Pro Helo Pilot Forum

[Ian J]

Hey... ever thought about having a professional helicopter pilot section on this forum? I've checked out some helo forums and nothing is as good as JC.

Professional helo pilots have to jump through a lot of hoops like airline guys (especially civilian trained guys), and a good forum with good info could really help out.


Just a thought!

[scottyboy75]

You nust have seen Just Helicopters. The arguments that happen here are nothing compared to what goes there. Thats why I visit this often. The advice given seems applicable to us too.

[Ian J]

Yeah... and I don't know if it's just me, but the helo sites seem full of arrogance. Not a lot of help and info. Helo-drivers and especially wanna-be helo-drivers need a site like this.

[Longhaul]

Concur! Although the verticalreference.com forum is pretty good.

[scottyboy75]

I do like Vertical Reference. It just does not seem as tight knit as this community. The "other" one in order to ask a question you have to defend yourself as just a Robbie driver.
In another question do any of you guys that are dual rated feel it gives them an advantage in either corporate or EMS?

[wheelsup]

Originally Posted by scottyboy75

In another question do any of you guys that are dual rated feel it gives them an advantage in either corporate or EMS?

A CFI I used to work with was hired here and was hired into the Hawker I believe. He was a heli CFI as well, had around 2000TT I believe with about 1000 of that being in a 300 cb.

Last I talked to him, he hoped to transition to one of their helicopters. That was part of his intention in going there, at least.

[scottyboy75]

I know CJ systems and Air Methods use both rotor and fixed but I do not know what their thoughts are about duallity.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by scottyboy75

I do like Vertical Reference. It just does not seem as tight knit as this community. The "other" one in order to ask a question you have to defend yourself as just a Robbie driver.
In another question do any of you guys that are dual rated feel it gives them an advantage in either corporate or EMS?

Hmmm... hard to say. I'm still in the Army and CFI airplanes part time. Once I get out I suppose I'll see. The problem is that for hiring purposes both sides don't give a damn about the other hours. My hundreds of hours as PIC in multi engine turbines don't mean squat to airplane people.

It would be awesome to work for a flight school that did planes and helos though.

Don't let anyone give you ##### about being "just" a robbie driver. I know a lot of Army pilots who take their training for granted. You are clearly dedicated doing it all on your own with your own cash.

[scottyboy75]

Most of the guys who are saying that either forget where they came from or were in the Army and never there. The cool thing about flying Robbies at altitude is power managment. Unlike you big guys we have to concern ourselves with being at max gross. It's sad when you can only carry 16 gallons of fuel. The cycle pretty much looks like this fly to pinnacle land, shoot approach to one more land, head back for fuel. I think most of my time these days is either on my way to get fuel or on the way from getting fuel.
I do know of some schools that have both. The school I got my PPL rotor at has a fixed wing side. In fact after I got my license I started flying planks there. It was so busy on the heli side that I don't think those CFIs would have been able to fly planes if they wanted to.

[Kristie]

We're discussing it...

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Kristie

We're discussing it...

You doin the same about a possible ATC forum!?

[n57flyguy]

Originally Posted by Maximillian_Jenius

You doin the same about a possible ATC forum!?

ATC forum wopuld be awsome, is there/was there plans to make one?

I for one would love a Helo forum. My freind tells me about how his Heli rating is going and it sounds really fun. Its something I would love to do one day. Not my choice, but Id say go for it!!!

[Ian J]

I personally think it would be just awesome for a jet careers site to have a better helo forum than an actual helo forum!

I know we have a couple helo guys on here already, and it seems to be a good mix between military and civilian guys... and it really wouldn't take long to migrate others over.

Plus, the cross-pollination between airplane and rotor guys could be interesting... everyone would learn a lot I think.

[n57flyguy]

Originally Posted by ChinookDriver

I personally think it would be just awesome for a jet careers site to have a better helo forum than an actual helo forum!

I know we have a couple helo guys on here already, and it seems to be a good mix between military and civilian guys... and it really wouldn't take long to migrate others over.

Plus, the cross-pollination between airplane and rotor guys could be interesting... everyone would learn a lot I think.

Would be very nice for the JC community, with the JC arguing mixed into the JC informative, you couldnt beat it!

Cross pollination? Whats the cyclic? is it kinda like the trottle?

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by Maximillian_Jenius

You doin the same about a possible ATC forum!?

definately!

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by Kristie

definately!

Good!

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by scottyboy75

Most of the guys who are saying that either forget where they came from or were in the Army and never there. The cool thing about flying Robbies at altitude is power managment. Unlike you big guys we have to concern ourselves with being at max gross. It's sad when you can only carry 16 gallons of fuel. The cycle pretty much looks like this fly to pinnacle land, shoot approach to one more land, head back for fuel. I think most of my time these days is either on my way to get fuel or on the way from getting fuel.
I do know of some schools that have both. The school I got my PPL rotor at has a fixed wing side. In fact after I got my license I started flying planks there. It was so busy on the heli side that I don't think those CFIs would have been able to fly planes if they wanted to.

We routinely operate at max gross! Our training consists of a lot of slingload practice where we carry 18,000lb cement blocks. That puts us right at our max of 50,000 lbs. I've done plety o' missions where my torque was at 100% and our TOT was maxed out in the OGE hover and had to use very, very gentle forward speed to get through ETL.

Empty on the other hand, is a different story all together. That thing just zooms when we're at 32,000 lbs.

When empty and in cruise, how many hours of flight does that 16 hours get you? I have a theory that ALL helicopters have the same endurance, no matter the size. When empty and in cruise, the Bell 206, The Apache, the Blackhawk, and the Chinook will all get about 3 hours give or take a little. And in the Chinook, it takes 1023 gallons to do it!

[Ian J]

And in the spirit of JC "discussing" maybe hosting a helo pilot area, how about all the helo-drivers out there checking in with the equipment they're flying, they're current job, and what they eventually want to do.

I'll start it off:

Chinooks, (obviously)
Army, (obviously)
And I would really love to fly EMS one day, if I stick with helos. CFI-ing airplanes is a lot of fun right now, so we'll see!

[Doug Taylor]

On the ATC forum, I've talked with our sole controller we have on the board and the take he has on it that there really isn't a lot of interest on the ATC side.

I'm still considering both, but it's about mid-way down on the 'short list'.

[n57flyguy]

Originally Posted by Doug Taylor

On the ATC forum, I've talked with our sole controller we have on the board and the take he has on it that there really isn't a lot of interest on the ATC side.

I'm still considering both, but it's about mid-way down on the 'short list'.

I know a guy from KBOS and a Guy from KPHL, who might be interested in helping you out, PM me if your interested.

[n57flyguy]

Originally Posted by Kristie

definately!

DEFINITLEY

Sorry, I would like to be grammer police for once.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by n57flyguy

DEFINITLEY

Sorry, I would like to be grammer police for once.

Actually, that would be the spelling police.

[n57flyguy]

Originally Posted by ChinookDriver

Actually, that would be the spelling police.

I spelled Grammar "Grammer" doug served me on that one once. Im stupid, I should just shut up

[scottyboy75]

Full of fuel about 30 gallons we get about 3- 3 1/2 hours. I always plan about 7- 8 gallons an hour. This leaves me enough room to " stay out of the flow of fixed wing traffic." I am currently trying to get my PIC signoff in the R-44, I am between driving the 22 and 44. I did get a couple of hours in the Schweizer that was cool but flew kind of like a tractor. I wouldn't mind getting more hours in it but no one really flies them anymore. This makes the CFI outlook not so good.
When you guys plan do you try to stay single engine capable? If not how is it to auto the Chinook?As far as the future I am probably going to the Gulf of Mexico to fly oil rigs. I wouldn't mind flying tours in Alaska but just depends on what time of year I hit 1000 hrs. EMS would be my ultimate goal but I have always been told fly alot then go EMS cause you don't fly much then.

[Ian J]

We can stay single engine capable up to a point, but at max gross we either have to cut slingload or dump cargo off the ramp. Autos are only done in the simulator, and are challenging to say the least. The halfway decent glide you'd get out of a bell 206 is non existent in a chinook... the thing drops like a rock. But there is usually a way to be able to fly single engine - even if you can't hover or maintain altitude you can usually bring it in for a roll on landing above ETL.