Business helicopters don't come cheap, so before you jump right in to buy one it's intelligent to consider all your options. Before making such a significant business investment, make sure you're prepared to budget for, maintain and pilot a small private aircraft.

Making the most of helicopters in your business dealings means being careful to take the right steps from the outset. Owning and operating a helicopter is a big responsibility and could potentially become a burden. Before you run out and buy, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you need a helicopter for long-term use or for a short rental period?

2. Are you equipped to maintain and repair the helicopter you're thinking of acquiring?

3. Do you, your employees or hired pilots have the proper training for helicopter flying?

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Rely on a helicopter charter service to maximize convenience and minimize cost

Whether you need a quick ride to impress visiting executives, the muscle to transport heavy items or the occasional ability to visit remote locations at the snap of your fingers, consider a helicopter charter or rental service. This will allow you to place most of the responsibility for upkeep and certification--as well as the overhead--in someone else's lap.

I recommend: Heli-Yacht International handles all aspects of the transaction when you rent a helicopter. Air Charter Service further outlines how chartered helicopter use can benefit your business.

Keep your helicopters running smoothly with the right maintenance

If you want to be safe when you fly, helicopter maintenance must be a top priority. If there does happen to be a mishap in one of your company helicopters, your maintenance records and practices are likely to be the first thing scrutinized--so keep them up to par. Of course, it's ideal to do what it takes to prevent accidents in the first place.

I recommend: Send staff to an FAA-certified training facility like the Aviation Institute of Maintenance for helicopter maintenance training that meets helicopter manufacturers' and FAA requirements. Or, hire a company like Helicopter Specialties that's in the business of maintaining and repairing business helicopters.

Hire a qualified helicopter pilot before taking flight, or become one yourself

Before letting you fly their craft, helicopter companies will want to see proof of Federal Aviation Administration certification. Likewise, if you're looking to hire a helicopter pilot, be on the lookout for the same qualifications.

I recommend: Flap-Air outlines the requirements for becoming a private helicopter pilot. The Professional Helicopter Pilots Association is a useful resource for locating qualified pilots; you or your employees can also test out for pilot qualifications through the company.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you're planning to send employees out on business helicopters or to expand their duties to include tending or flying the craft, verify with your workplace insurer that your current policy will still cover them.

There are about a half a dozen helicopter manufacturers in the United States that provide helicopters for business, military and medical uses. A helicopter for a business comes in handy when you need a quick helicopter charter for any reason. Military helicopter manufacturers are also vital contributors, because they are the army helicopter and the Apache helicopter that soldiers use to fly all around the world.

To choose the right helicopter for your needs, you should first consider the situations that will call for you to fly. Helicopter purchases should take into consideration a number of factors that will determine the right model for you, and the price you are willing to pay for one or more helicopters. To get the right model for your needs, consider the following:

1. How often you will use the helicopter.

2. Where the helicopter will fly, and how far.

3. The initial cost of the helicopter compared to any long-term cost savings.

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Find helicopter companies that make medical helicopters

Helicopters companies provide different models for different uses, and medical helicopters are just one type of transport you can buy for your business. Medical helicopters are designed for patient transport. They have plenty of room for equipment storage so patients can be treated in the air.

I recommend: The Aircraft Dealer Network sells a variety of medical helicopter models. You can also choose a great model of helicopter from PHI.

Choose business helicopters for your specific needs

Getting business or service helicopters that match your needs is important. You will also want to pay attention to the type of weather and the location where the helicopters will fly to in order to choose. Also keep an eye out for special options you may need in order to get the best products.

I recommend: There are a variety of helicopter models for commercial and private use available from MD Helicopters. This company specializes in providing a smooth, quiet ride. Sikorsky makes the Black Hawk helicopter and other military aircraft. But if you need to fly helicopters for industry, Sikorsky offers a number of quality commercial models.

Buy a pre-owned helicopter to save costs

If you need a helicopter but you're on a tight budget, choose a pre-owned helicopter. This will save the initial cost of buying a brand new model, and you can find pre-owned helicopters that have only been occasionally used.

I recommend: If you are in the market for a pre-owned helicopter, you can check out the selection from Bell Helicopter and Quantum Helicopters.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choosing to buy a helicopter is an important investment in your business. In order to fly the copter at any time of the day or night, you'll need to hire a pilot who operates standby. Remember to budget this into the total cost of owning a helicopter.

Whether you're flying business helicopters, a military helicopter or a helicopter charter, it is critical to have proper instruction before you take the controls. Good helicopters education and training should cover pre-flight inspections, helicopter aerodynamics, flight control use and safety procedures, as well as the requirements to get a helicopter license. You'll also want to follow all instructions from helicopter manufacturers about the specific helicopter you are flying.

As you begin the process of learning to fly helicopters, remember to:

1. Get the answers to your basic questions about learning to fly helicopters and getting a license.

2. Read about flying helicopters.

3. Sign up for helicopter flight lessons.

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Answer frequently asked questions about helicopter education and training

Most people who are about to learn to fly helicopters wonder how safe and easy it is. Helicopter flight instructors will usually answer that flying a helicopter is initially harder than flying an airplane, but eventually becomes instinctual. Anyone interested in flying helicopters also needs to know the training requirements to get a license. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires a 40-hour minimum of flight time, as well as a passing score on the FAA's oral and practical flight test and written pilot test. There are additional requirements for a commercial license, including extra hours of flight time and testing.

I recommend: Check out the list of frequently asked questions from Bell Helicopter Textron. The website for Epic Helicopters explains topics such as the cost, medical requirements and what your first lesson will be like. Midwest Helicopter provides a list of FAQs, including information on training and licensing for both a private and commercial helicopter license.

Read about flying helicopters and helicopter safety

Once you've gone over the basic information about learning to fly helicopters, it is time to move up to a more detailed instruction. At this stage, written manuals, guides and articles are a great way to further your education and training.

I recommend: Rodney Barnett, a helicopter pilot and instructor, offers detailed instruction for free on his website, Helicopter Flight Information. He covers topics such as weight and balance, navigation and FAA regulations. You'll also want to read AOPA Flight Training magazine, which is published by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The publication is known in the industry as the "learn to fly" magazine.

Find a directory of helicopter companies that offer lessons

Now that you have a solid basic education, it is time to take the controls of real helicopters. Online directories will help you find a helicopter flying school near you.

I recommend: Helicopter-Training.net lets you contact schools directly to express your interest and get more information. Flightschoollist.com bills itself as one of the largest helicopter flight school directories on the Internet.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you pay for a complete helicopters education and training course, take one lesson to make sure you like it. Most schools offer a quick one-hour course that will show you the basics and get you up in the air with an instructor.

Even if you know about airplanes and the mechanics of how they fly, you may not know much about helicopters and how they work. Helicopters are aircraft, as are airplanes, but the principles for how they fly differ slightly from airplanes.

Helicopters also have their own unique terminology. Without knowing the key terms spoken in the world of helicopters, it's hard to understand how helicopters work. Here are a few definitions of some helicopter terminology to help you.

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Rotorcraft

A rotorcraft refers to any aircraft with rotating wings. Although all helicopters are rotorcraft, not all rotorcrafts are helicopters.

I recommend: To understand the differences between helicopters and other types of rotorcrafts, read the full definition of a rotorcraft at the website for Information Superbrand.

Anti-torque

Anti-torque is the force that keeps the helicopter from twirling in circles as it flies. The anti-torque rotor at the helicopter's tail prevents the main rotor on top of the helicopter from spinning out of control.

I recommend: Visit FlightSimBooks.com, which has an excellent article about anti-torque rotors, to learn more. The website offers diagrams to accompany its explanations.

Jesus nut

It may sound like a joke, but the Jesus nut is quite serious. It's the nut that holds the main rotors on a helicopter.

I recommend: The Helicopter Page defines Jesus nut, and it also has a diagram that illustrates how this helicopter part relates to the rest of the rotor assembly on a helicopter.

Cyclic control

In order to fly a helicopter, you need to know how to operate the cyclic control. A helicopter's cyclic control helps the pilot control the pitch and flight path of the helicopter.

I recommend: To better understand how cyclic controls work, read more at Aerospaceweb.org. This website has diagrams accompanying its explanations of cyclic controls and the related parts needed for flying a helicopter.

Skids

Skids are the long skinny things that a helicopter lands on. Helicopters rely on skids instead of wheels.

I recommend: The Helicopter History Site, Helis.com, explains what skids are, how they work and what advantages they have over wheels when it comes to helicopters.

Autorotation

Autorotation occurs when the helicopter cannot supply power to the main rotors, but the helicopter's rotors continue to rotate.

I recommend: The website for The Willis Law Firm, named HelicopterCrashes.com, explains autorotation and how it works. The definition also includes illustrations of a helicopter in autorotation.