I have a part on my heli that I'd like to modify, I'd like to get a patent put on it. I was wondering if someone had stories to tell about a patent or what steps i should take to protect my idea. Should I trust those tv advertisements that say they'll help you or will they take me to the cleaners? If anyone out there has advice on the patent process. I'd love to hear it.

If a guy can put some velcro on his shirt, slap a baby bottle to it, and make millions doing it. The sky's the limit.

thanks in advance.

Why don't you tell us what your modification is and we will tell you if you should patent it .

contact a lawyer who handles patents or you can follow the steps on the http://www.uspto.gov/ site.

As far as I know a patent works as follows these days:
(1) you file your idea and pay them (a lot of) money 'administration costs'. The patent office will NOT check if someone else had your idea already.
(2) If at some point someone copies your idea you can start a lawsuit, needing more money but you have good chances to win IF your patent was written good enough to stand the lawsuit and exactly fits the case you try to fight
(3) If someone can show at any moment (that is, after you filed the patent) that your patent idea already existed and was published/patented before your patent was filed (even if you published yourself before filing the patent), your patent is void and you loose your investment
(4) A patent has only limited validity, both in area (other countries need a separate patent, of course with separate payment etc) and in time (I think after 5 years the patent expires, unless you pay a lot extra money to prolong the patent)

In short, as far as I can see a patent is highly bureaucratic stuff, you need to be at least a lawyer or something to get the patent nailed down to perfection so that it can held up in a lawsuit.

get on google and type patent. You will get a ton. It will keep you busy reading for a long time and have ideas on how to do it cheap.