Helicopter License

[FaytownHog]

Anybody have one? I know a lot of the plane pilots I talk to are almost scared of helicopters. Want nothing to do with them. It's the obvious disadvantage of, if something goes wrong, you're a falling rock with almost no way to survive. I always thought being an air evac pilot would be a sweet gig though. Flying and helping people.

[gotyacovered]

I would live too! Be awesome... Getting started has got to be a lot more expensive.... Most copter pilots come from a military back ground I would have to assume.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

I would live too! Be awesome... Getting started has got to be a lot more expensive.... Most copter pilots come from a military back ground I would have to assume.

Yep.  It's expensive to get time, an instructor, and fuel for rotary wing training.  The only way I continue to fly helicopters after the Army is if someone pays me to do it, pays for the helicopter, pays for the maintenance, etc.  It's too rich for my blood.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

Anybody have one? I know a lot of the plane pilots I talk to are almost scared of helicopters. Want nothing to do with them. It's the obvious disadvantage of, if something goes wrong, you're a falling rock with almost no way to survive. I always thought being an air evac pilot would be a sweet gig though. Flying and helping people.

No need to fear the big fan machine.  Most civvy helicopters (especially American-made) with a semi-rigid rotor system autorotate like a champ.  The Bell Jet Ranger autos amazingly.  I have about 30 touchdown autos in that aircraft, and I never came close to balling it up.

I also hear the UH-1 Huey, even the twin Huey, actually have so much inertia in their heavy rotors that it takes a few seconds for you to begin decent from a hover after engine failure.

If you can get it, I'd recommend dual-engine helicopter training.  That's where the big money is.  But, it's expensive.

[FaytownHog]

No need to fear the big fan machine.  Most civvy helicopters (especially American-made) with a semi-rigid rotor system autorotate like a champ.  The Bell Jet Ranger autos amazingly.  I have about 30 touchdown autos in that aircraft, and I never came close to balling it up.

I also hear the UH-1 Huey, even the twin Huey, actually have so much inertia in their heavy rotors that it takes a few seconds for you to begin decent from a hover after engine failure.

If you can get it, I'd recommend dual-engine helicopter training.  That's where the big money is.  But, it's expensive.

yea, being at ACH watching the helicopters land and take off all day got me thinking about this. I would really love to do something like that some day. I wonder if they'd pay to have you trained if you worked for them or something.

What gets to me is there's been a couple air evac copters crash and the entire crew killed just in the nwa/neo area in the past couple of years, so that's a gut check.

[Ragnar Hogbrok]

yea, being at ACH watching the helicopters land and take off all day got me thinking about this. I would really love to do something like that some day. I wonder if they'd pay to have you trained if you worked for them or something.

What gets to me is there's been a couple air evac copters crash and the entire crew killed just in the nwa/neo area in the past couple of years, so that's a gut check.

Well, you know what they say:  "The definition of an optimist is a helicopter pilot thinking he might die of cancer."

[FaytownHog]

Well, you know what they say:  "The definition of an optimist is a helicopter pilot thinking he might die of cancer."

lol. If you had to go, at least it might be semi quick, not much doubt left in a helicrash.