There are no old helicopters laying around airports like you see old airplanes. There is a reason for this. Come to think of it, there are not many old high-time helicopter pilots hanging around airports either so the first issue is mute.
You can always tell a helicopter pilot in anything moving: a train, an airplane, a car or a boat. They never smile, they are always listening to the machine and they always hear something they think is not right. Helicopter pilots fly in a mode of intensity, actually more like "spring loaded" while waiting for pieces of their ship to fall off.
Helicopter Pilots Are Different
Flying a helicopter at any altitude over 500 feet is considered reckless and should be avoided. Flying a helicopter at any altitude or condition that precludes a landing in less than 20 seconds is considered outright foolhardy.
Remember in a helicopter you have about one second to lower the collective in an engine failure before the craft becomes unrecoverable. Once you've failed this maneuver the machine flies about as well as a 2 ton meat locker. Even a perfectly executed autorotation only gives you a glide ratio slightly better than that of a brick. A corollary to this: H-53 Pilots are taught autorotation procedures so that they will have something to do with their hands and feet while they plummet to the death.
Harry Reasoner once wrote the following about helicopter pilots: "The thing is, helicopters are different from planes. An airplane by its nature wants to fly, and if not interfered with too strongly by unusual events or by an incompetent pilot, it will fly. A helicopter does not want to fly. It is maintained in the air by a variety of forces and controls working in opposition to each other, and if there is any disturbance in this delicate balance the helicopter stops flying; immediately and disastrously. There is no such thing as a gliding helicopter.This is why being a helicopter pilot is so different from being an airplane pilot, and why in generality, airplane pilots are open, clear-eyed, buoyant extroverts and helicopter pilots are brooding introspective anticipators of trouble. They know if something bad has not happened it is about to."
Having said all this, I must admit that flying in a helicopter is one of the most satisfying and exhilarating experiences I have ever enjoyed: skimming over the tops of trees at 100 knots is something we should all be able to do at least once.
Most agree that it would be nice to be able to land on a flat area, but a helicopter pilot needs to be ready to land his helicopter virtually anywhere it fits! Even tho this can be a tricky maneuver, it gives the pilot more freedom and it is very useful in case of an emergency situation.
Because a helicopter is so touchy and can maneuver in such small spaces, they are also more hands-on and require more vigilance to operate. An airplane pilot uses the control yoke and rudder pedals to operate the plane. If the plane is stable and there are no strong winds, then all it takes is a few small adjustments here and there and a large airplane can nearly seem to fly itself. A helicopter pilot, however, must almost constantly use both hands and feet to control the aircraft. Helicopter pilots use the collective, cyclic, and anti-torque pedals to stay in control. The smallest movement of these controls has large repercussions, so the pilot must be vigilant and constantly make tiny corrections to the flight path.
Airplanes are required to carry more fuel than helicopters are. Airplanes must carry enough fuel for the entire flight plus 30-45 minutes of extra flight time. Helicopters are able to carry less fuel and need only carry enough for the trip plus 20 minutes extra. This extra fuel keeps the pilot and passengers safe in the case of an emergency landing or poor weather conditions.
Airplanes are unable to fly in low visibility weather. There must be a mile of visibility before an airplane pilot is allowed to fly. Helicopters have no such restrictions and pilots are able to use the instrument panel to fly in low visibility weather, so long as the pilot has his or her instrument rating.
Many veterans choose to become pilots because of the incredible opportunities they have through their Post 9/11 VA Benefits. Only a few flight schools are able to accept these benefits, and veterans that train with these schools will likely have to pay almost nothing for their flight training. One of the only flight schools allowed to accept full benefits is Southern Utah University Aviation.
Obviously, students will receive specific training based on which aircraft they are taught to fly. Fixed-wing students will have fixed-wing instructors and rotor students will have rotor instructors and each will be flying their respective aircraft. While many of the same principles apply, each type of training will be different and geared towards the specific aircraft.
ABC NEWS COMMENTARY By Harry Reasoner During the Viet Nam War16 February 1971You can't help but have the feeling that there will come a future generation of men, if there are any future generations of men, who will look at old pictures of helicopters and say, "You've got to be kidding."
The following was provided by Col. Charlie Block, USMC.Anything that screws it's way into the sky flies according to unnatural principals.You never want to sneak up behind an old high-time helicopter pilot and clap your hands. He will instantly dive for cover and most likely whimper...then get up and kick your butt.There are no old helicopters lying around airports like you see old Airplanes. There is a reason for this. Come to think of it, there are not many old high-time helicopter pilots hanging around airports either so the first issue is problematic.You can always tell a helicopter pilot in anything moving, a train, an airplane, a car or a boat. They never smile, they are always listening to the machine and they always hear something they think is not right. Helicopter pilots fly in a mode of intensity, actually more like "spring loaded," while waiting for pieces of their contraption to fall off.Flying a helicopter at any altitude over 500 feet is considered reckless and should be avoided. Flying a helicopter at any altitude or condition that precludes a landing in less than 20 seconds is considered outright foolhardy.Remember in a helicopter you have about 1 second to lower the collective in an engine failure before it becomes unrecoverable. Once you've failed this manoeuvre the machine flies about as well as a 20 case Coke machine. Even a perfectly executed autorotation only gives you a glide ratio slightly better than that of a brick. 180-degree autorotations are a violent and aerobatic manoeuvre in my opinion and should be avoided.When your wings are leading, lagging, flapping, precessing and moving faster than your fuselage there's something unnatural going on. Is this the way men were meant to fly?While hovering, if you start to sink a bit, you pull up on the collective while twisting the throttle, push with your left foot (more torque) and move the stick left (more translating tendency) to hold your spot. If you now need to stop rising, you do the opposite in that order. Sometimes in wind you do this many times each second. Don't you think that's a strange way to fly?For Helicopters: You never want to feel a sinking feeling in your gut (low "g" pushover) while flying a two bladed under slung teetering rotor system. You are about to do a snap roll to the right and crash. For that matter, any remotely aerobatic manoeuvre should be avoided in a Huey. Don't push your luck. It will run out soon enough anyway.If everything is working fine on your helicopter consider yourself temporarily lucky. Something is about to break.
A typical day, although there rarely is one, starts with crew doing the usual pre-flight checks and preparing the aircraft. In the United States, the crew comprises two pilots and two maintainers, supported by a fuel truck driver. Rath says that when the call comes to go, they are usually airborne within 15 to 20 minutes.
This is particularly relevant in Los Angeles, because firefighters are usually first on the scene and are actively fighting the fire by the time the helicopter arrives. In a forest fire, the helicopter is among the first on the scene and can more easily establish a clear line for water drops.
When asked to compare his missions in Greece and Los Angeles, Rath highlights weather conditions, vegetation, and water sources as the main differences. The terminology may be different, but the actual firefighting techniques are much the same.
A different approach is employed in Canada where Rapattack teams are used as first responders in hard to access terrain. Rapattack teams consist of three to four crew, who rappel out the helicopter with the aim of suppressing the fire before it gains a large foothold.
In the U.S., keeping aircraft separated is the job of the HELCO, who will keep the smaller helicopters away from Air Cranes. For example, the larger aircraft will use a different water source and attack the main flanks of the fire, while the smaller aircraft will hit more strategic targets.
>I am looking for a quote called 'Helicopter Pilots are different'. Iread>it >a few years ago, and I want to get a good copy of it. Please post it hereor >e-mail me at edbe...@iapc.net.>>Thanks>Ed>>
When I was learning to fly a helicopter my instructor confided to me the one secret to long life as a commercial helicopter pilot - "Fly the helicopter like your passenger is trying to kill you!!"Sounds far fetched but until you get enough time under your belt to form your own limits it may keep you out of trouble. Know your own personal experience limits and don't cross that line. Also the hardest lesson to learn about flying a helicopter is when to say "NO!"...You don't want to get your passenger/boss mad at you for not completing the mission but if its over your your experience level, it sure beats bending the machine and explaining why you did wot you did...E 2ff7e9595c