The Main Rotor Hub is now approved to deliver Flight Instructor Rating (FIR) training for all three training endorsement grades — Grade 3, Grade 2, and Grade 1 — in the helicopter category. If you’ve been thinking about taking your flying to the next level and shaping the next generation of pilots, this is your path.
Teaching someone to fly a helicopter is one of the most rewarding things you can do in aviation. It demands precision, patience, and a deep understanding of how pilots learn — and it opens doors to a career that goes well beyond the cockpit. Under CASR Part 61, the Flight Instructor Rating (FIR) is the formal qualification that gives you the authority to train others, and The Main Rotor Hub is now a fully approved provider for all three grades of helicopter training endorsement.
What is a Flight Instructor Rating?
A Flight Instructor Rating (FIR) is a pilot instructor rating regulated under Subpart 61.T of CASR Part 61. It authorises you to conduct flight training for pilot licences, ratings, and endorsements — and to grant certain endorsements directly to your students. To be granted an FIR, you must hold at least a PPL or CPL, pass the Principles and Methods of Instruction (PMI) examination, complete the required aeronautical experience, and pass a flight test conducted by a CASA-authorised flight examiner.
For helicopter pilots, the minimum aeronautical experience before commencing instructor training is 250 hours total flight time, including at least 100 hours as pilot in command — unless you completed your CPL via an integrated training course, in which case different provisions apply.
The rating itself is structured around a grade system — Grade 3, Grade 2, and Grade 1 — each unlocking progressively greater privileges and responsibilities. Your initial training endorsement is embedded within your FIR training course, and you build from there.
The Three Grades — What Each One Lets You Do
The grade 3, 2, 1 structure is designed to build instructional maturity progressively — from conducting core flight training right through to supervising other instructors and leading training courses.
Grade 3 Training Endorsement — The Foundation
The starting point for most new instructors. A Grade 3 authorises you to deliver the full scope of core helicopter flight training for RPL, PPL, and CPL under a Part 141 or Part 142 operator.
- Conduct flight training for RPL, PPL, and CPL (helicopter)
- Train for a single-engine helicopter class rating
- Train for RPL endorsements
- Approve students for solo flight — other than their first solo
- Cover the full syllabus: circuits, autorotations, confined areas, navigation, emergencies, and more
Grade 2 Training Endorsement — Expanded Privileges
Building on Grade 3, a Grade 2 unlocks the ability to authorise first solo flights, assess Knowledge Deficiency Reports, and conduct Flight Reviews — making you a more complete and independent instructor.
- All privileges of a Grade 3
- Approve a student’s first solo flight in a helicopter
- Assess a Knowledge Deficiency Report (KDR) for the grant of a pilot licence or rating
- Conduct Flight Reviews for ratings on a pilot licence
- Grant endorsements on a Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL)
Grade 1 Training Endorsement — Senior Instructor
The highest training endorsement grade. A Grade 1 authorises you to supervise Grade 2 and Grade 3 instructors, deliver instructor training for a Grade 2, and — under CASA Instrument EX64/22 — conduct training and testing for a range of additional endorsements and ratings without needing a separate Flight Instructor Rating Training Endorsement (FIR-TE).
- All privileges of a Grade 2
- Supervise Grade 2 and Grade 3 training endorsement holders in flight training
- Deliver instructor training for a Grade 2 training endorsement
- Deliver instructor training for Basic Instrument Flight (BIF) — helicopter
- Deliver training for flight activity and low-level training endorsements
- Deliver training for design feature endorsements
- Test and grant aircraft class ratings, type ratings, and specified training endorsements (EX64/22)
Entry Requirements for Instructor Training
To commence FIR training (Grade 3), you must hold:
- A PPL or CPL with a helicopter category rating (a certificate of validation of an equivalent overseas licence is also accepted)
- At least 250 hours total helicopter flight time, including 100 hours as pilot in command — unless you completed an integrated CPL training course
- Passed the Principles and Methods of Instruction (PMI) examination (or hold a Cert IV in Training & Assessment, or a tertiary qualification in teaching — you still need to pass the PIRC exam)
- Hold a current Class 1 or Class 2 medical certificate
Already hold a Grade 3 or Grade 2?
If you’re an existing FIR holder looking to upgrade your endorsement, we can assess your prior learning and current competency to tailor your training course accordingly. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is formally built into the course structure.
What the Training Involves
Instructor training is structured very differently to ab-initio pilot training. You already know how to fly — the focus is on learning how to teach. Our courses follow the CASA-approved syllabus aligned with the Part 61 Manual of Standards (MOS) and include ground theory, ground briefing practice, and airborne instructional technique.
Grade 3 Course — Phases of Training
1. Initial FIR
PMI/FIRC principles, short theory lessons, CBT review, Part 61 MOS for RPL/PPL/CPL
2. Basic Phase
Instructor control seat familiarisation, airborne instructional technique (AIT) tutorials, pre-flight and long brief delivery — starting with straight & level through to effects of controls
3. Advanced Phase
Autorotations, hovering, transitions, circuits, confined areas, limited power, navigation, and pinnacle/ridge operations
4. Abnormal Phase
Forced landings, engine failures, tail rotor malfunctions, system malfunctions, and hazardous flight conditions
5. HOO Check & Flight Test
Pre-test assessment by Head of Operations, followed by the CASA flight examiner test
How training is structured
- Every lesson uses a Demonstrate → Direct → Monitor process for airborne instruction
- Ground briefings follow a long brief (theory) and pre-flight brief structure — both are taught and assessed
- Fault analysis and correction techniques are introduced progressively across the course
- A progress record and achievement record must be completed for all ground and flight training
- A course completion certificate is issued by The Main Rotor Hub on successful completion
After You Qualify
Once you hold your FIR, you must complete your first instructor proficiency check within 12 months of passing the flight test, and every 24 months thereafter. You must also be engaged by a Part 141 or Part 142 operator to exercise most instructor privileges — which means joining a school like ours, or being employed by one.
To conduct Basic Instrument Flight Training (BIFT), separate training and assessment is required unless you hold an instrument rating or NVFR rating training endorsement. This applies to Grade 1, 2, and 3 holders and is governed by CASA Instrument EX32/24. We can help you work through this requirement as part of your ongoing development as a senior instructor.
Grade 1 holders should also be aware of the provisions of CASA Instrument EX64/22, which allows a Grade 1 instructor to conduct training and testing for a range of additional endorsements and ratings — subject to the operator having the relevant approvals and the instructor meeting the conditions set out in the instrument.
Instructor training courses at The Main Rotor Hub (ARN 1276684) are conducted under our Part 141 operator certificate. All courses are competency-based and aligned to the Part 61 MOS Schedule 2 standards. Contact us at info@mainrotorhub.com.au or call +61 455 99 8674 to discuss your path to becoming an instructor.
