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Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)

All Online Course, with Paperless Online Certificate Renewal

Get your FIRC, with Online Certificate Renewal and Online Aviation Library included

  • Enjoy a mobile friendly FIRC that goes anywhere you need to study
  • NO trips to the FSDO
  • NO documents notarized
Click Here For Airplane FIRC
KFW470
$125

 
More Relevant and Interesting Learning
  • Finally, a FIRC specifically for Helicopter CFIs. Forget having to study irrelevant airplane topics
  • This FIRC focuses on giving you the tools and perception as an instructor to help pilots better prepare to be Pilot-In-Command
  • You'll gain more insight from thought provoking topics
    • Many of these insights come from John and Martha and are supplemented by others who have volunteered to share their personal and valuable experiences and knowledge as well
  • We think you'll find this FIRC to be a breath of fresh air
 
Renew Completely Online Without Leaving Home
As a King Schools FIRC customer you have an easy, convenient way to renew your CFI certificate using our online renewal service.
 
  • Everything can be completed online
  • NO trips to the FSDO
  • NO documents notarized
  • NO sending in your old CFI certificate, or any other documents
 
Access Your Course From Anywhere
From your computer, iPad, or other mobile device, all you need to complete your FIRC is an Internet connection and a web browser.
 
The Helicopter FIRC Covers...
  • Identifying and Changing At-Risk Behaviors
  • Using Scenario-Based Training
  • Coaching Pilots to Avoid Deviations
  • Teaching Airspace Effectively
  • Recent FAA Changes in Regs, Policy, and Publications
  • Teaching Risk Management for Helicopter Aerodynamics
  • Conducting a Meaningful Flight Review and IPC
  • Teaching Loss of Control Awareness and Prevention
  • Preparing Your Applicant for the Practical Test
  • How Airman Certification Standards Improve Flight Instruction
  • Understanding the Compliance Philosophy
  • What You and Your Customers Should Know About Drone Regulations
  • The Benefits of IACRA and the FAAST Program
  • Things You Need to Know About TSA
   —And You Get 2 Electives From These Subjects
  • Teaching Smart Tablet Use in the Cockpit
  • Making Airworthiness Easy to Understand
  • Using Flight Simulation to Help Pilots Learn
  • Becoming Familiar with BasicMed
 
Now includes lifetime access to the King Schools Online Aviation Library!
 
  • The KING Online Aviation Library is the superior one-stop-shop digital resource for your aviation books, guides, and piloting reference materials
    • You will find all the popular FAA handbooks, KING cockpit cards, KING syllabi, important aviation websites, FAA Circulars and a whole lot more, all conveniently located in our online library
  • King Schools will update the books and materials in the online library whenever a new version of a book or reference material becomes available
    • You will no longer have to replace old materials as KING will make sure you have the most recent versions of everything in the library
  • You will be able to access all the materials through any internet connected device
    • No more heavy books weighing you down
    • You will be able to download or print anything in the library
 
 
"I have been taking weekend and online FIRCs for many years and this is by far the BEST renewal course I have ever taken and I look forward to using again in two years."
~James Potter • Afton, VA
FAA WINGS approved course
Click for details
"Excellent course. I actually enjoyed it. I learned some new things and all from my iPad in various parts of the world. Thanks for making it so easy and convenient."
~Andrew J. Zuranski • Lake Ariel, PA
 

 
How This Course Works
 
To successfully complete this course, you must, for every lesson in the course...
  • Complete the pre-lesson assessment quiz
  • Study all the lesson content, and
  • Pass the end-of-lesson test
 
When you complete your course you can instantly print out your...
  • TSA Training Certificate
    • You can print this out any time after completing the lesson "Things You Need to Know About TSA"
  • Completion Certificate
  • Graduation Certificate
 
Your FIRC purchase includes the Certificate Renewal Service...
  • We will work with you as a team using the FAA's IACRA online program to fill out and process your application for renewal
  • After we process your application, we will issue you a downloadable and printable temporary certificate
  • By using IACRA there is nothing to send in, allowing for a quick, easy, and inexpensive renewal process
 

You'll Find the Content of this FIRC to be Meaningful and Impactful
The KING FIRC will make you thoughtful about what you can do as a flight instructor to make general aviation pilots more aware of and able to manage the risks of flight.
 
You will delve into areas that will be interesting, relevant, and sometimes provocative. You will find this approach truly refreshing, and we are certain you will find our alternative to be engaging, educational, and fun.
 
You're in Control
You may take the lessons in any order you choose. Once you comprehend all the material in a lesson, you will be ready to take the lesson test and confirm your learning. Once you pass, start studying the next lesson of your choice immediately.
 

A personal note to Flight Instructors
from John and Martha

"Flying self-selects fabulous people. It is easy to become fond of them. They are competent, committed and persistent. They are also vulnerable to the risks associated with flying. These are not foolhardy people. They often just don´t understand the risks they are taking. There is a very strong need to help pilots gain insights that will save their lives.
 
We decided our FIRC should cover things like "Identifying and Changing At-Risk Behaviors." If you are like us, you often see scary behavior in your own customers. We hope to give you specific tools to help your customers gain the insight they need. At a minimum taking this FIRC will make you thoughtful about these topics. The best case is that if you are not already, you will become a strong advocate of risk management to everyone in aviation."
 
John and Martha
 

  1. How much time should I allow to take the course and complete the certificate renewal process?
    The FAA considers the FIRC lesson content critically important and wants to ensure that you do not rush through it or skip any of it. Therefore, they have mandated that we require a minimum amount of time be spent studying each lesson.
     
    The King Schools FIRC complies with the FAA's requirement that all online FIRCs must be the equivalent of a 16-hour in-person FIRC.
     
    We provide well over 16 hours of content, but the time it takes to complete the course will vary by individual.
     
    You will also need to fill out your renewal application in IACRA and allow time for our team to process the application and work with you throughout the process, so you have until 5:00 PM Pacific Time on the last day of the month in which your certificate expires to complete your course and submit your application to ensure you will be renewed on time.
  2. Do I need to make any trips to the FSDO or get my documentation notarized?
    No, we do the renewal processing for you. By purchasing the KING FIRC, you will take advantage of our completely paperless, online renewal process.
  3. What devices will the course work on?
    Access your course from any device (tablets, computers, mobile devices)...all you need is an Internet connection and a web browser.
  4. Does the FIRC work with the King Companion App?
    The KING FIRC will not work with the King Companion App but you can easily take your FIRC on your tablet or mobile device using any Internet-connected Web browser.
     
    This is because the FAA has strict time monitoring requirements to ensure you take the full time to study each lesson and the course as a whole, which can only be accomplished when you are actively logged in online.
  5. If you want to keep your current expiration month...
    • Complete your course within four months (NOT EARLIER) before your expiration date
      • For example, if your certificate expires December 31, the earliest you should complete your course is September 1 (see sample graphic below)
    • If you complete your course earlier than this four-month window, your expiration date will change
      • Your new expiration date will be based on the month in which you sign your IACRA application
        • Your graduation certificate must still be current when you sign your IACRA application
          • Your graduation certificate will be good for three calendar months after the month of issuance
          • The expiration date will be printed on your graduation certificate
  6. How soon will my renewal application be processed?
    Upon successful completion of the course and submission of your electronic 8710 application on IACRA's website, you should allow for up to 9 days for King Schools to process your application.
  7. My CFI certificate has already expired. Can I still renew my certificate using your course?
    No, you need to contact your local FSDO office and inform them of your situation. They will let you know what you need to do to renew your certificate.
  8. How do I get my WINGS credit for taking the course?
    For more information on receiving WINGS credit click here.
  9. What are the requirements for using the IACRA website?
    A PC with broadband internet connectivity. Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer. Cannot block cookies - Internet Options, Privacy tab. Java scripting must be enabled - Internet Options, Advanced tab. Popup blocker cannot be enabled.
  10. Do I have to fill out all the information on the IACRA form?
    No, you do not need to fill in the number of flight hours. When you click on Submit, IACRA will prompt you to fill in any missing information that they require.
  11. How do I provide an electronic signature?
    Just select Sign Application, then click on the hyperlink Click to Sign.
  12. I received my temporary certificate but I still have not received my permanent certificate and it has been a while.
    You can check the status of your application by calling the FAA Airman Certification Branch at 866-878-2498, Monday through Friday - 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Time.
  13. How long do I have access to the course content after I complete the FIRC?
    You have one year from the date of completion to continue reviewing the lesson content and CFI resource materials.
  14. Who do I call if I have questions?
    You can speak to one of our Pilot Advisors during our normal business hours at 800-854-1001 or +1 858-541-2200. You can also email us at custserv@kingschools.com.

Unedited Customer Reviews
Helicopter FIRC
A great help and site is simple to navigate. Has virtually no fixed wing topics to distract you. There are a couple revisions that need to be made to keep this up to date, but other than that it is easy and simple to use. This is my 3rd time using the King Schools FIRC for helicopters. You also get a discount if you are a member of VAI (formerly HAI)!
Lance F. 08/04/2024
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Course Completion Review
Steve B. 03/23/2024
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Course Completion Review
I've been using this FIRC for my past 4 refreshers and I appreciate the fact that relevant parts receives updates. It does hit the necessary points in a very easy and accessible fashion.

Although, a complete refurbishment of this online course would do well as it is looking quite dated since the last major update from 2014.
Jan T. 01/27/2024
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Easy to Navigate
Raymond G. 01/08/2024
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Good course but needs updating
Course should have more direction/suggestions on teaching helicopter aerodynamics.
Russell H. 01/07/2024
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Great Course
This is a great course for anyone wanting to renew their helicopter CFI, and you can work at your own pace and not be tied down to a certain location or hotel conference room for two days!
Mark C. 01/30/2023
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Verbose and Statistic oriented
Little visual and a ton of reading and videos from HAI which are poor;

Sight constitutes 70% of our learning but that is not effective if 70% of the course is reading a lecture that used those words to be heard in the first place.

Old school blackboard and lecture techniques.
Not engaging, reward oriented or even uses the AIM "How do people learn"  principles.

Completely miss
1. Attention—the ability of the observer to pay attention to others around him or her in order to learn.
2. Retention—the ability to remember an observed behavior to later repeat that behavior.
3. Reproduction—the act of producing a previously observed behavior. This may require additional skills
beyond what was initially observed.
4. Motivation—the reason to reproduce an observed behavior.

Instead they give you pages of what somebody scripted live once and left out the human elements of the course taker.

POOR COURSE is my first impression after reaching 50 years as a CFI.
Frederick W. 01/21/2023
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Better than the other FIRCs
I have used the alphabet organizations firc several times before.  As a fixed and rotor wing instructor I was pleasantly surprised with the King schools offering a helicopter centered renewal course. Having never used a King product before I thought I would give it a try.  I was very pleased to see the lessons Helicopter oriented and quite informative.  I feel I learned much from the lessons and the approach to teaching the information.  If I do not renew based on performance I will be back to King's FIRC in two years.  43 years as a CFI, I highly recommend King products now.
Mark D. 12/20/2022
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Course Completion Review
Your website and training are absolutely amazing.
Cherif A. 07/27/2022
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
Great Helicopter FIRC
Well laid out and informative course. I would recommend it to any Helicopter CFI looking for a better FIRC.
Cornelius M. 06/10/2022
Helicopter Flight Instructor Refresher Course (FIRC)
see all
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  • Enjoy a mobile friendly FIRC that goes anywhere you need to study
  • NO trips to the FSDO
  • NO documents notarized
Click Here For Helicopter FIRC
$125