When you ask someone what they should be paying for when renting a helicopter, the answer is usually simple: for the flying.
Yet in the helicopter industry, the reality is often different. Most flight schools and operators charge what's known as block time—the period from the moment the rotor starts turning until it comes to a complete stop. This means you're billed not only for the flight itself, but also for engine warm-up before takeoff and cool-down after landing.
At LION Helicopters, we've decided to do things differently.
You Pay Only for Time in the Air
Starting this year, we've introduced a new billing system. From now on, our customers are charged only for actual flight time—from takeoff to landing.
In other words, when the helicopter is on the ground warming up before departure or cooling down after landing, that time is no longer billed.
It may sound like common sense, but in helicopter training, this approach is still quite unique and far from standard practice.
Why Did We Make This Change?
The answer is simple: we want our pricing to be as fair and transparent as possible.
We believe our customers should pay for the service they actually receive—and that's the flight itself.
Pre-flight preparation and post-flight shutdown are essential operational procedures. They are part of our responsibility as an operator, and we don't believe they should automatically increase the cost of every flight.
A Better Experience for Student Pilots
This change is especially beneficial for students in flight training.
Before takeoff, there's often time needed to review procedures, discuss the lesson objectives, or answer last-minute questions. After landing comes one of the most valuable parts of training—the debriefing, where the flight is analyzed and key lessons are discussed.
When billing starts as soon as the rotor begins turning, there's a natural pressure to rush these moments.
By charging only for airborne time, our instructors can focus entirely on teaching without students feeling that every minute on the ground is adding to the bill. The result is a more relaxed atmosphere, more effective instruction, and ultimately, better pilot training.
Transparency Is More Than a Promise
At LION Helicopters, we've always believed that long-term relationships are built on trust.
That's why we want every customer to know:
- what they're paying for,
- why they're paying for it,
- and that the price reflects the actual service provided.
Our new billing model is another step toward that commitment.
We Believe This Is the Future
This isn't just a marketing slogan or a different way of describing flight time. It's a genuine change in philosophy.
We may be one of the few helicopter flight schools to charge only for time spent in the air, but we're convinced it's the fairest and most customer-friendly approach.
Because when you come to fly, you shouldn't be paying for a helicopter that's standing still.
You should be paying for what you came to do—fly.