Well, it was a short lesson, but I got in a few steep approaches and two max-power takeoffs plus a few turns through the pattern. The max power take-offs are o.k., but I still need to work on not inputting so much forward cyclic (I tend to nose down too much and then am fine once I pull back a bit). I also found out what happens if you try to resume a normal take-off profile after clearing the obstacle if you don't reduce the power first (I nosed down to get my 60KIAS and ballooned up pretty f
Well, I've officially filled the first page of my log book now. Not very many long flights (they average a bit over an hour), but this last lesson it really started coming together (until my CFI started having me make the radio calls, then I started hosing my normal approaches . . . coming in too fast). The lesson started with me doing a few pick-ups and set-downs. Not perfect, but a major improvement over my previous efforts. The last lesson's learnings were the key. It looked good on the vid
Well, I skipped posting an entry for my last lesson, so I'll cover it in this one. Yes, it's a "two-fer". My previous lesson, I worked on set-downs and patterns and did two more Max Power Take-offs. I'm still not fully confident and alone on the controls with the max power T/Os but, I'm getting there. We flew to another small airport (very small) and practiced traffic patterns there. I have to admit that I wasn't great at locating the landing strip and I was basically just taking instructions
Today was another long lesson. We flew to another local regional (Wilson, NC) and practiced a few patterns there. It was very disorienting to me trying to get a grip on what features on the ground were the runways. I'm still busy running through the gauges in the cockpit and spend too much time inside instead of looking outside. I'm sure as I get more comfortable, that will change. Embarrassing enough, I was doing a check (instructor prompted) prior to entering the pattern and only one tach need
This blog will track my flight and ground school experiences through my PPL rating. Hopefully, I'll look back on this during my commercial and CFI training and regain any lost perspective. If other student pilots (current and future) are able to learn anything (or just amuse themselves at my bumbling) then; bonus. I'm currently at around 8 hours of flight time and 5 weeks into the ground school. To date my challenges have been: Hover: Duh! Of course this was a challenge. From what I gath
I have started my life long goal and career change as of last Sat. the 6th. I took my first demo flight which lasted for an hour and I am hooked! Which my wife knew I would be but that is besides the point! I have to say that it was the most exciting time I've had in a long time. I've flown before in a Piper Cub when I was just a young whipper snapper. I really did miss being up there! While up there I had control of the cyclic and did some basic left and right turns. We did a turn
7/11/07: Today we focused on hovering and traffic patterns. I was never a dancer or pugilist and it shows in my pedal work. Cyclic control, got it. Cyclic + Collective, got it. Maintain heading with anti-torque pedals, ARGGGHHH, overshoot, undershoot, over correct to the right. I could blame my fixed wing training, but it's just that my feet are lazy, heck, just a couple months ago, my left foot convinced me to buy my first car with an automatic transmission. I have a surprise in store for them.
7/6/07: I can't believe it, but I've finally started my helicopter flight training. My first .9 is now officially logged and I'm still flying high even though my feet are back on the ground. The weather here in NC was perfect for a first flight, just a slight left quartering headwind, great visibility with just a few high clouds. My instructor Craig and I hit it off right away, and after thoroughly covering SFAR 73 we walked out to the ramp for my first R22 preflight. He took the time to exp
the last books I needed, Phil Crouchers prof. helicopter pilot training, and a log book. after I pay Uncle Sam his share here in the middle of April, then I'll start saving for the first 5 hour block of time. I really need to get my pontoon sold April already, man where does the time go?
rec'd the next shipment of books, Aviation weather, weight and balance, student folder and paper flight computer, I have a very old Sanderson flight computer circa mid 70's wanted to see if things have changed, guess what, NOT my all metal one is still good to go will get the Jeppesen schwizer book next that should finish everything I need to get the home study going. cleaned up an area for the desk and study spot now it's a matter of getting started in the right order anyone have any comm
the first batch of books and charts arrived today. the NACO sent the wrong USTP. Emailed them of the error, will wait for the reply. got the copy of the POH for the S300CB, FAR/AIM (man that's a thick book), and the Rotorcraft Flying Handbook. Need to oreder a few more books yet. the wife is getting rather testy about me being on the web too often come the first of the year, I will make some changes, in many aspects, mostly resulting in saving as much money as possible for flying.
Man where does the time go, it's mid December already Christmas shopping is almost done, so that a releif. ordered the Nav Charts and training chart last week, ordered most of the books I need today, will order the rest later this month (Xmas shopping ya know ).
well it's hard to beleive it's November already Deer hunting has precedence for the first half of the month, gotta put meat in the freezer ya know. I'll be ordering my ground school books in a couple of weeks and should see them before Thanksgiving. December and January get rather boring so I'll have plenty of time to study, gawd it's been 20+ years since I did school work I figure 2 hours each evening and 4 hours each Saturday and sunday for studying should get me the knowledge I need to
...and pace. Tomorrow I drive from MN to Lake Charles to finish my EC120 transition and begin work as a GOMer. My little school will manage just fine without me, and I'll get to see MN every two weeks anyway.
...more ground, then a sim session with a gent who wanted to work on failures - engine, tail rotor, in cruise, at hover. BWAHAAHAAHAA!!! ...let's just say that an hour later he was regretting that decision, and there were a lot of electronic Schweizers lying in various states of wreckage on the runways of O'Hare Airport (hey, I'll never get to fly a helicopter there for real)!
To set up your blog, you must be a VIP Member and you must be logged in. Go to your control panel and look under the blog heading. You can create a blog there. There are a few screens that you need to go through but after you set it up you will be sent to your blank BLOG. In the upper right hand side of the navigation menu you will see "Entries". Click on that and it will give you the option to "Add Entry" or "Hide Draft Entries". You can either work on something privately (draft) or create a po
Some website visitors have asked me what it is like to fly in Alaska so I'll bore you with the details: Alaska is a big state and it is broken up into various sections that are called varying names: North Slope, Central Interior, Western Interior, Aleutians, South Central, Yukon, Southeast... I work mostly in Southeast Alaska (Yakutat to Ketchikan; sometimes called the Panhandle) with some trips for relief in the Interior and South Central. Southeast Alaska is heavily wooded, mostly coasta
...and it's been raining for a few days. 'Air 9' is stuck in Bemidji, 7RW made it back from Cloquet with 20 miles of pipeline left to survey and no alternator. 9HB and 32S are in the hangar, and we're watching the rain sheet down the windows. Ahhh, springtime in Minnesota.
Welcome to the new Vertical Reference Helicopter Community Blog. Here Vertical Reference VIP Members can post their own blog. It can be about your first solo, where you are currently flying, your history, your helicopter photos, trips... you name it as long as it is helicopter related. If you have any questions, comments, or support issues comment them here. Thanks, -Rey
