I’ll try to write more on this topic when I get time later this month. Until then, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read some of my other posts about flying helicopters. I’ve been doing it for about 10 years now and have a lot to say. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

I just happened upon your site hoping to find some help on figuring out what FARs to study. I’m actually a CFI for airplanes but I’ve been away from it for a while due to going back for my master’s degree and I need to study to finish up my helicopter rating. My instructor thinks I should know everything already since I’m a CFI but I need to hit the books.

Anyway, nice to find this, thanks. One thing that’s difficult for me is figuring out what to do on the radio while flying a helicopter. I was used to flying out of a big airport where you started and got flight following right away. The helicopter I’m flying is out of a smaller airport, and it’s very close to class B airspace and other airports, so it’s easy to bust airspace if you’re not careful.

I haven’t read your other posts yet, but something that would be very useful to me is how you keep track of your position soas not to bust airspace, how you figure out positions to report, how to know which way to enter the landing pattern, what to say when you want to go to your helicopter parking spot, etc. by the way, how to enter the landing pattern question is based on the fact that helicopters have to stay out of the path of fixed wing. Some controllers don’t know that and have to be told or reminded.

It’s tough to use a chart in a helicopter too because you have to keep it in the air and the controls are so close (I fly an enstrom). Any advice on remembering frequencies or have you found any methods like a leg-strapped-on clip board?

thanks,

Fritz

Thanks Maria,

If anything freaks me out, it’s that changing careers is now in my hands (once the economy cooperates anyway)!

>flying helicopters is one of my favorite

That’s why I keep coming back.

–c

When I had a regular job, one of my co-workers was in love with flying. She took flying lessons and was soon ready to solo in an airplane. She took off on her own on that first solo flight — and freaked out. She suddenly realized that it was all in her hands and it scared the crap out of her. She landed safely and never piloted a plane again.

I think of that story a lot, but when it was my turn to solo in a helicopter years later, I didn’t have the same feeling. I fear that I might in an airplane, though. (Touching down while still going 60 knots or more? Are they NUTS?)

Anyway thanks again for your comment. I checked out your site and like it a lot. Will probably add a link on my links page. Best of luck with the site. Hope you continue to stop by here once in a while. I write about a lot of topics, but flying helicopters is one of my favorite.

Helicopters though, I breezed through. I denied myself flight time to keep up on my ground. Hobbs time is too expensive to delay a checkride because you didn’t get your written knocked off, but I saw other students flying to keep their skills up while they caught up on their ground lessons.

Flying is fun, but it’s the ground that’s going to keep you legal and alive.

Maria, I also wanted to point you to my site, wikiRFM.cyclicandcollective.net. I developed it to combat the intellectual incest that develops when schools only hire their own. If you think it’s useful and appropriate, I’d appreciate a link out from your resources.

–c

Interesting article, most interesting.

Jay Bee…