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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