Where in the world to start???

[Auto-Rotation-Nation]

Alright so here we go, I am a crazy rotor-head, I live, breath, and think helicopters 24/7, and have for the past 10 or so years. Problem is... I don't fly 'em, I'm only 16 now and I want to get my license, but I don't know where exactly where to start or where to look locally (DFW Metroplex.) If anyone has any advice from what you learned in, to what you did to prepare, how you chose your school, and how old you were when you started, and what inspired/caused you to get your license in the first place. I know I can count on these forums to give some great advice!

[ADRidge]

By now you know that if you want to make this a profession, you need at least 50 hours Robinson time. My advice is this: Go get some time down with Sky helicopters at the Garland heliport. Just off 635 and Jupiter. I flew with them about a year ago for a while to build some time, and I love the facilities. It's alot of fun flying out of a heliport instead of an airport, and it's a short hop to Rockwall or Mesquite to do pattern work.

 

If you wanted to go the anti-robbie route, Longhorn up at DTO is the place to go, and the place I'm flying right now. They're fairly busy, as they have the contract to train up the DPS pilots, as well as alot of FAA currency work, but it's a big family up there, and I love it. Denton airport can be a real pain at times, especially when you crack into your IR flying, but all in all I like it.

 

When I say anti-robbie, it's not like they discriminate against someone who has robbie time... heck, between the -22 and -44 I have 160 hours in Robinson products... they just don't train in them. Dale, the owner at Longhorn flew helis in the Army reserve for 20+ years and prefers the 300C, and I can't say I blame him.

 

edited to add: I've also spoken with Gene at All-American, Victoria at Epic, and I miss flying out of ADS with Summit, although I don't miss the owner.

 

PM me if you want more info on where to go, and maybe where to avoid.

Edited February 12, 2011 by ADRidge

[r22butters]

If I could do it all over again, I would have gotten my Private in high school, when I was your age (instead of blowing all my hard earned money(I worked at Round Table Pizza), on beefing up my old Mustang).

 

Just go down to your local flight school, and take a demo flight. There you can also get a list of local doctors who can give you a flight medical/student pilot certificate.

 

I believe Sky Helicopters is near DFW (Dallas, right?), they do a lot of ENG work in R44s, so it could be beneficial to get in with them?

[Auto-Rotation-Nation]

All great advice guys! thanks.

@ADRidge I have thought a lot about the Garland Port and that is probably where I go if I stay local for college, I plan on shooting you a PM tomorrow when I've got some more time.

@Butters I would love to get started now but I plan on waiting until college due to all the other activities I'm currently involved in.

 

I also want to pose the question of this, since I forgot to address it in the original post: as you can see from my profile my biggest interest aside from helicopters is video or cinematography and I want to head this route with a college major and I might take aviation through a college, so does anyone know of a university with an aviation program along with a respected media department.

 

And since this post has already gone on so long I'll throw this out too (this is probably aimed towards Goldy and the guys out his direction) but who is known for cinematographic aviation like gyro based cameras on helos, and how are they regarded in the pilot realm

Edited February 12, 2011 by Auto-Rotation-Nation

[Goldy]

(this is probably aimed towards Goldy and the guys out his direction) but who is known for cinematographic aviation like gyro based cameras on helos, and how are they regarded in the pilot realm

 

you mean like this guy?

 

http://www.copterpilot.com

Edited February 12, 2011 by Goldy

[Auto-Rotation-Nation]

you mean like this guy?

 

http://www.copterpilot.com

 

Exactly that kind of thing, although I really like the idea of gimbal mount over side shooting (that's what was on his site) but anything in that realm is an awesome thing. I just wonder if there is a company that has bases out there that does this with a fleet style company, and not just a single chopper kind of thing. (Like the PHI of Aerial Film if you will.)

 

P.S. This is what I mean when I refer to gimbal system shooting:

or

or even

 

Basically a big brother to ENG rigs.

[r22butters]

...my biggest interest aside from helicopters is video or cinematography and I want to head this route with a college major and I might take aviation through a college,...

 

I wouldn't feel like myself if I didn't get at least a little negative , so I think I should warn you against following hobbies/dreams as jobs. I spend many years trying (and not just in aviation), sure, its great if it works out, but its really, really difficult, doesn't pay much, can make relationships fall apart, and, of course, if it doesn't work out,...your screwed.

 

You plan on going to college, and that's good, but may I suggest that you major in something a little more towards the "money making" side, (you can always minor in cinematography)?

 

Living close to Silicon Valley, I would suggest something in Computers (those guys seem to be doing pretty well). After you become "established" in a "real" job, you can then perhaps buy an R44, and start your own aerial photo company.

 

I have met a number of pilots who have used that type of approach to a "second career", in aviation, and it seems to work out much better for them, than a lot of us who try to follow our dreams,from the get go.

[Auto-Rotation-Nation]

@butters, I again appreciate the advice and I really believe that I would totally side with it exceot for the amount of money I have made and jobs I've had in the media industry, and I must admit that I would say the same thing you did to anyone else my age or at my lack of experience if they did just view it as a hobby or interest, but to me its already a job

[ADRidge]

Auto, to answer another portion of your question about preparation... I spent a year reading as much as I could about helicopters and flying and the national airspace system as I could before I took my first flight. I talked to the one guy I knew who flew for a living and picked his brain every chance I could get. I went ahead and read through the Jeppessen Private Pilot book and some of the RFH too.

 

My advice is: if you're going to read up and try to get a step ahead on your PPL, don't worry so much about the mechanics of a helicopter or the aerodynamics. Unless you're incredibly bright and have a CFI to talk with all the time, there's quite a bit you simply won't get. If you do understand it right off the bat, you need to be designing the things, not flying them.

 

Tackle the "easier" and more generalized stuff first. Airspace, weather and aeromedical stuff consists of a large chunk of the PPL/CPL knowledge base, and if you can learn that, you're about fifty steps ahead of other ab initio pilots out there.

 

Also, talk to as many working pilots as you can. Learn about the jobs you'll end up doing. What the travel is like, how long you'll be away from home at a time, what to expect for pay and quality of life. What each job type requires as far as experience goes, because the path to firefighting in the big iron is vastly different than the path to the GOM or slinging christmas trees.

 

Luckily, you're in a good place (VR) for most of that. This site was a crucial part of my pre-flight school learning, and there is a wealth of experience on this forum.

 

edit: Since you asked, I'll also say this: I first wanted to get into aviation at about your age. Go find a flight school that has a Cessna 152 or similar and get your fixed-wing ratings on the cheap. This will allow you to get up in the air and learn 95% of what you'll need to know to fly helicopters.

 

Granted, we all know airplanes are inferior to the vast awesomeness that is rotary wing aviation, but when the time comes and you're looking for a flying job, it's one more box to check, and can lead to some very interesting opportunities.

Edited February 12, 2011 by ADRidge

[Auto-Rotation-Nation]

AD, I don't ever want to come across as arrogant, but I do know that I talked to two of my distant cousins who, as I just found out the other day, both fly AH-64 longbows for the army, one is a Lt. and the other a captain. They both agreed than I understood more than they did on what makes a chopper fly when they came out of basic air into attack air. I have always just found the ideas of torque to airspeed and the in and out of ground effect movements and transition speed with altitude affects to just be normal understanding. Well ok so I did just brag there, sorry for that. Anyway, my biggest worry with my PPL or any thing avaiation based is IFR.

[Auto-Rotation-Nation]

Alright so i think I have a lot more information know so thanks for that guys, one last thing thought, what would you suggest I read over the upcoming spring break? maybe a top 10 or 5 books every helo pilot should read

[mattspin]

Have you read the FAA RFM yet thats what im reading now and am finding it pretty helpfull so when i get back and get my intro flight maybe ill have a tiny clue whats goin on!

[rotorwashed]

Tackle the "easier" and more generalized stuff first. Airspace, weather and aeromedical stuff consists of a large chunk of the PPL/CPL knowledge base, and if you can learn that, you're about fifty steps ahead of other ab initio pilots out there.

 

seconded, thats great advice

[heligirl03]

AD, I don't ever want to come across as arrogant, but I do know that I talked to two of my distant cousins who, as I just found out the other day, both fly AH-64 longbows for the army, one is a Lt. and the other a captain. They both agreed than I understood more than they did on what makes a chopper fly when they came out of basic air into attack air. I have always just found the ideas of torque to airspeed and the in and out of ground effect movements and transition speed with altitude affects to just be normal understanding. Well ok so I did just brag there, sorry for that. Anyway, my biggest worry with my PPL or any thing avaiation based is IFR.

 

Well ya won't have to worry about anything IFR for your RW PPL and that's a whole different kettle of fish anyway. I'd conquer the basics of Aerodynamics, Regs, Navigation and Airspace before you even start thinking about IFR. It's learning to fly by a whole different set of rules, first...learn to fly!

 

HG03

[ADRidge]

Speaking of navigation... I know many schools use GPS right off the bat. That's all fine and good, but knowing how to use a sectional, an E6B and a clock is invaluable. You never know when you'll get an INTEG or WARNING signal on your 430/530. I've had my GPS quit on me on a solo cross-country before, and being comfortable with oldschool VFR navigation, and specifically deaad-reckoning, was a god-send. It was far from an emergency, but it did save me money by getting back to the heliport on time. Oh yeah, and the fuel gauge was wonky, so it made sure I still had my VFR reserves.

[Lindsey]

Speaking of navigation... I know many schools use GPS right off the bat. That's all fine and good, but knowing how to use a sectional, an E6B and a clock is invaluable. You never know when you'll get an INTEG or WARNING signal on your 430/530. I've had my GPS quit on me on a solo cross-country before, and being comfortable with oldschool VFR navigation, and specifically deaad-reckoning, was a god-send. It was far from an emergency, but it did save me money by getting back to the heliport on time. Oh yeah, and the fuel gauge was wonky, so it made sure I still had my VFR reserves.

 

GPS? What's that? I'm planning a long solo xc myself and doing it "old school." GPS would be good as a backup, but don't rely on it for planning.

[ADRidge]

GPS? What's that? I'm planning a long solo xc myself and doing it "old school." GPS would be good as a backup, but don't rely on it for planning.

 

Perzackly!

 

GPS is great when it works, but sometimes it doesn't, and then what do you do? I think plain old VFR navigation is a lost art with some schools unfortunately. I only touched a GPS twice during my PPL training, and never touched a 430 until Instrument. For VFR cross country flights I always have a flight plan written out with landmarks and times, and use the (now) 530w for situational awareness only.

[RTC]

Some good books to look into are; Fatal Traps for Helicopter Pilots, Chikenhawk, and the POH for whatever aircraft you will be training in. Good luck on your journey.

[SBuzzkill]

Not interested in the military?

[TexanPride]

Hey i know your post is over a year old now but in Mid august i am going to start flying with Sky Helicopters out at the Garland Heliport. I am 18 and am really looking forward to starting. If your going there could you give me any kind of insight on the place from a student view.