When I looked at the weather yestereday, I just knew that I had to go flying today 
I knew one of my partners (who doesn't have his PP-RH yet) was getting dual this morning, so I asked them to leave the helicopter by the FBO. I got to the airport and realized that a) I was going to need fuel, and that b) there was no way I was going flying with the doors on
So while I was getting gas, I took the pilot's door off, and put it in the FBO building.
I ran the checklist and was about to flip the governor on and get get up to operating RPM when I saw a 152 was going to taxi by, so I told him on the radio I'd wait on the RPM until he was past, for which he thanked me. I flipped the governor on and cranked the throttle to get the RPM up to 80% where the governor took over, bringing the RPM to 104% where it belonged. Checked the low RPM warning horn, all the gages were in the green, no warning lights. Time to get going!
So I pulled enough pitch to get to a 2 foot hover, taxied to the center runway intersection, onto the runway, departed 27, then turned out to the north. It was just georgeous -- great visibility (for the northeast anyway) and nice smooth air. I leveled off at 1,500 MSL and flew over my house, for jollies, then followed Rt. 23 staying north of Morgantown airport.
After passing south of Reading's airspace, I skirted it clockwise until I was north of Reading by Hamburg, PA. Just for the fun of it I was able to spot Cabelas and flew over it. Thinking hmmmm. There's an auxillary parking lot which would make a great place to land. I gotta call and get permission and do that one of these days!
I turned northeast and followed the ridge pulling more pitch to get up to 2,000 MSL (nosebleed territory for a rotorhead). From 2,000, well north of Reading, I could see the Philly skyline quite clearly (and that's really rare in these parts -- it would be about 50-55 nm).
I flew past the Hamburg reservoir, spotted the road going up to Pulpet Rock and made a pass by it, then turned north and made a pass by the Pinnacle. I didn't spot any hikers, though. The Appalachian trail passes by the Pinnacle.
I got a great view of the mountains (by PA standards, not CO standards, Anthony). Amazing what you can see from a lofty altitude like 2,000 MSL!
I then turned south skirting Reading's airspace to the east this time passing over Birdsboro and then Rts 23 and 100, then east of Exton back to N99. The winds aloft must have kicked up a bit because even after I got back down to 1,500 I still had about a 15 kt tailwind. Downright scary to go past the ground that fast in a helicopter
All in all, a very enjoyable 1.6 hours of quality time with my helicopter!
I knew one of my partners (who doesn't have his PP-RH yet) was getting dual this morning, so I asked them to leave the helicopter by the FBO. I got to the airport and realized that a) I was going to need fuel, and that b) there was no way I was going flying with the doors on
So while I was getting gas, I took the pilot's door off, and put it in the FBO building.
I ran the checklist and was about to flip the governor on and get get up to operating RPM when I saw a 152 was going to taxi by, so I told him on the radio I'd wait on the RPM until he was past, for which he thanked me. I flipped the governor on and cranked the throttle to get the RPM up to 80% where the governor took over, bringing the RPM to 104% where it belonged. Checked the low RPM warning horn, all the gages were in the green, no warning lights. Time to get going!
So I pulled enough pitch to get to a 2 foot hover, taxied to the center runway intersection, onto the runway, departed 27, then turned out to the north. It was just georgeous -- great visibility (for the northeast anyway) and nice smooth air. I leveled off at 1,500 MSL and flew over my house, for jollies, then followed Rt. 23 staying north of Morgantown airport.
After passing south of Reading's airspace, I skirted it clockwise until I was north of Reading by Hamburg, PA. Just for the fun of it I was able to spot Cabelas and flew over it. Thinking hmmmm. There's an auxillary parking lot which would make a great place to land. I gotta call and get permission and do that one of these days!
I turned northeast and followed the ridge pulling more pitch to get up to 2,000 MSL (nosebleed territory for a rotorhead). From 2,000, well north of Reading, I could see the Philly skyline quite clearly (and that's really rare in these parts -- it would be about 50-55 nm).
I flew past the Hamburg reservoir, spotted the road going up to Pulpet Rock and made a pass by it, then turned north and made a pass by the Pinnacle. I didn't spot any hikers, though. The Appalachian trail passes by the Pinnacle.
I got a great view of the mountains (by PA standards, not CO standards, Anthony). Amazing what you can see from a lofty altitude like 2,000 MSL!
I then turned south skirting Reading's airspace to the east this time passing over Birdsboro and then Rts 23 and 100, then east of Exton back to N99. The winds aloft must have kicked up a bit because even after I got back down to 1,500 I still had about a 15 kt tailwind. Downright scary to go past the ground that fast in a helicopter
All in all, a very enjoyable 1.6 hours of quality time with my helicopter!
