What is your best flying moment?

[FauxZ]

I can't say that I've had a "best" moment, so far they are all great (400+ish hours). However, it did feel pretty good the first time a student did a hover auto without me having to touch the controls. I still laugh a little bit each time that happens.

[DakarNick]

Wow, more than a year old...

 

Anyway. Let's see, I have been in 2 different helicopters, 2 different times.

 

My first memorable was of course cyclic and pedal hovering on my intro flight with Clay. He was calm and relaxed and made me feel comfortable.

 

The 2nd, and only other time, was when I flew back seat in a TwinStar. It was a charter flight to fly some politicians around to look at the new reservoir outside of town. They had a meeting at the museum I work at (maintenance). I was in charge of clearing the parking lot and getting the landing zone prepped.

 

After a few flights of ferrying some guys around, there was only two passengers, so the events girl and I both got a free ride on their last flight over the reservoir.

 

Pretty cool! I am sure I will have more stories in the years to come!

[Dreamin of a Commuter 2B]

<font color='#000000'>my best/favorite moment was 31 yrs ago at the tender age of 15 when i strapped into a bell 47 on the canadian side of niagara falls... i still remember as we came light on the skids... awesome.. :cool:</font>

that where I got my first Helicopter ride also, in an Bell-47 I was 8 years olds and still have the pic of it.

 

if I could figure out how to post a pic I would attache it.

 

best was first time I was at the controls of a B model hughes hovering in feild and a gust of wind put us in TL ,the helicopter climbed back and to the right.and I made the right control inputs to regain a steady hover at about 30 feet up,the instructors looks over at me laughing and says what are you doing up here.and I said you tell me.

 

he then says, rememer you where asking what the helicopter does when it transistions? and goes on to explian that you don't have to be moveing forward to enter TL.

 

made me feel good that first time at the controls I was able to recover from the unexpected.

 

Coolest flight,was helping a guy with rides at an airshow, some airshow people knew i had experance around helicopters so I got drafted to load and unload passengers.now heres wher it gets fun. for some reason that year they bused people to and from the airshow from a local high school 3 miles away. anyway after the flights the last bus had already left so me and another guy helping where stranded at the airport.

the guy flying the R-44 flew us in to a grass feild at the high school parking lot and dropped us off.he did a high speed approuch with a quick stop. did a hovering 180 set down 50 feet from my car.let us out and then departed. beats the Bus ride anyday.

Edited January 26, 2009 by Dreamin of a Commuter 2B

[West Coaster]

Just a few favorites off the top of my head:

- Humming along in an S76 at 211 kts ground speed and 500' off the water, wee bit of a tail wind.

- first scene call flying air ambulance.

- chasing black bears in an R22 during CPL training

- first time someone paid me to fly something (right seat co-jo in S61-N on ferry flight)

- first time I was cut loose in the S76 alone on a ferry flight

- getting to fly a European King around in a 206L. that flight coincided with my first bird strike.... with HRH onboard

- impromtu formation flying with another S76 air ambulance

[CFIAP5544]

Flying over the Northern Cali Coast jamming to tunes cruising over dolphins and whales!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MN Heli Flyer]

The first real memorable flight was on a dual cross country at night. We flew over downtown Minneapolis near the tall buildings and I remember how bright the lights were.

 

The second most memorable experience I had was when I went to the RHC course. I did some extra flying while I was in town and we did a night landing at LAX on the heli pad. On another flight we flew along the coast for a while as the sun was setting. This was the first time I have seen the ocean. It was a GREAT TIME!!

[helipilotm]

The first was when I soloed. I was so nervous that I dont remember taking off. I had just turned downwind and looked over and saw how big the 22 seemed without a CFI sitting there.

 

The second is when I had my first student solo. We entered the pattern at out local airport and did a few approaches. I decided it was time so I grabbed the hand held and hopped out. I looked over at my student and the look on his face was pricless.

 

I had just finished up instructing for the day and was getting ready to go home. We had a 205 in our hangar and one of the pilots walked in and asked who wanted to go with him to ferry it to NM from Ut. I said I would love to and he said to get my stuff and lets get moving. We got in and he started it he told me I would be flying the whole way. We landed in NM and he told me I did a great job. This was coming from a guy who had 10K+. That was a big boost of confidence for me.

 

The last one was when I got turned lose in the 206L.

[06HeliMAN]

A little while ago when in Philadelphia Mississippi as a new private pilot on a 250 nm cross country flying patterns when six AH64s joined me in the pattern. After we all had landed, the pilots of these Apaches piled around my little Robinson just mesmerized at its small size.

[Ryan CFI]

I have only been flying a couple years, and it is already impossible to pick one moment.

 

My first solo would obviously be up there. My CFI weighed 220lbs, so the little 22 was a whole different ship with him gone. Must of spent 3 minutes light on the skids before I got the courage to lift off.

 

Even better than that was when I sent my first student solo. He had never recieved instruction from anyone but me. When I decided to hop out he had 21 hours and I knew he was ready. I had my handheld in hand and found a spot in the shade to relax. I sat there for about 30 minutes watching his flight, listening to his radio calls, knowing that I was the one who taught him how to do it. It was such a rewarding feeling, and I get it each and every time someone solo's or passes a checkride. It is my favorite aspect of instructing, hands down.

 

Perhaps my best flight was taking my father up. A man of little praise to begin with, he wasn't exactly supportive of my crazy idea to become a helicopter pilot. Tried to talk me out of it more times than I can recall. I had my CPL and was working towards my CFI and decided to rent a R-22 and take a few people up. First on my list was the grumpy old man himself. We flew from Punta Gorda down to Everglades City to eat lunch at a resturant he always talked about going to in the 1970's. We followed the beach south and he really seemed to enjoy himself, although he said little.

 

After lunch we headed back to Punta Gorda. The winds had picked up and we had a 25knot headwind with gusts in the upper 30's. My father never shows fear, but I could tell he wasn't 100% confident in the tiny helicopters ability to handle the conditions, not to mention the 200 hour pilot next to him. I had actually flown in worse winds and wasn't bothered by it at all. We landed back at Punta Gorda and as I was wrapping the ship up for the night he patted me on the shoulder and said, "You are one hell of a pilot, and now I know why you love flying these damn things so much." Without doubt the biggest compliment and most praise I have ever got out of him. Ever since that day he brags to anyone that will listen about his son being a helicopter pilot. (Even though I'm still a R-22 CFI, lol)

 

Those would probably be my best moments. However the little things like watching the sun rise while flying over the Everglades, taking the foggles of on an ILS approach and being lined up right in front of the runway, or nailing a full touchdown auto are all pretty wonderful. All reasons why I love flying "these damn things".

[SBuzzkill]

Chasing a wild pig through a field under NVGs hanging out the door of a 58D.

 

Or the first time shooting the .50 cal and rockets.

Edited July 10, 2011 by SBuzzkill

[Fred0311]

When I was about 10 my dad took me on a helicopter ride in a 300 at the airshow in stuart FL. We went up with the doors off and I sat on the outboard seat. I was exhilerated and terrified. I also knew when I landed I was going to fly helicopters. He had already exposed me to fix wing and I knew I'd have a career in aviation, but that ride showed me how much more fun helicopters were. The flight out of our area of operations in afgahnistan was a close second.

[gary-mike]

Not many to choose from but the best (in a helicopter) so far is when I took an Intro flt in an R44 with Mark at CHO. The weather was trying to move in but we got a window at just the right time. Mark let me fly everything after departure except final aproach, taxi, back to the hangar, and the landing. My confidence was boosted by his compliments and suggestions that had me flying a patern and holding a hover for at least a few seconds. It also helped that we were in a R44 which seemed alot more forgiving than the R22 I had previously done an Intro in. I walked away with a smile I could not get rid of for days.

 

One of My scariest moments was my first intro flight (the one in the R22 mentioned above). The pilot was alot more quiet and less informative. Probably because he was scared out of his mind and busy trying to correct my inputs. I'm talking about the part when I was allowed to "attempt" to hover. I thought I was going to kill us both and so did my wife that was filming it. Although scary and very un-graceful that was the flight that got me addicted.

 

Not related to this post (it was in a fw) my best flight ever was in an F-16D over Alaska. I got the controls for about 50% of the flight and did barrel rolls, a loop, high G turns and we broke the sound barrier. I still have my tie tack from lockheed showing I have experienced 9 G's.

 

All great times, can't wait for the next one.

[MileHi480B]

My best flying moment ... When I got enough confidence and ability to take my little boy for a ride

 

 

(P. S. My definition of "enough" is when I really felt and showed my instructor mutiple times that he could pull power and choose a specific spot ... and I could "auto" to it. Instead of "theoretical autos" with a countdown at the end of a long paved runway.)

 

What a great feeling to know your machine and to be cautiously optimistic about engine-outs without being overly confident. A delicate balance for sure!

[gary-mike]

My best flying moment ... When I got enough confidence and ability to take my little boy for a ride

 

Can't wait to do the same and the opposite, maybe make it a guys day out with my 2 boys and my dad. When that day comes I'm sure it will be on the top of my list.

[Praetor]

Great stories, everyone...made a great read for a slow morning at work

 

Best memories flying...

 

Taking a tour in an FH-1100 over Cowboy's Stadium with my girlfriend the day before the Super Bowl(pilot knew I had experience and let me sit left seat).

 

My first 2.5 hour solo in a Schweizer 300, flew to two other airports and back in pretty soupy weather, and absolutely loved it.

 

And probably the most memorable:

Practicing off-site landings with a substitute instructor who was former Army infantry, pretty laid-back guy...after an hour or so, he could tell that I was getting a bit stressed and fatigued and said, "Let's take a break- take us southwest," and brought me to the north side of a nearby lake where a 30-40ft wide, tree-lined river snaked into it. He had me drop us down just under the treetop line(about 30 feet off the water) and with only a little help let me snake my way down that river at 60-70K for about 5 minutes(seemed like 20), with the trees just a few feet away on either side of the rotors. Occasionally the bend would be a little tight and I would have to climb out of it then dive back into it and attack the next turn. Most fun I've ever had in my entire life. Looking back on it a year or so later I can barely believe it happened. When we pulled out of the river and headed back to the airport, he reminded me, "Never let flying feel like anything but fun." It's the memory of that flight that motivates me to keep fighting the bureaucracy to get into WOFT, lol.

[Mikemv]

Best moment may have been landing on the 50 yard line in the Orange Bowl in Miami after a Monday Night Football game to pick up my friend Walt and his GF to take them and drop them at the Rusty Pelican a little after midnight.

 

Or, it could have been the green tracer rounds passing by the front windscreen in the UH1 and not making contact back in SE Asia in 1968-9.

 

Or having Liz Taylor, Cathy Rigby, Lynn Swan, Raymond Floyd as passengers on a few flights.

 

Or sneaking up on the Aegis series cruiser USS Ticonderoga after passing over the Russian sub that was monitoring their activity to the NE of Puerto Rico in 1981 and requesting a green deck for landing.

 

Nah, it was not any of those!

 

It was the 1,000+ touchdown autos, done one by one over the years mixed in with other EPs.

 

I am confused as now I think it was flying a Mi2 about 150 miles into the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula in Russia.

 

Nope, must have been flying an AS350 in New Zealand.

 

Heck, obviously do not know which was best.

 

Was probably flying a S300 at KBJC August 17th with Mark Landers. DA about 7,500' or so. Best part was, it was his 30th birthday a few days prior and he asked me when was the last time I flew the S300. My answer was 31 years ago.

 

Actually, remembering that every day, every flight is the "Real World", training or beyond and we should all appreciate life and be safe.

 

Sorry to be messin' with you all but I could not resist as it was harmless.

 

See you at Heli Success in Las Vegas,

 

Best Wishes,

 

Mike

[gary-mike]

Wow, you have definately had alot of fun Mike.

 

The closest to any of them flights that I have done is I also flew with Mark Landers, it was in the R44 though (S300 was being fussy that morning).

[SBuzzkill]

Best moment may have been landing on the 50 yard line in the Orange Bowl in Miami after a Monday Night Football game to pick up my friend Walt and his GF to take them and drop them at the Rusty Pelican a little after midnight.

 

Or, it could have been the green tracer rounds passing by the front windscreen in the UH1 and not making contact back in SE Asia in 1968-9.

 

Or having Liz Taylor, Cathy Rigby, Lynn Swan, Raymond Floyd as passengers on a few flights.

 

Or sneaking up on the Aegis series cruiser USS Ticonderoga after passing over the Russian sub that was monitoring their activity to the NE of Puerto Rico in 1981 and requesting a green deck for landing.

 

Nah, it was not any of those!

 

It was the 1,000+ touchdown autos, done one by one over the years mixed in with other EPs.

 

I am confused as now I think it was flying a Mi2 about 150 miles into the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula in Russia.

 

Nope, must have been flying an AS350 in New Zealand.

 

Heck, obviously do not know which was best.

 

Was probably flying a S300 at KBJC August 17th with Mark Landers. DA about 7,500' or so. Best part was, it was his 30th birthday a few days prior and he asked me when was the last time I flew the S300. My answer was 31 years ago.

 

Actually, remembering that every day, every flight is the "Real World", training or beyond and we should all appreciate life and be safe.

 

Sorry to be messin' with you all but I could not resist as it was harmless.

 

See you at Heli Success in Las Vegas,

 

Best Wishes,

 

Mike

 

Is your book published yet?

[JACourtney]

My flight instructor taught me to hover by chasing a bunny around a field.

[SBuzzkill]

Nice! We used to smash ant hills

[aeroscout]

A Champagne low level has to rate pretty high.

[silvrado17]

Favorite moments....

 

#1. The point I level off after takeoff & smile for getting paid to to this...

 

#2. Getting out of the helo after a flight & seeing bystanders enviously watching me...

[aeroscout]

My best would have to be the day I lead a 4 plane formation flight for a bombing, and strafing training flight. We were on detachment to El Centro Ca. Otherwise known as El Sweato. There are four bomb ranges close by, Shatetree, Loom Lobby, Inky Barley, and Kitty Baggage. As I recall we were at Shadetree. Our formation of 4 A4-J skyhawks in the high 30 degree dive bomb pattern performed well. When it was time for the 10 degree strafe low pattern, I remember transitioning like I was on rails, and zenning into having all the pattern parameters perfect. As I rolled out into my first dive, cleared the range, and selected master arm hot, I remember I was right on all the numbers, when I reached firing altitude, the gunsight pipper was right on the bullseye as I squeezed the trigger of the 20mm cannon, and it fired, but jammed after the first round, which was common. But as I began the pullout, I distinctly saw the vapor trail of the bullet, and it arced ever so perfectly right into the center of the bullseye. I still get a great sense of satisfaction when I think about that moment. Now if you want my rotary best moment, I shall have to think a lot about that, but I'm sure I don't have an experience in rotary as comparable.

[SBuzzkill]

I've got one.

 

Back in May flying at the range. Beautiful night, probably 80 degrees, doors off, very comfortable. It was my turn to be in the right seat as the shooter that night, and it was pretty quiet out at the range since it was only us (no Apaches out there, just 5 of our Kiowas). Flew a perfect approach into the FARP, loaded 7 rockets and 400 rounds of API/APIT into the .50 cal, and took off for a dive fire lane.

 

Flew a practice lap to get a feel for the lane. Good illumination that night made it easy to find my turn points, and we came back around. Bumped up during my turn inbound, couldn't see my targets until we got over a ridge line and then there they were. Picked a spot in the windscreen where I felt the rounds would hit, armed, and hit the trigger. The rounds were landing probably 10m short, so I adjusted them up and saw the sparks start to fly. I held it there and nailed the hell out of the APC target, sparks flying everywhere. It was the best group I have ever shot.

 

The rest of the night was fun but I couldn't compare to that first run. Either way, 3 hours, 21 rockets, 800 rounds of .50 cal... It was a good night.

[enstromstudent]

mine will happen in two days when I take my first solo flight. Although that day when hovering finally became easy was quit enjoyable...