Train with Charlie Duchek, the most experienced Robinson Flight Instructor in the entire region - with over 6,500 hours instructing in Robinson Helicopters.
There is ABSOLUTELY NO ONE in the St. Louis, MO area more experienced as a helicopter flight instructor in more makes and models of piston-powered training helicopters.
Meet Your Flight Instructor
Why train with Charlie Duchek?
Instructor Experience
Charlie Duchek has trained helicopter pilots since 1991. Charlie owned and operated the largest independent helicopter pilot training facility in the Midwest. Midwest Helicopter provided helicopter flight training to hundreds of students and pilots at Spirt of St. Louis Airport (KSUS) for over 20 years. Charlie sold his flight school operation in 2012, which since then has been relocated away from Spirit airport.
Logged Flight Experience
Charlie earned his airplane and helicopter ratings more than 30 years ago, in 1986. He has logged over 8,790 hours of flight time in airplanes and helicopters, including over 7,980 hours in helicopters (Over 6,500 of those hours as a flight instructor in Robinson helicopters).
FAA-DPE Experience
Charlie served as an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) from 2000 through 2004, performing his duties on behalf of the FAA in a professional and responsible manner and administering over 60 flight tests on behalf of the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).
Area's Top Instructor
Charlie is the ONLY local Helicopter Flight Instructor with:
- Over 4,200 hours in the Robinson R22 helicopter
- Over 2,720 hours in the Robinson R44 helicopter
- Over 600 hours in the Schweizer 300-series helicopters
- Over 300 hours in the Bell 47 helicopter
(Robinson and Schweizer helicopters are the most common & most popular training helicopters in the world.)
Charlie Duchek's FAA Ratings & Certifications
Commercial & Instrument Pilot
- Rotorcraft-Helicopter - Commercial Rating
- Helicopter - Instrument Rating
- Airplane Single-Engine Land - Commercial Rating
- Airplane - Instrument Rating
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
- Rotorcraft-Helicopter - CFI
- Helicopter - Instrument CFI (CFII Rating)
- Airplane - CFI
- Airplane - Instrument CFI (CFII)
FAA A&P Mechanic
Besides his accomplishments as a pilot and flight instructor, Charlie is also rated as an FAA-certified A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) mechanic for both light airplanes and helicopters.
Now Offering Helicopter Instrument Training!
Midwest Aeronautical is proud to offer pilot training for a helicopter instrument rating and/or helicopter Certified Flight Instructor instrument rating (CFII) in our beautiful, low time R44 instrument trainer. Our aircraft, N600SR, is equipped with state-of-the-art instrument rated avionics including vertical card compass, ELT & touch-screen GPS
Competitive Training Rates
Our training rates in the R44 are competitive with what other flight schools charge for training in a two-seat R22 helicopter.
| R44 Dual Instruction (Private Pilot, Commercial & CFI Training) |
$565/hour |
| R44 Dual Instrument Instruction (Instrument & CFII Training) |
$565/hour |
| NEW! R44 Introductory Training Flight 1-hour Discounted Demo Flight |
$500 |
| Classroom Instruction (Ground School & Checkride Preparation) |
$50/hour |
Compare to $575-$650 per hour elsewhere