I need a little help... 206 related...

[JMcDonald]

Hey all,

 

I am wrapping up my IERW Army training down here at Rucker on Monday. I have about 70 hours of military time in the Th67 & oh58a/c (Bell 206) 55 hours VFR, and 15 hours under the hood.

 

I will be in the Northern California area the following Friday... 28 Sept.

 

I have a friend of mine with cancer in the area that I will be visiting.

 

I want to rent a 206 and hire a CFI for a couple of hours to take my buddy and his kids, my grandparents, and parents for some quick flights.

 

I've tried searching online, and haven't found much. Google just floods you with advertisements.

 

A little help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks guys

 

John

[DS_HMMR]

John,

 

It is unlikely (but not impossible) that you will find a CFI who will have access to a 206 (or any turbines, for that matter).

 

You will have better luck (and save a metric F__K-TON of $$) if you rent an R44 to take your friends out. (with a CFI).

 

Only Operator I know who is a CFI/206 Owner, is in SoCal, but I'm sure there is someone on the forums who "knows a guy". Keep trying, but be ready to pay thru the nose.

 

good hunting,

[JMcDonald]

Yeah... I realize they're expensive.

 

I just want something I can jump in, fire up, and be completely comfortable in.

 

I don't want to be leaning a new air frame while giving rides.

[eagle5]

Try Golden Gate Helicopters.

[Hobie]

Very cool and meaningful gift for your friend and family.

[Flying Pig]

To be blunt, you are not going to jump in a turbine and fire anything up as a 70hr pilot unknown to the owner. Youll be going along for the ride. Outside of the Army, you're not even an FAA licensed pilot correct? And if you are, its a Private.

 

Knowing that, you'd save a ton and it would be relatively easy to find an R44, a CFI and just enjoy the ride and log a little time in something different. If your set on a turbine, you could contact PJ Helicopters in Red Bluff or A&P Helicopters in Chico. Im not associated with them at all, but I know they have of them.

Where in Nor Cal? I work part time for an ex Army pilot who has 2 Jet Rangers. But he's going to charge about $900 an hour and youll be along for the ride. Thats in the Fresno area. Your going to find an R44 fly's pretty similar to a 206 actually. Once the CFI gets it started I think you would find things would come together nicely.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Flying Pig

[Pohi]

Gotta be careful... You can fly thousands of hours in dozens of different airframes, but as soon as you take the controls in a 22/44, you will always be a Robbie pilot. There is no going back, once you cross that line.

[Flying Pig]

Like once a tweeker always a tweeker?

[JMcDonald]

To be blunt, you are not going to jump in a turbine and fire anything up as a 70hr pilot unknown to the owner. Youll be going along for the ride. Outside of the Army, you're not even an FAA licensed pilot correct? And if you are, its a Private.

 

Knowing that, you'd save a ton and it would be relatively easy to find an R44, a CFI and just enjoy the ride and log a little time in something different. If your set on a turbine, you could contact PJ Helicopters in Red Bluff or A&P Helicopters in Chico. Im not associated with them at all, but I know they have of them.

Where in Nor Cal? I work part time for an ex Army pilot who has 2 Jet Rangers. But he's going to charge about $900 an hour and youll be along for the ride. Thats in the Fresno area. Your going to find an R44 fly's pretty similar to a 206 actually. Once the CFI gets it started I think you would find things would come together nicely.

 

Not what I am looking to do at all.

 

I understand these are expensive.

 

I also understand that if I did find someone who would be willing to let me shake the sticks, that they would be closely guarded.

 

I have zero desire to start their aircraft. The chances of a hot start are very high in these birds.

 

I am not going to pay through the nose for ride along when I have been at the controls of this aircraft 5 days a week since April of this year for an hour to two hours a day, and an observer for the same amount of time.

 

Look, I'm not looking to fly these guys cross country, or show them any of the low level stuff we've been doing the past few weeks. I just want to fly a few traffic patterns, hover around a little bit, and show my family and friend what I have been working towards the past 4 years of my life before I start my advanced airframe.

[Flying Pig]

Yeah... I realize they're expensive.

 

I just want something I can jump in, fire up, and be completely comfortable in.

 

I don't want to be leaning a new air frame while giving rides.

 

Oh OK, I was responding to where you said you wanted to jump in, fire it up and give rides..... My mistake. Good Luck

[JMcDonald]

Take your negativity elsewhere please.

[jimbo2181]

Ha ha. Ah new guy.

[SBuzzkill]

Herp derp almost done with IERW 70 hours turbine time expert B206 pilot. I hope you don't take this attitude with you to your unit...

Edited September 23, 2012 by SBuzzkill

[Flying Pig]

Negative? OK. Id actually talked to my boss about your deal. Go ahead and disregard.

[DS_HMMR]

Guy toes the line, serves his country

Guy goes on VR forum and asks for some intel on a place to rent a CFI and a bird

Guy get's clowned by VR forum-vets.

 

The funny thing is: this New Guy will go on to flying Choppers we haven't even dreamt of, and all us old guys will be gumming our food and wondering why nobody comes to to the rest home to visit us anymore.

 

 

 

[Flying Pig]

I spent 8 years serving my country humpin' a machine gun. Offered some realistic advice. Made a call or two to see what I could find. If it hurt his feelings and he interpreted that as being negative Im not losing any sleep over it. But you come on asking for a Jet Ranger that you can jump in and fire up and give rides, silly me to think that he wasnt planning on flying it.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Flying Pig

[JMcDonald]

All the bs aside in this post.

 

I just want to fly my friend around when I go home this trip, as I am not sure I will have another opportunity.

 

He is starting his third round of four total of chemo this week and still has still has to go under the knife.

 

Someone please help me find a 206, and a CFI.

[JMcDonald]

Herp derp almost done with IERW 70 hours turbine time expert B206 pilot. I hope you don't take this attitude with you to your unit...

 

What attitude??

 

I never claimed to be a sky god.

 

Just comfortable in a 206.

 

I came here to ask for some help, if you can't help, but out, and check your negativity at the door.

 

You helped me get into the program, and I in turn have helped several others.

 

I used to look up to you.

[AS350 pilot]

Hey man, Specialized Helicopters in Watsonville (on the Monterey Bay) has a Jet Ranger. They also have 44's if you decide to go that route. Pretty nice area to fly and show your friends how fun being in a helicopter can be. Enjoy!

[pilot#476398]

I have some experience with renting, and I can tell you, no one is going to let you just jump in and rent their aircraft, no matter how many hours you have in it!

 

You're going to have a CFI with you, so it really doesn't matter what model you fly. A chopper's a chopper! Once the CFI starts it up, everything else is the same, so you may as well save some dough and fly an R44!

 

There's a school in Hayward that has an R44, other than that, Specialized in the Monterey area is probably your best bet?

[avbug]

70 hours may seem like a lot when that's your total experience. It's nothing.

 

Recognize that, and accept it.

 

It's routine for pilots to be recognized in the military as having some element of experience at a few hundred hours. It's routine in the civil world to recognize experience at a few thousand hours.

 

At seventy hours...not so much.

 

I realize that you'd like to show your friends and family what you've been doing. Wouldn't we all? Most of us can't go do that, however...the aircraft we fly aren't available, or are too expensive, or simply can't be used for giving rides. Nobody's going to be giving their friends and family rides in an AH-64, or B747 or F16, either.

 

Taxpayers have footed the bill, and the military has a narrow range of allowance in which you're permitted to handle the controls and fly the aircraft. Insurance isn't an issue. Not so in the civil world.

 

I understand you want a CFI on board, but your attitude and your posts suggest that you want the CFI on board as a token gesture that allows you to do everything else. Understand that during the time you're "renting" (read: chartering), you're not the pilot in command. Most schools don't offer a 206 for instruction, and where one is available for common carriage (carrying people), it's done under 14 CFR 135, which are the regulations governing charter. One of the stipulations under Part 135 is that passengers (you) can't touch the controls or manipulate them.

 

Certainly you may be able to find someone who has a 206 who's willing to look the other way or bend the rules a bit, or make some kind of allowance, and I hope you're able to do what you wish. You do need to understand what you apparently presently do not: this isn't a simple request, and there's more to the answer than simply hopping in the aircraft with a CFI and blasting off.

 

You also need to understand that as an instructor, one has a lot more responsibility in that aircraft than the simple fact of acting as pilot in command. One also carries additional responsibilities that are well recognized in court as liabilities and duties, should something go wrong with the flight. One might have a hard time skating out of it without the flight instructor qualification, but one will have an especially time escaping the legal hurdles that come at one in the event of an incident, if one holds flight instructor certification, as well. That qualification can, and will be used against one in the event of a mishap. That complicates the position even further: you need to understand that while your postings sound as though you want the instructor along to make your flight "legal" while you put on a show for family and friends (even if it's just around the traffic pattern), it's the instructor's aircraft 100% of the way. His call, his decisions, his responsibility, his legal duty, his pilot certificate (not yours), and his or her signature.

[JMcDonald]

I understand all of the things you have just said, as I have stated several times.

 

Roger, got it, move on.

 

Anyone else want to tell me why this isnt possible?

 

Seriously, I dont understand people here.

 

There are a few of you who have sent me PM's, thank you very much, I will look into those avenues.

 

All most of you have done is look for every way possible as to why this cannot happen.

 

I am not someone who thinks that way.

 

If I was, I wouldnt be where I am today.

 

I work hard, do the things I do to the best of my ability, and make things happen.

[avbug]

Anyone else want to tell me why this isnt possible?

 

Hmmm. A 70 hour pilot with a reading comprehension problem. Go figure.

[Pohi]

Bah... We are talking about the helicopter industry here, anything is possible. You could have an AW139 chartered for the day.

 

It just takes money. Since its already been stated that the expense isn't a concern, then there should be no problem at all.

 

A Bell 206? Piece of cake. You will have to pay the ferry rate to get it brought to your area and back, but I am fairly positive that if you find any school with a 206 they will be more than happy to bring it to you for the day. The next step would be to find the closest school.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Pohi

[Wally]

Pohi is spot on.

 

Maybe it's a status thing. Well, you're indeed not qualified with what amounts to a good week in the seat with 55 hours since April. Sim time counts for sim time, but that only makes you a better trained "week and a half pilot". Accept the fact that you're asking a favor or pay the toll.

Edited September 26, 2012 by Wally