No, meaning you need a minimum NSS.
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Learning to Fly Helicopters
- Thread starter mts4602
- Start date
No, meaning you need a minimum NSS.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
Yeah, quality spread is a *******. Bottom feeders can get 1/2 choice, while Top 3 can get fooked.
Well said. I never thought you were making the "harder" argument.
@Squeeze:
I figured you were being sarcastic, just wasn't sure if others would "get it."
What people want for there selection out of Primary largely depends on their service. I know a lot of Navy guys who wanted jets or something else and ended up getting helos (some with high NSSs and some with low). I also know that the Coast Guard is having a bit of a fixed wing draft right now where they are forcing people down that way to fill holes. Likewise I know that the Marine Corps has had to make a lot of studs who wanted helos go jets because they had the grades for it but not high enough to beat out their peers who wanted helos. And I also know guys who gamed the system and intentionally hurt their grades in Primary so that they would not be forced to go jets and could go helos.
Its not about quality of pilot, grades, who what is harder than something else. Its all about the mission when it comes time to selection. People are going to select the aircraft that will get them the mission that they would prefer to do, and sure sometimes you will have guys who are forced to do something else due to "Needs of the ______". I think it is a real problem that so many people feel that just because someone got helos it means that they weren't the best pilots in Primary or are weaker pilots...IMHO
No one want to share their first experience?
Ok, well I will but I will keep it brief. Hovering is by far the hardest and scariest thing I had ever done in any aircraft (IFS included). Constant corrections are necessary, and while I realize that such corrections are required in all aircraft, I never had to make the amount of corrections that are required to hover except for maybe formation flying in the T-34. With formation though you were concerned about staying a safe distance from the other aircraft. With hovering you are trying to keep away from the ground as well as any trees that may be around (ie more things to potentially hit). After that first flight I was extremely drained and needed some time to recock for the next flight.
Of course with practice it has gotten easier and I can now do other things while hovering and make corrections without thinking about what those corrections need to be.
Bunk - you're on the right track in your airline prep!
Interviewer: So Bunk, what makes you think your ready for the majors?
Bunk: I've spent every one of my Navy C2 deployments developing my lay over skills. I know all the best strip clubs and bars.
Interviewer: Welcome to the hiring pool.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
I'm glad you added the "let's forget about tactics" bit... Looking back, flight school was like taking a bunch of survey courses... The varsity stuff is when you're flying and thinking about tactics. Unless you're a COD guy...
I considered it dangerous at the time because they had us at the controls with absolutely zero knowledge of the aircraft, systems, or possible emergencies. Not that the flying was dangerous, just that if anything had gone wrong, say on a solo it would have been...so naturally at the time I was somewhat concerned about it...
I have both a fixed wing and Rotor License and by far flying helos was the hardest, but I will say flying a helo is alot more fun than flying a Cessna that is for sure! I would have to say the hardest part about flying a helo is hovering no doudt about it! Especially going from forward flight and transfering to the Hover that part suck like none other! There is alot involved with flying helos but once you get it down there is nothing like hiding behind some trees and poping up and scaring the crap out of your entire family at a reunion!
I'll add to this one...
Learning to fly helos were most definelty harder than I thought it would be. Managing power, altitude, airspeed, yaw, trim, etc... just hovering takes 4 of that partial list.
After that, I went up to the 46... and that's a different animal of a helo in itself. Not having a tail rotor means that one day you add right pedal when you take off and the next day you add left.. and the reason is because of which direction the wind is coming from. But, the fundamentals of flying a helo don't change from one airframe to the next in my opinion. It's just how you manage the airframe.
But, I will say, the scariest thing I've done in flying so far....
Autorotations in a 46....
Learning to fly helos were most definelty harder than I thought it would be. Managing power, altitude, airspeed, yaw, trim, etc... just hovering takes 4 of that partial list.
After that, I went up to the 46... and that's a different animal of a helo in itself. Not having a tail rotor means that one day you add right pedal when you take off and the next day you add left.. and the reason is because of which direction the wind is coming from. But, the fundamentals of flying a helo don't change from one airframe to the next in my opinion. It's just how you manage the airframe.
But, I will say, the scariest thing I've done in flying so far....
Autorotations in a 46....
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
All I can say is wait 'till you hit the fleet... An auto in a Phrog is a cakewalk... Much more scary things await.