Which EASA Part-66 Modules Does a B1.3 (Turbine Helicopter) Engineer Need?
Category B1.3 is the licence for turbine-engine helicopters. It shares most of its syllabus with the aeroplane B1 licences, but two modules make it a helicopter path. Under the current rules a B1.3 candidate sits 12 modules — here is exactly which ones, and which you can skip.
Your module checklist
The ten common modules
Modules 1 to 10 are common to all four B1 subcategories, so a B1.3 helicopter engineer studies exactly the same core as a B1.1 aeroplane engineer: the maths, physics and electrical/electronic/digital fundamentals, materials and hardware, maintenance practices, basic aerodynamics, human factors and aviation legislation. Get these solid first — everything else builds on them.
The two modules that make it a helicopter licence
- Module 12 — Helicopter Aerodynamics, Structures & Systems: rotary-wing aerodynamics, flight controls, blade tracking and vibration, transmissions, airframe and the helicopter systems. This is the heart of the B1.3 licence.
- Module 15 — Gas Turbine Engine: because B1.3 is the turbine-helicopter category, you sit the gas-turbine engine module (the same one B1.1 turbine-aeroplane engineers take).
What a B1.3 candidate does NOT sit
You skip the aeroplane and other-engine modules: Module 11 (turbine aeroplane), Modules 13 and 14 (the B2 avionics aircraft and propulsion modules), Module 16 (piston engine) and Module 17 (propeller — aeroplanes only). If your training provider is showing you Module 11 or 17, that is the aeroplane path, not yours.
How many modules — 12, not 13
Some older study material lists 13 modules for B1.3. Under the current structure (post Regulation (EU) 2023/989) the count is 12: Modules 1–10, plus 12 and 15. Make sure your notes and mock exams match the current syllabus.
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