Features

• Turbine helicopter training focuses on the differences between turbine and piston-powered helicopters. Controlling the engine, particularly during start-up, is considered the most difficult part of the training to master.
  
  

Requirements

• The FAA doesn't require turbine transition training. Many employers, however, require successful completion of a turbine transition--or experience in turbine-powered helicopters.
  
  

Price

• Renting a turbine-engine helicopter is the single biggest expense in turbine transition training. You can rent a helicopter, such as the Bell Jet Ranger 260, from a flight school for $500 to $1,000 a hour.
  
  

Alternatives

• Pilots who want to fly turbine-powered helicopters can be trained directly by their employers. In many cases, the employer pays for all or part of the training. This can save a significant amount of money.
  
  

Warning

• Because turbine transitioning requires no formal schooling, some pilots choose to undertake the training outside of a flight school environment. Inexperienced pilots, however, should take heed: The damage caused by overheating or misusing a turbine-powered helicopter will far exceed the cost-cutting benefits of eschewing traditional turbine training.