Flying a Plane vs Flying a Helicopter

Once you've decided to become a pilot, the question of whether you should fly a helicopter or a plane will become one of your most important decisions. Ideally, you should learn to fly both, but if you're made to choose, which one should you pick? Before you decide, here are some things you might want to know about flying a helicopter versus flying a plane:

Which one is more difficult?

Comparing the ease (or difficulty) of flying a helicopter versus a plane is like comparing apples and oranges, literally. Flying a helicopter is a totally different experience from flying a plane. For one, they are built differently and are operated in totally different ways.

According to many pilots, a plane is managed while a helicopter is flown. Once airborne, a plane can fly almost naturally while a helicopter needs to be monitored and controlled throughout. There are also a lot of things going on during helicopter flights that need to be considered, some of which aren't given much thought during plane flights. When you hear people say that flying helicopters is much more difficult that flying a plane, remember that they are speaking from their experience and that they may have different skill levels and interests than you.

Which one is more advantageous?

In terms of speed, helicopters are much slower than airplanes and their weight capacity is also lower. Airplanes let you carry more cargo. They are also much more cost efficient in terms of fuel compared to helicopters. However, planes do need a runway in order for you to take off and land. Helicopters, on the other hand, only require an open area and as long as there are no obstacles that will harm the rotor blades, you can land just about anywhere.

Helicopters also allow you to enjoy the sights better than airplanes because helicopters can hover and may be flown at low altitudes. Visibility with a helicopter is also tops. But when it comes to the cost of learning to fly, a helicopter rental is sometimes more expensive than a plane, sometimes costing as much as $200 an hour. An airplane rental usually costs about $75 an hour and unlike a helicopter, can seat more people for one flight.

Which one should you learn first?

You may either learn to fly a helicopter first and the plane later or vise versa, it doesn't matter. Learning to fly one first won't impact how you will perform on the other. When it comes to getting your ratings, it also doesn't matter which one you get first.