Why don’t you fly rotor wing?

[BladeSlap]

So I’ve been here for a little while now, got to ask, for a short range burger hop wouldn’t a R22/44 be much more fun?

Plus we have much more options with some of the rules and landings, where we can put down if we need to, etc

 

[eman1200]

more money, more training, more money, less rental options, more money, higher insurance, more money......

 

[midlifeflyer]

more money, more training, more money, less rental options, more money, higher insurance, more money......

Good summary.

 

[Hang 4]

more money, more training, more money, less rental options, more money, higher insurance, more money......

And it's more expensive.

 

[kayoh190]

Helicopters are weird, man.

 

[BladeSlap]

We are weird, and we dig that

 

[MooneyDriver78]

Too slow, short range…I don’t do short trips, mine tend to run 500nm+.

 

[Salty]

Subsidize me and I’d do it in a second.

 

[Sac Arrow]

They have their place. I'm alive today because of them.

 

[Fearless Tower]

Lots of vintage airplane fly ins. Not too many vintage helo fly ins….

 

[GaryM]

Lots of vintage airplane fly ins. Not too many vintage helo fly ins….

I believe you are eligible for Vintage Parking if your rotorcraft was built before 2018.

 

[BladeSlap]

Lots of vintage airplane fly ins. Not too many vintage helo fly ins….

Speaking of fly ins, what’s the rules of us participating in spot landing contests?

 

[Bell206]

wouldn’t a R22/44 be much more fun?

Probably because I always thought it took a challenged individual to fly a Robbie. Most plank-wing guys are pretty mainstream and upstanding individuals.

Not too many vintage helo fly ins….

Mostly because those "vintage" helicopters are still working for a living.

 

[Brad W]

this

more money, more training, more money, less rental options, more money, higher insurance, more money......

+ I don't have enough money....

I have always wanted to fly helicopters more than I have planes. The idea of picking your landing spot down to the rock you want to land next to seems cool..... Just not realistic.
A part of me day dreams about flying gyros for sport, but kind of seem like a helicopter with a lot of the flaws of a fixed wing+ all the regulatory limitations on them make them less appealing.

+ not enough money

 

[steingar]

Helicopters are the only thing I've ever seen that made airplanes look like a bargain in comparison.

 

[Fearless Tower]

Mostly because those "vintage" helicopters are still working for a living.

If your talking about H-1s, maybe.

But how many early Sikorskys from the 40s and 50s do you see flying today?

 

[texasclouds]

I wanna gyroplane

 

[Bell206]

But how many early Sikorskys from the 40s and 50s do you see flying today?

Around 100 in the US alone (55/58/61). Most still working. Plus there's over 500 Bell 47s still flying for a living also.

 

[Salty]

Helicopters are the only thing I've ever seen that made airplanes look like a bargain in comparison.

You don’t have much experience with women then.

 

[BladeSlap]

These excuses, meh

How many have at least have a intro flight in a helicopter?

 

[Salty]

These excuses, meh

How many have at least have a intro flight in a helicopter?

I have about 2.5 hours. I wanted to learn to hover for the satisfaction of doing it. Cruise flying didn’t seem much different than airplanes so I stuck to the challenging part. My instructor thought I was nuts doing nothing but the “hard” stuff, but I figured it out fairly quickly. I have hundreds of hours in RC helis, real ones, not quads, so I knew how to do it already in theory, just had to get the hang of the real thing. Pretty sure that knocked 5 or 10 hours off the time to learn.

 

[jrhillma]

Helicopters are weird, man.

I just learned last night the rotor actually flaps. That sort of blew my mind.

 

[NoHeat]

I would take rotor lessons, especially after hearing a really good presentation at OSH a couple of years ago by Philip Greenspun, describing the instruction, from the perspective of a fixed-wing pilot.

However, no rotor instruction is offered near me.

Fixed-wing instruction is much easier to find in less urban areas.

 

[Salty]

I just learned last night the rotor actually flaps. That sort of blew my mind.

They lead/lag too.

 

[Everskyward]

These excuses, meh

How many have at least have a intro flight in a helicopter?

I have a little over 100 hours. I got hooked on an intro flight. Thought briefly about changing careers from fixed wing, but I already had a lot of fixed wing hours and helicopter jobs require time in category. Fixed wing time basically doesn't count.

 

[BladeSlap]

I have a little over 100 hours. I got hooked on an intro flight. Thought briefly about changing careers from fixed wing, but I already had a lot of fixed wing hours and helicopter jobs require time in category. Fixed wing time basically doesn't count.

Seems if you have 1k to 1.5k helicopter you’re golden

 

[Ken Whitson]

<<<< I had 4 years of R-C helo time

 

[Kritchlow]

1) expensive
2) not sure what I’d do with the rating after I got it
3) I know just enough about them to be scared

 

[texasclouds]

You don’t have much experience with women then.

Even horse women can’t touch chopper munny

 

[Bell206]

I just learned last night the rotor actually flaps.

They lead/lag too.

FYI: all main rotor blades flap, feather, lead, and lag. How they perform each depends on the type rotor hub/system.

 

[Everskyward]

Seems if you have 1k to 1.5k helicopter you’re golden

Yeahbut there's getting from 100 hours to 1000. And I was already pretty established in the fixed wing world. I probably had about 4000 hours at the time. I'm glad I got the experience, though.

 

[Morgan3820]

Hundreds of parts working in harmony, all takes is two parts to argue.

 

[Half Fast]

You don’t have much experience with women then.

Or horses.

Or worst of all, women with horses.

 

[BladeSlap]

Yeahbut there's getting from 100 hours to 1000. And I was already pretty established in the fixed wing world. I probably had about 4000 hours at the time. I'm glad I got the experience, though.

Tours or CFI?

 

[Groundpounder]

Too much money

Good for a specific mission.

 

[Albany Tom]

Simple. When you let go of the controls of an airplane, it still wants to fly. When you let go of the controls of a helicopter, it wants to kill you.

I used to say "wants to crash", but was corrected by a UH-60 pilot while he was "trying to get the other stupid engine to start" during one of the tropical storm responses.

 

[Everskyward]

Tours or CFI?

I was already past that point in my life of wanting to build time, especially since I was already established in the fixed wing world. Maybe in another life.

 

[AKBill]

$$$..

 

[jrhillma]

FYI: all main rotor blades flap, feather, lead, and lag. How they perform each depends on the type rotor hub/system.

I'm merely a student pilot (with a lifelong love of/fascination for aviation). I know I don't need to go through the helo parts of the ground school (ASA, in my case) material, but I figured it would be good to know. Flapping, feathering, lead/lag, that whole section gave me a certain appreciation for helos. I do think it'd be cool to be able to zip around in a BK-117, but, man, those costs.

Or horses.

Or worst of all, women with horses.

I dated a horse chick for a while in high school. Which was a long, long time ago. So. Many. Stories. I would summarize the entire experience by saying she had a much better appreciation for, and understanding of, the natural order of things than I did, at the time.

 

[ebetancourt]

$$$ and, east of the Mississippi, landing restrictions. Going airport to airport is not the way to enjoy a helicopter.