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First lesson today!!


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Well that's definitely a good lesson learned and you did the right thing in setting her down.

 

I used to fly to an uncontrolled airport all the time and the closest weather information was almost NEVER correct for that airport. As you learned, trust the windsocks (and your instinct)! :D

 

"Better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than in the air wishing you were on the ground."

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A beautiful day in the air today! The winds were <3 kts for the first 1/2 of my time and steady 9 kts for the rest. With these nice moderate winds, full 360 turns were pretty easy and I could practice everything comfortably. Max performance takeoffs, air taxi, quick stops, hovers, turns, set downs, got 10 minutes of governor off hovering with a couple of turns, governor back on for steep and normal approaches and another quick run to another airport before quiting time. Got in 1.5 solo today! The governor off is interesting as the throttle really wants to increase. Keeping it in the middle of the green keeps you glancing at the tach. I'm wondering what the Schw 300 and the Brantly are like without governors. Being alone, the R22 is a fast elevator in a MPT as compared to a MPT with two adults (slow escalator?)!

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Max performance takeoffs, air taxi, quick stops, hovers, turns, set downs, got 10 minutes of governor off hovering with a couple of turns, governor back on for steep and normal approaches and another quick run to another airport before quiting time. Got in 1.5 solo today! The governor off is interesting as the throttle really wants to increase. Keeping it in the middle of the green keeps you glancing at the tach. I'm wondering what the Schw 300 and the Brantly are like without governors. Being alone, the R22 is a fast elevator in a MPT as compared to a MPT with two adults (slow escalator?)!

 

Whoa Wannabe: Please tell me you were not doing Gov-Off flying SOLO? Not okay. Also, dont know what your school policies are but usually solo rapid decelerrations are not approved and neither are solo MPT's. They are much unnecessary risk and especially for low time pilots with little experience solo. I dont know if you did this ALL alone but please ask your instructor if these maneuvers are approved...if you are not a rated pilot....you are flying on your CFI's ticket. Just trying to look out for you man!

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I'm wondering what the Schw 300 and the Brantly are like without governors.

 

The 22 has a very narrow band of green rotor RPM. Other ships, like the 300, have a much broader range...so a lil easier to keep it somewhere in the green. You can really appreciate the 22 governor and how effective it is...

 

Likewise, I assume you were doing those manuevers with your CFI ?

 

Good luck, fly safe,

 

Goldy

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Everything I practice solo I have been approved to practice solo.

 

The quick stops we do are of the variety that are normal takeoff to 50' and 50 kts, keeping the elevation the same and then decelerating smoothly to just under 30 knots again still at 50' and then decend at the angle and rate used for a steep approach. A very mild QS.

Edited by Wannabe1
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The quick stops we do are of the variety that are normal takeoff to 50' and 50 kts, keeping the elevation the same and then decelerating smoothly to just under 30 knots again still at 50' and then decend at the angle and rate used for a steep approach. A very mild QS.

 

50ft/ 50 kts to a steep approach is a normal training rapid decel, still not a maneuver that one should perform at low hours on solo flight. You did mention in your last post that you were aware of the difference in climb in a solo MPT. One should never be taking off out of the HV diagram if not necessary for instructional purposes especially while solo. The Max Performance Take-Off, Rapid Decel, Running TO/Running landing,slope landings, pinnacles and confined area landings and Autorotations are all maneuvers that should be practiced with CFI on board.( Unless for some reason your school policies are different) I hope you understand that my intention is to keep you out of trouble here. Fly Safe!

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The boss cut me loose yesterday on a nice three stop X-country (one leg must be over 25 miles). One airport was a class D (towered) airport where I got in three touch and goes from the pattern (required to get licensed). It took me longer to do the flight planning than to do the flight. Then on the flight, I didn't use the flight planning, I used my knee pad cheat sheet, the Class D airport info page, looking out the window with local knowledge and the GPS. Talking to most actual pilots, it seems most just "follow the blue line" on their GPS. I guess I appreciated the pre thinking about the route and the checkpoints, and I DID notice the checkpoints as I went past them so maybe... My OTHER boss came along to the airport and snapped some pictures of me which was kinda neat. Us student pilots cut quite a dashing picture in our machines ya know. We are planning to do some night flying this week if weather permits. I'm thinking that will be an unnatural thing to be doing.

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50ft/ 50 kts to a steep approach is a normal training rapid decel, still not a maneuver that one should perform at low hours on solo flight. You did mention in your last post that you were aware of the difference in climb in a solo MPT. One should never be taking off out of the HV diagram if not necessary for instructional purposes especially while solo. The Max Performance Take-Off, Rapid Decel, Running TO/Running landing,slope landings, pinnacles and confined area landings and Autorotations are all maneuvers that should be practiced with CFI on board.( Unless for some reason your school policies are different) I hope you understand that my intention is to keep you out of trouble here. Fly Safe!

I'd like to get some more discussion about this. Personally I have always felt the quick stop is a perfectly acceptable manuever for a qualified student to practice solo. Same is true for "simulated" max performance t/o's, running landings and steep approaches. I'm not saying from the 1st solo but at some point if the student has progressed enough you aren't doing them any favors by limiting them to standard patterns.

Governor off stuff, while it probably gets neglected more than it should I wouldn't be comfortable with in a solo situation, same with pinnacles and confined areas and of course autos. Curious what the general consensus is on this. Ultimately of course it comes down to the comfort level of the individual CFI and obviously this guy is pretty comfortable. Not saying I totally agree...

Wannabe, keep up the good work, be careful out there and keep on posting!

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The boss cut me loose yesterday on a nice three stop X-country (one leg must be over 25 miles). One airport was a class D (towered) airport where I got in three touch and goes from the pattern (required to get licensed). It took me longer to do the flight planning than to do the flight. Then on the flight, I didn't use the flight planning, I used my knee pad cheat sheet, the Class D airport info page, looking out the window with local knowledge and the GPS. Talking to most actual pilots, it seems most just "follow the blue line" on their GPS. I guess I appreciated the pre thinking about the route and the checkpoints, and I DID notice the checkpoints as I went past them so maybe... My OTHER boss came along to the airport and snapped some pictures of me which was kinda neat. Us student pilots cut quite a dashing picture in our machines ya know. We are planning to do some night flying this week if weather permits. I'm thinking that will be an unnatural thing to be doing.

 

 

Sounds like a very fun time! Can you post the pics to share with us?

 

As far as the flight plan, I like the GPS better too. However, it's always good to have a backup in case the GPS fails or has incorrect information. ;)

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Though i've only had my private license since November, when I was doing my training, we rarely used the GPS. For sure, the GPS was a good tool to use for rechecking things, but I like the idea of not training until the very end of the training with it. Glad I learned to fly without it, because I had the stupid thing stop working on my first cross country solo!

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Well... glad you asked! I included a shot of me in the Safari from this past July at Oshkosh. I'm hoping the wife allows me to build this bird.

 

BTW Last week the snow was gone enough that we did landings on slopes. Not as traumatic as I was expecting.

 

 

 

 

Sounds like a very fun time! Can you post the pics to share with us?

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Edited by Wannabe1
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Hello All!

 

Been busy so I haven’t reported in much.

 

This past week the boss was tied up so I managed to sneak in a nice long second cross country for the practice of it. I managed to get all my night flying done in two nights while there was a FULL MOON! Highly recommended! We practiced five straight in autos to the runway that first night. I kept wanting to finish too high. This past week I asked the boss to show me a pinnacle landing and a confined area landing and take offs. He did and then he had me do them. We practiced 180 autos and side slopes again. I asked to practice a few Hovering Autos because I sucked at them the last time we did them. This time it went much better. A little bounce, but gentle landings with good heading control. It was a BIG hurdle for me. Even though Robinson reports zero to none engine outs at Hover, we practice and get tested on the thing. So far, think straight and level, S turns, circles around a point, a variety of different kinds of hovering, take offs, approaches, landings, patterns, Max performance take offs, air taxis and quick stops (remember that quick stops are not what most of the higher time pilots do and you see on TV, it is a straight and level slow down and then a decent at a steep approach), navigation, X-countries, straight in and 180 degree autorotations, awareness of settling with power practice, and a bunch of things that aren’t popping into my mind at this second.

 

The good news for me is the boss said I can take my check ride in the next week or so, whenever he can get an examiner to come out. My biggest fear isn’t any part of the flying, it is the oral testing. I HATE written and oral testing and am expecting trick questions and worse to go brain dead on some stupid acronym.

 

Best Regards,

Tom

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello Forum!

 

Just back from my checkride. Passed!

 

Yesterday was stressful worring about today; today was worse. After 2-3 hours of oral (can't say for sure, it kinda blurred), we did everything in the PTS, a 180, straight-in, engine failure, hovering auto, run on landing, confined, pinnicle, normal, steep, everything. Through out the DPE is asking questions about this or that. About 2 minutes after getting airborne off goes the GPS, a few minutes later he turns on the clutch light and leaves it on. Dang! We fly toward a landing spot after I pull the circuit breaker (how did he turn that light on without pulling the breaker?). Oops now comes an engine failure. Then after the diversion, off goes the governor and we do a pattern and landing with it off at a nearby airport. I'm still trying to rehydrate, the sweat was rolling off (just like in the movie Airplane!), must have been pretty funny to the DPE. A few miles from the home airport he turns the GPS back on and tells me to fly to the 260 bearing to the airport. I'm blanking... He gives me hints, thank goodness. We fly a few miles north until we intercept the bearing and I can fly it straight up the runway back at the airport. Not sure why one would do that if I need the GPS working to find the bearing. Turning directly to the airport using the GPS would have saved several miles.

 

My instructor handles the throttle during all but the governor off and low rotor stuff. This DPE wants me to handle the throttle for everything including autos. Said that technically he is not to touch anything (which doesn't seem to keep his hands off the circuit breakers). Luckily I think I've had more practice on the throttle than most get in the R22. I was even sweating that he was going to ask for a full down auto. This guy is pretty good on the stick. He flew in to my checkride in a R44. He comes in with a straight in full down auto that ends on the runway right in front of the hanger with a beautiful little sliding finish. Elegant! But this is in my head as he is telling me that he has his students practice full downs (we don't). As it is we are doing everything in the PTS so I am expecting the worst.

 

 

Whew...Done and passed the checkride and I'm a real mccoy Pilot-Rotorcraft-Helicopter now!

 

Tom

Edited by Wannabe1
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I meant to comment on the new IACRA version of completing form 8710. Not only was the DPE new to my CFI, the DPE (a new DPE, I'm told I was his second PPL applicant) wanted to use the FAA's new IACRA web site to complete the 8710. This goes pretty well. I go to the site and complete my application, my CFI reviews and approves and the DPE does his thing. I "sign" it in the presence of the DPE and he does his thing again. This DPE seems to know his stuff. He asks about everything. Tests everything, yet cut me some slack on some things (like after I tell him about Hypoxia but can't tell him all the types of hypoxia, or after I tell him about scuba diving, and there is a 5000' elevation that is the split for time limits, but I can't remember how many hours to wait for each). Back to IACRA, I'm told I'll get my 'Airman Certificate' in the mail in 30 days instead of 60 days. Pretty easy.

 

I also wanted to comment on how much busier the skys are becoming as spring turns to summer. The day before my checkride we were all radioed up on final to do a straight in auto (at 600' AGL) when I detected a motion to my left (the instructors side). It is a warbird coming in VERY fast in a bank coming down for a low pass over the runway we are lined up to. The CFI takes the controls and we go hard right out of the line of the runway. With the guy in a bank, he never saw us. He wasn't on the radio so he never heard us or annouced his intentions. We got a REALLY good look at the bottom of his plane as he swooped past. Messed with my head for the next 30 minutes.

 

Now that I'm thinking of interesting things that have happened in my training, early on in my practicing of engine failures, we are maybe 8 miles from home and the boss asks me where would be a good place to go if the engine failed. I looked around and said that nice long field over there that is maybe 3/4 mile long and at least 100 150 yards wide. Would require about a 10 degree turn into the wind to get to, no problem. He said engine failure. We head down and I lined up perfectly with this runway like opening. We get to tree top level and we BOTH see the wires running across the field right in our flight path, maybe we can get under, maybe not. Crap. He takes over, powers up and we manage to avoid the things. We circle around and find the poles well hidden RIGHT at the tree line. You can NOT see them. You can not see any trimming through the the woods for the line of wires and poles on either side of the field. The wires are invisible until you are on top of them. We went back the next week to find and memorize the spot and had an equally hard time finding the wires and poles. There is a moral here somewhere...

 

Best Regards,

Tom

Edited by Wannabe1
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Copterpilot213; Boatfixerguy,

 

Thank you. It feels pretty good. Happy to have the checkride behind me.

 

Now I get to do the things us REAL pilots get to do with our free time... No not save the world like Bruce Willis did in his last Die Hard movie (fly a $2,000,000 helicopter after a couple of unfinished lessons in a trainer; I'm pretty sure this movie was based on a true story??), more like rake the lawn and fertilize, sell the motorcycle, clean out the garage and get those errands done for the 'missus'; you know, helicopter pilot stuff.

 

Best Regards,

Tom

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When my CFI set up my checkride several days before my checkride, the DPE (a new DPE hence new to my CFI) told my CFI that we should expect to be tested on everything. None of that optional stuff for him. Nope, expect to demostrate everything. AND he apparently told my CFI to expect the oral to be several hours as my CFI told me to allow at least five hours for this event. Turns out he keeps his word. He wasn't agressive or anything, just tests everything. He did say somewhere during or before the test that the FAA EXPECTS him to fail 10% of his applicants.

 

I get the impression that a lot of DPEs apparently do everything the same so are pretty predictable, find this spot on the map for the diversion, settling with power then right away comes an engine out kind of thing.

 

I can say that my CFI never turned on the clutch light then waited for me to do something about it; or shut off the GPS on a XC, so this guy had some new tricks for us up his sleeve.

 

 

 

sounds like he made you work for it.

 

HVG

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When I took my check, my DPE didn't let me use my GPS (Never really did anyways).. He asked "What's this button do?" "It's the direct to button" .. then "Okay, GPS doesn't come on during the flight" .. Never did come on hehe.. I trained most of my training without it... And when I DID use it once, one of the buttons got stuck, so it was basically useless anyways!

 

My oral exam only took about 3 and a half hours.. You had a 5 hour oral?

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Tom,

 

Great post and thanks for sharing your experience (not just this one but the many posts you've made documenting your journey to from student to pilot).

 

As a low-hour student, I've read your posts with a tinge of intimidation at the amount of information and skill I still need to learn. I'll get there though and your experiences give me (and others I'm sure) a bit of insight into some of what the future has in store.

 

Congratulations and thanks again for sharing the experiences.

 

Kelly

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Nope, I think it was 2-1/2 to 3 hours. I love the way you said "ONLY took about 3-1/2 hours". I would have cracked at 3-1/2 hours and told him anything he wanted to know.

 

 

 

 

My oral exam only took about 3 and a half hours.. You had a 5 hour oral?
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haha, that's what got me confused.. It was long enough for my oral exam, I couldn't even imagine sitting in that room with him for 5 hours for my private license. I'd expect a long oral exam for higher licenses, but for a private? yeesh!

 

And a little correction, It took me 2 and a half, not 3 and a half.. It was relatively quick... However, for a presolo requirement at my flight school, we had to do a 3 and a half oral exam with the chief pilot before we soloed. It was a 300 question test we had a week or so to fill out, and then sit in a room with the chief pilot as she asked me a ton of the questions and went over scenarios.

 

She told me that apparantly I took the oral faster than most of the students there. A few of them have taken 4-5 and a half hours to take the oral exam... I would have snapped me thinks.

Edited by Chopperjess
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Hello Kelly...

 

I am convinced that getting the written out of the way first, practicing on the computer with all the controls and probably the most important part, getting in the air several times a week made my training go pretty fast and painlessly.

 

With the written exam behind me, my instructor didn't have to review most things over and over, I knew the basics.

 

Coming to my first lesson being able to hover (thanks Microsoft) the helicopter right away reduced the feeling of being overwhelmingly incompetent. The first few lessons, one of the hardest things for me was the 'durn radio. I ended up practicing radio calls in the car enroute to lessons.

 

Flying several times a week means not having to relearn / review so much and was great for the 'ol confidence. Learning to fly this winter / early spring gave me a good look at windy weather early on so now <15 knot winds seem pretty calm and as you know, staying relaxed sure makes things go easier.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed my journey. I sure did.

 

Tx,

Tom

 

 

 

 

 

Tom,

 

Great post and thanks for sharing your experience (not just this one but the many posts you've made documenting your journey to from student to pilot).

 

As a low-hour student, I've read your posts with a tinge of intimidation at the amount of information and skill I still need to learn. I'll get there though and your experiences give me (and others I'm sure) a bit of insight into some of what the future has in store.

 

Congratulations and thanks again for sharing the experiences.

 

Kelly

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