Flew an R-22 today!
08-07-2004, 12:30 AM
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Flew an R-22 today!
Hey guys and gals. I finally redeemed a gift certificate for a "1 hour dual" in an R22 helicopter. It was very cool. My dad has been a private airplane pilot for years and I've been up with many times as well as doing things like Air Combat etc. I've only been on a Heli once and that was a straight shot ride to Catalina.
This was pretty neat. I got to hover (if you call it that) a few times and fly around for a bit. He showed me a couple of autorotations too.
Very fun. Too bad it's so expensive for a heli license. $11000... ughh.
This was pretty neat. I got to hover (if you call it that) a few times and fly around for a bit. He showed me a couple of autorotations too.
Very fun. Too bad it's so expensive for a heli license. $11000... ughh.
08-08-2004, 07:27 PM
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RE: Flew an R-22 today!
Glad you had some fun flying! Shooting autos in an R-22 is kinda scarey to me. I haven't been flying for a few months, but I did get to fly Sikorsky's S-92 simulator at Flight Safety in West Palm Beach last week. That was a blast!
08-09-2004, 10:41 AM
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RE: Flew an R-22 today!
The instructor said the R-22 is quite a handful and that many experienced Heli pilots have a bit of trouble getting used to how sensitive the controls are. It's like it needs expo or something. It helped a bit that I had practiced on RealFlight in preparation for flying my Freya. The controls on the R22 felt about as sensitive.
The hovering was an experience. I locked it in once for a good stable hover, but I think that was more luck than anything else. The other attempts were pretty ugly!
The hovering was an experience. I locked it in once for a good stable hover, but I think that was more luck than anything else. The other attempts were pretty ugly!
08-25-2004, 04:15 PM
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RE: Flew an R-22 today!
Of course he made it look easy but you're right. Phew. I was all over the place... except that once... which made me proud 
This instructor said he had over 2000 hours in the R22... He better be good at hovering!
What's the reason you're taking heli classes? Fun or work?
This instructor said he had over 2000 hours in the R22... He better be good at hovering!
What's the reason you're taking heli classes? Fun or work?
08-25-2004, 05:34 PM
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RE: Flew an R-22 today!
Got my add-on rotorcraft rating in the R22 at the FBO where I was working in 1985.. Loved flying it! (even at employee rates, it just became too expensive to fly enough to remain proficient) I toyed with getting a CFI-H in order to keep flying it, but got my "airline break", so that went away 
Being small and light with a low intertia rotor (which was lighter before the FAA mandated additional tip weight! [X(]), the R22 is kinda twitchy, and timing is critical on autorotations. That was the hardest part of the training for me... To avoid making an R22 shaped hole in the ground, you have to apply split second timing to the collective and cyclic as the ground is rushing up at what appears to be Warp speed!
On my first attempt at hovering 12 inches over a spot, I managed to "hover" over most of a one acre field at altidudes ranging from 3 inches to five feet... The R22 settled into a 6 inch hover quickly when the CFI took the controls... wonder how that happened!?? Eventually, hovering became second nature (keeping your right wrist on your knee while in the hover really helps!) -
I have a great deal of respect for R22 instructors, because the margin of error for a student is pretty thin. One thing is certain - other helicopters are easier to fly
Cheers!
Jim
Being small and light with a low intertia rotor (which was lighter before the FAA mandated additional tip weight! [X(]), the R22 is kinda twitchy, and timing is critical on autorotations. That was the hardest part of the training for me... To avoid making an R22 shaped hole in the ground, you have to apply split second timing to the collective and cyclic as the ground is rushing up at what appears to be Warp speed!
On my first attempt at hovering 12 inches over a spot, I managed to "hover" over most of a one acre field at altidudes ranging from 3 inches to five feet...
The R22 settled into a 6 inch hover quickly when the CFI took the controls... wonder how that happened!?? Eventually, hovering became second nature (keeping your right wrist on your knee while in the hover really helps!) - I have a great deal of respect for R22 instructors, because the margin of error for a student is pretty thin. One thing is certain - other helicopters are easier to fly
Cheers!
Jim
11-05-2004, 05:51 PM
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RE: Flew an R-22 today!
I got a couple rides in a R-44 over the Northwoods of WI. Last year he added a MD 500E to his fleet. That thing was saweeeeeet! I asked the pilot if he liked it better than the R-44. He said 100 times better. The 500 E did seem more stable to me an a LOT faster. We got up in the air, seemed like seconds. Maybe he was just giving us a fun ride 
And man was it ever Plus flying over the Northwoods is just awesome in itself. One of my buddies is a private pilot and has a Cessna. He flew us up there a few times from Chicago. The first time I just couldn't believe my eyes. Nothing but beautiful trees & lakes everywhere. In a heli its even that much better. Here's a link to their site [link=http://www.northwoodshelicopter.com/bizweb.asp]Northwoods Helicopter[/link] The wife & I have a house up in Mercer. So I try & get a ride in a heli as much as I can when we go up. Couldn't pay the wife to go in a heli. She a big chicken about that kind of stuff 
I keep saying, just once, but no dice. I haven't given up on her yet though
Joe
And man was it ever Plus flying over the Northwoods is just awesome in itself. One of my buddies is a private pilot and has a Cessna. He flew us up there a few times from Chicago. The first time I just couldn't believe my eyes. Nothing but beautiful trees & lakes everywhere. In a heli its even that much better. Here's a link to their site [link=http://www.northwoodshelicopter.com/bizweb.asp]Northwoods Helicopter[/link] The wife & I have a house up in Mercer. So I try & get a ride in a heli as much as I can when we go up. Couldn't pay the wife to go in a heli. She a big chicken about that kind of stuff I keep saying, just once, but no dice. I haven't given up on her yet though Joe
