I have the same thought as a courier but it would violate my ethics... to cross over.This appeared in Rotor & Wing this month:
I must admit that I've considered using a helicopter for commuting to work but in (my) reality it wouldn't really work. I do have plenty of room at my home (about 5 acres) and my immediate neighbors wouldn't complain, but I'd probably get into some kind of fight with the city about it. Then there's the little problem of a landing site at work. The parking lot would work if it weren't for all those stupid cars! Finally, given the time required for a decent preflight inspection, securing the craft etc. it probably wouldn't save any time except when the traffic is really snarled up. Unfortunately most of the things that mess up the traffic that badly would preclude helicopter flight as well.I'd cross over in a flippin' heartbeat, if I could afford helicopters!!!
Eh, mediocre ad. Now if that was an S76 it would get really cool ad status.
A helo pilot fight!OK, so it was a Eurocopter. I said the ad was cool, not the ship!
A helo pilot fight!
Cripple fig....uhhh....I mean....helo pilot fight!!!!
We have to put this back in perspective:
Runways are for the vertically handicapped
What's your glide ratio, again?We have to put this back in perspective:
Runways are for the vertically handicapped
What's your glide ratio, again?
Next time I'm taxiing my vertically handicapped airplane, I'll shut down an engine and think of you...feel free to do the same
Stretch away!
You bet, but one of the many cool things they don't teach PP and CP students is how to shorten (unstretch?) the glide. Going to overshoot the backyard you're aiming for? Pull the stick back and slow to about 40 KIAS. It's like slamming on the brakes!
I would recommend kicking it out of trim.....it depends on the airframe...getting too slow the decel will not be enough to keep rotor rpm sustained for the flare and cushion. The two airframes i've flown (Bell 206, and UH-60) 40 KIAS is too slow and will cause you to look for vertebrae in the weeds. The Bell you could probably circle the landing zone about 20 times.
You bet, but one of the many cool things they don't teach PP and CP students is how to shorten (unstretch?) the glide. Going to overshoot the backyard you're aiming for? Pull the stick back and slow to about 40 KIAS. It's like slamming on the brakes!
BTW Laurie, there was NO helo pilot fight IMO!
Nah, we fling wingers tend to stick together. I think it has something to do wtih that labotomy we've had......
Maybe that's what it is -- I feel like I'm missing something but can't remember what it is
Actually, I figure we have to stick together -- there's 20 times as many of THEM as there is of US!
curious bob, in soaring there are something like 30 of 'them' for each one of 'us'. but i would estimate that a large number of 'us' are also 'them'. how many helo pilots do you encounter that are helo only? or do most also have fixed wing ratings?
But there are! The Rotorfest at the American Helicopter Museum, for example, attracts some vintage ships -- Bell 47s, VN era OH-6As and UH-1s. Virtually every part on a helicopter has life limits. If you fly it long enough everything gets replaced or overhauled at one time or another. I'm not sure how long the 47 has been out of production (but it's a long time for sure), but there's a guy at KLNS who has three of them which constitute the entire fleet at his flight school.And that goes back to the observation of "If helicopters are so safe, why aren't there more vintage helicopter fly-ins??"
One of my helicopter CFIs was rotor only. He had learned in the Army. The other one was dual-rated but decided to go the helicopter route. I thought briefly about switching from fixed-wing to helo about 10 years ago but the whole job situation greatly favored fixed wing, for me at least. I have not flown a helicopter in about 8 years and many people I know and work with aren't aware that I have I have a commercial add-on or have flown helicopters at all. I don't really talk about it unless there is reason to mention it or if someone takes a close look at my pilot's certificate and makes some kind of comment.how many helo pilots do you encounter that are helo only? or do most also have fixed wing ratings?