Once you’re closing in in your helicopter examine experience, the intuition is to fly as a lot as doable. In any case, extra hours means extra expertise, proper? Not precisely. What most pilots don’t understand is that extra flying doesn’t all the time equal higher flying. In actual fact, if you’re simply days away out of your examine experience, the neatest transfer you may make is to chop again. At H.O.G.S., we’ve examined it, refined it, and lived it: the candy spot for max progress earlier than your examine experience is 2 flights a day.
In the course of the first summer season of operating our Last Method Course, we scheduled college students for 3 flights a day. On paper, it sounded nice — extra reps, quicker outcomes. However in apply, these 12-hour days had been brutal. College students burned out, focus light, and the standard of their coaching dropped quick. By the second and third summers, we tried one thing totally different: two targeted flights per day with strong floor time in between. The distinction was rapid. College students retained extra, flew sharper, and really seemed ahead to every flight as an alternative of dragging themselves by the day.
Two flights a day could not sound like a lot, however right here’s what it seems to be like in actuality: a full morning briefing, preflight, flight, debrief, logbook updates, and lunch to reset. Then a day briefing, one other flight, one other debrief — and also you’re accomplished. That’s an eight-hour day filled with function. Each session has a starting, center, and finish — identical to your examine experience. That construction retains your mind contemporary and your decision-making sharp. Greater than two flights? You’re simply stacking fatigue, not progress.
One of many greatest errors pilots make is making an attempt to cram in “only one extra flight” earlier than examine experience day. However as Kenny explains, efficiency normally drops throughout these last 48 hours. Fatigue creeps in, confidence dips, and small errors begin piling up. As a substitute of pushing more durable, the very best transfer is to complete robust early. Take that final day earlier than your examine experience to relaxation, overview paperwork, research your weak spots, and clear your thoughts. You’ll stroll in calmer, sharper, and able to fly like knowledgeable.
And right here’s the kicker — ending early offers you flexibility. Climate can shift rapidly, and we’ve had examiners name saying, “Friday’s wanting dangerous — are you able to check tomorrow?” Twice we’ve been in a position to transfer the examine experience up a full day as a result of our college students had been prepared early. Once you plan correctly, you’ll be able to adapt rapidly, which implies you don’t lose momentum ready for the following climate window. That’s knowledgeable pilot mindset — ready, versatile, and prepared for no matter comes your approach.
The “two flights a day” strategy isn’t about doing much less — it’s about doing smarter. It’s structured repetition, considerate relaxation, and targeted overview. Flying helicopters calls for bodily ability, psychological readability, and emotional management. In the event you’re exhausted, you’re not studying — you’re surviving. So reduce the pointless flying, concentrate on high quality over amount, and practice like a professional. As a result of on examine experience day, it’s not about who flew essentially the most — it’s about who’s essentially the most prepared.
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