Robbie crash in GA

[CBiPilotFL]

Any of you guys hear about this? A student on his first solo went down. Not fatal, hopefully he'll pull through from his injuries. Just wondering if anyone heard a cause.

 

Fly Safe-

[RotorWeed]

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=92891

[ChprPlt]

Hopefully he will be ok. I know I was pretty nervous my first solo.

[klmmarine]

Does it sound strange to anyone else that he had 60 hours before his first solo? That seems a little high to me?...

[Goldy]

Does it sound strange to anyone else that he had 60 hours before his first solo? That seems a little high to me?...

 

 

Strange, maybe...not all that unusual. My old school had a student when I solo'd ( I had 25 hours or so ) that had almost 70 hours and they wouldn't let him solo yet....just couldnt get the hang of auto's.

 

Surprised to see this crash involved a R44 RII...heck of a lot more stable ship than the R22.

[brushfire21]

It would be interesting to find out the rest of the story for future reference for us newbies.

 

As far as hours go, we have a new student that has 90-100 hours of R22 time from a previous school and still doesn't have his PPL. Not sure when he solo'd, but it seems that there are those that take longer than others.

[volition]

Maybe he should have waited for 10 more hours.

[southernweyr]

Just a guess, but he probably had more money which is why he was flight training in the 44. This might mean that he was an older student. If this is the case then there is no surprise that he soloed at higher time. I usually work with higher age students and have found that if you are over 50 (no offense to our more experienced guys) it makes it much harder to learn how to fly helicopters. Of course everybody is different, but the older you are the harder it is to learn how to fly helicopters IMO.

[svtcobra66]

Does it sound strange to anyone else that he had 60 hours before his first solo? That seems a little high to me?...

 

I had around 65-70 hours when I soloed, though that was because I had to wait until I turned 16

[danter]

I had around 65-70 hours when I soloed, though that was because I had to wait until I turned 16

 

That is normal with the school that I trained at. All they want is your money and how they do it is they have the instructors on the controls with you the whole time you are flying, so when you solo you are in nervous wreck. Another reason they are on the controls is because if you wreck the ship it is their job.

[nsdqjr]

That is normal with the school that I trained at. All they want is your money and how they do it is they have the instructors on the controls with you the whole time you are flying, so when you solo you are in nervous wreck. Another reason they are on the controls is because if you wreck the ship it is their job.

 

Ok, let's see if this makes sense: You're telling us that the school wants to make more money so the CFI's stay on the the controls ON PURPOSE to make sure you learn slower so you require more dual time?!?!? I love how every student thinks their flight school is out to absolutely rip them off. I dunno maybe the reason they're on the controls is because you're a student pilot?? Maybe, just maybe, they're concerned about going home at the end of each day?? You're a nervous wreck when you solo because you're human, not because your CFI flew close to the controls. If you really think they are stealing your money, go find another school instead of whining on here.

[Bristol]

Where do you see that he had 60 hours..? I don't see it in the news article.

 

Paul

[klmmarine]

Where do you see that he had 60 hours..? I don't see it in the news article.

 

Paul

 

 

They changed the article from the original printing. The original had the 60 hour information along with several colorful witness accounts. ("Like, we saw he could move his fingers and toes, and were like thank the lord." I love the south...)

[delorean]

Ok, let's see if this makes sense: You're telling us that the school wants to make more money so the CFI's stay on the the controls ON PURPOSE to make sure you learn slower so you require more dual time?!?!? I love how every student thinks their flight school is out to absolutely rip them off. I dunno maybe the reason they're on the controls is because you're a student pilot?? Maybe, just maybe, they're concerned about going home at the end of each day?? You're a nervous wreck when you solo because you're human, not because your CFI flew close to the controls. If you really think they are stealing your money, go find another school instead of whining on here.

 

I completely agree with you. Some people just can't fly.....but that's because the instructor is a poor teacher or because he's trying to scam them right?

 

In the couple hundred students I flew with over the years, some I would have soloed at 10 hrs (a very, very few). Most were ready around the 25 hr mark. But a some didn't solo until after 50 hrs and 2-3 until after 100 hrs. Some of these were once a month flyers others just couldn't get the hang of it when flying three times a week.

 

I was a nervous wreck when I soloed. I had about 50 hrs of helicopter time, 150 of airplane time, and it was my 16th birthday. Ten years and 3000 hrs later I'm still nervous on night primary scene landings.

 

And I don't care how good the student is, you better believe I'm going to be on or near the controls. A very wise DPE/instructor here used to always say, "Students.....The bad ones will hurt you, the good ones will kill you." -Bill Houska, Sr. 1946-1999

[JDHelicopterPilot]

That is normal with the school that I trained at. All they want is your money and how they do it is they have the instructors on the controls with you the whole time you are flying, so when you solo you are in nervous wreck. Another reason they are on the controls is because if you wreck the ship it is their job.

 

 

I agree with the above posters. As a CFI myself there is a lot riding on me when flying with students. I will always be "on" the controls. Examples why: even with proper training and many practice runs of doing something corectly every now and then a student will do something stupid......here are some

 

1. Turning crosswind student letsgo of cyclic to rub nose.....cyclic fell right into my hand which was guarding it.

 

2. Student tries to roll on throttle and not roll it off when doing entry to autorotations......student is a motorcycle rider.

 

3. Simulated engine failures: slow to lower collective and uses forward cyclic...both are bad.

 

Those are just a few of many stories I can give. There is so much that can go wrong when teaching. I question CFI's who are not next to the controls. Even on XC flights. Never know if they will do something or if an actual emergency will happen. Just read the NTSB accident reports. I do weekly as matter of habbit.

[gft]

They changed the article from the original printing. The original had the 60 hour information along with several colorful witness accounts. ("Like, we saw he could move his fingers and toes, and were like thank the lord." I love the south...)

 

 

I love it down here too-

Ya'll visit if ya get the chance-

[Voluptuary5]

And I don't care how good the student is, you better believe I'm going to be on or near the controls. A very wise DPE/instructor here used to always say, "Students.....The bad ones will hurt you, the good ones will kill you." -Bill Houska, Sr. 1946-1999

 

Delorean,

 

I asked a CFI how in the world he could fly with pilots as inexperienced as me because if it was me I'd be scared to death. His reply was, "I just assume every student is trying to kill me".

 

I thought it was poignant...

 

-V5

[KMWK]

Ditto what Delorean said. In Army flight school if you were not solo'ed between 15 and 25 hours, someone took the time to see what the problem was. Usually it lead to being kicked out of the program. It's the student and the instructor's resposibility to be realistic. IMO, these schools are milking it for all they can get. On the other hand, the student should realize they just can't fly and end it.

 

2 cents

[500E]

In one post we have CFIs saying I always keep my hand on or near controls because the student will \can make mistakes, surely this is why they are students? in the next breath they are saying if you don't solo in 15\30 hours you are not going to be any good as a helio pilot !.

Personally I had 60 hours before solo due to ME refusing to go solo before I felt confident that I was ready, (even then the nerves were working overtime) If I was younger and had the outlook of a 20+ year old I would have gone the first time the CFI suggested it, and with the problem that I encountered might have freaked and done something silly.

I agree with V5s CFI that every student is trying to kill him, the other thing I kept in mind was the Helio had the same basic thought if you are not on top of it at all times.

This thought has kept me alive for a long time through car racing, blue water boat sailing\racing, climbing, & flying.

[Goldy]

I look back now, and yes I was trying to kill my CFI...I just didnt realize it at the time. But some time later, I saved his (our) bacon, so all is well now between us !

 

Lets fly safe instead !

Goldy