Stage Check

10 hours in the Citabria to introduce you to the skills involved in flying a tailwheel aircraft. You will be given the opportunity at the end of the lab to receive a tailwheel endorsement, but it is not required that you achieve this endorsement before continuing in the program.

During this stage you will be expected to show your knowledge of cross country procedures. This will likely include a diversion and/or an emergency procedure. You will be expected to act like a commercial pilot and treat your check instructor as a paying passenger.

15 hours in the Bonanza to get your complex endorsement. You must pass this stage in order to proceed in the program.

This stage is a progress check.
During this stage you will cover:
Normal Takeoff/Landing
Short Field Takeoff/Landing
Soft Field Takeoff/Landing
Slip To Land
Go Around
Power Off 180
Steep Turns
Slow Flight
Power On Stalls
Power Off Stalls
Accelerated Stalls
Chandelles
Lazy Eights
Steep Spiral
Eights on Pylons
Emergency Approach and Landing
System/Equipment Malfunctions

This stage will assess if you are ready for your Commercial Checkride. Reference the Commercial ACS.
During this stage you will cover:
Normal Takeoff/Landing
Short Field Takeoff/Landing
Soft Field Takeoff/Landing
Slip To Land
Go Around
Power Off 180
Steep Turns
Slow Flight
Power On Stalls
Power Off Stalls
Accelerated Stalls
Chandelles
Lazy Eights
Steep Spiral
Eights on Pylons
Emergency Approach and Landing
System/Equipment Malfunctions

In this portion of your commercial lab, you will fly one of the turbine engine helicopters (Bell 206 or 505) for 10 hours, while learning to utilize low level flight through terrain to your advantage. You will learn about:

Boundary Layers

The Line of Demarcation

Upflowing and Downflowing Air

Advanced Off Airport Landings

Different Methods of Recon

Power Assessment

Wind and Terrain

Torque Management

Pinnacles and Confined Landings

Turbine Engines

IGE and OGE Operations

10 more hours are dedicated to an intro to external load. You will once again, fly the turbine helicopters but this time, with a longline attached. You will learn about:

Vertical Reference

IGE and OGE Operations

Torque Management With a Load

Advanced Hovering

Attaching and Detaching Loads

Flying External Loads

Approaches with a Load Attached

Part 133 Operations

This is your only true stage exam in this lab. It is designed to prepare you for your Commercial Pilot Checkride Practical Test Standards. It will contain all prior lessons learned but to a higher degree, plus:

Common Carriage

Holding out

Private Carriage

Part 119 Exemptions

Commercial Pilot Limitations

Robinson Helicopter Special Considerations

Autorotation Manipulation

Passing this stage will put you on the list for your Commercial Pilot Checkride!