preparing for training

[rangerbass]

hello, thaks for welcoming me to the comunity.

 

i've got the bug to get a private then a comercial pilot license. i am 29 years old. thing is it will be a year (or two) before i can get enough money to start, how far can i go in the mean time, ie.

 

-what to read? ::potty::

-windows based simulators a good idea or just a fun game?::rotorhead::

-any good math subjects to brush up on? (or take courses?)

-any thing else to be done in mean time?

 

 

so as to be in the best possible situation time comes to start.

 

i have enjoyed this forum for a while now, only as a reader, thank you to all the experienced guys and gals out there giving us some good advice, and sharing the knowledge.

 

 

::thanks::  rangerbass

[gmsemel]

The FAA's Helicopter Handbook is a good start, I like the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, its more airplane based but most of it will apply to helicopters as well. Then there is the FAR/AIM.  As for PC based simulators like MS Flight and the Like, I would not bother with it. Now there is computer prep ware for the written tests. Those are worth while. There is no reason why you can't study for the writtens while you are saving money for the flying. You indicated that its going to take 2 years or so, well, there is nothing that says you can't do the writtens. You could do a ground instructor certificate, all you need to do is take and pass a couple of written exams, Basic Advanced and Intrument and you could teach ground school, depending were you are, you could pick up some extra money or flight time. The only thing is that a written will expire 24 months after you take it, so plan a little. As for the ground instructor, once you pass the written you go to the FSDO with the test result and they will issue you a certificate on the spot. Get the Basic first, then do Advance so you can teach commercial ground school, and then Instrument. They are pretty much what a private commercial and intrument writtens will be like.

[rangerbass]

thanks gmsemel, i wouldnt have thought one could do just ground AND get a certificate, or even teach by itself... some good info... good flying.

 

rangerbass ::bowdown::

[gmsemel]

You are welcome.

[mechanic]

Hi Rangerbass,

 

 There are a lot of views of using MS Flight Sim. I personnally have used it and it has helped me more than I can say because I can't train every week most of the time. It helps me keep my motor skills alittle less rusty. There are several reviews, mostly in favor of using Flight Sim or Xplane on the AOPA website. But, that is fixed wing flying. I have pedals and a modified joystick. I removed the centering spring from the stick so I don't have a center reference, its loose everywhere. If I let go, the stick will lean over to one side or the other.

 

My vote is, if you already have a computer that will run FS or Xplane then get the Sim software. I use MS FS 02'. I have a lot of heli models downloaded. I have a R22 downloaded since the 02" ver. does not come with a R22. I started teaching myself how to fly on the sim. I started by setting the pilot view to outside only. That will hide the instruments from sight but give the illusion of looking over the panel. Another trick was adding my headphones to hear the engine and rotor blades. Also I would wait till my family went to bed and turn out the lights in the room so I could focus on the monitor better. I have a friend who said he blacks out the room, too. The dark room keeps you focused and watching for horizon changes.

 

AOPA is a good resource for new pilots. They have a flight training mag and online forums and etc, etc.... This is just a small sample of the archives section. The Game Face ariticle I thought was very interesting. I could not fly to commercial standards but could hover with all 3 controls at 1.5 hrs. I have heard others have hovered with all 3 controls with less, but hey, thats ok. I was just glad because my instructor said it took them 10 hrs to do what I was doing. I felt like I had a head start on my motor skills and thought procress training by using the 29.99 MS FS for about 80 hrs prior to getting into the real thing.

 

AOPA Thinking inside the Box

 

AOPA In Training

 

AOPA Putting on Your Game Face

 

Regards.

[AdamSTL]

I'm afraid I have very little time in real helicopters so I cant say for sure but I can tell you that I put a lot of time in to Flightsims using a twistgrip joystick and when I took my first flight a month ago the instructor turned the Cyclic over to me and I was able to hover it within a few feet of a point - I think it might have been easier than more realistic sims because of the extra sensory information. The instructor was pretty impressed but I told him that as soon as I had to deal with yaw I was going to be in trouble. Sure enough - the rudder was totally foreign to me since all my time was with a twist joystick. It was so distracting that I had a much harder time managing Cyclic. The Collective was the same story but in a 5 foot hover a lack of skill with the "lever" was not as noticeable. When I came home and hooked up the pedals from my Racing wheel (I know that its not the same but it really does get your brain familiar with the basic movement required) the same thing happened. A completely different language and it was so distracting that hovering in a sim I could fly in my sleep was very difficult.

 

I built a rudimentary collective out of the Wheel that had to be connected for the pedals to work anyhow. Again - not very realistic but I'm pretty sure it familiarizes you're body with how it needs to move to get a particular reaction. Again it was very foreign to me and it took an hour or so to become at all proficient with it.

 

When I went in and the Instructor asked if I had any experience I told him no but I've got quite a bit of time in simulators - he almost groaned. And I've noticed a lot of people really don't think simulators (Specifically Windows Sims) do any good. I assume this is because they've never tried them or played more arcade style games. They certainly aren't a replacement for a real helicopter and in particular, MSF2004's flight model really falls apart when you go very far beyond straight and level flight.(Plus the 206 flight model is awful - don’t bother, but the Robinson seems workable.) I can say this: When we came back in and someone asked how I did, The instructor had good things to say and mentioned that I had quite a bit of time in a Flight simulator.

 

I still think that any time in an even remotely realistic sim is invaluable for first timers. The environment is so stress free you can experiment and familiarize you're brain with the motor skills required even if the controls don't feel exactly right, Crashes are a non issue and I can’t imagine that you can learn the basics as quickly in the real thing. I feel sorry for any would-be student in this day and age who passes up the nearly free experience PC-flightsims offer.

[delorean]

On the ground instructor topic......you do not need to get the Basic first, just take the Advanced and save yourself the $80.  They're out of the exact same question bank and the same amount of questions.  The instrument is out of the same test bank as all the pilot questions......so take it, the roto/IFR and the CFII-R all at the same time.

[rangerbass]

thanks to the new replys,

*how's about some titles or wher to get some of the prepware for the writtens;

*to take the writtens must i go through some actual ground school time? im guessing yes but not shure;

*cant figure out FSDO stands for,(i know ot to bright of me)

*those who think SIM's are a good idea; have any sugestions other than microsoft?

 

thanks...

[AdamSTL]

"Search & Rescuse 4 - Costal Hereos"is a fun one. The flight model is alright. Autorotations are possible but not very realistic because TLE does not appear to be there. Worth picking up because it really is a fun game. X-plane 8 is supposedly the most advanced physics based Sim readily available to the average PC user. The graphics are awful. So bad that low altitude flight is very difficult because the blob of green and brown under you looks the same at 5 feet or 50. I'm afraid those two and MSFS round out the relatively realistc sims I'm aware of. Helicopters in BattleField 2 (PC version, not Modern Combat) Have Cyclic, Collective & Rudder but the simulation is quite dumbed down (No Torque, No TLE, Radial movement about the Z-axis is dampened quite a bit so that hovering is pretty easy and the list goes on.) still, far and away the majority of my time has been spent in BF2 and even though most of your inputs are grossly exagerated compared to how you will handle the controls in a R22 I still feel it was productive.

 

I have yet to see a sim that could produce a vortex-ring state - It seems like X-Plane should do it but I never produced one - I wonder if FAA training sims do? Considering how many incidents of settling with power you see I sure would like to get some experience with the condition without risking life and limb.