PILOT CET 2025

Yes there are different types of pilot licences for helicopters and aeroplanes. Licensing authorities such as India s DGCA (or the FAA/EASA internationally) issue separate licences for fixed wing aircraft (aeroplanes) and for rotary wing aircraft (helicopters).

From the PilotCET guide here’s a breakdown:

1. Licence categories

Each licence type comes in two sub-types:

(A) for aeroplanes
(H) for helicopters

And the licence levels include:

Student Pilot Licence (SPL)
Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL)

2. Whats different between aeroplane and helicopter licences?

Training requirements

SPL-(A) usually requires about 10 hours of flight training while SPL (H) requires around 15 hours.
PPL-(A) needs 40–50 hours total flying including a number of solo hours PPL(H) is similar around 45–50 hours.
CPL-(A) mandates a minimum of 200 flight hours; CPL (H) requires about 150 hours.
ATPL-(A) calls for 1500 hours total flight time whereas ATPL(H) needs approximately 1200 hours.

Operational differences

Helicopter flying and aeroplane flying are fundamentally different. Helicopters demand more hands on skills for hovering low speed maneuvering autorotation vertical take offs and landings and managing rotor aerodynamics. Aeroplanes by contrast emphasise fixed wing aerodynamics higher-speed cruise longer-range navigation and different emergency procedures.

Because of this the training syllabi flight manoeuvre requirements safety considerations and qualification check rides are different. Even though the licence level (SPL, PPL, CPL, ATPL) is structurally similar the skills flight hours and regulatory standards are tailored to the aircraft type you can’t automatically transfer an aeroplane licence to helicopters (or vice versa) without completing specific conversion or add on training.

1. Licence categories

2. Whats different between aeroplane and helicopter licences?

Training requirements

Operational differences

Category

Commercial Pilot License (4)

Commercial Helicopter Pilot License (2)

Private Helicopter Pilot License (3)

pilot (344)

PPL (1)

SPL (4)

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PILOT CET Helpdesk Number:- 7065 006 006

Are there different types of pilot licenses for helicopters and planes?

1. Licence categories

2. Whats different between aeroplane and helicopter licences?

Training requirements

Operational differences

Commercial Pilot License (4)

Commercial Helicopter Pilot License (2)

Private Helicopter Pilot License (3)

pilot (344)

PPL (1)

SPL (4)