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Does Flying get better than this ?


Goldy

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OK, so CMA is clear blue skies, the storm left last night in a hurry for Las Vegas.

 

As we're pre-flighting the 44, up comes Chuck Aaron in his Mustang to say hello. As I'm departing the airport I look around me, its 50 degrees, visibility is 30 plus miles..I can see the islands offshore, winds at 5 knots...I look over my shoulder and Chuck is pulling the RedBull BO 105 out of its hangar so he can take it for a spin.

 

It crossed my mind just then.

 

Is this way cool ? Does flying get any better than this?

 

 

Goldy

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Did you read the feature on him in Rotorcraft Professional? He's actually trying to work out how to get the blades to go negative pitch to hover upside down like an RC. I initially thought, "ok, good one cowboy. You're starting to live up to that mustache." But he sounded pretty serious from the article.

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One day after an EMS flight, the boss is waiting in the lobby. I thought we were in trouble at first. We'd just done an ultra low level flight due to a brain injured patient, following a major highway at 150' AGL the whole way.

 

Turns out the boss was on that same highway driving into work. He's in his late model Corvette in the fast land at a nice 85mph. He notices an odd blinking behind him in the rear view mirror, and looking closer he realizes it's our pulse lights on the nose of the S76. Seconds later we tear overhead, close enough he says that he could smell the exhaust after we pass, and he saw some people covering their ears in their cars. Said it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen.

 

He was already hauling ass and said we passed him like he was parked lol.

 

Was kinda like those credit card commercials:

Flying an S76 helicopter at 150' and 150 kts = about $3700/hour.

Scaring the **** out of the boss at 9 in the morning.... Priceless. B)

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That'll be the day, when I see a helicopter hovering upside down.

 

Thats what I said about rolls, loops, backward flips, and everything else I see him do !!

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Thats what I said about rolls, loops, backward flips, and everything else I see him do !!

 

 

Yeah, good point. I guess perhaps some day it could happen. I love the restaurant at CMA. Been there its good.

 

JD

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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!!

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I find that everyday that I get paid to fly for a living is a great day.

 

I love showing up on the flight line and watch as the 20 helicopters on the line all start up and get to work.

 

I would have to say my most memorable moment was went I bought my first helicopter over 10 years ago and got to ferry it 2,500 miles across country with one of my best friends.

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first; WestCoaster, i laughed my ass off on the one about your boss.. thanks for that!!

 

second; MN Heli Flyer, i was fortunate enough to get a ride with the Golden Boy along those same lines... amazing flight along Malibu as the sun was setting.. one of my best flights ever!!! Thanks Goldy.

 

link to the photos here! go to page two or three!

 

http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm243/R...afety%20Course/

 

 

dp

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i was fortunate enough to get a ride with the Golden Boy along those same lines... http://s298.photobucket.com/albums/mm243/R...afety%20Course/

 

 

dp

 

I love that sunset shot where the rotor blade paused in line with the sun long enough for you to snap it !

 

I took some pics 2 weeks ago on a similar flight that will knock your socks off !

 

I love 200AGL at 100 Knots.

 

Goldy

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Memorable flight.. I've had a few so far.

 

First one was dual cross country with my instructor. Coming back from French Valley airport, and it was night. Crossing past corona, and coming towards Disneyland. As we passed outside the Disneyland TFR, the light started to light up with Fireworks. We got to watch the Disneyland fireworks from 1500. Was a blast!

 

 

I remember my last night flight for my PPL, my instructor asked me where I wanted to go. I told him I'd love to go to downtown LA. We got to fly a couple rounds around downtown LA. Was a blast.

 

 

First time I got to go and land on LAX was a blast as well. Coming in along shoreline at 150 feet, pop up between the runways, and do a literal 180 degree auto to land on the heliport helipad. So much fun.

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I love that story about your boss West Coaster! Thanks.

 

My most memorable flight was a solo night flight during training in the mountains of Montana. It was a full moon with snow covering everything. Tendrils of clouds wove in and out of the mountains below me. Here and there were bright spots in the forest where frozens lakes reflected the moon. The stillness of the night was amazing and the air was like glass. Absolutely beautiful!

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Memorable flight.. I've had a few so far.

 

 

First time I got to go and land on LAX was a blast as well. Coming in along shoreline at 150 feet, pop up between the runways, and do a literal 180 degree auto to land on the heliport helipad. So much fun.

 

 

I have to second you on that one. I came in across midfield though and then had to do the steep decending turn onto the helipad from (if I remember correctly) 1500. Amazing experience and it's absolutely beautiful at night. I've come in for that landing from the shoreline before on a military flight, but never at night. I'd love to do it again, but I think I'm going to bring a CFI or someone more experienced than me at least one more time. LAX intimidates me a bit.

 

J-

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it's good it intimidates you though. Doesn't let you get too comfortable. I've done a few flights through bravo (with an instructor), never alone. I like to avoid it if at all possible. But flying and landing on it? Awesome. When we were on the helipad, I asked my instructor to take controls while I snapped a picture with my cell phone (Since it's all I had). I wanted some physical memory of it.

post-12243-1234820066_thumb.jpg

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it's good it intimidates you though. Doesn't let you get too comfortable. I've done a few flights through bravo (with an instructor), never alone. I like to avoid it if at all possible. But flying and landing on it? Awesome. When we were on the helipad, I asked my instructor to take controls while I snapped a picture with my cell phone (Since it's all I had). I wanted some physical memory of it.

 

Nice picture! I wonder what the regulations are as far as parking and grabbing a bite to eat? I need to check on that...

 

I guess I just haven't done it enough. Initially, I got nervous as hell talking to the radio or coming into an unfamiliar airport, but now it's kinda second nature. I just need to go up with my instructor a few more times through class B and I'm sure I'll be fine. I got over my nervousness at flying into an airport I hadn't been to with an instructor on my PPL solo cross-country. LBC was under IFR so I had to turn around and go into Fullerton. The whole thing happend so fast that I didn't really have time to second guess myself (because of how close the 2 class Ds are to eachother) or get nervous. Next thing I knew I was on the ground thinking "that wasn't bad...". That was another great day... I love being able to get over little hang-ups like that!

 

J-

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Ugh...Chuck Aaron flies into my home town airport and I didn't know about it? Guess I'll have to stop by Camarillo Airport next time I'm in town. This does bring me to a question I had the other day though...

 

Why is it that helicopters can't use inverted pitch like an R/C to fly inverted? I've thought about it, but can't figure out the technicalities of it since it works at a much smaller scale...

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Ugh...Chuck Aaron flies into my home town airport and I didn't know about it? Guess I'll have to stop by Camarillo Airport next time I'm in town.

 

Uhh, Goro- Chuck didn't fly in.....he's based there, got his own hangar and everything !!

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I find that everyday that I get paid to fly for a living is a great day.

 

I love showing up on the flight line and watch as the 20 helicopters on the line all start up and get to work.

 

I would have to say my most memorable moment was went I bought my first helicopter over 10 years ago and got to ferry it 2,500 miles across country with one of my best friends.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love flying and being paid for it. Just miss those days where I would plan a nice XC flight to somewhere and have a good time flying around checking things out. Flying EMS has been my dream and I am living. I just remember the days I would fly around the shoreline taking in the sights with the doors off.

 

JD

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it's good it intimidates you though. Doesn't let you get too comfortable. I've done a few flights through bravo (with an instructor), never alone. I like to avoid it if at all possible. But flying and landing on it? Awesome. When we were on the helipad, I asked my instructor to take controls while I snapped a picture with my cell phone (Since it's all I had). I wanted some physical memory of it.

 

 

Next time you fly solo, fly through Bravo. It would be good for you. In all reality, it's really not much different than any other airspace.

 

JD

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Next time you fly solo, fly through Bravo. It would be good for you. In all reality, it's really not much different than any other airspace.

 

JD

 

 

You're probably right. The worst thing that would probably happen is me getting nervous and pulling an Elmer Fudd on the radio and irritating a controller. Then I would get to both of my favorite things in the world similtaneously.... Flying AND annoying people!

 

J-

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Don't get me wrong, I love flying and being paid for it. Just miss those days where I would plan a nice XC flight to somewhere and have a good time flying around checking things out. Flying EMS has been my dream and I am living. I just remember the days I would fly around the shoreline taking in the sights with the doors off.

 

JD

 

Ditto!

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