This page is a place where anyone can post links or suggestions to help anyone reading this blog through the PPL process and any other training. Be it CAA, FAA, EAA or any other Aviation Authority drop your ideas or queeries here and share your knowledge skills stories and experiences.
Any updates, watching from the US and hope to start training soon.
ReplyDeleteSadly there is only one update to do after yesterdays flight which included confined space landings. What are you doing your training in? I hope it goes well for you and if there is anything I can help with don't hesitate to send a message
ReplyDeleteI plan on training at Vertex Helicopters http://www.vertexhelicopters.com/, they fly the 300C which is why I was interested in your blog. I haven't started yet as I'm trying to find funding. When I do I may try to do a blog like this one, what is a good video setup for the helmet or heli?
ReplyDeleteI have just recently come across Vertex Helicopters. I understand they have an instructor who comes from my part of the world in Scotland. I belive they have a good reputation in the industry so you should do very well with them. They do a lot of 'conditional training', training wearing helmets like the commercial world for example making it all second nature as you progress.
ReplyDeleteI use a GoPro Hero HD (http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-motorsports-hero-camera/). The vehicle pack is the best as it comes with loads of attachments including a suction cup which is rated to 200 mph. I have used the suction cup is strong enough for me to hang from a door frame on and can accept the curve of the 300's interior cockpit! highly recommended. I wish you all the luck with your flying when you start.
Thanks, Yes you are correct the primary flight instructor (Colin) is from Scotland, he's the one with the shaved head on the website pictures, LOL. The scenario based training does seem to be good and the preparation seems to be a lot like my private license for airplanes which I got about 15 years ago and haven't used at all.
ReplyDeleteI have seen the GoPro Hero and may use that one when I start. I am also considering the Contour but the GoPro is less expensive.
Best heliblog- thank you! Helps me with my training! Will pass it around!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I was worried something had happened to you!
ReplyDeleteFantastic to read such a well written account of your exam. I just passed it too and went through the same motions/emotions, but could not narrate as well.
Please keep writing!
Sadly finding the time to blog at the end of flights is proving to be tricky with life pulling me in different directions but yes I'm still around a kicking. Congratulations yourself on passing. Are you the same Anonymous that was going to train with Vertex or are you a different Anonymous? So hard to tell when your Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteEither way did the exam meet your expectations and the instructor/examiner give you a good flight? It can easily make or break an exam depending on the examiner. Hopefully that went well for you. It would be good to hear how you did. I wouldn't say mine is written very well but just tell it as you would say it.
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!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay Aron, because I've had a few things to say I've replied to you on one of the blog posts titled 'A good Question...' . Hope it helps
DeleteI am the anonymous posts of Jan 25th - June 23rd.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Sandra - from Switzerland.
I have learnt more from your blog than all the books read during training apart from one book which I highly recommend to new students : Learning to Fly Helicopters by R. Randall Padfield.
I do not write well but my exam account would have read more or less like yours, here in Switzerland.
For new students I highly recommend investing in a Gopro and filming all your flights with the it, as I have, but only halfway thru as I did not know about the camera before. Also some of the theory courses, if possible. Much money would have been saved, had I done that from the beginning.
The minute I have a bit more time, I will gladly try to write up some impressions of my training, but my situation is different than all of you youngster .-) - as I am 54 - mother of seven and grandmother of four, so perhaps of lesser interest to all of you out there.
Jennifer Murray - "Now Solo" and Dick Smith " Solo around the world" have been my inspiration during this training.
Congratulations on your baby, but...keep writing too please :-)!
Sandra, it's a pleasure to hear your enjoying the blog and yes I'll try my very best to keep blogging and start doing some more training tips in there as well.
ReplyDeleteFantastic to hear about your family. It must be magical at Christmas time if not a little 'busy'. I'd love to hear about any of your flying and anything you can pass on. Be it training, funny stories, sick stories, scary stories or how to cope with flying and a family.
If you have many stories and are happy to write them I'd gladly put a page on the blog specially for them.
Throughout the environment I which I work, there is a never ending amount of things to learn from others. No mater how experienced or novice they are, everyone has something to give and take from stories and other people's mistakes (lessons learnt).
Best of wishes to you and your family and I look forward to hearing about your flying.
Well done on taking your beautiful wife on her first heli flight! What an accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteTo your advice to newcomers I would confirm:
1) Take your time choosing a school. At the first school I went to because it was "nearer", two - not one - instructors told me I would never succeed and that I sould give up the idea of flying at my age. ( My first solo flight AFTER passing the exam was to go and land under their nose and give them a silent and friendly wink .-)
2) Again buy the Gopro: great money saver all around on flying instruction and theory classes.
3) Same for headphones: you will hear the radio better and with less tension on that score, you will be able to relax more during the flight and take in better your instructor's comments.It made all the difference.
On the subject of radio - I would absolutely study the radio as much as possible all the way to the exam BEFORE any flying. You will save a ton of money of flying lessons and eliminate an enormous amount of stress. I wish someone had advised me in that direction and I hear the same comment over and over from other students.
4) Same advice on the theory exams. Do them all before clocking up too many costly flying hours.
Until next time!
Sandra.
Hello Resue Shrek
ReplyDeleteI found your blog by viewing your youtube videos. I've got so many questions I dont know where to begin hope you dont mind. I have always wanted to be a helicopter pilot from as far back as I can remember. I am 30 years old now and am finally in the position where I can afford the training for the PPL, which I am planning to take in June/July. I am aiming to progress onto the CPL and complete my IR, Instructor Training and Night Flying. If I was to pass my training in the Schweitzer 300 cbi would my licence cover various helicopter types i.e. R22, R44, Bell, Agusta, Eurocopter etc or do you have to undertake a seperate test for each individual helicopter and is there a seperate test for the turbine engines as I'm guessing the Shcweitzer, R22 etc are piston engines. If so how many hours per helicopter do you have to do to add the helicopter to your licence? I ask this as I have noticed that all pilot job advertisements are asking for experience for numerous helicopter types. I understand that being a helicopter pilot is probably not the best career option finacially but this doesnt bother me because its all i've ever wanted to do. What are the chances of employment if you only have experience flying only one helicopter for example a R44? Does being an instructor give you a good wage to live comfortably as I have a wife and two kids with another on the way to provide for. I live in Essex but luckily have relatives living in Dorset who have kindly said I can stay there from time to time so am considering using Bournemouth helicopters as my training provider. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate them as I thinking of taking the drive down their for a trial flight? Apologies for all the questions. Its a big commitment and need all the info I can get before laying out all this money. Can wait to do the training though and after watching your videos its made me even more excited about finally taking the plunge. Thanks for posting your videos they have been really helpful.
All The Best
Gary
Hi Gary, Welcome to the blog. I'm really pleased you’ve found it and I hope it proves to be of use, if only to give you a taste of what to expect during your training wherever you decide to do it. Like yourself I have wanted to fly from a young age. Mostly because of Faslane Naval base's annual festival which each year involved a helicopter of some description taking part. My lasting memory is when a bright yellow Wessex came and did a demo then landed for all the kids to have a clamber about.
ReplyDeleteSo down to some question answering. I'll do them in order as best I can and if I cant give a full answer I'll direct you to somewhere to find out.
Your PPL(H) License will cover you for the aircraft you train in. For example the Schweitzer would enable you to fly a Schweitzer. However it would include all models of the airframe for example 269C (marketed as 300C)/300CB or the 300 CBi. This will naturally then cover you for either piston or turbine as it is generally a 'Type' of aircraft that has either engine instead of one 'type' having variants with each engine. For example you won't find a Schweitzer 300 with a piston variant and a turbine variant. The closest however would be the Robinson 44 and 66. The 66 has a turbine so that would logically involve a type rating on that airframe. something to consider for the future is for turbine flying there is a difference in single and twin turbine hours as noted in log books. There are some types that have this difference however that is more than likely a thing for the future and for your future employer to deal with.
In summary the Schweitzer and Robinson 22 are very similar in size and general operation however one license would not cover the other aircraft.
To do a type rating, this is probably the best description of requirements and options for type ratings and dispensations for similar aircraft http://www.london-helicopters.co.uk/PDF/Conversions.pdf .
It is certainly a massive advantage to have multiple type ratings from an employment point of view. It does cause the issue of maintaining competency and currency in them and preventing type specific skills fade. A very serious thing to consider even if you only ever fly one type. Time away from anything will cause skill fade. The longer away from it the more exponentially you tend to loose. If you flew only the R44 there is likely to be opportunities in aerial photography or commuter flights but also with an instructor's rating you would naturally be able to provide that training. It would be difficult for you though as a pilot with multiple ratings would naturally be more favourable to employ. In essence the type ratings are not difficult to achieve with a solid grasp of the science of flight and the skill to fly in the first place but cost is a consideration. From type rating to type rating could mean an increase per hour to hire/train of a few hundred pounds.
DeleteWages for flying - this is a good forum post to have a gander at
http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/163441-how-much-do-helicopter-pilots-earn.html and also this one http://www.justhelicopters.com/
This is another good site for info - http://helicopterforum.verticalreference.com/
Its not the sort of industry where you will instantly have a huge pay packet. It does require experience and qualifications and also a healthy dose of luck with respect to opportunities that come your way or you make for yourself. Not the sort of industry to sit still in and wait for the advances to come to you from what I can gather. But as I've always been told, " what's for you wont go past you" and that has proved true for me and flying and my other jobs. Some call it divine intervention but you have to lead it too.
With flying at Bournemouth Helicopters I can honestly say I would recommend them for their professional but also very friendly approach. A massive bonus when going through the stress of training in such an intense environment. The airspace is class D which is the same as Heathrow and Gatwick so you are getting used to intense communications and advanced protocol for patterns approaches and departures with lots of private and commercial traffic all day every day. Something you would not get from flying out of a coastal or rural airfield where there might not even be a tower. It does break you in early which makes flying to other areas and transiting other airspaces a lot easier. Out of 10 I would give them a rating of 9 purely because there is always room for improvement in any operation. the facilities look a little minimalistic as they are temporary structures and not 'brick built' however they have a couple of classrooms and a briefing/media room. The reception has the comfiest sofas you can sit in. They also have full café facilities with outstanding coffees and a selection of snacks etc. There is also an atmospheric fish tank with a crashed helicopter in it which shows the sense of humour they all have. If you do use them I would recommend where possible to fly at least once a fortnight if not more as it is very easy to let skills slip when you have time away from training. I fell victim to that due to work commitments which was frustrating having to re do exercises to get my hand back into flying again. This will likely be a factor in your choice. If you can afford to do so I would suggest having a trial flight with them and see the facilities and the staff. It will give you the best impression of what to expect and they are more than approachable for questions and guidance. I was lucky enough to have had that opportunity but also the location was perfect for me as I live in Poole.
Well I wish you the best of luck in finding the right provider for your training and that you manage to get on swiftly with your training. If there is anything I can help with don't hesitate to send a message.
Hello Trek!
ReplyDeleteWhat awesome music have you used for flight 73 - solo - building hours?
It's brilliant and I would like to use it for my videos as well .-)
Sandra (From CH)