Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 28; Flight Crew Total 616; Flight Crew Type 417
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict NMAC; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
While hovering in the parking circle on the ramp just southwest of the hangar; my student and I had been cleared by Tower for an RNAV departure from the ramp (this departure flies over the ramp parallel to Runway XX before turning north-west to parallel Runway XYR during the initial climb). We hovered out to the taxi line; did our before takeoff check; and started our ground run (maybe 1 minute between clearance and beginning the ground run). As we rotated for the climb - over the ramp about abeam Taxiway XX - a helicopter crossed the ramp and Runway XZ/XX directly in front of us; at the same altitude; paralleling Runway XYR. My student was on the controls and correctly flew a quick stop maneuver to avoid hitting the other helicopter. We were able to return to a hover and taxi back to the parking circle without further incident.I believe a lack of communication caused this situation. After we were cleared for the departure and before we started our ground run; I heard part of an exchange between Tower and another helicopter I presume to be the aircraft we had to avoid. Due to communication with my student; I don't know what was said in that exchange; though I suspect it was a clearance to take off from the news helicopter's ramp by flying parallel to Runway XYR. I didn't hear tower alert either us or the other helicopter that we would be in close proximity. If tower had alerted either of us; we could have coordinated so that we were not flying departures at the same time in the same place.
Helicopter instructor reported an NMAC during takeoff with another helicopter.