I AM FAT

[apentico]

I am 330 lbs the school I most likely will attend flies the Swit 300. I know Jenny and I will have to date for a time. The best shape of my life I weighed a skinny 226 with 12% body fat. Haw much trouble am I in? I know that there are limitations for me in the R22 and that is going to cost more because I will be stuck doing the 300 and R44 thing. (high altitude)

Do I just suck it up or approach the school and inquire.

I want to fly the Kmax, Skycrane,Bell 222, and Augusta or all so the professions I want to work in all use big powerful birds. Its not that I don’t want to loose weight it’s that I was almost anorexic to get to 226lbs, 240-250 is more my speed. I can and will do that.

 

My friends call me strong like "OX" so I also have a wide frame like a brick out house how does this affect me in this regard.

 

Help, advise anyone?

[Gomer Pylot]

300+ lbs limits your usefulness to any company, and rather drastically. 200 is big, and most companies won't hire you if you weigh much more than that. It's not that the helicopter doesn't have the power, it's that every pound of pilot weight is a pound of payload that isn't available. There are also CG problems with very heavy pilots, in any aircraft. You may want to fly big birds, like everyone else, but you will have to start in small ones, and the jobs just won't be available. I hate to sound so negative, but I'm being realistic, and so should you. Look for another occupation.

[Goldy]

I am 330 lbs the school I most likely will attend flies the Swit 300. I know Jenny and I will have to date for a time. The best shape of my life I weighed a skinny 226 with 12% body fat. Haw much trouble am I in? I know that there are limitations for me in the R22 and that is going to cost more because I will be stuck doing the 300 and R44 thing. (high altitude)

Do I just suck it up or approach the school and inquire.

I want to fly the Kmax, Skycrane,Bell 222, and Augusta or all so the professions I want to work in all use big powerful birds. Its not that I don’t want to loose weight it’s that I was almost anorexic to get to 226lbs, 240-250 is more my speed. I can and will do that.

 

My friends call me strong like "OX" so I also have a wide frame like a brick out house how does this affect me in this regard.

 

Help, advise anyone?

 

No professional advice here. Just training stuff...You can fly the Bell 47 right now, the R44 has a limit of 300 pounds, figure a CFI under 175 and no one in the back seats. Don't even think of an R22 unless you are down to 235 or so...seat limit is 240 there. For the 300, depending on size of your CFI, you probably need to be 260 or so..The Bell 47 and 300 both have a lot of seat room. Good luck.

Goldy

[PhotoFlyer]

Get your weight down as low as you can maintain. If you can't keep it at 240, then the 44 or 300 will still work. The 22 has a max seat weight of 240, but if you are that big you probably wouldn't be comfortable. How tall are you, by the way? Even if your flying bigger ships you would want to keep your weight down. The lighter the pilot, the heavier the payload, or more fuel you can fly with. More fuel=good...unless your on fire...

Edited July 19, 2007 by PhotoFlyer

[mechanic]

Hey,

Just wanted to remind you all that the owner of Marpat Aviation, the add is to the right of this page, (bossman) is a large fellow if my memory serves, seems like he said close to 300 on a post I read. Maybe a good place to start with. The Alouette is $300.00 per hr, she should lift ya ok??? lol.. He prob can give you some pointers being a larger frame person, too?

 

Later

[Voluptuary5]

Hey,

Just wanted to remind you all that the owner of Marpat Aviation, the add is to the right of this page, (bossman) is a large fellow if my memory serves, seems like he said close to 300 on a post I read. Maybe a good place to start with. The Alloutte is $300.00 per hr, she should lift ya ok??? lol.. He prob can give you some pointers being a larger frame person, too?

 

Later

 

Yeah, good advice Mechanic. I seem to remember the same thing. Don't know the seat limits on the Alloutte, though.

 

-V5

[Goldy]

Yeah, good advice Mechanic. I seem to remember the same thing. Don't know the seat limits on the Alloutte, though.

 

-V5

 

 

You could put 4 300 pounders in a A-III..If you really want you there is one for sale in LA....

[Galadrium]

Help, advise anyone?

 

You can easily fly any of the turbocharged Enstroms.

[apentico]

300+ lbs limits your usefulness to any company, and rather drastically. 200 is big, and most companies won't hire you if you weigh much more than that. It's not that the helicopter doesn't have the power, it's that every pound of pilot weight is a pound of payload that isn't available. There are also CG problems with very heavy pilots, in any aircraft. You may want to fly big birds, like everyone else, but you will have to start in small ones, and the jobs just won't be available. I hate to sound so negative, but I'm being realistic, and so should you. Look for another occupation.

 

 

 

Thank you for your input. That is exactly what I need to here. I work real hard with odds against me and that just drives me harder. As far as another profession goes I am 5 years away from retiring from my current job (1st career) I will be 38 years old. And I work my but off just not my gut.

 

I am going to fly! Thanks again!!!!

[apentico]

Get your weight down as low as you can maintain. If you can't keep it at 240, then the 44 or 300 will still work. The 22 has a max seat weight of 240, but if you are that big you probably wouldn't be comfortable. How tall are you, by the way? Even if your flying bigger ships you would want to keep your weight down. The lighter the pilot, the heavier the payload, or more fuel you can fly with. More fuel=good...unless your on fire...

 

 

I a 5’11’’ I have been lifting people ( Ambulance) for 15 years. I can get down to 220 or 200 if that is what is required and I think that will help me out anyway. I am not 18 any more. 5 years till retirement and its up…… up……. and……… awayyyyyyy

 

 

Thanks again folks I relay appreciate it.

[RockyMountainPilot]

I a 5’11’’ I have been lifting people ( Ambulance) for 15 years. I can get down to 220 or 200 if that is what is required and I think that will help me out anyway. I am not 18 any more. 5 years till retirement and its up…… up……. and……… awayyyyyyy

Thanks again folks I relay appreciate it.

 

Most operators have a limit of 180-220. 220 is the highest I have seen. When I worked for Omniflight, they didn't have a limit. We had to make sure that certain Medics, Nurses, and Pilots didn't work together because the patient weight would then be severely limited.

[Gomer Pylot]

220 is the CAMTS limit, I believe, and any program that wants CAMTS accreditation has to keep everyone there or below. That includes almost all EMS companies. If you weigh more than 220, ready to fly, including your clothes, helmet, and everything, then you won't get hired in most cases. That means 200 on the scales, in most cases. At 300+ nobody, anywhere, will touch you. I've known a few pilots at that weight, but they started out smaller and had 30 years or so seniority, so they were able to keep their jobs. A couple were restricted in the aircraft they could fly, though, being too fat to fit into an S76. The newer C+ and C++ models have the left seat set pretty far forward, and it's tough for a 200 pounder to fit there comfortable, and have room for enough cyclic movement. Part of the checkout in the C+ was to have the left-seat pilot put it in an OGE hover, in the sim, and do 360 degree pedal turns, to insure there was enough room to get the cyclic far enough to the rear to do the maneuver. Fat guys washed out right there. This started when the examiner discovered that he could barely do it, with standard middle-age spread. At 300 lbs, it can't be done in either seat, in any S76. You simply can't fit into the seat behind the cyclic. Unless you can get to 200 lbs, and know you can stay there, you need to be looking at another vocation. You simply will not get hired, after spending the money for the license.

[Crusty Old Dude]

220 is the CAMTS limit, I believe, and any program that wants CAMTS accreditation has to keep everyone there or below. That includes almost all EMS companies. If you weigh more than 220, ready to fly, including your clothes, helmet, and everything, then you won't get hired in most cases. That means 200 on the scales, in most cases. At 300+ nobody, anywhere, will touch you. I've known a few pilots at that weight, but they started out smaller and had 30 years or so seniority, so they were able to keep their jobs. A couple were restricted in the aircraft they could fly, though, being too fat to fit into an S76. The newer C+ and C++ models have the left seat set pretty far forward, and it's tough for a 200 pounder to fit there comfortable, and have room for enough cyclic movement. Part of the checkout in the C+ was to have the left-seat pilot put it in an OGE hover, in the sim, and do 360 degree pedal turns, to insure there was enough room to get the cyclic far enough to the rear to do the maneuver. Fat guys washed out right there. This started when the examiner discovered that he could barely do it, with standard middle-age spread. At 300 lbs, it can't be done in either seat, in any S76. You simply can't fit into the seat behind the cyclic. Unless you can get to 200 lbs, and know you can stay there, you need to be looking at another vocation. You simply will not get hired, after spending the money for the license.

This is kind of hilarious (I'm at 245) but if you're going to wash someone out, then do it in the SIM -- that's for certain. At least the instructor doesn't take a look at ya and say "take a hike". if you can't do the manuever due to size, then that is THE legit reason to bolo someone.

[bossman]

Gomer is such an inspiration and ray of sunshine to this industry, but he is pretty much right. Your options will be very limited at 300 pounds. There are a lot of aircraft out there that you'll be able to fly and a lot that you'll have to take a back seat in. If you want to pursue the flying, go for it. Once you get into the lessons, you'll understand what the limitations are going to be and you can make decisions on your path to the future. At least get the private. You'll always have it. Don't get discouraged because of your size. My wife keeps telling me that we can't keep buying bigger helicopters and I'm going to have to loose weight. She's probably right, but I'll never give up flying. Check with George Van Nevel and the FH 1100 he's using at the factory school. It'll haul you. There are options out there.

bossman

[apentico]

I can do the 220-240 thing its just I wanted to see were other plus size pilots are and how they got there. No offence Gomer I want to hear from the Big Boys. I don’t need to fly EMS I want to make a living though.

So bossman, crusty old dude, Goldy, Robrunner if I interpret correctly you are all big guys so please leave any feed back that is helpful. Am I making to much of a big deal about this?……lets just say that I weigh 230 and go from there.

[bossman]

I can do the 220-240 thing its just I wanted to see were other plus size pilots are and how they got there. No offence Gomer I want to hear from the Big Boys. I don’t need to fly EMS I want to make a living though.

So bossman, crusty old dude, Goldy, Robrunner if I interpret correctly you are all big guys so please leave any feed back that is helpful. Am I making to much of a big deal about this?……lets just say that I weigh 230 and go from there.

230 is not bad. You'll find work at that weight. It's the same when everyone uses 175 to figure their passenger weight, they need to get real and figure at 200. Muscle weighs more.

[lockedcj7]

I started training at in an R-22 at 215 lbs. With an average-sized instructor, we could only carry 1 hr worth of fuel with reserve. It wasn't the weight that was limiting as much as it was forward CG. I traded him out for a much smaller instructor and then we had more flexibility. On a hot day, we were always flying close to the limits on power.

 

My goal weight is 185. Not only will finding work be easier, I'll live longer and be healthier. Flying the helicopter will be slightly easier since I won't always be pulling max power. If I can't get hired it will have more to do with interview skills and experience than weight.