Cut the Unnecessary Flying Before Your Helicopter Check-Ride

Oct 25, 2025

When you’re closing in on your helicopter check ride, the instinct is to fly as much as possible. After all, more hours means more experience, right? Not exactly. What most pilots don’t realize is that more flying doesn’t always equal better flying. In fact, when you’re just days away from your check ride, the smartest move you can make is to cut back. At H.O.G.S., we’ve tested it, refined it, and lived it: the sweet spot for maximum progress before your check ride is two flights a day.

 

 

During the first summer of running our Final Approach Course, we scheduled students for three flights a day. On paper, it sounded great — more reps, faster results. But in practice, those 12-hour days were brutal. Students burned out, focus faded, and the quality of their training dropped fast. By the second and third summers, we tried something different: two focused flights per day with solid ground time in between. The difference was immediate. Students retained more, flew sharper, and actually looked forward to each flight instead of dragging themselves through the day.

Two flights a day may not sound like much, but here’s what it looks like in reality: a full morning briefing, preflight, flight, debrief, logbook updates, and a good lunch to reset. Then an afternoon briefing, another flight, another debrief — and you’re done. That’s an eight-hour day packed with purpose. Every session has a beginning, middle, and end — just like your check ride. That structure keeps your brain fresh and your decision-making sharp. More than two flights? You’re just stacking fatigue, not progress.

One of the biggest mistakes pilots make is trying to cram in “just one more flight” before check ride day. But as Kenny explains, performance usually drops during those final 48 hours. Fatigue creeps in, confidence dips, and small mistakes start piling up. Instead of pushing harder, the best move is to finish strong early. Take that last day before your check ride to rest, review paperwork, study your weak spots, and clear your mind. You’ll walk in calmer, sharper, and ready to fly like a professional.

And here’s the kicker — finishing early gives you flexibility. Weather can shift quickly, and we’ve had examiners call saying, “Friday’s looking bad — can you test tomorrow?” Twice we’ve been able to move the check ride up a full day because our students were ready early. When you plan properly, you can adapt quickly, which means you don’t lose momentum waiting for the next weather window. That’s a professional pilot mindset — prepared, flexible, and ready for whatever comes your way.

The “two flights a day” approach isn’t about doing less — it’s about doing smarter. It’s structured repetition, thoughtful rest, and focused review. Flying helicopters demands physical skill, mental clarity, and emotional control. If you’re exhausted, you’re not learning — you’re surviving. So cut the unnecessary flying, focus on quality over quantity, and train like a pro. Because on check ride day, it’s not about who flew the most — it’s about who’s the most ready.

 

 


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