Finally starting training!

[badtransam97]

I start my helicopter training with Sevier County Choppers in Sevierville,Tn the 1st of October. I will be doing the 200hr course and will end up with all ratings thru CFII. I am going into this with around 300hrs FW time, and hope that it will not be too overwhelming making the switch! Any words of advice on going from FW to RW? I've heard some "bad habits" need to be broken when switching between the two?

[mechanic]

Good luck!!! I was just looking at their website last night. They look like a nice company. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

mechanic

[clay]

dont lead your turns with a pedal input.

dont pull aft on the cyclic in a turn to maintain altitude.

remember that you can slow down on final.

talk to your CFI about the different rules you will have to know vs airplane.

have fun. . your taking a step in the right direction (into helicopters)

[Goldy]

I start my helicopter training with Sevier County Choppers in Sevierville,Tn the 1st of October. I will be doing the 200hr course and will end up with all ratings thru CFII. I am going into this with around 300hrs FW time, and hope that it will not be too overwhelming making the switch! Any words of advice on going from FW to RW? I've heard some "bad habits" need to be broken when switching between the two?

 

I met Les from Sevier at one of the Heli Expos a couple years back. One of his mechanics (from Georgia)and I started talking over a beer at one of the receptions. Seem like great guys. Let us all know how it goes!

 

Keep your airspeed, altitude and attitude all up!

 

As far as habits- NO PUSHOVERS!

 

Goldy

Edited September 22, 2010 by Goldy

[ADRidge]

Man, congratulations. It'll be different, that's for sure. Just get used to coming in quite a bit steeper than airplanes, and like has been mentioned previously, no pushovers!

 

Enjoy it. Go in with an open mind and you'll be set. This is coming from a guy who is doing it backwards.... RW to FW.

[crashed_05]

ditto on the push-overs...bad things happen.

Rotor RPM = your life

[badtransam97]

Thanks for the advice guys! I'm looking forward to it, and they really do seem to be a good bunch of guys from the few times I've been up to visit. I told one of the CFI's that I was going into it like Id never been off the ground before, maybe that way my FW wont interfere as bad ADRidge-any reason in particular for going FW route?

[ADRidge]

Just trying to expand my horizons really. I figure any extra qualifications can't hurt.

[badtransam97]

I hear ya! I'm hoping I can fall into a job that needs a dual rated pilot one of these days!

[Sling Wing MGC]

Left pedal is your friend in a helo. Not right. Get used to being low and slow. I also push the idea of NO LOW G PUSH OVERS semi rigid rotor systems can't handle them well. If you do, you will be adding the lawn dart effect to your list of flight principals. Good luck flying! Helicopters are a blast.

[OneCoqui]

Congratulations Trans AM 97! Looks like you'll be flying Robinson helicopters over at Sevier Choppers. Listen up! When you get your POH, make sure you read SB # 10, 11 and 24. Read it. Understand it. Abide by it! They cover: Low "G's", Mast bumping and Low Rotor RPM... These conditions have fatally injured more Robinson pilots than anything else... Some exciting times are coming your way. Good luck in your training! Be safe! Ray Pena, CFI.

[badtransam97]

Thanks! I'm definitely looking forward to getting started, and I will be sure to read those sections in the POH, you guys have gotten my attention on the low g, mast bump, etc...stuff!

[MileHi480B]

I'm all for the advice on avoiding "low G" pushovers ... but he should also know ... it is not technically "low G" maneuver that gets you. It is the reaction to the resulting roll that gets you. I had this maneuver demonstrated to me because the instructor wanted me NOT to react the wrong way.

 

We went light, heli started to roll ... and we gently pulled back on the cyclic, loaded the rotor and leveled off.

 

I think going through it once clearly helps one recognize the "weeee feeling" followed by an immediate roll.

[OneCoqui]

You mean you actually had a CFI go out and teach you a "low G" maneuver in a flying helicopter? That is totally irresponsible in my opinion! Read the Robinson POH!!!

 

Read SN-11, third paragraph-first sentence, "Never attempt to demonstrate or experiment with low-g maneuvers, regardless of your skill or experience level."

 

Second sentence... "Even highly experienced test pilots have been killed investigating the low-g flight condition." Always use great care to avoid any maneuver which could result in a low-g condition.

 

Low-g mast bumping accidents are almost always FATAL!

[MileHi480B]

You mean you actually had a CFI go out and teach you a "low G" maneuver in a flying helicopter? That is totally irresponsible in my opinion! Read the Robinson POH!!!

 

Read SN-11, third paragraph-first sentence, "Never attempt to demonstrate or experiment with low-g maneuvers, regardless of your skill or experience level."

 

Second sentence... "Even highly experienced test pilots have been killed investigating the low-g flight condition." Always use great care to avoid any maneuver which could result in a low-g condition.

 

Low-g mast bumping accidents are almost always FATAL!

 

Yes, and "Spin" training is not recommended in Fixed Wings. Glad I had both experiences.

[MileHi480B]

Low-g mast bumping accidents are almost always FATAL!

 

 

I agree. Low-g mast bumping is a deadly reaction to low-g maneuvers.

Edited September 28, 2010 by MileHiR44

[Whistlerpilot]

Kind of agree with MH44. If you ever end up in really gusty winds in a Robinson it's good to know how to react to avoid doing the unthinkable. As an airplane pilot it's pretty natural to level wings first.

 

Back to the OP. Less is more. The sweet spot changes as the flight regime changes. This is new for airplane pilots. Neutral is never in exactly the same spot. That takes a bit to get used to. When you do... less is more. Small pressures not movements to make the helicopter do what you want. Most airplane pilots I've transitioned wanted to jiggle the stick. Just don't do it!

 

Did the reverse thing myself, helicopter and glider first, just recently airplane.

 

No stick jiggling!

[Pohi]

You mean you actually had a CFI go out and teach you a "low G" maneuver in a flying helicopter? That is totally irresponsible in my opinion! Read the Robinson POH!!!

 

Read SN-11, third paragraph-first sentence, "Never attempt to demonstrate or experiment with low-g maneuvers, regardless of your skill or experience level."

 

Second sentence... "Even highly experienced test pilots have been killed investigating the low-g flight condition." Always use great care to avoid any maneuver which could result in a low-g condition.

 

Low-g mast bumping accidents are almost always FATAL!

 

There are a few salty dogs on the forums here (not speaking for myself) that were around in the days before those safety notices were around. They used to teach low G maneuvers, and until somewhat recently some of the pilots would demonstrate those maneuvers even at the safety course.

 

Quite a few training techniques seemed like a great idea at the time :-)

[Whistlerpilot]

It's pretty cut and dry. Even says right on the Robinson cyclic "low g pushovers prohibited".

 

Perhaps we could ask Kurt Robinson to add "aft cyclic response to un-commanded right roll permitted". (joking)

 

Most airplane pilots I've transitioned do need some extra training about this though. The natural reaction to a high time airplane pilot to an un-commanded right roll is to level wings. Like MH44 said it's the wrong reaction to an unexpected low g situation that can be fatal. I do train for this with out the low g part. Just make the helicopter roll right and have the student correct with aft cyclic first to build the muscle memory.

 

This training goes hand in hand with the point I was making about not over controlling the helicopter as a high time FW pilot. Eventually this person will experience gusty winds unintentionally and have to resist the FW urge to level wings as the disc loads and unloads making the "dreaded right roll".

 

This was taught to me by an old but not crusty ex-vietnam pilot who later flew Presidents.

Edited September 30, 2010 by Whistlerpilot

[Goldy]

There are a few salty dogs on the forums here (not speaking for myself) that were around in the days before those safety notices were around. They used to teach low G maneuvers, and until somewhat recently some of the pilots would demonstrate those maneuvers even at the safety course.

 

Quite a few training techniques seemed like a great idea at the time :-)

 

Hey now I might resemble those remarks! Find me a SN that was around on 7/26/1986,(my first logged flight).

 

Just like throttle chops, I am glad that I've been thru it in training. Not saying it's necessarily safe...we learn from deaths and accidents. But still glad I have it in my bag of tricks. Of course, actual low G training was so long ago..but I recall we could not solo until low g and its proper response had been demonstrated to us by one of the CFI's. I think the low G awareness came about around 1989. Also, back then, only CFI's could go to the safety course, and SN's didnt start coming out until June 1994.

 

And we had no governor, only one fuel tank, no 5 min extra power, no gps, and a lot more red lights...damn...how did the thing ever get airborne?

 

Whistler-love your way of practicing the low G response...never seen that done and it makes perfect sense.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Goldy

[rick1128]

I start my helicopter training with Sevier County Choppers in Sevierville,Tn the 1st of October. I will be doing the 200hr course and will end up with all ratings thru CFII. I am going into this with around 300hrs FW time, and hope that it will not be too overwhelming making the switch! Any words of advice on going from FW to RW? I've heard some "bad habits" need to be broken when switching between the two?

 

It is really not 'bad habits' it is more like negative transfer. You will find that somethings will come easier because of your fixed wing experience. For other items, you will have some issues because of your FW experience. I would suggest that you get an instructor that has gone through the add-on experience for themselves. Since they have been through it themselves, they will have a better understanding of what you are going through and be able to communicate with you better. Since you do not have a lot of FW time, you should have too many issues. The guys like me who have a LOT of FW time, it can be more of an issue.

 

Sling Wing, you are correct the left pedal is your friend, unless it is a frog helicopter, since they work backwards, then the right pedal is your friend.

Edited November 3, 2010 by rick1128