Was I really ready to go Solo?

[Helidownunder]

I have scoured the forum and Rotorchics experiences and feelings seem to be as close to mine as anyone I can find. I am training "down under" with a one man school, the instructor is not foolhardy, has around 1000 hrs experience and seems pretty good (he is also a white water rafting instructor, diving and alpine instructor, was also in the Air Force as a Phys Ed instructor), so lots of great instructing experience in a broad range of things with all types of people. He is the sort of guy who likes a challenge and will give anything a go. He & I get on well, but he does think he needs to put me under pressure to "get over" some of the things in my head. I would have no hesitation recommending him and he really does give 150% to all his students - couldn't fault him there.

 

I am 49 in April, married with two boys and like rotorchic, I love my family. I have always been keen on helicopters and have several friends back in the UK who own them. So after we emigrated, and I became the "house husband", I then had the chance to persue something I thought I wanted to be able to do, possibly even moving on to getting a commercial licence.

 

I had got to about 25 hours in a R22 Beta II and the instructor decided that I was ready to do my first solo, which I did, but my ground to hover and my hover to ground was terrible, the circuit was fine even though I did come in to land faster than required. When I did my second solo, the ground to hover was frightening to say the least, but I did a circuit, came back in to a hover and then off to do another circuit again, putting it on the ground was again a big issue for me.

 

Between the above and today, I did a lesson on "performance take offs and landings" which was reasonably OK.

 

This morning I went for a lesson, and I felt the most nervous I have ever been,(it didn't help that something seemed to be slightly out of balance and we got some vibration which made me feel even worse), I forgot to do my pre-lift off checks and felt useless when I realised what I had done. This is all because I was anticipating having to do another solo. My big issue(s) are when I am close to the ground and I don't feel I am safely getting the machine off the ground and back onto the ground. I am just too heavy with the controls, which is unlike me, because I am normally very good at small and fine motorskills. This morning was the closest I have come to quittinq. But I don't want to fail and think what if......

 

My feeling is that I would feel a lot more confident about going solo, if I felt totally competent about getting off the ground and onto the ground smoothly, I just keep looking at the ground 80% of the time and looking long 20% of the time - even though I know it should be the other way round. Also I am 78kg (172lbs), so when I am on my own, even with full tanks and 25kgs of weight under the other seat the machine flits around like a hoverfly!

 

Am I right in my assumptions that I should just get to a stage where I feel really confident about what is my mental block and then start soloing again or could I just not be the right type to do this, or too old to start!

 

Any views would be really useful as to the best way to proceed.

 

Thanks

 

(needless to say - I thought I would never be able to hover when I was darting all over the field like a crazed bull, but now it's really quite easy, if a little untidy)

[FlyNHighNFast]

Spend an hour or two with the instructor focusing on pick ups and set downs. I don't think he would have sent you off unless he thought you were ready, you just have to feel as confident in yourself, as he does in you.

 

And welcome aboard, it's always good to "see" a new face around here.

[PhotoFlyer]

Have you spoken with your instructor about your concerns? I wouldn't "force" you to solo, but I would insist that you practice more pick ups and set downs solo. Picking up and setting down is not just something you do at the beginning and end of the flight. One thing I have my students do is make an approach, and then set down, pick up, go around the pattern (circuit) again. The other thing you should try is to SLOW DOWN and DONT THINK! Feel the helicopter,respond to it, but don't try to think about what you are doing, AND KEEP YOUR EYES OUTSIDE!

 

Oh, and did you talk to your instructor?

[Spierman]

The first 20 hours of solo can be intimidating, get it out of your head. Picking up and setting down are different solo, obviously because of the weight difference and CG shift. Don't worry about that. Just keep your level attitude and slow collective. I am quite positive everyone of us had the eebeejeebies first few times.

[Goldy]

Spend an hour or two with the instructor focusing on pick ups and set downs.

 

 

ditto.

 

you need to work on your low level stuff, hovering turns, set it down, pick it up, etc. Do it with the instructor so he can correct anything you may be doing wrong. Its really just a brain to hand motorskill that can only be refined with practice..no two ways about it.

 

Each ship is different, I had trouble last week doing a nice clean touch down on a heavy 44, they tend to land on their tip toes...and I had been flying the 22 which lands skids level...if I had flown the 44 once or twice a week it would have been a no brainer...as it was, it was almost embarassing.

 

So, it happens. Just practice it and it will become natural...I would also suggest you get some practice in on a windy day..doing turns, landing xwind, etc....rather do that with some help around than on a solo flight.

[romanweel]

I had similar problems when I first started soloing. I'm even lighter than you, so the helicopter felt like it was leaping off the ground in picking up and refused to set down when I tried to make it. As gentle as I thought I was being on the controls, I had to learn to DO NOTHING, just THINK the direction I wanted to go. I spent at least half of my first five solo hours just doing (or attempting, anyway) pick-ups, set-downs, pedal turns, and slow, controlled taxiis.

 

Definitely talk to (and practice with) your instructor if you really feel unsafe with the close-to-ground maneuvers, but what helped me most at that point was simple mental preparation. Chair fly, if you can maintain the focus. If you can't do it in a regular chair, go sit in the helicopter when no one's using it, put your hands on the controls, and "practice" lifting off perfectly. Do it on your next solo flight right after you get in, before you begin your pre-start checklist. When you go to actually pick the bird up, consciously put your back against the seat, relax your grip, focus outside, and breathe. And don't hurry, no one's on a time crunch, so what if it takes you a couple extra seconds to pick up or set down?

 

Good luck with all!

[zemogman]

Ditto to all the good advice so far...

 

My first and olnly solo thus far was amazing, but I must admit that it was followed by a "wow --- I'm happy to be alive" !!

 

I think your confidence will grow with practice (obviously)... especially in the one thing that you that you currently believe is not gonna go very well even before you do it. Work on changing your thought pattern before you try your pick-ups and set downs... leave the other thoughts out of your focus. And don't rush...

 

I remember a post a while back that was about a private pilot (newly licensed) feeling that even though he could fly, he didn't understand how the FAA could trust him to not kill himself or somebody else with relatively small amount of experience. I think that feeling is part of the process, it will help keep us all safe.

 

Best to you...

[Helidownunder]

Thank you all so much - glad that I put up this post - yes I did talk to my instructor afterwards and after a long talk he told me to go home and think about why I am so nervous, I'm glad I didn't say "I quit" there and then, this is such a great thing to achieve, and I need that right now. My big thing is to STOP looking at the ground so much. He does have another past pupil (now flying his own R44) who had similar issues, so I hope to talk to him soon.

 

Thanks again.

[Goldy]

go sit in the helicopter when no one's using it, put your hands on the controls, and "practice" lifting off perfectly.

 

You should take advantage of this as "free" time to hone your skills. In fact, close your eyes and try to remember where each instrument is...where is your rotor rpm..top left or top right, etc.

 

Just remember to roll the throttle down to detent when you chair fly, so you dont over prime and flood the carb.

 

Goldy

[waterway4]

I'm 58, 205 lbs and about 33 hours. Yesterday was my first solo. My thorough, capable and cautious CFI steps out of the R-22 after we review the hand signals. He stands far enough away, signals to lift-off. Very ugly. Next is the a 360 clearing turn. Then, the landing. All ugly. I roll off the power and he walks back. I try to put the cyclic friction on, but it won't budge. I asked for help, thinking all my energy has just been drained and I don't have the strength to turn that little black knob. He tries. It was an "Aha" moment, for I hadn't set the frictions off.

 

Tried again. Lift-off, clearing turn, hover taxi, set-down. No where near text book, but much better. Barely noticed the weight and CG difference!

 

I think we need to keep being critical of and patient with ourselves. We'll get better at it. No one said it would be easy. And like zemogman said: "... it will help keep us all safe."

[HelliBoy]

Its little consolation when you're feeling like quitting but look up the definition of "learning plateau". I've found that about 90% of my first time pilot students have hit one when starting to solo. I think its mainly because of the fear factor being exasperated by the changes in CoG and the sudden absence of the CFI crutch.

Stay positive and work through it.

Talk it over with your instructor and ask for special instruction in the areas you're having trouble. I have my students concentrate more on what the cyclic movement is, forward and a little left when setting down a 22, instead of trying to feel everything.

[Privateer]

Congratulations on your solo flight. Lots of great advise has been posted, one thing I say outloud to myself while picking up and setting down is the word "outside". I just sort of keep saying it slowly and it reminds me not focus on the first few feet in front of the windscreen. I even do this when practicing slopes etc. Good luck and have fun

[brushfire21]

Awesome Jon on the Solo!

 

Reading this brings back great memories from a little over a year ago when I did my very first solo! Holy man was it a wierd feeling watching the ever-knowing instructor calmly jump out of the seat, and then the clock slowed down almost to a standstill until he buckled back in later. I did the manatory pick ups and set downs, and they were shakey at best, but they got better and then he had me go do a few patterns off the helipad. It was fun being by myself, but a little lonely though. Good times!

 

At the time I didn't think I was ready at all. But he later told me that if he didn't think I could do it, he wouln't have stepped out and let me go on my own. This gave me a boost, along with a little confidence in that I could do it without him, he gave me the tools and the knowledge (as much as possibly by that time) to solo.

 

It only gets better and alot more fun from here in my opinion; off airport and confined area landings, Auto's, stuck pedal procedures, running landings/takeoff etc!

[Helidownunder]

Thanks everyone - have already tried to post a reply but can't see it on the forum - am going to persivere and do more practice so that I am not so nervous - glad to know I am not the only one!

 

I'll keep you posted.

[HeliHelvig]

I just keep looking at the ground 80% of the time and looking long 20% of the time - even though I know it should be the other way round.

 

I used to have the exact same problem. Myself or my instructor would always catch me looking at the ground right in front of us when i was touching down. When we corrected it and I consciously reminded myself everytime to KEEP MY EYES OUTSIDE far away, it got a thousand times easier. Now, when before picking up and touching down was a big worry of mine, I can lift of and set it down without a problem. So believe me just focus on something a good distance out in front of you and you'll start to feel much more confident when you're near the ground. It's just like straight and level when you look at the horizon for your reference for attitude.

 

Good luck and don't give up!

[slick1537]

My first solo after I picked up I kept moving forward and it took me a good 10-15 seconds to get it into a hover. My first set down was horrible too, the helicopter must of looked like a bouncy ball. Good times though, it all comes easy in practice. Big thing is just doing a good two step pickup.

[IFLY]

My pickups were pretty horrible too, I always kept pulling collective after I came off the ground and everything happened way too fast. When I learned to stop pulling as soon as I started leaving the ground (second part of two step pickup) it all became easy and I went from horrible to commercial standard in one flight.

 

Jerry

[TomPPL]

I was sooo nervous. Having read up (maybe too much) on the very real possibilities of dynamic rollover on the R22 I found myself VERY cautious on my first liftoffs/set downs.

 

After a fairly short time though, I managed to convince myself that it's not so bad. I tried to imagine this big upturned bowl of air that is ground effect, hovering at the top of it is nice and stable, however, drop down below it and you start to affect the uniform shape of it and upset the airflow a little. This leads to turbulence and a little bumpy landing. I find now that a progressive, confident landing through the 'bumpy' (my vague phrase for it) part of it is the way to go.