Plumcrazy Preston

Well, if I were that rich anyway, I would have fuel trucks and other vehicles supporting my missions from the ground out of base camps. I'd want to use enough rear cabin space for a small lavatory. The Huey platform seems conducive to this. Jet Rangers seem too small and incommodious for my purposes. I'd also want cabin heating and a/c. Auto-pilot and auto-hover if feasible and GPS of course.

The dream scenarios I have for a private helicopter. Wilderness exploration at low altitude. What fail-safes could be employed in a custom helicopter pilot/copilot seat capable of 2' of rearward movement? A very sturdy locking system to keep it from moving in the tracks when in operator position. Instead of motorization, they could have a small crank which turns a set of gearing to move them forward and aft. The gearing would have a worm gear (jackscrew) in it to inhibit forward/rearward movement of the seat due to inertia. The seat backs could still drop flat to aid extraction of inju

It's all theoretical anyway. If I were to own a private 205, I would be the pilot, the captain, and I would have a copilot, either hired or a significant other. If my copilot were in total control in his seat, I would go to the rear of my own private chopper as I pleased. Yes, there would be custom provisions in the bird for either person in the cockpit to go to the rear while airborne. My civilian bird would have (and need) no armored seats but rather comfy car-like ones. Definitely a seat back that lays flat by operating some lever AND a seat that rolls back on a floor track at least 2 feet.

So, there must be two personnel in the cockpit at all times according to FAA regulations?

The rear cabin is normally accessible to the guys in the cockpit while a 205 is in the air? I'd like so see a video on how that's done. It doesn't look possible without customization.

Looking at the cockpit of a Bell 205, or any Huey variant, it seems awkward for the pilot or the copilot to get out of his seat and go to the rear of the cabin while in the air. The big center console is in the way and the collective lever is in the way of the copilot if he tries to clamber over the console. This cramped cockpit access is the case with some airplane cockpits as well. I would have to, in theory, customize the cockpit seats to allow airborne bird operators to safely go to and from their seats with perhaps a little gymnastics. Some type of sliding seats or folding seat backs with

In the army I rode on a mil-spec Huey once as well as in the gunner's seat of a Cobra AH. The 205 seems like the 1-ton pickup truck of flying conveyances. One workhorse of a whirly bird. I have a fantasy about one I'm on the verge of modeling as a private bird. If I were rich, I'd use her to hunt game, explore the American wilderness or follow the trail of Bigfoot as a form of recreation. Some custom creature comforts would be added to the cabin for sure.