Today’s lesson was hovering and hover taxi’ing. It went great – one of those lessons where I left buzzing !
This is the first lesson where Steve let me takeoff from the original position the helicopter was parked in and start the taxi off. I think Steve took over a few seconds later to get us to the holding point, and then we were cleared to enter the hover square, which is an area where we can practice hovering right next to the runway. The hovering wasn’t great but I was well pleased with it. There were a couple of maneuvres, where I impressed myself. One was where I was hovering and asked to do a 360 turn around the spot. This is trickier than it sounds as the wind affects the turn and can move you off the spot. It went really well, so well, I asked Steve if he was helping me, to which he replied the only thing he was doing was “praying”. Made me laugh.
I lost the hover a couple of times, but I think this is the first lesson where I have got all the lost hovers BACK to a hover – really pleased at this !! It was going so well, we then proceeded to do some hover taxi’ing. Basically, we were (or I should say I was), taxi’ing from one point on the hover square (more a rectangle about 300 yards long) to the other side, turning round, back again and repeat until dizzy. I was really pleased. Not perfect, but I was happy with it.
We also did some takeoff and landings. One of the landings had some sideways movement (NOT GOOD!), but we got down. Landing is HARD. It requires the perfect hover and a lowering of the collective, which changes the hover in itself – they will be a challenge.
That aside, all good !! Steve then let me taxi back to the parking spot and attempt a landing, which I did. he then took off and got it 20 yards closer to the fuel bowser. Loved it !!!!
So, how often you flying mr dp? All sounds dreadfully exciting i must admit! Those R22′s look fairly small – does a CPL entitle you to fly any single rotor helicopter? If so you could offer scuba/helicopter packages soon! :0P
Also, how safe do you feel in comparison to fixed wing flying? Is the feeling much the same, or is it a completely different kettle?
Hiya Tom
Loads of questions !!
How often do I fly ? It depends on the British Weather. Last week, I think I got 3 flights in.
Yesterday alone, I got 3 flights in. Then there’s times when I can go weeks without a lesson.
No a CPL only entitles to fly helicopters you are “rated” on, but the difference being you can make money from the flight, with a PPL, you can’t make money.
Regardless of PPL/CPL, you can obtain a rating on any helicopter by doing the ratings conversion course, normally 5 to 10 hours of training “on type”.
hehe re scuba/helicopter packages
How safe do you feel ? If you’re flying with me at the moment, you’d be keen to exit the helicopter at your earliest convenience !! In fact, jumping out from 20feet up would be an attractive proposition !!
No, there’s pro’s and con’s to flying helis or fixed wing. Fixed wing a/c are stable a/c, but if you have an emergency, you need a big area to land safely. Helicopters are inherently unstable, they don’t want to fly, so there’s an added skill element, but it focusses the mind for sure !!! The bonus being, if there is an engine failure, you’ve a much bigger choice of landing areas.
But, flying them is VERY different. The air law, the patterns you fly are similar or the same, but HOW they fly is chalk and cheese to a great extent. Having said that, I do feel that my fixed wing experience has DEFINITELY helped me progress quicker than if I was new to the whole thing.
hth
Thanks for the long reply! All makes sense. So, you’ll be ‘endorsed’ on your CPL for the R22 (including A & B types), but if you wanted to fly a Bell 222 you’d need to get 5 – 10 hours of training with an instructor to get a ‘Bell222/230/430′ endorsement (http://easa.europa.eu/ws_prod/c/doc/List_of_Helicopters.pdf). So, more questions… Do the endorsements last forever, and once you’ve got an endorsement on your CPL is there any restrictions while flying that class? For example, if you had a endorsement on a Bell 222 could you fly it without restriction like you could a R22 which you’ve done hundreds of hours in?
I’m more excited that you are dp! :0D I defo expect cheap regional tours from you once you have your CPL! ;0)
You are more interested than me Tom
So, I think it’s a “yes” re the endorsement for the R22. And “yes” for the 5-10 hours training for the Bell 222 endorsement.
I’m not 100% sure about the rest. I suspect an endorsement lasts forever with the caveat that you satisfy the criteria for keeping your licence current ie enough hours per year.
And “Yes” to the Bell 222 endorsement. Once you’ve got it, you could fly it as you would the R22. But, of course, if you haven’t got a night rating, you can’t fly at night, if you haven’t got an Instrument Rating (IR), you can’t fly it when it’s IFR (ie crap weather, reduced vis etc).
I’m sure we can come to some arrangment re a regional tour. Special friends rates
And that’s not “Special Friend”‘s rates, that’s Special “Friend’s Rates” 
Correction Tom
To keep current on the PPL(H), a proficiency check is required every 2 years and you must also have done 2 hours on each type you want to be current.
But some single-piston engine helis are exempt from the 2-hour rule.