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There is some good learning to be had sitting in your car, or chair at home. A flashlight was my collective and the stick shift was my cyclic......visualization creates muscle memory. How many cops have turned out the lights and sat in a dark room drawing their weapon? Probably everybody. It teaches you where the weapon is on your belt, how to undo the strap without looking down (taking eyes off target), drawing, release safety, come up on target and squeeze...then put it away without looking down.

 

Same thing when chair flying, just visualize an approach. Plan when you start adding power that the nose is going to rise and you need some forward cyclic and of course some added pedal. There are lots of tricks like that one you can use to improve your skills.....but bottom line, this is not training that you want to rush. Don't push yourself and expect a flight test at 40 hours....expect it when you are ready for it....and the best judge of that is your CFI.

 

When you have 2000 hours, no one really cares if you solo'd at 20, 40 or 50 hours so relax.

 

If you have any radio comm issues, listen to atc.net of the airports in your area and get familiar with the conversations.

 

Good luck, fly safe.

 

Goldy

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When you have 2000 hours, no one really cares if you solo'd at 20, 40 or 50 hours so relax.

 

 

Yeah, but if you only have 500hrs?,...well they still couldn't give a sh*t! :lol:

 

I never did the arm chair thing (too restless to sit in one place I guess). I used to pace around the living room as if I were in the pattern, walking (excuse the pun) myself through the various steps. Still do sometimes to help review autos for check flights and BFRs.

:)

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"wants to fly"

I have to say your idea of building a wood mock up of an R22 could be an issue. You are not developing any sort of skill, what you are doing in engraining a mechanical muscle memory response. In real life, your response has to be relative to the flight envelope you are in. At your level of experience, I would seriously caution you on developing your own training aids and self teaching at home at this point. The ol' "Law of Primacy" comes in. If you mistakenly teach yourself something, it could really set you back. There have been a couple things along the way where I was taught wrong by an instructor who was doing his best... but was wrong. Even today, after I know the right way, that initial wrong lesson 10-15yrs ago still flashes through my mind even if just for a second.

Edited by Flying Pig
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No question the chair flying has helped....I am more confident in the movements required. No its not exact but helpful nonetheless. Flying Pig, I hear what you are saying, my golf game is a direct result of what you posted. I have learned however, not to practice anything incorrectly. I am not saying I execute perfectly, I just make sure that I know exactly what it is I am supposed to be doing before I practice it.

 

As far as testing at 40 hours or 80 hours. I don't care who knows when I tested, I have no ego in that regard. I just want to be good at what I do, and like most, have a limited bank account to work with...Now if you will accept my leave, my chair is begging me to take it for a flight.

 

Be safe y'all

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ADVICE

 

When I was training I practiced on with my HIND 24 video game with the flying setting on realistic. I know it helped ME. My best training day was after a strong cup of coffee. I don't drink it so the caffeine really focused me.

 

I had the best instructor as well. He was fun to fly with. Made machine gun noises while I flew low level along a water way. Aren't we all wannabe gunship pilots.

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ADVICE

 

When I was training I practiced on with my HIND 24 video game with the flying setting on realistic. I know it helped ME. My best training day was after a strong cup of coffee. I don't drink it so the caffeine really focused me.

 

I had the best instructor as well. He was fun to fly with. Made machine gun noises while I flew low level along a water way. Aren't we all wannabe gunship pilots.

You just gave me an awesome idea. Doors off....middle of nowhere...paintball gun! What could go wrong? Edited by Curyfury
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I had the best instructor as well. He was fun to fly with. Made machine gun noises while I flew low level along a water way. Aren't we all wannabe gunship pilots.

Yeah, and bomb dropping noises when flying over bridges! Its fun to loosen up every so often. :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Now if I can only get the hang of autorotations... and consistently too far aft with cyclic adding to the problem of increased rpm in the first place.

I have never pulled aft cyclic during an auto entry for that very reason. Pretty much just one second after lowering the collective it needs to be raised a bit.

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I remember at the beginning of my training saying "eyes outside, entering auto now," back then I would say that then immediately look at the tachometers and fixate on them.

The whole idea of the cyclic part of down collective-right pedal-aft cyclic-wrist uncomfortable is to keep the ship level, and the best way to do that is to reference the horizon.

Whatever reference you use for cruise flight try to keep that on the horizon during entry, that is all the aft cyclic you need to put in.

A couple of tips:

1 The smoother the entry the easier the rest of the auto will be- if you are already in a descent, even only 100fpm, it will make the entry smoother.

2. RPMs follow the nose- this is more important in 180's, if the RPMs are climbing you are probably pitching up/slowing down/ pulling aft cyclic and vice versa

3. When you're checking outside/airspeed/RPM say what you see, this will keep your scan going so you don't fixate and help your instructor know what you are missing.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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  • 2 months later...

I have not posted here for a while so here is the update. I still have not taken my check ride....If anything I have learned things in aviation do not always go as planned....lmao. Have had weather issues, mechanical problems, my instructor left for a better gig. Just to name a few. I am pretty dialed in for the oral part of my check ride according to my current instructor. I have a final flight with a different instructor scheduled next week, because my instructor would like to be sure he has not missed any issues with my flying. Hopefully by Thanksgiving I will be working on my Instrument rating.

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  • 1 year later...

Well, after a what seems a long time and a lot of work, here is the latest update. I am now a CFI and tour pilot for the same company I trained at. I read through this post just now after quite some time and had a lot of fun doing so. Again I have to say thanks to those of you that had offered up tips along the way.

 

 

Be safe all.

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Congratulations! All the hard work pays off- now you got your license to learn;) Soon you'll be able to attach names to the Aviation Instructor's Handbook! Now the real fun begins- getting paid to do what you love. Stay humble and don't stop learning as you progress in your career.

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