Aerocivil Colombia Private Pilot Helicopter (PPH) exam-day guide
Aerocivil Colombia Private Pilot Helicopter (PPH) · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid photo identification (cédula de ciudadanía or passport)
Bring the original document, not a copy or a photo on your phone. The name must match the name on your registration and license records. Confirm with the provider which documents they accept and whether a second form of ID is required.
Printed or digital exam admission / registration confirmation
Have the appointment confirmation, registration number, or admission document the provider issued to you. Confirm with the provider whether a printed copy is mandatory or a digital copy is acceptable.
Knowledge-test result or course-completion evidence
If your provider requires proof that you passed the Aerocivil knowledge examination and completed the approved ground and flight training before the practical test, bring that evidence. Confirm with the provider exactly which documents they require.
Pilot logbook
Bring your logbook with all training flights endorsed and signed by your instructor, including the endorsement recommending you for the practical test. Verify that every entry is legible, totalled correctly, and that signatures are present.
Medical certificate
Carry your current aviation medical certificate valid for private pilot privileges. Check the expiry date and any limitations or waivers noted on it before the day.
Aircraft and maintenance documents for the helicopter you will fly
The examiner will expect the aircraft's registration, airworthiness certificate, and current maintenance/inspection records to be on board and available. Confirm with the provider or operator which documents they want presented before the flight.
Current charts and flight-planning materials
Bring the current VFR charts, aeronautical information, plotter, and navigation tools you normally use. If the provider supplies charts, confirm that in advance so you do not duplicate or miss required material.
Headset, calculator, and flight computer
Bring your own headset with a working microphone and any calculator or E6-B you use for weight-and-balance and performance planning. Test the headset battery and audio before leaving home.
Aircraft flight manual / rotorcraft flight manual extract
You will be asked performance, limitation, and emergency questions answered from the RFM. Know where the relevant sections are and bring the approved manual for the type if the operator does not keep it in the aircraft.
Rest, hydration, and appropriate clothing
Plan a full night's sleep, avoid alcohol for well beyond the regulatory minimum, and dress for a professional flight test with closed shoes and layers for the cockpit. Bring water and a light snack for the oral portion.
Confirm the meeting point, time, and weather decision procedure
Call or message the provider or examiner the day before to confirm the exact location, reporting time, and how a weather cancellation or reschedule will be communicated. Do not assume the appointment stands if conditions look marginal.
Review of local airspace, frequencies, and emergency procedures
Refresh the airspace around the test airport, tower/ground frequencies, and the emergency checklists for the type. The oral portion frequently opens with local procedures and immediate-action items.
Plan the day
Re-read the practical test standards or examiner guide your provider uses and list every task it covers. Compare that list against your logbook and training records, then fix any missing endorsement, hour requirement, or signature while there is still time.
Do a full weight-and-balance and performance-planning exercise for the expected conditions using the actual aircraft's RFM, and rehearse the oral topics you are weakest on: limitations, systems, emergency procedures, and airspace.
Confirm with the provider the reporting time, location, aircraft assignment, examiner name, and what documents must be presented. Ask explicitly whether the aircraft documents and RFM will be on board or whether you must bring them.
Lay out every document from the checklist, check the medical certificate and ID expiry dates, charge or pack the headset, and print any confirmation the provider wants on paper. Re-check the logbook totals one final time.
Check the forecast for the test window and the following day, note sunset and any airspace restrictions, and confirm how the examiner will handle a weather delay. Plan a backup date in your own calendar.
Stop studying early, eat a normal meal, and get a full night's sleep. Avoid last-minute cramming of new material, which tends to displace the procedures you already know.
Eat breakfast, arrive with buffer time rather than exactly on time, and re-check the weather and NOTAMs. Bring everything on the checklist even if you think some items are unnecessary.
Answer directly and concisely. When you do not know, say so and explain how you would find the answer in the RFM, charts, or regulations rather than guessing. Use the aircraft documents when asked.
Use a spoken checklist and verbalize your flows, clearing turns, and radio calls. Fly stabilized approaches, announce your intentions, and treat every maneuver as a normal operation rather than a performance.
Ask for a debrief of any unsatisfactory items, confirm what was recorded and what happens next, and make sure your logbook is endorsed before you leave. If a retest is required, get the specific tasks and the timeline in writing.
Rules to check
Bring original identity documents that match your registration exactly. If your name differs across records, resolve it with the provider before test day rather than at the counter.
Arrive early and check in with the examiner or provider staff before entering the aircraft or starting the oral portion. Do not begin any task until you are told to.
Ask before using any reference material during the oral portion. Some examiners allow the RFM and regulations; confirm with the provider what is permitted rather than assuming.
Breaks during a long oral or a weather delay are normally at the examiner's discretion. If you need water, rest, or a short pause, ask directly rather than pushing through fatigue.
A practical test is scored against the applicable standards as satisfactory or unsatisfactory per task, with unsatisfactory items leading to a notice of disapproval and a retest of specified tasks. Confirm with the provider how your result will be recorded and what the retest procedure is.
Do not discuss or disclose the specific tasks, questions, or scenarios used in your test with other candidates in a way that undermines the integrity of the examination. General study discussion is fine; sharing live test content is not.
If weather, aircraft airworthiness, or your own fitness makes the flight unsafe, say so. A postponement is preferable to an unsafe or invalid test, and the provider can advise on rescheduling.
Follow the operator's and examiner's instructions on aircraft control, sterile cockpit during critical phases, and who is manipulating the controls at each moment.