Flying tail dragger aircraft with long, high aspect wings is highly over rated, and entirely too easy to make it challenging. Don't waste your time.
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Off the golden path career path and transitioning between aircraft type
- Thread starter Random13
- Start date
I did. Been a while. I’ve had 5 hour flights having used zero gallons of gas (tow plane used a little). A ton of fun.
Random13
Member
That's awesome! It's something that really sparked the interest whenever I saw a video of what looked to be private glider pilots doing aerobatics in it. You said 5 hour flights, those hours count towards CPL and ATP minimums correct?
Out of curiosity, at what point do those who want to stay on the test and acquisitions side usually transition to the AEDO community? For us Surface types, we usually hop over to the EDO community sometime after our second sea tour and before our first DH tour. I transitioned at the end of my shore tour. Is it a similar set up for AEDOs or do you want post-DH tour officers like the Submariners do?
Of the guys I’ve known that have made the switch, it’s about 50/50 before DH and after DH. What the overall actual community statistics show, no idea of course.
The best primary trainer for aspiring civilian commercial helicopter pilots is... a Cessna 172.
Seriously. Go learn airmanship and get a Private Pilot rating in an airplane; first. Then take a few "lessons" in a primary training helicopter and see if it even interests you.
I have connections with two Helo flight schools in my area. They make their bread and butter on bearded, Carhartt wearing, tattooed dudes who drive for Amazon or Uber or are over the road CDLs who fantasize in a future as a commercial helicopter pilot. The instructors and staff fill their heads to affirm their glorious aspirations and happily accept every penny the student can scrape up from savings, friends and family - tens of thousands. They have never touched an aircraft before.
Soon they find out their 90 IQ brains are totally unsuited for their vocational fantasy - not even making it to solo.
I couldn't agree more. Before reaching Whiting I had a Private Certificate and about 200 hours, but NOT to improve selection possibilities, but because I was a kid who hung around airports since I was 10 yrs old. Signing the dotted line with Marine PLC was just part of an overall progression, not a planned event.
An engine is just a crutch for a bad pilot!
Winch launches are fun and cheap, too. My dad and grandfather used to fly out at Torrey Pines, before they closed it to everyone but hang gliders. That would have been really cool. They also had a club going south of Yuma. They would fly tasks through the restricted ranges east of Yuma on the weekends.
I've always wanted to go out to Europe where they fly off the side of the mountain right into the ridge lift.
Michigan has such a limited season. It's kind of a bummer.
CAP operates glider ops year round in Lapeer - D95 Impressive program
They must have a lot of frigid cold sled rides from 2500ft.
Funny thing, when getting into the wave managing your sweat on the ground is important. It might be 75 on the ground but it's a hell of a lot colder up in the flight levels in the wave window. Ice is a problem.
I think in this particular picture young Neil is wishing his sunglasses was a throttle.A young Neil rocking the glider...
