Another good question...

"...Hanning's Law of mechanics, attributed to my father when first learning about the big noisy beasts (Armoured Tanks) in 1940 or so. The law runs 'It is not possible to lift the engine covers of a tank when you are standing on them.' As one of my friends wrote, 'Only strict adherence to that law enabled the Guards Armoured Division to fight its way successfully from Normandy to the Baltic.'..."

                                                                 Henry Hanning, Lieutenant Colonel Rtd. Grenadier Guards



I've musts had a very good question posted on one of the video clips on you tube.

jerrodcorey25 2 days ago

Very great video. I come from a family of helicopter pilots and am about to start my Private Certificate for Helicopter in Southern California. I am curious if you have flown the R-22 or R-44 and if so what do you prefer, the R-22 or the 300 and why?? Thanks

So where do I start? Firstly many thanks jerrodcorey25 for the kind comments. I can understand your quest to fly especially with such an influence from your family. Your question is a very good one and one that is often debated between flying schools and pilots. This website (http://www.ukhelicopterpilot.com/robinson-vs-schweizer) gives a very good and pragmatic view of the R22 and the H269/300. My personal preference is the 300 and I did have a choice of 300 or R44. My reasoning was two fold. First has to be cost, as the lessons were cheap in the Schweitzer. The other reason, and probably the most important for myself, was the progression to other aircraft that I intended to take for future flying and hopefully commercial would be fully articulated rotor system aircraft. My ultimate goal is search and rescue (SAR) or air ambulance which 'across the pond here in Blighty' and most other countries are commonly fully articulated like the EC135, AW139 or MD900 as opposed to twin bladed aircraft  for example, Bell 206. 

There are other flight characteristics that would also favour articulated heads for example greater rotor inertia which can buy. You a valuable two seconds for entering autorotation as one benefit but also mast bumping. A serious consideration when performing low-G manoeuvers or even in rough turbulence. I've never flown as Pilot in command (PIC) hover sitting in the left seat you get a good comparison to size and feel of the aircraft. It also helped that the first time I was in one was with the chief pilot heading into 40 knots of head wind which was all over the place. Probably not the best time to hear about the finer points of mast bumping. See previous post - It all seems to happen at once . The Schweitzer has a very good success rate and safety standard compared to the R22 which, when the closest comparable helicopter to the Schweitzer, was not designed for training in mind. However the lower cost of buying and running has made it very popular with training schools. The Schweitzer was designed with that purpose in mind and as a result as a very 'robust' aircraft. I liken it much to my Landrover defender 110. You may have a bit more long term maintenance schedules to deal with and the component part to change but over all it's like a giant flying set of Meccano.

The other factor to consider is the career path to the final goal. If going down the helicopter business computer route there a lot of R44 and more recently with the introduction of the R66 another contender in the turbine twin bladed helicopter market. Some friendly competition for the Bell's out there. It may be easier to get time flying with companies that run the R44's to build hours and keep the pennies coming in. The 'end goal' has to be the decider for the individual. So what ever you plan on doing as your career in flying, I'd say with my limited knowledge, use that as the decider to which aircraft you primeraly learn in and how your type ratings develop. 

On a personal note the Schweitzer has been a pleasure to fly and has done me proud but that is based on my sole experiences and a good handful of second hand information and opinions. So it's Teflon coated shoulders time. I hope you and others have got some useful information from this and I hope it helps you make an easier choice. 

Best wishes for your flying career and let us know how you get on. Safe flying

Oops!

It has jus occurred to me in the process of trying to edit some old video files of flying that I have neglected to post about my first flight in the EC120 Calibri.
My Brother-in-law Matthew and his wife Aline were back from Australia for a short spell visiting and had dropped in on their way through from a week in Cornwall with my other Brother-in-law Chris. Matthew has had a passion for flying for a while now and dabbled in the arts of flight simulators and Chris is pretty much up for anything. Aline on the other had was a bit apprehensive, understandable really seeing as I hadn't yet qualified as a pilot. So it would take some good scenery to win her over.
Because I wasn't type rated or qualified I had Chief pilot Gary with me. He introduced himself the the three in the back once they were strapped in. "Hi folks, I' Gary, I'm here because Chris doesn't have a type rating in this aircraft however Chris will be doing the flying." I piped up as I climbed in , " this is probably not a good time to let you all know I've never flown this helicopter before" this was met by nervous laughter. "No, really. I haven't flow this before".... Silence.
We got G-SKPP fired up and then we were off. A wobbly start compared to the Schweitzer as everything was so responsive and tight.
After clearance our route took us south from the airfield to the coast and then left towards Hurst Spit at the western approaches to the Solent. We crossed the narrows and swing round for a couple of orbits over the famous Needles Light house then back along the coast to the west past Sandbanks, and orbit over Old Harry Rocks. From here we mad a shortened route back for a rejoin from the west as some thunder clouds were coming in from the west and had the ability to cut us off if we continued out current track.
As we approached the airfield Gary instructed me to do a low flyby of the offices at Bournemouth Helicopters where Sally and my son Basil were waiting for us. This went down well in the back and gave Sally a fright on the ground. From here we did a tight couple of orbits then we had a quick low level to north of the airfield without telling Matthew Chris or Aline. This could have gone one of two ways. 1- no issues 2- Alina vomiting down my back. Fortunately it resulted in No.1! We finished off with a low pass into a rapid climb and then stall turned and headed back to land at Company.
As we shut down the guys in the back were very happy. Aline said it was really good...apart from the last bit. I think if that had been at the start of the flight she would have asked to get out.
All in all a very enjoyable flight and what an incredible aircraft to fly. All I have to do now is rob a bank, win the lottery or start busking at the local shopping centre to afford the type rating.
If you get the chance to fly other craft if even for only one flight, grab it with both hands and run. It really enriches your flying experience. Not just when flying the other aircraft but also when you back to your rated craft. You see it in a different light and it can help you appreciate the handling characteristics and 'witticisms' of the design.

Right this may well be my last post of the year, he's I know I've been totally rubbish with posts and also posts of any flight academia merit, but I will endeavour to sort it out. I'm changing jobs at the end of January from a full time instructor to being a full time Helmsman (the person in charge of the lifeboat for rescues) on a shift pattern so I'll have some more free time in between shifts.
My game plan is to start studying for my commercial during this job so while studying I'll share the love and any handy tips etc.
If you have anything you want to tell everyone, tips tricks, things to be awair of or just some stories of your experiences flying or training then pop into the Your Say section and type as much or as little as you want.

Safe flying!

Bit dusty...

Just posted another video I found in the archives which I forgot to put on.
You can find it in the Video Hangar titled Flight 23 17.04.11.
 It was a short session  at the end of a training flight where my instructor Richard did some hover skills with me. For fun factor more than anything else I had just been doing Flare turns and emergency stops along with some sloped landings so all very tense, so this was a bit of a wind down.
Ive also put on my last flight which involved some solo time after several flights with passengers.
Some times its nice just to get out there and enjoy the flying on your own without having to do the sight seeing and get down to skills consolodation and getting to grips with your own abilities and limitations in a safe controlled and un pressured way.
The video looks a bit short and un planned in my manouvers however for the sake of getting the video down to the track music time and not to bore the viewer to death watching a whole hours worth of flight, ive edited it to the interesting bits. For example the low level flying was only conducted after four progressively lower circuits looking at the site and ensuring a safe flight and also no people or hazards around.

Size, Shape, Surrounds, Sun, Slope, Surface, Safety, Spectators

I'm sure those training or trained have similar processes prior to low flight and landing procedures.

Music is called 'Winner' by At Dawn We Rage

I'll try my very best to get on top of the missing videos and fit them in where they should be. I'll also get some missing pictures in where they should be too.

More to follow God willing

Safe flying out there!

Helicopter Enthusiast’s Facts...

The Helicopter:  Aircraft Most Likely to Commit Robbery and Extortion.

Every Helicopter Enthusiast, usually in the beginning stages of this crippling disease, wonders why the skies aren’t buzzing with thousands of helicopters flitting to and fro to every roof top in sight.  This confusion decisively retreats the first time a grinning flight school representative points at the part of the brochure showing their “reasonable rates, human organs accepted.”  Reality can be devastating:  helicopters burn bales of money, and not everyone is Bill Gates’ legitimate heir, so not everyone gets to fly helicopters. Yet helicopters are allowed to fly unsupervised, so they must perform some valuable community service that leaves them free to rob helpless helicopter groupies. 

Let’s review the basics.

Helicopters can fly really, really slowly, so slowly that they appear to hover in one spot. This is just an optical illusion. Helicopter Pilots use this trick to convince gullible tourists that they should spend all of their vacation money to sit in them! Most airplanes, on the other hand, can’t do that trick because they’re afraid. Flying slowly is very dangerous for airplanes. What airplanes do well is fly faster and farther than helicopters.

To summarize:

Helicopters – slow

Airplanes – fast.

Now let’s look at the things that are best done slowly.

Because helicopters are able to fly so slowly, they can land in very little space. So the best reason to use a helicopter is if you have to pick things up or drop things off where there’s no room to build a 3,000 ft. runway. 

Flying slowly is also helpful when you’re trying to see things that are hidden in tight spots and you have to fly close to the ground. This is the best technique for getting the best view of, say, bathers at the nude beach in La Jolla, California. Just don’t fly so low that the police artist is able to accurately reproduce your face from the “naturists’” testimony.  Hint: always wear a disguise when flying.

‘Remote Sensing’ (the politically correct term for Aerial Photography) can also be done from helicopters.  Generally, though, helicopters are best when you want to get close-ups of your subject, e.g. the La Jolla nude beach, and not when you’re trying to map out the Australian Outback in 3-D. Airplanes are best used for large area surveys and mapping by making overlapping photo transects at pre-designated altitudes and at pre-determined speeds. Using mounted cameras with a variety of film choices, they can fly straight and level for long distances so that the photographs have minimal distortion. This way precise measurements can be made from the photographs of nude beaches.

The distance that you have to fly is also a consideration. If you’re not going farther than a helicopter tank of gas, or you’re not landing at an airport, you could probably blackmail someone into paying for a helicopter. 

If, however, you have to land and refuel a helicopter when an airplane can get there faster on one tank and there’s an airport at the destination, then you’ll have to be satisfied with getting crammed into the baggage compartment of a Piper Cherokee.

Finally, if you enjoy picking things up with long cables, dangling them below you, and dropping them off in strange places, then the helicopter is the only way to go. Airplanes refuse to do this kind of work because it’s not “safe.” 

Unfortunately for helicopters, things like trucks, horses, and cable yarders sometimes can get to the same places a lot cheaper; the only advantage helicopters have in this situation is speed. Time to play up the “time is money” aspect of economics.

To summarize:

1 Helicopters demand lots of money. They don’t care how they get it. 

2 Find rich parents. If you have to, put yourself up for adoption and review applicant’s tax returns carefully.  3 Always wear a disguise when flying.

4. As a helicopter enthusiast, you first have to admit to yourself that you have a problem; only then you can seek help, which is the first step towards recovery.

Helicopter Enthusiast’s Facts from http://helicopterwise.co

A good question ....

An old Pilot sat down in Starbucks and ordered a cup of coffee.

As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.

She turned to the pilot and asked, ‘Are you a real pilot?’

He replied, ‘Well, I’ve spent my whole life flying biplanes, Cubs, Aeronca’s, Neiuports, flew in WWII in a B-29, and later in the Korean conflict, taught 50 people to fly and gave rides to hundreds, so I guess I am a pilot – what about you?’

She said, ‘I’m a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about naked women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women. When I shower, I think about naked women When I watch TV, I think about naked women. It seems everything makes me think of naked women.’

The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a young man sat down on the other side of the old pilot and asked, ‘Are you a real pilot?’

He replied, ‘I always thought I was, but I just found out I’m a lesbian.’

I've just got my ducks in a row and seen a missed message on the 'Your Say' page from an Aron Dahl. I'm putting the reply here as it may be of use to others as well as the reply wouldn't let me reply with so many words. 4096 characters max...didn't realise I had written so much. Anyhew, I digress...

Arn Dahl - "Hey! I have been watching your videos on Youtube and they are very good. I am looking to start flight training in a few months. I am saving up money to get my private and then save up for the commercial. What rating are you planning on going to? Also any tips for a beginner looking to start flight school would be greatly appreciated!"

Firstly Aron my apologies for the delay in replying. Many thanks for the kind words on the YouTube videos. I hope they are of use to you during your training. 

One of the biggest tips I can give you is get to know your school before you sign on the dotted line for training. Speak to the staff, ask if they will give you a tour of the facilities and more importantly the aircraft. The way they look on the outside can often be a true reflection of how they do business. Ie if they look scruffy from the outside, chances are they are scruffy at how the operate. This is not always the case but will give you a good taste of what to expect. See if they would allow you to do som shadowing of a working day and get a sneak preview of how things are run. 
If there is a local flight club, pop down and have a chat with people and see if there are any views on the training school you plan to choose, however, the nature of the industry and the competition may lead to biased opinions or lies to bad name the school. With this in mind take other peles views as being very subjective and from that take an overall view from the collected data. Don't rush into picking. A school that is 20 minutes drive away as opposed to one that is 1 hr away may not be the right choice so do your homework well. 
The next thing is plan your finances as you don't want to start as keen as mustard and then run out of funds just as you are getting good at it. I can costs lots more money together back into it after some time off. Hold back starting till you know you can make a clear sweep at it. 
Take some spending risks when it comes to training material and additional equipment like personal head sets and GoPro camera equipment. As much as smoke of it seams like a luxury it can make the difference in understanding what is going on and prevent complicates during your training. For example, I skimmed money from my funds in the region of three flights worth to buy a set of Lightspeed headsets (http://headsets.lightspeedaviation.com/productline/zulu-2). Not to be swanky or show off but to stop myself getting ear infections which naturally stopped me from flying till it cleared. This in turn cost more money as I had to get my hand back into flying having been off sick. The second example is the GoPro camera. In the region of $280/£280 depending on source, but the ability to review your flight straight after flying and seeing what your instructor was saying was right is no end valuable. Even now as a qualified pilot, I still regularly rematch my flights from start to Finnish and pick holes in my own flying and Learn from it. You see things on video your not aware of while flying. The same goes for keeping a log of what you do each lesson. Hence why I've done this blog. Review is a great learning tool. With the learning material, apps for mobiles and iPads etc are incredibly useful. There are also an incredibly huge source of boox that can help. Some don't present the information properly for a new pilot, instead being written almost by pilots for pilots which doesn't help. There are many good ones though. And obviously blogs are a great source if help. Check out the links page for some good ones I use even today.
The next big one is do your theory lessons and exams early leaving you more time to fly and properly 'learn' to fly without worrying about if your coms are ok or your flying within the law. I left some of mine too late and it cost me many extra flying hours just to keep my hand in. Get them over and done with and enjoy the rest of the flights up to your exam. 
The last one I'll say here is 'ask questions'. Don't ever be afraid or embarrassed about asking the same question more than once as well. If you don't ask you get. There are countless people out there on blogs and forums that can get the answers you need. And as sure as the sun comes up in the morning, someone will have asked the same question as you before. It's all out there. 

I wish you the best of luck with starting your flight training and if there is anything I can do to help don't hesitate to ask.

It's been a while...

Just a wee video to get me back into posting and let you know I'm still alive. Until my next post (very soon) play safe and have great flying

This is the sort of thing that keeps me busy at work so I can't really grumble about not having a lot of time to fly as its pretty cool what I get to do on a daily basis

I've at last managed to get a program to edit my videos however I can't get the mid vid words to appear doing it on the IPad. I'll try put the narrative in the YouTube description box. 

So here's a wee taster of my wife's first helicopter flight. A gusty turbulent day and all the emotion, anxiety and excitement rolled into one made for a not well feeling Sally.

  

I'll let you add your own caption here
 

 We had to route back to Bournemouth rather abruptly in case the flight gauges got 'intimate' with her breakfast. Poor soul, but she did really well and hasn't ruled out flying again.... on a very very fair weather day.

Would passengers for then next flight from Bournemouth...

15.07.12 O'Hare Approach Control: "United 329 Heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, One o'clock, 3 miles, eastbound." United 329: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this... I've got that Fokker in sight." Today was tha day I took my first passenger up. Yes the first person brave enough to be the first person to fly with me and not get paid to be there. Richard (Fathead - Long story(eluded to in previous post)) was the victim and to be fair took on the tasking admirably. After a p flight brief that pretty much consisted of "don't touch this because if you do we'll die a hideous painful death and if you touch that we'll die a hideous painful death and if you touch that you're liable to start screaming like a little girl shortly afterwards".

This seemed to do the trick and he touched nothing. It was to be a standard 'tourist flight' out to the north then west over Blanford Forum request routing to the south crossing the approach path for runway 26 to Wareham and then a little twist over Corfe Castle and Swanage then back to the airfield.
The weather was good, the visibility was good and there wasn't too much traffic up. It was in all forms a good flight and to top it of Rich was like a kid in a sweetie factory. I think it made his as he was grinning like a Cheshire cat. I was very nervous taking my first passenger especially someone who was not a pilot. Being the one in total control is a big culture shock having spent so many hours with someone to give you reassurance if nothing else. Roll on the next flight and the next victim.