Gisele Bundchen On Her Way To Helicopter Pilot License
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is on her way to a private pilot's license. Bundchen, who is pregnant with her first child with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, spent the summer taking helicopter flying lessons. She has now passed her private pilot written exam and flies several times a week at Shoreline Aviation in Marshfield, Massachusetts. You need fewer hours in a helicopter than in a fixed wing plane to get a license and it generally takes over $10,000 to log in the necessary flight hours and experience. She is only a month away from giving birth but she is expected to take her checkride next week. The checkride is the practical test in which she will fly with a pilot examiner and be tested on key skills.
People magazine reported earlier this year that she was interested in learning to fly because she is a goodwill ambassador for the UN's Environmental Programme on finding an alternative source of jet fuel.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
oceanrose22 Nov 5th 2009 11:43PM
You may want to double-check your facts on the number of hours it takes for people to get their helicopter vs. fixed-wing ratings. It does not take fewer hours to become a helicopter pilot. For a private pilot it is a minimum of 40 hours for both according to FAR Part 61.109.
Deej Nov 7th 2009 1:25AM
Yes even though it's true that FAR MINIMUMS are roughly 40 hours (35 now i think), actual time to complete is very different. F/W usually takes about 45-60 hours and R/W about 35-45 hours for private. A four pack (Private, Instrument, Commercial, CFI) will rope a F/W pilot about 250 hours and a R/W pilot about 170.
imafroghog Nov 6th 2009 12:08AM
So what! Good for her! Being pregnant is NOT a disease! Get a grip - women fly! Flying the damn thing is the easy part - try doing all the tests etc, to get where she is! I say go for it sister & God bless You!
bobbi Nov 6th 2009 12:19AM
Oceanrose is correct. Get your facts straight.
Gisele you go girl !!!
C.T. Nov 6th 2009 1:26PM
Does she plan on flying herself to the hospital? LOL!
Kitainik Nov 6th 2009 2:47AM
Good luck on your checkride, Gisele! Hope you pass on your first try! Way to go, girl, Louise Thaden would've been proud of you! God bless you!
tinroofrustedfr Nov 6th 2009 3:22AM
Is she going to land her helicopter on the catwalk or the football field? Here comes Giseleeeeeeeeeeee. She should stick to modeling and being around to be a mother to her children. I don't see a need for her to do that. She obviously has to much time on her hands. Go to a football game dear. Tis the season!
beachqueennc Nov 6th 2009 6:07AM
Why should she stick to modeling and being a mother, while trying nothing new? I'm a nurse and a mother of a handicapped child and 2 years ago got my private pilot license (for fixed wing) because it was something I'd wanted to do. Should I have just stuck with taking care of my patients and family and done nothing else that I wanted to do? Why? Congrats girl!
C.T. Nov 6th 2009 1:33PM
Good for her. Of course when the time comes, is she going to fly her & Tom to the hospital? LOL!
Glyn Nov 6th 2009 2:23PM
Your facts for hours needed & price to fly helos are way off. Check your info. better. Mucho dinero to fly helicopters.
Coop Nov 6th 2009 2:47PM
Thanks, Oceanrose - I thought I was losing my mind for a minute there. I have both fixed wing and helicopter ratings and I could not remember the requirements being any different. I will say that most people will need more flight hours to pass a helicopter check ride than a check ride in an airplane. Very few people are ready for their private rotorcraft checkride in the FAA's required minimum of 40-hours.
flwrskmbrly88 Nov 6th 2009 4:28PM
Seems like all these famous women are following in the steps of Angelina Jolie. First, with the adoption thing- very few were adopting children who wern't from the U.S. until she started adopting children from other countries. Now you have Maddona,Meg Ryan etc. adopting kids from other countries-nothing wrong with that but I believe she set the trend(which is a good thing). Now the pilot license thing. I believe she started that trend as well. Nothing wrong with it-just an observation......
SkyGod! Nov 6th 2009 4:58PM
I am a helicopter instructor (former U.S. Army) with almost 7,000 hours. I think that ANYONE who wants to and has the money to get the training should go for it. It is not easy, but it's worth it! To the person who said she doesn't "need" to do it - what do you know? The minimum flight hour requirements for a private (or commercial) license are the same for fixed wing as they are for rotary wing. What determines success is the individual skill.
lundindana Nov 6th 2009 7:01PM
If you truly didn't care you wouldn't have read the article and posted a comment!
Joey Nov 6th 2009 6:25PM
Oh boy, I should not have read this on my way to happy hour with my stoner buddies. Now I feel like a complete loser. You go Gisele! Hot, and ambitious. Turning over a new leaf tomorrow. :-)
guy Nov 6th 2009 7:19PM
Got job Gisele!!! Go flying! We need all the GA pilots we can get. Just for the uninformed, it only costs about $4000 to get a private rating. Also, a good two seat airplane can be had less than 20K. I'm goin' avaitin' in the AM. See ya'll up there!!!!
nibola Nov 6th 2009 7:36PM
Didn't know Gisele could do anything but walk the runway!
bawannajack Nov 7th 2009 3:50AM
I am very bohemian lberal in a sense and say go for your dreams but getting your helicopter license a month before your due date to me is not only stupid but insane and a plublicity stunt as well...... Really, I am incredibly suprised at the instructor with 7000 hrs flight time from the (US Army) who would actually condone such incredibly risky behavior. She is at a pregnancy point where many physical factors could come into play that could affect her performance let alone the safety of not only her and her child let alone the instructor, but other innocent bystandards as well. Sorry Capt, this isn't war where we need such heroics as an 8 month pregnant woman showing the world whats she's got........ No fuckin brains is whats she's got!
al schrader Nov 9th 2009 5:50PM
Biggest problem with helicopters is they have their ups and downs. Al.