Lord, please grant me patience.....

RotorRookie: Actually, the co-pilot is fairly simple to setup, and operate. In fact, it takes less than half the time to get it correct than it does to install and setup simulator software. So there.

It's probably the longest thread ever in that forum because there's a lot of interest in it. I think that most of the problems people have had with the Co-Pilot is that the instruction manual is very poorly written, or that they didn't take the time to figure out how, and why it works the way it does. Anyone who has bought a Nexus can appreciate a good manual!!!

The co-pilot DOES help a person to learn how to get out of tough situations. Much better and faster than a sim. I can have a student, who isn't familiar with nose in, turn his heli nose in and give it full right aileron, and tell him to correct it. I can put them in pretty much any orientation, and tell them to correct it. The great thing is, if they screw up, all they gotta do is let go. It's alot like having a buddy cord. And for years, the buddy cord was the way to go when learning.

I understand that computers and software have advanced to the point that a sim can be as realistic LOOKING as the real thing. However, as was pointed out above, there's no substitute for the dynamics of actual flight.

Peripheral vision, the sound of the engine, the sound of the blades, the actual visual and audible distractions that vary from day to day, and field to field.
All of these little, almost unnoticable factors can play an enormous part in the learner's progression.

I've trained DOZENS of new pilots. Both with and without the co-pilot. You know what I found? ALL of the pilots with a co-pilot learned faster, smoother, and more precisely than any of those that didn't have one.
Even those that have had a sim, and then tried the Co-Pilot have told me they wish they had started out on one sooner.

You can't argue with facts... Ask someone who has actually learned on one, and they'll tell you the same thing.

And one other thing... You said you wouldn't want to get too dependant on it. What I do to prevent that from happening is this: as the student progresses, and learns more about the feel and orientation of the helicopter, I gradually reduce the responsiveness of the Co-Pilot until eventually, it's turned off completely. Most of them don't even realize I've done this until after they've recovered from a sticky situation on their own!

Warlock:
Points well taken I didn't mean to bash your thread, honestly. I think its a great thing you've been doing spending all that time & helping people out. It just seemed to me to be too much trouble to deal with, maybe I'm wrong, not the first time. Anyway, like I said I think its a matter of preference. You choose to use it to teach, and your students do well. That's great. I choose to practice on a simulator. I know there's nothing that compares with the real thing. But if it hadn't been for the sim, I would have gone through a great deal of crash kits already. So it did pay for itself many times over. As soon as the reciever & crystal come for my Hawk Sport, hopefully this week, I'm going to try the real thing. Anyway, I didn't mean to sound like I was bashing your thread or co-pilot. Its obvious many people use it. Your thread is proof, and quite helpful to those who use & install it.
Joe

RotorRookie:

No offense taken. I understand people have different opinions and views about everything, and its their right to express them.

Likewise, I also choose to voice mine. There is no right or wrong opinion.....

Congrats on your purchase of a Hawk Sport. I used to have quite a few of the Hawk's. They're very nice machines, and for what you pay for them, they're easy to fix and replace when bad things happen.

I'm glad to hear the sim's been working for you. If. when you get to the field, and it's harder than you thought, then try a co-pilot!

(I had to toss that in somewhere!)

YAY! This makes my 500th post! Do I win a cookie?

You never know. I just might Plus I think the people who sell/make the co-pilot should "cut you in on some cash" for supporting their product so well

I wish

Here you go Warlock:
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/::' --|-- '::\
|:" .---"---. ':|
|: (O R E O) :|
|:: `------' ::|
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`'"""'`

Mangled cookie

HAHAHA!!!

Now, for some milk.....

i just need to add my opinion here
I've been flying for only a year now, and if it wasn't for the simulator I guarantee you I would not be able to do chaos, funnels, inverted autos etc. etc. At least not after a year of flying! Co-pilot is a nice little device which should be used if necessary, just like the gyro is a nice little device that should be used if necessary, Now I personally know pilots that don't even use that, I don't agree with that but respect it

I've met a few pilots who don't use gyros as well. They're a hardcore breed. I tried flying mine once with the gain all the way off. It was nuts!

And to think, only in the past several years have gyros advanced to the point that they have. I guess I'm spoiled!

Once you get into fast forward flight I like the following characteristics of not having a gyro on. Feels like more 'natural' flight as opposed to moving the tail like you have to with a heading hold gyro.