I’m not expert, but when I get interested in something, I try to learn as much about it as I can. When I was growing up, I was always fascinated by helicopters. I was so young, but I think it was the way they were able to hover that really grabbed me. I asked my parents everything I could think about the aircraft. Briefly, I wanted to become a pilot. It passed, but I never got over my fascination with flying, helicopters specifically.

As the industry passes $5 billion annually, it seems I’m not the only one with a fascination for helicopters! But once you own one, you have to remember to take care of it, for your safety and the safety of those around you. Aircraft maintenance is one of the most important aspects of owning a helicopter. Whether it’s something you do yourself (ideally because you are trained to do so) or because you hire a company to do it, it’s a necessary part of ownership of a high quality bird.

From maintenance on the chopper’s high-end engine to rotor track balance and other kinds of tests, there’s a long list of things that need to be taken care of on a helicopter. Rotor track balance tests are meant to make sure your helicopter’s rotors and balance track are running smoothly. The rotor track balance test makes sure no parts are out of place, leading to unnecessary loudness and vibration or potential danger.

You’ll also need someone to do work on the engine. Just like any other vehicle, it requires oil changes along with more extreme maintenance that you wouldn’t need on something like a car. Speciality engine maintenance can be found for your chopper, depending on your location. You’ll need to search around to find out who is available to service your aircraft.

As the helicopter has a higher potential of being a danger, as well as various requirements by the state and federal government, a lot more paperwork and regulations apply compared to land-based vehicles. If you’re reading this before purchasing an aircraft, be aware of all the work that comes with it. From securing it, finding a place to keep it, keeping up with maintenance, and making sure your paperwork is all in order, it can be quite a process. But, if all my research has taught me anything, it’s that flying is worth it.