Discovery Flights: What They Are and What to Expect
Do you remember the first time you flew? Sitting in the passenger seat, feeling yourself rise during that first lift off, watching as the world below gets smaller and smaller. It’s pure magic. Like many of us, you may have been hooked since that first flight and are looking to turn your passion into a career. But since becoming a helicopter pilot is a significant investment, you might be looking to make sure that this is the right path for you. That’s where your discovery flights come in.
What Is a Discovery Flight?
A discovery flight provides you with the opportunity to experience flight in a helicopter from the perspective of a student through a hands-on experience in the cockpit of a helicopter. Within your flight, you will receive a one-on-one lesson with one of our flight instructors and get your first taste of what it would be like to be a flight student and, eventually, a career helicopter pilot.
Even if you ultimately decide that joining our program is not the path you’d like to take, the ability to have placed your hands on the controls and take in the amazing views from above that our pilots get to experience every day can be beyond worth the discovery.
What to Expect on Your Discovery Flight
While each discovery flight looks a little different depending on your background experience, program interest, and flight instructor— it will likely take place in these four sections:
1. Program Overview
2. 1 Hour Ground Instruction
3. ½ Hour Flight Instruction
4. Q&A
1. Program Overview
You will begin your experience by getting to know your instructor. Co-piloting requires a great deal of trust, so it is important to get acquainted with the instructor that will be working with you.
Our instructors will also take the time to get to know you. They will ask about your previous helicopter experience and what led you to take the discovery flight. Depending on your background and interests, you may learn more about our program and our potential pathway options available to allow you to achieve your desired end goal in the industry.
2. 1 Hour Ground Instruction
Before you lift off, you will receive a comprehensive overview of the basics of flight in a helicopter. Your instructor will cover topics like energy management, mast bumping, low rotor RPM, low gravity hazards, and rotor RPM.
Ground instruction is an essential aspect of flight training, and potential learners must absorb the information on the ground before they get in the air. While ground instruction may not be the most exciting part of flight training, prospective students should understand that their commitment to pilot training will require a great deal of ground instruction.
3. ½ Hour Flight Instruction
The moment you have been waiting for. Get the opportunity to experience flight from the pilot’s seat for the first time and try your hand at some basic maneuvers and skills. To start, your flight instructor will take you through the basics of a through-flight inspection followed by an in-flight introduction radio calls, hovering, traffic patterns, and more.
4. Q&A
Once you are back on the ground, you will have the chance to ask as many questions as you would like. While this section is not a requirement, you may be curious to learn more about flying or the next steps to join our flight training program. Whatever questions you may have, the floor is yours to ask anything you want.
After completing your discovery flight, we encourage you to follow up with your instructor or someone from our team if you have any additional questions. Now that you have forged the connection, you will have them, and the rest of us, as a resource to help you move forward in achieving your training goals.
Why Discovery Flights are important
You are eligible to enroll in a flight program without taking a discovery flight, so they’re not a prerequisite. However, taking the time to participate in a discovery flight will give you the best idea of what being a flight student in our program would like. Not to mention, you will have the opportunity to talk to people who have completed the exact same program.
Like we said before, flight school is a massive commitment. Becoming a helicopter pilot requires a great deal of investment with both your time and money, and you don’t want to discover too late that flying is not the right career for you.
Discovery flights offer a glimpse into the reality of being a flight student and help prospective students like you make well-informed decisions. If you decide to pursue flight training following your discovery flight, you will be able to feel confident in your investment in pursuing the program.
Take Your Discovery Flight with Lake Superior Helicopters
If you are ready to take your career to new heights, we are here to help you get there.
At Lake Superior Helicopters, we take pride in training tomorrow’s helicopter pilots. We offer students the opportunity to pursue our program through both direct and degree-rewarding pathways. If you are not sure which pathway would be best for you, request more information on our program and we will be in touch to help you navigate the best path toward achieving your goals.
Our most common pathway for prospective students interested in becoming career helicopter pilots would be our degree-rewarding pathway. We offer this training pathway in partnership with Lake Superior College, which allows you the opportunity to graduate in less than two years with all your ratings and licenses you need to land an entry-level job as well as a degree.
If you would like to take the first steps toward becoming a pilot and book your discovery flight, please contact us directly to get yours scheduled. All discovery flights cost $279 plus a 5% airport fee with the full deposit amount due upon scheduling. Flight times are scheduled based on instructor availability; we recommend reaching out a minimum of two weeks in advance from your preferred flight date.
To schedule your discovery flight, contact us at (218) 461-2857 to place your deposit and secure our next available date.