Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot

Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot
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Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/6/2008 10:59:17 AM

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I fly airplanes and helicopters, my thought is if i want to be a good copter pilot does flying planes help or hurt? The reason i say this is that i went flying planes this sunday and got confused. and took a soil sample. Yes they are same but different. ideas?

RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/6/2008 12:10:00 PM

HeliTB

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Mike545...There are many pilots at my local flying field that can do both in the same day with no problem. The problem I see or better yet the thing you need to keep in mind is this.

A plane can be flown with aileron/elevator and no rudder or elevator/rudder and no aileron or all three.
A helicopter must flown with all three.

New airplane pilots who fly helis teach themselves a bad habit of flying the plane with aileron/elevator and no rudder. The heli needs the rudder to be flown to get the tail around unless you fly in non-AVCS (heading hold) mode. The airplane only flies in one direction, well supposedly, while a heli can be flown in many directions. Typically heli pilots have no problem transitioning to planes where as the other is little difficult.

My advice would be to fly the tail(rudder) on your plane to ensure when you switch to your heli you are still flying rudder.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/6/2008 3:40:20 PM

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I fly both, usually take both on the same day. I see how confusion could happen as sometimes I have problem going from hotliners to gliders because of where the crow and flaps are. With helos i have them all set up the same so I have no/ minimal confusion. I've been flying planes consistantly for 40 years and helos on and off for 32 though.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/6/2008 3:52:19 PM

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I fly both as well and don't have much problems switching between the two but everything HeliTB said rings very true. My plane skills haven't had much of an effect on my heli abilities in opposition I think heli skills spill right back into the planes. Flying fixed wing stuff is pretty straight forward going back to them after flying just helis for a while alot of fun because there really is not much stress for me.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/6/2008 5:20:13 PM

BarracudaHockey

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There's a few bad habits airplane pilots need to break and I usually encourage long time plank pilots to put the airplanes up for a couple of weeks till they establish the minimum helicopter skill set, then its easy to switch back and forth.

I take a whole suburban full to the field every week, helis, airplanes, even a glider.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/7/2008 12:42:01 AM

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thanks guys for all the input, i just got to fly more, pure and simple

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/7/2008 7:04:36 AM

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The only problem I have with flying both is that I find planks too easy.

Don't get me wrong, I am no expert but what I mean is, with a plank I can take-off and bumble around the sky while having a conversation with someone, putting on / taking off gloves / hat etc. and I find myself getting too relaxed and complacent.

Then, when I get my helis out of the car I have to remind myself to switch on the rest of my brain because it needs 100% concentration.

Oddly, that makes flying helis more relaxing because I find that I have to purge my brain of all the week's hassles before taking off and getting my pilot mind-set in gear.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/7/2008 3:10:53 PM

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I fly anything I can. I went flying with (2) 30 sized nitro helicopters, (2) 450 sized electric helicopters, (4) electric park flyers, Goldberg Chipmunk, Goldberg Cub, YS63 powered pattern plane, .10 sized ugly stick, E powered wanderer 72.

I find that if I fly just one type of aircraft for a long time it is hard to switch. But if you fly several types all the time, the switch becomes easer. It is liek when you practice long and hard on the sim to learn, say inverted hovering tail in, then you try to hove normal but nose in. It takes a few seconds for your brain to switch to what your are doing now.

Try going from a nitro helicopter to a 7 oz parkflyer. Your brain does freak a little. Believe it or not after 3 1/2 days of camping/flying I came home all but 2 aircraft. I lost (1) nitro heli and a parkfler.

Dru.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/7/2008 10:34:28 PM

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Hi,
I fly both and started with planes. After 16 years of planes I started helis 2 years ago. My thoughts are these,
A heli pilot that has never flown planes learns to hover, then they move onto forward flight. This is where the plane pilot that takes up helis ( like me) has a considerable advantage. I was used to seeing my model fly through the air at high speeds with little to no nerves, the new heli pilot has to make the break through of pushing the stick forward and causing forward flight. This must be extremely difficult.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/7/2008 11:32:28 PM

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I kinda did the best of both worlds . . . . learned to hover, and then got a Zagi and learned FFF on a basically indestructable airframe, and then FFF with the heli was no big deal. (Pior to that, I had the same problem you describe - too much pucker factor, and knowing that I was looking at a $1000+ potential *thud*.) And as far as planes go, the first three times around on a "real" plane was in a 20+ MPH crosswind, and I just greased all the landings . . .

I think the heli skills (especially flying the rudder) carry a lot better back to planes than the other way around, but there is still some transfer of skills and orientations in FFF from plane to heli.

- Tim

< Message edited by tadawson -- 5/7/2008 11:33:27 PM >

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/8/2008 1:44:41 AM

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my biggest problem is when i use rudder, ill give rt alerion and for some reason left hand gives left rudder, instead of rt rudder, hmmm

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/12/2008 11:13:10 PM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Big feet

Hi,
the new heli pilot has to make the break through of pushing the stick forward and causing forward flight. This must be extremely difficult.

I have been flying a Blade CP and CX for about two years on and off now, and I still have only once flown in FFW with my CP. I find it terribly difficult to get it going. I know I can do it, I've spent ten times more hours on G3 than in real life, I know the movements. And once I got into FFW I was really comfortable. But I like to just watch my not wrecked heli hover.

I went to my local flying club and was just watching the guys fly, and once I got to know them I got the chance to fly a small foamie plane. I spent tons of time with planes on the sim too, but once I got to fly it in real life, it was like a heli. I was like, "Noooo, stop moving forward!!!" But it was a blast and I hope to get a foamie soon.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/13/2008 12:58:36 AM

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i hate to say it, im starting to like copters more than planes, for the mechanical side of them. i still like war birds but now im up to 5 copters, nitro ones.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/13/2008 1:03:44 AM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike545

I fly airplanes and helicopters, my thought is if i want to be a good copter pilot does flying planes help or hurt? The reason i say this is that i went flying planes this sunday and got confused. and took a soil sample. Yes they are same but different. ideas?

Sounds like you need more practice flying planks. I fly both, never had an issue since I remember that I am flying one or the other.

Does one hurt the other? No, practice more.

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/13/2008 1:07:38 AM

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i can fly planes ok, just starting to like the helis more and more,probably right , one can make me better at the other

(in reply to []TEX[])

RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/13/2008 1:11:11 AM

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Mike545

i can fly planes ok, just starting to like the helis more and more,probably right , one can make me better at the other

I grabbed the sticks of a friends plane this winter and I was surprised after not flying one for more than 7 yrs I had no problems. I enjoy helis more myself, you're not alone.....step away from the airplane slowly......

On another note, I find flying airplanes very easy and basic since becoming a heli pilot...

< Message edited by []TEX[] -- 5/13/2008 1:13:51 AM >

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RE: Helicopter pilot vrs Airplane pilot - 5/13/2008 1:13:16 AM