Fast, Affordable Helicopter Flight Time
About helicopter time building and hour building with Helicopter Academy
Helicopter Academy offers unique helicopter time building and hour building opportunities for pilots looking to add rotorcraft flight-time to their logbooks. Because we are an official training center for BOATPIX.COM, qualified pilots and Helicopter Academy graduates have the chance to build helicopter time at competitive hourly rates.
Add helicopter pilot flight hours (PIC & dual) the smart way. Our time building and hour building flights in Robinson helicopters give you experienced CFIs, real missions, and cross-country routes that build rotorcraft time and confidence for low hour helicopter pilot jobs.
Time-building pilots fly with a Certified Flight Instructor on aerial photography missions. You are trained in the art and techniques of boat photography while you build helicopter time. All of the flight time is logged as dual instruction or appropriate PIC time. This is a great way to sharpen your helicopter flying skills, add valuable PIC time and cross-country time to your logbook, and have fun. Many missions require that we travel long distances, so you gain legitimate cross-country helicopter hours that support your future rotorcraft career.
What is Time Building (Hour Building)?
Time building (also called hour building or flight hours accumulation) is the process of adding helicopter flight time to your logbook to meet currency, PIC time, or hiring minimums. Low hour pilots use helicopter time building to move from basic training to low hour helicopter pilot jobs. At Helicopter Academy we provide structured, safe, and affordable helicopter flight time so you can accumulate hours, increase your PIC time, and prepare for advanced training or job requirements.
Why choose Helicopter Academy for hour building?
- Low time building rates: Competitive helicopter time building and hour building rates in Robinson R22/R44 helicopters.
- Real mission flying: Many time building flights are aerial photography missions, giving you real-world rotorcraft experience and cross-country time.
- Dual instruction and PIC time: Flights conducted with a CFI are logged as dual instruction when appropriate, with opportunities to log helicopter PIC time.
- Flexible hour building: Short-notice flights and multi-day time building packages available during busy seasons.
How Our Time Building Works
- Apply: Complete our time building application or call to discuss availability and hour building goals.
- Schedule: We pair you with an experienced CFI for dual instruction or supervised PIC time, depending on your rotorcraft certificate and currency.
- Fly missions: Many pilots build hours while flying aerial photography and other mission flights — a practical way to gain cross-country helicopter experience.
- Log your helicopter time: We provide clear documentation so you can log helicopter PIC and dual instruction hours correctly in your logbook.
Typical Time-Building Options
- Single-hour flights for targeted helicopter PIC time.
- Multi-hour packages for rapid helicopter hour building.
- Photo-mission training (dual instruction) — earn experience while completing real missions.
Pricing & Availability
Helicopter Academy runs one of the most competitive helicopter time building programs in the country. Time building flights are available in our R-series helicopters with Certified Flight Instructors. Contact us for current helicopter time building rates, multi-hour hour building package pricing, and seasonal discounts for low hour pilots.
Benefits — More Than Just Flight Hours
Our helicopter time building program is designed to give you more than raw hours — you’ll gain:
- PIC time and cross-country rotorcraft experience during real missions.
- Experience in R22/R44 operations, flight planning, and risk management.
- Mentorship from CFIs with real-world helicopter career guidance.
- Mission experience that helps your logbook stand out for low hour helicopter pilot jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions — Time Building & Flight Hours
What counts as PIC time vs dual instruction?
PIC time is logged when you are the Pilot In Command under FAR definitions and the helicopter flight is performed under conditions that allow PIC logging. Dual instruction hours are logged when you are receiving formal instruction from a CFI. During helicopter time building and hour building, we will help you determine how to correctly log each flight in your rotorcraft logbook.
Do you offer cross-country time?
Yes. Many helicopter time building missions require flying between distant locations and provide legitimate cross-country rotorcraft time that meets FAA definitions. This cross-country hour building is especially valuable for low hour helicopter pilots who are working toward job minimums.
Can time building help me get low hour helicopter pilot jobs?
Structured helicopter time building and hour building are key steps between training and your first job. By focusing on PIC, cross-country, and real mission experience, our program helps you present a stronger logbook when applying for low hour helicopter pilot jobs such as CFI positions, tours, and entry-level commercial work.
Ready to build flight hours! Fill out a time building application today!
Call 561-346-2816 (Call or text)
Pilot testimonial: Have you recently graduated flight school with a CFI or just finished your private license and are wondering if your flight school is right for you? Helicopter Academy/Boatpix can provide some options no other helicopter school can offer. I was just such an individual just two years ago. I had graduated with my CFII from a good school that provided all of the basics for my advancement into the helicopter world. However, the only thing they could not provide was a job.
As most of you already know, this presents a very big obstacle. After searching for far too long for a job I finally found Boatpix. It is a non-traditional way of building helicopter hours but provides wonderful real-world experience. It is not free, but has been the best investment I have made in my helicopter training. After completing the 100 hours of photo flight training necessary to be safe and competent at the job, Tom turned me loose with an R22 Mariner and my first student.
Since then, I have flown over 1200 hours and completed my ATP. None of this would have been possible without Boatpix. Tom McDermott provided me with free housing while I was training and provided me with students in the busy season. He also found me a job at the local airport during the winter months. This coincidentally led to a job flying tours in an R44. Also one of Tom's connections.
I now have a full-time salaried position in the South Florida area that was given to me by a former Helicopter Academy/Boatpix graduate and instructor. South Florida is a hot bed of helicopter action and is a great place to live, learn, and work. Do yourself a favor and call Tom to learn more about Boatpix/Helicopter Academy today. I still work for Boatpix on my off days flying the R44 because it is probably the most fun you will ever have flying a helicopter.
- Brian Treptow