Bell 222 Type Rating Information ...

[DragonFlyer]

I need to get a type rating in a Bell 222. I have a possible corporate job lined up, and my future employer (potential) has asked me to get a quote for how much it would cost for me to get my 222 TR.

I am currently a USAF rotary-wing pilot with about 1,500 helo time, 2,000 fixed-wing time. I have a Commerical Rotary and Fixed license, Instrument airplane and helicopter ratings, and most of my time is all turbine. Quick and dirty.

Anyway, I have heard that there is a way of getting a type rating cheaply for military pilots, but I don't know much more than that. Can anyone in the forum help steer me to the resources I need to get my Bell 222 type rating as cheaply as possible? Have patience with me, as I am not used to being a civilian, and I've never really had to get a type rating before, so I'm somewhat ignorant to the bureaucracy involved, and needing to find a good school to make it happen as quickly and cheaply as practicable.

All advice is greatly appreciated...

Mark

 

[mattpilot]

I don't think you need a "type rating". It's not a large aircraft. All you really need, per insurance company, is a minimum amount of hours in them. At the bare minimum, a "check out", also called "transition training" which would be around 5 hours.


Of course i could be wrong and the 222 could be on the FAA's special list, thus requiring a type rating, but i doubt it.

 

[TundraT]

Mattpilot is correct. The BH22 does not require a type rating. It is less than 12500 lbs and is not on the FAA list (see AC). FSI Hurst, TX has Initial and recurrent courses.


http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAdvisoryCircular.nsf/0/e6f473d2ab86c8cc86256ab600731af2/$FILE/Ac61-89e.pdf

 

[Sim Sweat]

Matt and TundraT are both correct, I think.

What you will need is Underwriter approved training, and that generally means factory or FSI (or equivalent). Since Bell doesn't offer training in the 222:

http://tinyurl.com/dbt52

It looks like FSI is the only option.

 

[helimech]

Bell does do training in the 222, it's just that you have to supply the aircraft.

The only other option is Flight Safety. Which they have an awesome class on the 222. The only thing I recommend, is that when you get there and are scheduled into the sim, ask if you can do everything IFR. Otherwise the thing will make you sick. It's very screwed up, but I found it fine for the IFR stuff. Feels a whole lot different than the real thing.

 

[airmedplt]

I thought FSI dismantled thier 222 sim. I could be wrong though. I do know when I was there for a 230 trans back in early 2000 we had to used the 430 sim cause there was no 230 sim.