You guys gotta understand that my wife hates airplanes. B777 or PA18. Doesn't matter. We're talking serious white knuckles, and gasps of fear in a turn looking down at the ground over a wing.
I gave up trying to get her up in the R22 -- she thought it looked like a toy helicopter. Which it kinda is.
So I was a little surprised that when I got back here with the R44 and she said she wanted to go for a flight. I asked her where she wanted to go, and she said she wanted to see Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, and maybe the Main Line from the air.
We departed N99 about 1130 today and I was real careful to keep my first turn to about a 15 degree bank. No gasps! I followed Rt 202 to Rt 1, and then southeast to Longwood. Did a bunch of orbits slowed down to around 70 kt, got up to a 30 deg bank and still no gasps!
We followed Rt 52 down from Rt 1 to Winterthur and did some orbits after talking to ILG tower since I was near their airspace. Man, she's really getting into this!
We then intersected Rt 30 down the Main Line and orbited Villa Nova, then over Valley Forge Park and then she asked whether we could try to find her uncle's old house. Which we did! Then a pass over our house, down over Marsh Creek, then up the 30 bypass to Chester County for lunch. Then back to N99.
I can't believe it. My wife's become a rotorhead! When I parked the helo on the ramp, she was already talking about where she wants to go for her next flight.
I never thought I'd see this day -- this is really, really, cool
I gave up trying to get her up in the R22 -- she thought it looked like a toy helicopter. Which it kinda is.
So I was a little surprised that when I got back here with the R44 and she said she wanted to go for a flight. I asked her where she wanted to go, and she said she wanted to see Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, and maybe the Main Line from the air.
We departed N99 about 1130 today and I was real careful to keep my first turn to about a 15 degree bank. No gasps! I followed Rt 202 to Rt 1, and then southeast to Longwood. Did a bunch of orbits slowed down to around 70 kt, got up to a 30 deg bank and still no gasps!
We followed Rt 52 down from Rt 1 to Winterthur and did some orbits after talking to ILG tower since I was near their airspace. Man, she's really getting into this!
We then intersected Rt 30 down the Main Line and orbited Villa Nova, then over Valley Forge Park and then she asked whether we could try to find her uncle's old house. Which we did! Then a pass over our house, down over Marsh Creek, then up the 30 bypass to Chester County for lunch. Then back to N99.
I can't believe it. My wife's become a rotorhead! When I parked the helo on the ramp, she was already talking about where she wants to go for her next flight.
I never thought I'd see this day -- this is really, really, cool
