Any big guys out there ..Too big !?

[garvey]

I am curious.......I weigh about 230.......too heavy for a R22 but i can fly in a 300............will this become an issue if I want to work as a CFI........What is the most you can weigh real life and still get a job.... Thanksd..... Garve

[PhotoFlyer]

You could do a search, this has been asked before.

[bqmassey]

I'm the same weight. I'd like to see what people think about this.

 

You could do a search, this has been asked before.

 

I searched and wasn't able to find anything helpful. Queries for "weight" return discussions about aircraft performance and stuff like that.

[Chaz]

I had the same concerns . I am 6'5" 245 thats almost r22 max seat weight . That does pose a problem for cfi duties but from what everyone says you just have to train the little people . So that your w/b are were they need to be .Don't completly rule out r22. I have seen many post from goldy on this topic . Goldy seems to be a very straight forward guy. I have come to really listen to insite on mainy topics on here from him . He always seems to be a straight shooter and very honest .

[Gomer Pylot]

I don't think there is an absolute limit on weight, as long as you can legally fly the aircraft. It depends on the employer and his needs at the time. However, lighter is always better, whether you want to work as a CFI or in any other fllying job. Given the choice between a pilot who weighs 250 and one who weighs 150, the job will go to the lighter one, all else being equal. All else is never equal, of course, and other qualifications matter, but weight is a definite issue in any helicopter job. If you're over 200, you're at a disadvantage, and had better have a lot going for you otherwise.

[choppedair]

However, lighter is always better, whether you want to work as a CFI or in any other fllying job. Given the choice between a pilot who weighs 250 and one who weighs 150, the job will go to the lighter one, all else being equal. All else is never equal, of course, and other qualifications matter, but weight is a definite issue in any helicopter job. If you're over 200, you're at a disadvantage, and had better have a lot going for you otherwise.

 

Exactly. Put in the effort to lose some weight. It will definitely help you in the helicopter world, especially instructing in small helicopters. I would aim for 200-210 at most. Over 200 really limits the students you can fly with.

[Chaz]

So what about in the gom is it still as critical to be under 200lbs . My goal is to make it to air law enforcement / boarder patrol . What would you suggest for us tall guys . Realisticly can we make it in this career...

[rcklimr]

Well I started my training in an r22 with a cfi that weighed 150 while I weighed 225. Then through time and eating and not watching what I was doing I got back up to 240 and was told that I had to lose twenty pounds just to start training again. now I'm at 219 and still working on it. Of course everyone says it's not realistic to get hired over 200 so I'm working on getting to 195. Hopefully all works out for you, but should definiately look at losing some weight.

[Chaz]

rcklimr ,

Yea i understand that the less you wieght the better as far as pilot career goes. I plan on loosing wieght currently still in doctors care after 3 surgeries to foot over last 16 months . Kinda put on a few pounds . Mynormal wieght is 195 -200 . After all my workerscomp junk is over and the settle i am planning to start training asap. If i havent lost all the wieght to start with i am sure i will during training living off of pb&j and cup of noodles . lol

[bqmassey]

Alright. Anyone who needs to lose weight, sign-up at traineo.com, so we can keep each other accountable. My goal is to get under 200lbs.

[Helo-Pilot]

October 19th I started out at 227 lbs, in an R-22. Today, I am at 177, and have been flying a 300C more than the -22 lately.

 

Go figure . . .

[bqmassey]

October 19th I started out at 227 lbs, in an R-22. Today, I am at 177, and have been flying a 300C more than the -22 lately.

 

Go figure . . .

 

That's a lot of weight to lose in that amount of time. Any advice for those of us that are going to try to lose weight?

[Future206Pilot]

I believe its called "Life as a CFI"

[Goldy]

I am curious.......I weigh about 230.......too heavy for a R22 but i can fly in a 300............will this become an issue if I want to work as a CFI........What is the most you can weigh real life and still get a job.... Thanksd..... Garve

 

 

Not too heavy for the R22, 240 is the seat limit weight. It is a bit awkward if you're solo, its actually easier to throw 50 pounds under the other seat, or just always invite someone along for the ride !

Total cabin weight in the 22 is about 400 pounds, I'm at 240, so my passenger has to be 160 or so with 2/3 tanks. More than that and I have to start taking doors off or take on less fuel. Each ship is different, some ships have 25 pounds more in the nose due to instruments and its easier to get out of CG with those if you're a big guy.

 

The 300 is more forgiving, about 500 pounds in the cockpit and no seat limit weight. The Bell 47 is even more forgiving with about 600 pounds in the cockpit allowed, and wow, you could be 7 feet tall and not hit your head in that bubble !

 

Yes, 230 is close, and yes it will limit the size of your passenger, I would say actually that about 220 is doable, then your passenger could weigh 180 and you could still do 2 hour flights.

 

Funny, at some of the helicopter pilot events I attend, I look around the room. All professional guys, Law Enforcement, Fire pilots, news guys...there are a lot of 6-3 plus guys that all weigh 230 plus. Teaching in an R22 is where you would be close to limits, I dont think it would hurt you as much in a commercial application.

Edited March 2, 2008 by Goldy

[goromadgo]

Alright. Anyone who needs to lose weight, sign-up at traineo.com, so we can keep each other accountable. My goal is to get under 200lbs.

 

Just signed up myself. Trying to get from 200 down to 175 by the end of the year. Username is goromado.

[RockyMountainPilot]

I don't think there is an absolute limit on weight, as long as you can legally fly the aircraft. It depends on the employer and his needs at the time. However, lighter is always better, whether you want to work as a CFI or in any other fllying job. Given the choice between a pilot who weighs 250 and one who weighs 150, the job will go to the lighter one, all else being equal. All else is never equal, of course, and other qualifications matter, but weight is a definite issue in any helicopter job. If you're over 200, you're at a disadvantage, and had better have a lot going for you otherwise.

 

I dunno about that. I would higher a less experienced pilot who weighed 150 than a pilot who weighed 250. I don't think I would hire a pilot who weighed 250. That would greatly reduce the profitability of anything they flew. Even if they were solid muscle.

 

If someone is obese, it can show a lack of discipline, low self esteem, depression issues, etc. Not things many employers will want in a pilot.

 

That's a lot of weight to lose in that amount of time. Any advice for those of us that are going to try to lose weight?

 

If you want to lose weight and keep it off then DON'T diet. You need to change your lifestyle permanently. If you diet, you will lose weight and then likely put on more than you started with over time.

 

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Raw is best. You can get all the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables so don't believe the hype that you will not get enough protein. If you eat a nice variety, you won't have to take any vitamins either. I try and eat at least one serving of green, orange, red, yellow, orange, and blue everyday.

 

Eat lentils, nuts, cereals, and rice sparingly. These are all high in calories and don't fill you up. A cup of nuts can contain over 1,000 calories. A cup of rice over 600 calories. Measure your cereal and only eat one serving and use a milk substitute such as soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, or hemp milk. Eat a couple pieces of fruit with your cereal to fill you up. I used to fill up my bowl with cereal and it was darn near 4 servings. I was consuming almost 1,000 calories just for breakfast and I wondered why I couldn't lose weight.

 

Eliminate as much as possible anything with cholesterol, no fiber, high in fat, or cooked in oil. Meat, dairy, and eggs are all horrible sources of anything. Because most anything you can get from meat, you can get from plant sources without cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics, and large amounts of stored pesticides in the fat. Animal products contain no fiber and are also high in fat. Potato chips, French fries, onion rings, etc are all full of fat and very high in calories. If you love to sit down with a snack watching TV, then replace that snack with fresh or frozen fruit. I am totally addicted to frozen cherries, mangos, blueberries, and strawberries. I sit down and eat a bag which totals about 180 calories. A bag of potato chips can be well over 2,000 calories! If you really want some French fries, cut up some potatoes and bake some fries. They will be about 1/3 the calories of fried fries.

 

Avoid processed foods with any sugar, corn syrup, or added sweeteners. If you have to have a snack, at least read the label and figure out how many calories you are consuming. Some drinks have 400 calories per bottle. Soft drinks are horrible for weight loss. You can probably lose 10 pounds just by cutting out soft drinks. Instead drink soda water with some fresh lime or lemon. You might not like it at first, but your tastes will change over time.

 

If you ate nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables, you would probably eat more food than you eat now, and still consume far fewer calories. This is because of the large amount of fiber you would be eating. You can't digest fiber, so it is simply filler. Makes you feel fuller faster, and cleans out your insides.

 

DON'T workout! Workouts are the quickest way to get bored and stop exercising. Instead, take up martial arts, dancing, join a sports league, a hiking club, bicycling, swimming, etc. Unless you are one of those few people who really enjoy the monotony of working out, then you are better off finding someone that can keep your interest longer.

 

If you lose 10 pounds, you just reduced the amount of base calories your body burns and what your body is used to carrying. Your company will compensate by reducing muscle mass since you don't need as much to carry around the less weight. Weight vest are a great way to lose weight without losing muscle mass. For every pound you lose, increase the weight by one pound. Wear it during all waking hours as much as feasible. This might mean you have to wear a sport jacket at work, but it will really help to avoid those plateaus. Just don't overdo it, and make sure you find a comfortable weight vest. I recommended the XVest because it doesn't put all the weight on your shoulders, you can vary the weight as much as you like, and it looks more like an everyday "vest" over some of the other models.

 

Don't take nutrition advice from an MD. Most MD's get around 20 hours of nutrition training. In fact, most nutritional education programs promote the "Standard American Diet" which has been shown to be the most unhealthy diet in the world. I just had a 300 pound doctor tell me my diet is unhealthy three days ago. He did no tests on me, took no measurements, he simply told me that I don't get enough protein. I asked him how amazing it must have been for Carl Lewis to win all those gold medals with a protein deficiency. He had no idea what I was talking about. This is because there has been an enormous marketing campaign for protein, specifically animal based protein, and most people buy into the hype that meat and dairy are the only sources of protein. Most people have no idea that 10% of the calories from strawberries are protein. Most (99%+) of the world's population only need about 4-5% of protein from calories a day. If you get pregnant, or are an extreme athlete, you might need to up this figure. The highest recommendation I have ever seen from a reputable source is 12-15% for extreme athletes. I get an average of 10% eating entirely fruits and vegetables. No lentils, nuts, etc. I know this cause I track my food intake on Fitday.com. Fitday is a great way to see how many calories you are consuming, and whether they are from protein, fat, or carbs. Higher in carbs and lower in fat and protein are best for weight loss, longevity, and overall health.

 

If there is one book everyone should read on nutrition, it is the China Study. It is the most comprehensive study on nutrition every undertaken. And, it is completely independent of any industry groups. The book tries to sell you on nothing but good health and longevity.

 

If you have any additional questions, feel free to email me. I am a nutritionist studying to become a dietitian, and I used to weigh 240 pounds and now weigh around 170.

Edited March 2, 2008 by RockyMountainPilot

[Helo-Pilot]

Sure, I've got some advice for someone wanting to loose weight, but your gonna laugh at me . . . .

[bqmassey]

Thanks RockyMountainPilot, great advice!

 

Sure, I've got some advice for someone wanting to loose weight, but your gonna laugh at me . . . .

 

Let's hear it.

[RockyMountainPilot]

Sure, I've got some advice for someone wanting to loose weight, but your gonna laugh at me . . . .

 

I hate loose weight. I would rather it be nice and tight:)

[captkirkyota]

Umm for me, that diet advised from RMP was what got me almost all of the previous 101 lbs that I recently lost. I tried losing weight by eating like that and felt terrible and even working out 6 days a week I could not lose.

 

I started following the metabolic typing diet, you find out what type YOU are and eat according to it and I started to lose weight with less effort.

 

You can get the book here.. http://www.amazon.com/Metabolic-Typing-Die...pd_sim_b_img_21

 

There is no one way for people to eat. It varies for all people. RMP sounds like he would be a carbo type, his diet needs would/have catastrophic effects on me, I was a walking zombie when I tried to eat like that, short tempered and lethargic.

 

I'm a protein type, I THRIVE on organ meats, liver, kidney, heart, wild game, beef and fats. I feel fantastic and lose weight and also lost all the craving I used to have for sugary stuff.

 

My particular caloric ratio for me is 40% protein, 30% fat, and 30% low starch carbs. All those fruits and stuff raises my acidity levels, causes me to have blood sugar rushes, then huge crashes in energy, then my body depletes its calcium levels, raised my cholesterol levels and makes me feel horrible.

 

Now I cook in butter, coconut oil, and eat full fat dairy, cheeses, cream, and red meat at least 2-4 times a day, my cholesterol is just at or below normal healthy levels and I have consistent energy.

 

My wife is a carbo type and eats like RMP and she feels great now. So bottom line is there is no one size fits all diet and you'd be better served to find out what nutritional type needs your body will do best on and then change your lifestyle to that.

 

Another great site is http://products.mercola.com/nutritional-typing/

 

Well gotta go for now, must study some more before I do my P90X.

[Helo-Pilot]

Ok, here goes.

 

 

http://www.nutrisystem.com/

 

My wife and I both signed up and started at the same time. We have followed the plan almost religiously. With a few SMALL exceptions at Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, etc.

 

She now weighs less than she did when we met. Not bad considering we have 2 little girls now. I also weigh less than when we met, I just don’t have an excuse like she does.

 

As for the money. We spend less every month on the plan than what we were spending on junk food eating out several times a week.

 

And finally. Use the system like they say, and make a lifestyle change. It will work. I no longer eat until I feel stuffed. I control cravings, drink more water, and fewer soda's.

[captkirkyota]

Ok, here goes.

 

 

http://www.nutrisystem.com/

 

My wife and I both signed up and started at the same time. We have followed the plan almost religiously. With a few SMALL exceptions at Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day, etc.

 

She now weighs less than she did when we met. Not bad considering we have 2 little girls now. I also weigh less than when we met, I just don’t have an excuse like she does.

 

As for the money. We spend less every month on the plan than what we were spending on junk food eating out several times a week.

 

And finally. Use the system like they say, and make a lifestyle change. It will work. I no longer eat until I feel stuffed. I control cravings, drink more water, and fewer soda's.

 

I sooooo wanted N.S. to work for me, but I gained weight on it and I followed it to a "T". But once I learned about metabolic typing I understood why, since N.S. is way too many carbs for my type. Have a friend that it worked well for though. Glad to see it is working for the 2 of you.

[rcklimr]

My wife and I do weightwatchers and I've lost 21 lbs so far. It's taken 21 weeks but, that was through the holidays and we didn't always eat right. Of course loosing it slower I think that I should have a better chance of keeping the weight off and it is a lifestyle change that they teach you instead of a "diet". I'd like to be 195-200 not only for my love of flying but, to be healthier too.

[Gomer Pylot]

There are hundreds of diets out there, and they all work for a few people. None of them works for everyone. Eating less is essential for everyone, though, IMO. If you eat out a lot, you will absolutely gain weight, because the portions in all restaurants are so large. You're paying the money, and you feel you have to get your money's worth. My wife and I eat out once a month, if that. You just have to have self-discipline, and refuse to eat until you're stuffed. I still do it sometimes, and I could stand to lose a little weight, but I just haven't felt enough pressure to lose. If I get up to 180 again, I may feel it. Being a little hungry isn't the worst thing that could happen to you.

[RockyMountainPilot]

Umm for me, that diet advised from RMP was what got me almost all of the previous 101 lbs that I recently lost. I tried losing weight by eating like that and felt terrible and even working out 6 days a week I could not lose.

 

I started following the metabolic typing diet, you find out what type YOU are and eat according to it and I started to lose weight with less effort.

 

You can get the book here.. http://www.amazon.com/Metabolic-Typing-Die...pd_sim_b_img_21

 

There is no one way for people to eat. It varies for all people. RMP sounds like he would be a carbo type, his diet needs would/have catastrophic effects on me, I was a walking zombie when I tried to eat like that, short tempered and lethargic.

 

I'm a protein type, I THRIVE on organ meats, liver, kidney, heart, wild game, beef and fats. I feel fantastic and lose weight and also lost all the craving I used to have for sugary stuff.

 

My particular caloric ratio for me is 40% protein, 30% fat, and 30% low starch carbs. All those fruits and stuff raises my acidity levels, causes me to have blood sugar rushes, then huge crashes in energy, then my body depletes its calcium levels, raised my cholesterol levels and makes me feel horrible.

 

Now I cook in butter, coconut oil, and eat full fat dairy, cheeses, cream, and red meat at least 2-4 times a day, my cholesterol is just at or below normal healthy levels and I have consistent energy.

 

My wife is a carbo type and eats like RMP and she feels great now. So bottom line is there is no one size fits all diet and you'd be better served to find out what nutritional type needs your body will do best on and then change your lifestyle to that.

 

Another great site is http://products.mercola.com/nutritional-typing/

 

Well gotta go for now, must study some more before I do my P90X.

 

Kirk,

 

Most plant products reduce your acidity levels and cholesterol, and increase your nutrient levels including calcium. All animal products increase your acidity levels and cholesterol, and decrease your nutrient levels including calcium. The age old "Milk for strong bones and teeth" is pure marketing hype. We have an epidemic of osteoporosis in this country and we drink more milk than almost any other country int he world. If the milk built strong bones, we should have the strongest bones in the world, not the weakest.

 

Normal cholesterol is not normal at all. 80% of all heart attacks happen to people in the "normal" range. This goes to show you it is not healthy at all to be in the "normal" range. If you look at worldwide cholesterol levels, normal is around 100, not the 200 in this country. If you have cholesterol below 150, barring any genetic disorders, you are essentially. "heart attack" proof. Yet, if you are in the "normal" range, you have a 50% chance of having a heart attack. You have a 30% chance of dying from a heart attack.

 

If the heart attack doesn't get you, then cancer or medical malpractice resulting from a poor diet likely will. The number two and number three leading causes of death in this country. The most comprehensive study and diet and nutrition that has been stringently peer reviewed shows that the increase consumption of animal protein significantly increases the risk of cancer. In laboratory studies, rats introduced to a carcinogen, and with an animal protein intake over 20% developed cancer 100% of the time! Those rats on a low animal protein diet, or a high plant protein diet got cancer 0% of the time. This study has been repeated over and over again. Also, it is very likely you have carcinogens in your body already. We all likely do.

 

Our bodies need antioxidants to counter free radicals in the body. You get no antioxidants from meat, egg, or dairy products, and they also encourage the development of free radicals. Free radicals essentially what cause your body to age. They also start the chain reactions leading to many diseases including most autoimmune diseases.

 

The Metabolic Type diets have been discounted as a fraud and have no scientific evidence to support their theories that has survived peer review. It is simply a marketing gimmick. And FYI, I am actually a protein type according to their little quizzes.

 

Many people will blame their issues on genetics or "type", but the truth is that our lifestyle is inherited from our parents and that has a far more contributing factor to our body type than anything. This has been proven with many studies of separated identical twins and adopted children. Many people who are overweight look at their overweight parents and resign to the fact that it is in the genes. This can't be further from the truth. Overweight children from overweight parents come from the fact that the children eat the same foods and develop the same poor habits from their parents. They end up playing more video games and watching more TV.

 

Kirk, I'd be interested in hearing what you ate on your "diet" and how much you ate? How long were you on this diet? The diet you state you are on now is not conducive to a long healthy life. You are very likely to develop one of the hundreds of "diseases of affluence" very early in life and go through many years of suffering.

 

Helo-pilot,

 

The question is, are you going to stay on that program for life? If you go off the program, you are likely to gain back all the weight you lost and more. It really takes a lifestyle change to stay fit and many of the programs have shown not to work over the long run because they don't teach a lifestyle change. After all, they want you to come back again in the future.