Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can take a trial lesson at HeliAir. But be warned! Anyone who has taken a trial lesson in a helicopter runs the risk of becoming addicted.

In most cases, training takes a total of 1.5 to 2 years. Practical PPL training must be completed within 24 months of passing the first theory course.

In principle, there is no age limit for taking flight training. However, to fly solo there is a minimum age limit of 16 years. To take a PPL exam, however, the student must be 17 years old.

The cost of practice depends on the number of flight hours required. As a rule, the younger a person is, the faster he will master flying. On average, 60 flight hours are needed. HeliAir uses the Robinson R44 for initial training. This is a single-engine helicopter, which can accommodate a total of 4 people. Please contact us for more information.

You are not allowed to land just anywhere with a helicopter, which is of course subject to all kinds of rules. The exemption required for this is called TEU, which stands for Temporary Exceptional Use. HeliAir has a permanent TEU exemption for all provinces in the Netherlands. With this TEU exemption, HeliAir meets all legal requirements necessary to take off or land safely outside an airport.

This depends on each type of helicopter. On a number of ours it is possible to attach baskets to the helicopter to create extra luggage space. A basket can be used to carry suitcases or golf bags, for example.

This varies by type of helicopter. Our largest helicopter can carry 6 people including the pilot. However, the weight of the passengers must be taken into account. An average weight of 80kg per person is assumed.

Our pilots have a night rating so in principle are allowed to fly at night however this is not always possible as there are time limits on landing per landing location.

Without a stopover to refuel, about 600km can be flown. This also depends on the type of aircraft and weather conditions.

We find that people with mild fear of flying are less afraid with flying in a helicopter. This is because with a helicopter we take off very slowly and do not fly as high. In case a passenger is not feeling so well we can also land quickly. That is often already a reassuring thought.

Should an engine failure ever occur, all of our pilots are trained to land safely using an autorotation procedure. With this autorotation procedure, we can still steer and land the helicopter cleanly in almost any location.

HeliAir is based at 2 locations namely in Harskamp (GLD) and Maastricht Aachen Airport (LB)

HeliAir flies several times a year for charitable foundations such as Stichting doe een wens, Skykids and Stichting Hoogvliegers.

Survey flights are conducted primarily to collect geographic data about a particular area. This can include mapping land features, tracking changes in the landscape, and supporting mapping and planning. Survey flights may use photography, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and other remote sensing technologies. The focus here is more on obtaining a broad overview of the landscape. HeliAir has partnerships with partners with such specific surveying equipment.

Measurement flights, are aimed at collecting specific data, such as environmental measurements (air quality, radiation), temperature measurements, or other precise measurements needed for scientific research or technical analysis. These flights require specific instrumentation and are aimed at collecting detailed and specific data. HeliAir has partnerships with partners with such specific measurement equipment.

Aerial lifting, or air lifting with helicopters, is an efficient method for transporting heavy and bulky loads to locations that are difficult to reach by traditional transportation methods. Examples include air conditioning systems on buildings, roofing on large roofs or construction materials in hard-to-reach locations.

Aerial spreading with helicopters is an effective method for spreading nutrients or minerals over large or hard-to-reach areas. This technique is commonly used in agriculture, forestry and environmental management. Examples include spreading basalt over Dutch forests to return minerals to the soil, or spreading lime over large areas of moorland to control soil erosion.

Customized missions involving helicopters are customized flights specifically designed to meet unique or special needs. These are missions performed specifically for a client, often on a one-off basis. HeliAir has the expertise, project management, risk management, flight planning and appropriate equipment to perform such missions.