Learning to Fly Helicopters

[SuperStallionIP]

I've always heard that helicopters are harder to learn to fly than fixed wing. I assume that would be true since it seems you are doing a whole lot more in a helicopter and always making small corrections and such.

I was just wondering for those of you that fly helicopters, when you first started out, what was the hardest thing to learn or perform well?

For me, learning to fly a Cessna, it's landings. Which to me is obvious but maybe thats not the case for others. So if you could pick one or two things that you would say are the hardest things about learning to fly helicopters what would they be?

Matt

No matter what aircraft you start flying in, there is some degree of difficulty because you are not used to it. That is why you generally go through a familiarization stage first. Instrument scans and sight pictures will be different. After some time though you just get used to it and things become muscle memory in that aircraft. Proficiency in the airframe is all it is, and what used to seem difficult becomes quite easy. All airframes have areas that are easy to master and areas that take time and experience to get comfortable with.

 

[gregsivers]

Try RLQing.

I'm going out again Monday night for round 2. Hopefully the RA cable doesn't break this time.

Back on the subject of first flights in a helo, mine was fun, but very overwhelming. I rode in the back to Santa Rosa so I got to sit and watch my fam partner try and hover from across the field. When it was my turn I found it wasn't easy. I couldn't keep the helo over the pavement, let alone in the box. I got the controls one at a time, first pedals, then collective, then cyclic. I was doing alright til I got all 3, then it just went to sh!t. I kept trying to pull the cyclic back to climb up, still thinking fixed wing. By the second flight I was able to keep it somewhat controlled and could almost hold a steady hover. Trying to hover with the tail into the wind sure isn't easy when you've only flown a helo 3 times either, but its one way to learn the controls.

 

[bunk22]

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...

.......don't forget E-2's, no tactics there as far as the pilots go.

Phrog drivers have tactics? My bud fly's 53's and though there are tactics, he claims they are minimal.

 

[bunk22]

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.

Well, I hope I'm set if I ever go airlines then.

 

[Fly Navy]

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...

Sounds like sh!tty instruction. I got EP training, was required to read the POH before my first flight, know how the aircraft "systems" worked.

 

[Gatordev]

Sounds like sh!tty instruction. I got EP training, was required to read the POH before my first flight, know how the aircraft "systems" worked.

I find new reasons every day to be annoyed w/ IFS.

 

[Fly Navy]

I find new reasons every day to be annoyed w/ IFS.

There just isn't much Stan. The Navy should put out a Stan for it, not just Part 141 school. We used a Jepp syllabus, it worked fine, but the instructors also have to be standardized as far as what they're teaching beforehand, etc. There is no excuse to not reading a Cessna 172 POH before your first flight, it's not THAT thick.

 

[Piperdriver]

This looks hard....

 

[jamnww]

Sounds like sh!tty instruction. I got EP training, was required to read the POH before my first flight, know how the aircraft "systems" worked.

I agree...and in hindsight we all probably should have asked many more questions to get the training we needed first.

As it was, we showed up for day one on a Wed, first flight Thurs, second flight Fri, and Ground School started on that following Monday. Anyway, we live and learn, I just hope things have changed there...

 

[Brett327]

This looks hard....

Looks like those guys got into the port wine locker.

Brett

 

[Fly Navy]

As it was, we showed up for day one on a Wed, first flight Thurs, second flight Fri, and Ground School started on that following Monday. Anyway, we live and learn, I just hope things have changed there...

That's very civilian though. Most civilian flight schools won't start you in ground school until you have some hours under your belt.

 

[Chubby]

Isn't that kind of counter intuitive?

 

[Fly Navy]

Isn't that kind of counter intuitive?

It is how I first learned at 15 years old. Worked fine. You do not need all the theory before learning basic mechanics. When you get more indepth, of course that will be required.

 

[skidkid]

sure but they want money i.e keep you coming back if civilians started out with API there wouldnt be too many people trying out flying decide to stick with it. Make no mistake most civilian flight schools make most decisions based on the bottom line.

 

[Fly Navy]

sure but they want money i.e keep you coming back if civilians started out with API there wouldnt be too many people trying out flying decide to stick with it. Make no mistake most civilian flight schools make most decisions based on the bottom line.

This is true. You can suck all you want, if you keep paying them, they'll keep flying you.