licensed pilot is acting as the person actually flying the aircraft and taking responsibility for the flight, with or without passengers. (The technical & legal definitions can be found in the FARs, Federal Aviation Regulations).

• Private Pilot

  A licensed pilot who flies for personal business or pleasure. That person may be flying their own aircraft or an aircraft belonging to someone else.

• Solo Flight

  When a student or licensed pilot is flying the aircraft alone with no passengers or a Flight Instructor aboard. Solo flight is Pilot-in-Command flight time.