Im not fat, Im big boned!

[Airjunkie]

First off I am amazed I have not found this forum before.

 

Okay guys, heres the deal. Im 6'5 220lbs athletic. I play mens vball in college in California. Im not fat, but im big and strong.

 

I am going to get my PPL(H) this summer obviously in an R22. My ambition is to fly for a living, and this is the first step.

 

 

Now, one little thing is worrying me. If I can somehow get around becoming a flight instructor to get me into a job other than FI, then nevermind. This post is useless.

 

But, i doubt that. Or rather Am assuming that I will have to become an instructor. Nothing wrong with that! Teaching others to fly, getting paid, wow.

 

Anyways the problem comes in here. I will most likely be teaching the majority of my hours in an R22. Seeing as the R44 is almost double the cost. I am 220lbs. If my student is 220 lbs. We are going to be one big fan stuck in the cement.

 

So my question I guess would be what do I have to do? I can drop down to 200 simply by stop lifting weights. But is that good enough to instruct in R22'S without losing too many students due to our weight conflict?

 

Will this work?

 

Thanks,

[crashed_05]

You can get by at 200 lbs. You'll just have shorter flight lessons (can't carry as much fuel). Once you're an instructor, you may also be limited to the lighter students.

Another thing you can do is look into a school that flies the S300. I hear they're a bit more weight friendly for a trainer.

I'm sure others on hear can give you more advice than I.

Good luck.

[ChprPlt]

I would suggest going to a school with 300's. I was a CFI in Robbies at 210 pounds and its hard. Loose lots of students to the lighter CFI's (if you can find a place to hire you in the first place). Another thing have you ever sat in an R22? 6'5 in an R22....doesnt sound fun to me.

[Gomer Pylot]

Fat, bone, muscle, whatever. Weight is weight, and every pound of pilot weight means a pound of payload that can't be carried. It doesn't mean you can't make it, but it does mean it will be harder. It's simple physics.

[arotrhd]

You'll do fine at that weight & a 22 for primary; I was 217 and learned in the 22 awhile back with instructors who were in the 175 - 185 weight bracket. Do plan on being a bit cozy and with shorter lessons (or a fuel break). That probably won't be a big deal as 1.5 and up will be sensory overload at first. The + side is that almost all other helos you fly after will seem much larger. If you are going for an instrument rating in the 22, plan on a 1 hour flight. See where primary training goes, and if you like it, go on for the CFI. If you're at a pretty busy school with a decent fleet, you'll get paired up (usually) with lighter students. If your in SoCal, I would recommend Helistream (SNA- John Wayne) and/or Western Ops (Rialto). Keep us posted on questions, decisons and more questions.

 

-WATCH FOR THE PATTERNS, WATCH FOR THE WIRES-

[ajbell999]

Hey man,

 

I am 5'9, 135 lbs. My instructor was 215lbs. Later, when I became an instructor I had all the big students. My first student was 6'7 235 lbs. He barely fit in the R22 and was routinely mocked about his height. But he had a great attitude and worked 10x harder than any other student at the school. It was his dream and no one was going to stop him. He lost an amazing amount of weight (185!!!) and was hired as a CFII. He's now a great friend of mine and I seriously miss flying with him. If it's really what you want to do, anything is possible! Get it done dude. Good luck.

[rotorpower]

I am 6'4" 225 now, but all during my training in the Robi I was paired with a guy that was 185. I was 235 during that time and it worked out ok with 13 gallons of fuel in the r22. The only bad thing now is that the flight school wont hire me because of my weight, so go figure. Good Luck...

[Goldy]

I am 6'4" 225 now, but all during my training in the Robi I was paired with a guy that was 185. I was 235 during that time and it worked out ok with 13 gallons of fuel in the r22. The only bad thing now is that the flight school wont hire me because of my weight, so go figure. Good Luck...

 

Wow, all the big boys replied to this post! I'm also 6-5, only wish I was back at 225. I started flying when I was 220 and my CFI was 6-4 and 215. We only took about 10-12 gallons of fuel, and you can't fly a ship with any instruments or you will run out of forward CG quick!

 

The 300 or 47 would be a no brainer, but you can do it in an R22. So what if your students all had to be say, 180-190 or less? Thats still a big chunk of the pilot population.

 

Watch the knees!

[Airjunkie]

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can!

 

Ill be able to get down to 200 possibly 195. However, the last time I was 195 was frosh year .

 

Thanks for the input guys, I Think 190-200 is alot better than 220-225 (well duh). But you know what I mean. 20-25 lbs will increase flight times and get me more students right?

 

If thats a yes, then the only other thing i have to consider, is if I should join the military out of college and do it that way, or continue on the long terrifying civillian road.

 

Decisions.

[cthomasgunter]

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can!

 

Ill be able to get down to 200 possibly 195. However, the last time I was 195 was frosh year .

 

Thanks for the input guys, I Think 190-200 is alot better than 220-225 (well duh). But you know what I mean. 20-25 lbs will increase flight times and get me more students right?

 

If thats a yes, then the only other thing i have to consider, is if I should join the military out of college and do it that way, or continue on the long terrifying civillian road.

 

Decisions.

 

Several experienced guys seem to think that it is possible so you should GO FOR IT MAN! You might find that you can cut down, create some definition, and leave behind some lean muscle. What could be better than being in peak physical shape and pursuing an awesome career?

[gary-mike]

[r22butters]

I am 6'4" 225 now, but all during my training in the Robi I was paired with a guy that was 185. I was 235 during that time and it worked out ok with 13 gallons of fuel in the r22...

 

I'm surprised you could do that! Every R22 I've flown (I'm up to 26 now), would have the CG too far forward with those weights. It seems that 400lbs is max for pilot + passenger, regardless of fuel!

 

To the original poster. You'll have a real hard time finding work in an R22 above 185lbs, (I've lost a few opportunities, even at 190lbs)!

 

Go to Bristow, lots of S300s, or try the Enstrom.

[Goldy]

I'm surprised you could do that! Every R22 I've flown (I'm up to 26 now), would have the CG too far forward with those weights. It seems that 400lbs is max for pilot + passenger, regardless of fuel!

 

"Working out ok" and flying "within Forward CG limits" are not one and the same!

 

Actually, some of the older ships had a better forward CG range than the BetaII's. Of course the older instrument Beta's you couldnt hardly put 300 pounds in the thing and you ran out of forward CG.

 

You NEVER saw an Attitude indicator, gyro, VOR, turn/bank or GPS in an older R22. Today they just load them all up with the toys. With 14 gallons of fuel, 400 pounds is max load in my 22.

 

Oh, BTW- We ALWAYS flew with the doors off. Its an extra 11 pounds you know!

Edited January 22, 2011 by Goldy

[Azhigher]

I would absolutely drop down below 200lbs. Remember, the majority of heli students are male and a lot of them are going to be bigger boys.

 

If a CFI job comes down to you and someone who is 15-20lbs lighter than you, well, you can probably figure out who they're going to take.

[Airjunkie]

Okay, but seeing as becoming a CFI these days, I was under the impression that you would need to be a CFII to land a CFI spot. Now, If i was a CFII, i would be doing some of my teaching in an R44 because of the instruments... Soooooo, I'm sure i wouldn't have problems in an r44 ?

 

Sorry, I'm just being optimistic here. Seeing as I refuse to become anything other than a helicopter pilot, and military is our of the question.

[ChprPlt]

Airjunkie thats true about the instrument being done in the 44 BUT most students will stick with the CFI that they started with. So if you cant fly with them for primary you probably wont be flying with them for instrument.

[csw1000]

In summary, just loose the weight man. I am starting to train in a 22 this week in FL, we'll see how it goes. I only have 15 hrs so far and they are all in a Schweizer 269. My CFI in the 269 is about 145 and said I could weigh up to 240 and we would still be in the envelope. I am 6'1" and now 200lbs. I was fat, 225#, and had to loose the extra 25. The bonus is that I am seeing an increased level of "action" with the wife and I feel better too. Have you ever been in a 22? I can tell you, the 300 will be a bit more comfortable. I have only sat in one 22 before and it seemed very tight. Good luck.

[Azhigher]

Okay, but seeing as becoming a CFI these days, I was under the impression that you would need to be a CFII to land a CFI spot. Now, If i was a CFII, i would be doing some of my teaching in an R44 because of the instruments... Soooooo, I'm sure i wouldn't have problems in an r44 ?

 

Sorry, I'm just being optimistic here. Seeing as I refuse to become anything other than a helicopter pilot, and military is our of the question.

 

Well, if you get into a school that does instruments only in a 44. If students want to save some cash they could always go to a school that has an R22 instrument trainer...

 

Not trying to burst your bubble, but as was stated above, you should probably just drop the weight.

[DS_HMMR]

The Instructor I used at Civic weighed at least 220, and I weighed 208-210. I'd say in 50 hours of R22 time, we departed at right at Limit 95% [ I wont admit to leaving over limit......ever......;-) ]of the time.

While the obvious shortcomings of extra passenger weight have already been well pointed out, I have to say that it did teach me excellent power management skills that pay big dividends. I'll also admit that initially I was really frustrated with the extra weight and its affect on my learning curve, but In retrospect it really accelerated the learning. By the end of that block of training we could pull off 2:20 worth of Auto's and still come home with a good reserve.

Edited January 23, 2011 by DS_HMMR

[Airjunkie]

so i guess im at 215 right now. My trainer said it would take me about 6 months to get down to 190. I figure if i start flying this summer, and continue to work out untill i graduate school, that is when ill be in the best shape.

 

CFII rated, with a college degree, is enough for me to be qualified for a job right? Finding and getting accepted is another story I know.

[r22butters]

Imagine this; Its a very nice phone interview, long, and very positive, so much so that I'm certain they'll invite me up for a face-to-face. Then the final question...how much do you weigh? I say, "185lbs". It seems they couldn't get off the phone fast enough, and, of course, they never called back!

 

That's happened to me three times over the past several years, all R22 jobs. There's also the jobs I couldn't apply for because they said "max weight 180lbs".

 

Finding an entry-level job is very, very, hard. Do you really want to decrease your odds even more, by being at, or beyond, the desired weight for the most weight-sensitive trainer out there?

 

What would you do if your student does a weight and balance, and comes to you and says, "we're beyond the forward CG limit"?

 

I really think you'd be better off in the S300!

 

The problem you might have with the R44, is that, with loan money being so scarce these days, a lot of students cannot afford it for instrument training.

 

...CFII rated, with a college degree, is enough for me to be qualified for a job right?...

 

If the school that trains you doesn't hire you, you'll most likely also need 300hrs.

[Airjunkie]

Why is this industry in the shi**er right now?! Man this is depressing stuff.

 

I guess I do have 2-3 more years of college after this so who knows what will happen. I guess I can always fly planes. Would rather fly helicopters, but man, 6'5 180 would be pretty rough for me.

[gary-mike]

Don't let others negative outlook deter you from your dreams. Do you own research and be open to different airframes, they all have different weight limits.

 

Check out Colorado Heli Ops, They have a 300 and a R44. Also you may look into Group 3, they have 300cbi, R22, and R44 aircraft. One warning with group 3 though, if you go to the Alaska school, you will likely not want to leave the area. (I spent 6 years in the Fairbanks area, when the military made me leave kicking and screaming). There are plenty other schools also but these 2 were the first to pop into my head. Just know there are options out there.

 

Weight limit for the R44 (off of Colorado Heli Ops site) "The FAA does not set minimum or maximum height or weight requirements for flying any aircraft. However, you must be tall enough to reach the flight controls and not too tall to fit in the cockpit. To train in the Robinson R44 helicopter, your weight cannot exceed 300lbs do to manufacture specifications.

 

Here is a comparison between the R22 and S300 R22 vs S300 comparision

[r22butters]

Why is this industry in the shi**er right now?! Man this is depressing stuff.

 

From the research I've done, this industry has always been extremely difficult to get into (especially from the civillian side).

 

If you're dead set on the R22 you could try getting your Private and Cfi in it, and using the S300 for your Commercial, Instrument, and Cfii. That way you would at least have the S300 as an option if you have trouble finding work/students in the R22.

 

Your best bet (as for all of us) would be to join the military. I believe you can apply to the flight program without enslisting first?

 

Definitly finish college. You'll need a backup plan!

 

Sorry for being so depressing, but its better to go into this with your eyes wide open, (plan for the worst, hope for the best).