Helicopter Online Ground School Podcast

After 30 months of working with students from all over the country, one thing is clear: success on check-ride day comes from mastering the fundamentals, not chasing the exotic. Know your Category and Class. Know your night requirements. Get those simple things right, and you’ll earn instant credibility with your examiner. 🚁 Your Free H.O.G.S. Resources to Master the Basics The best way to reinfor...

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 d...

At www. HelicopterGround.com you can start a FREE 24-Hour Test Flight inside any of our courses — Private Pilot, Instrument, Commercial, or CFI. No credit card. No pressure. Just real lessons, real videos, and the tools that have helped thousands of pilots worldwide pass their check rides with confidence. And while you’re getting your logbook in order, grab the free tools every pilot should have b...

Over the years, Kenny has seen students who walked into a check-ride nervous but prepared — their FAR/AIM tagged, color-coded, and ready. Then he’s seen others scramble through unmarked pages when the examiner asked something simple like, “Where do you find currency requirements?” Guess who leaves with a temporary airman certificate — and who leaves with homework? The takeaway? Don’t just own a FA...

Preflight discipline is a mindset. It’s something the best pilots carry from their first lesson through their entire career.  When you make it a habit to shut out distractions and stay methodical , it shows up everywhere else — in your flying, your confidence, and your decision-making. If you’re training, start now.  When you preflight, commit fully.  When someone else is, give them space. Because...

Pilots are using AskHogs before their check-rides and coming out ahead — sharper, more confident, and finally understanding the why behind what they’re doing. It’s like having Kenny sitting in the hangar next to you, only without him drinking all the coffee. ☕ It’s free. It’s instant. And it’s freakishly good. 👉 Try it now: AskHogs.com 👉 Check out full training courses: HelicopterGround.com

It’s okay to break a rule — when you understand it well enough to know why the exception exists. Guarding the collective isn’t just about control; it’s about discipline, awareness, and respect for how quickly things can go wrong in the wrong hands. So, never take your hand off the collective… Except when you should. And when you do, make sure it’s for the right reasons. 📘 Free Helicopter Training...

Repetition Builds Real Instructors At H.O.G.S., we’ve always said the best CFIs are built, not bought. The same goes for knowledge. If you want to pass your CFI check-ride and go on to be a truly effective instructor, commit to doing the work. Write it. Say it out loud. Explain it to someone else. Repetition is how instructors are made — and it’s the only way to master the FOI. Free Tools to Help...

At H.O.G.S., we’re all about simplifying the process — making it easier to understand, but never cutting corners. That’s why we offer free resources that help you start building your own foundation the right way: 📘 Private Pilot 101 – A Helicopter Training Blueprint The book that lays out the fundamentals every pilot (and future instructor) should master before teaching others. 📕 Top 10 Check-Ri...

The Basics Never Go Away Every pilot, from student to seasoned CFI, can benefit from this reminder: the basics never stop mattering. The ACS checklist is the foundation for a smooth, stress-free check-ride. Forget it, and you’re setting yourself up for a preventable disaster. So before your next check-ride, grab your ACS, flip to that back page, and go through it line by line. It’s not just about...

Old-School Habits That Still Save Lives Some habits aren’t outdated — they’re timeless. That’s why at H.O.G.S., we teach students to go back to basics. Start the timer. Track your burn. Check your math. Don’t let the simplicity fool you — that’s what keeps you sharp, aware, and safe. Because at the end of the day, technology can fail, gauges can glitch, and fuel doesn’t forgive mistakes. Finish St...

Join the Discussion Have you ever been taught to add right pedal during your sprag clutch check?  If not — why do you think that is? Join the conversation and share your thoughts on the H.O.G.S. YouTube Channel. 🎥 Watch the full video: Why You Should Be Adding Right Pedal During Sprag Clutch Check 👉 HelicopterGround.com

Triple-Check Everything As Kenny puts it, “You can’t assume someone else handled it for you — because when you’re sitting with the examiner, you’re the one responsible. ” That means before your check-ride, you should: Review every endorsement — make sure it’s signed, dated, and matches the correct regulation. Compare your logbook totals to the FAA requirements for your certificate or rating. Confi...

The Final Approach Course Advantage When you book a Final Approach Course, you’re not just training for maneuvers. You’re: Getting logbooks reviewed line-by-line. Matching your hours directly against ACS requirements. Finishing strong with an examiner who’s worked with us for 25+ years. If you’re ready to finally finish your rating, call Heather at (574) 767-1797 or visit FinalApproachCourse.com ....

Final Approach Course Advantage At H.O.G.S., our Final Approach Course was built to help pilots avoid mistakes like this. We’ve seen 30 check-rides in 30 months, and every one revealed lessons worth sharing. That’s why we keep spots limited — one or two students at a time, with instructors dedicated to getting you finished up the right way. 👉 If you’re stuck waiting on a check-ride, or you’re not...

The Final Approach Course Advantage At H.O.G.S., we’ve run 30 check-rides in 30 months. Every single one revealed a new lesson, a new mistake, or a new technique worth sharing. That’s why we created this series—to help you avoid these pitfalls before you sit down with the examiner. When you book a Final Approach Course, you get: 🚁 One or two students at a time, max. ✅ Instructors focused 100% on...

Final Approach Course Advantage This is exactly why we built the Final Approach Course. For 30 months now, we’ve welcomed pilots from across the country who just couldn’t get finished at home. Maybe their instructor left, their aircraft was down, or they were stuck behind a full schedule. At H.O.G.S., we keep it simple: 🚁 One or two students at a time, max. ✅ One-on-one instruction, both flight...

What would you do at 70 knots in an R44 when the tail rotor suddenly fails? That’s not a trick question—it’s one of the most critical emergency procedures you’ll ever face. And believe it or not, in the last 30 months of Final Approach Courses (FAC), we’ve had at least three applicants confidently give me the wrong answer over Zoom before they ever made it to Indiana. Instead of following the Pilo...

When Rich came to H.O.G.S. for his CFI add-on , he immediately stood out. A retired airline captain with over 26,000 hours , he carried himself with calm confidence. During his very first Zoom session, he offered to teach the S-bar maneuver off the cuff — and delivered a polished 45-minute lesson like it was second nature. That kind of preparation and professionalism left an impression. Rich showe...

Check-Ride Essentials: Don’t Walk In Without These When it comes to check-rides, even the strongest applicants can stumble if they’re missing the required items . No matter how sharp your flying skills or how deep your knowledge, the check-ride won’t start without the proper documents. In today’s episode of 30 Check-Rides, 30 Lessons: Final Approach Course Real-World Wins & Fails , we share Ro...

When pilots work toward their Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) Add-On, there’s one requirement that often comes as a surprise: the written test. It’s not unusual for pilots to assume that once they’ve already completed written tests for their previous ratings, the CFI Add-On will be just about teaching and flying. But the FAA requires a separate written knowledge test specifically for the CFI Add...

Episode 2 — Stuck at 170 Hours: The Flight School Trap In this episode of 30 Check-Rides, 30 Lessons: Final Approach Course Real-World Wins & Fails , Kenny Keller shares Cameron’s story. Cameron traveled from Florida with 160 hours logged — but still hadn’t earned his Private Pilot certificate. The problem wasn’t his motivation or his instructors. It was the same issue faced by countless stude...

Today’s a big one — the first video in our new 30 Check-Rides, 30 Lessons series is live, and I wanted you to be the first to see it. In this first episode, I introduce the series and share Todd Ketterman’s journey — how he leveraged H.O.G.S. videos before ever stepping foot in a helicopter to make his training smoother, faster, and more certain. Here’s what you’ll discover: How Todd went from str...

Send in your FAC Qualifications here: https://www.helicopterground.com/test-fac-2025 Get your H.O.G.S. Affiliate: https://www. HogsPaysMe.com Helicopter Online Ground School: https://www.helicopterground.com H.O.G.S. Blog  https://www.helicopterground.com/blog Private Pilot: https://www.helicopterground.com/store/tExAoUCL Instrument Pilot: https://www.helicopterground.com/store/kGZZ4FX7 Commercial...

Send in your FAC Qualifications here: https://www.helicopterground.com/test-fac-2025 Get your H.O.G.S. Affiliate: https://www. HogsPaysMe.com Helicopter Online Ground School: https://www.helicopterground.com H.O.G.S. Blog  https://www.helicopterground.com/blog Private Pilot: https://www.helicopterground.com/store/tExAoUCL Instrument Pilot: https://www.helicopterground.com/store/kGZZ4FX7 Commercial...