When "the fan stops turnin'" and it gets quieter than you'd like,
your likelihood of surviving the upcoming landing depends on the quality of your landing area and how quickly your body comes to a "complete, dead stop". (Excuse the choice of words there, please.)
Here's why I prefer my chances in the helicopter:
7 comments:
While it looks like it would be tough on the equipment, the alternative does not hold any appeal to me whatsoever.
That was sick! Can't wait to start working on those birds!!!
BTDT, both due to EA and to assuage the pilot's ego. I, however, find it interesting, to say the least. I'd bet you have half-dozen or so to your credit too, GB.
Yeah Old Man, I taught Vietnamese Air Cadets to fly Hueys for three years and did several Standard, Low level, and 180 degree autorotations daily. Autos in the Huey were a piece of cake... the rumor you may have heard about there being enough energy in the Huey's rotor to lift the bird into a hover after an autorotation is pretty much true.
The R22 is a whole 'nother animal.
It has a low inertia rotor, and if you make a mistake somewhere along the way in the autorotation you can bend the machine and maybe hurt yourself.
Still, it's better than touching down at 60 miles per hour or more like my "starch-wing" cousins...
It's the sudden stop that kills ya!
What's your opinion on the Schweizer as a trainer?
My first 110 hours in a helicopter were in the Army TH-55... today's Schweitzer 300.
Just my opinion... it's a good trainer, probably better for training than the R22.
Which would I prefer for my personal aircraft? Gimme the R22 any day.
That's what I've been hearing from others as well. I talked with a guy over at Bristow Academy in Concord,Ca and he said they might consider taking me in as an apprentice. They train in Schwiezer's so that's why I was curious. Apparently they also do the maintenance in the Sheriff Department's Bell 407 and 402. It'd be a dream entry-level job for me. I'd have to move but I think the trade-off as far as experience would be worth it. Can't get carried away though. I still have a full month left and Finals is just around the corner. After that will be my date with an FAA Designated Examiner. I'm anxious but I think I'll be fine after a solid month of reviewing the books and test guide.
By the way I found a really cool blog by an A&P named David. His posts/writing is different from what I'm used to but I like it a lot. Check him @ The Whole Lotta Nada
http://mylottanada.blogspot.com/
He has other links by other rotor heads that both fly and used to fly for PHI.
Post a Comment