You Folks Are Great!

[Ryan]

Well... after pestering you all for about a year and a half with my silly, repetative questions I've started my flight training. I'm three days in and it been amazing! Now I understand all the talk about how twitchy the R22 is. I mean hell, what do I do if I'm flying solo and have to sneeze ! My instructor showed my a full auto right to the ground today. Impressive!! Hope I don't fill my shorts again when it comes time for me to do one many moons from now.
Anyways, just wanted to say thanks to everyone who answered my questions no matter how mundane they were. And to those who recommended the ARN in my helmet... double thanks. I flick that switch and it's like hitting the mute button on a tv! Love it.
Well, back to the books I go hehe. If any of ya are every at YYJ come on over to the Spitfire Bar/Grill. Our school office is just above it. Try not to read too much into the fact a flight school is right above a bar. B)

Gobble Gobble!!!

Ryan.

 

[twinstar_ca]

hey, ryan... there are a few of us old guys... ok, just me... who are envious as hell that you are takin' the plunge...

however, please keep us updated on how things progress and you keep those revs up!!!

p.s. where else would you want to locate a flight school?!?!?!

 

[4961]

Do as many confined areas as you can, and then do some more.

 

[teabagger]

Hey Ryan

It's great to read the excitement in your posts. Here are a few suggestions for maximizing your training dollar and your training experience.

- Remember that $400/Hr. converts to $6.67 per minute (CHOKE, CHOKE, GAG). As a result be prepared, ensure that your instructor prepares you and is prepared him/herself.
- Study, Study and Study some more. Know what you need to know for each flight inside out.
- Master startup and shutdown procedures right off the bat rather than fumbling with the checklist.
-Whenever you get a chance, sit in the machine and familiarize yourself. If they will let you, unplug the battery and do mock starts and shutdowns.
- Make sure you get a thorough pre-flight and post-flight briefing. The 3 min. explanation you just got while the blades were turning just cost you $20 and 3 min. in the air. I'm not talking about not letting your instructor to talk to you while you are on the ground, just keep it within reason.
- Remember that you are in control of the quality of your trianing, be hard on yourself to do everything masterfully. Perfection is unattainable but constant improvement is.
- Most of all enjoy, you will preserve fond memories of your training for a long time!!!


Fly Safe
Teabagger

 

[Ryan]

Hehe, don't ask for updates from me...I'll never shut up! Every day blows my mind. Today I managed my first lift-off, transition and touchdown without Bob shadowing my movements. We did some circuits to introduce me to approaches. Christ, here I thought hovering was a bugger. Total sensory overload!
Then to add something a little different he showed me recovery from an engine failure in the hover. I tell ya I gotta start bringing toilet paper with me. He did a few with me shadowing him to see what it's like. Then we did two more with me doing most of the work while he shadowed to ensure I didn't make things too ugly. After that I brought it back to a hover and figured we be off for more circuits. Nope. He surprised me by cracking the power right off without warning to see what I'd do. Oddly enough the helicopter remained in one piece after it hit the grass! Glad I chose a school with a great (heard from many he's the best) emergency procedures instructor.
Well, once again the books are calling my name. I love it! Later gang.
Ryan. B)

 

[412driver]

"Master startup and shutdown procedures right off the bat rather than fumbling with the checklist."

Failure to use the checklist for start up, run up and pre take off, even if done perfectly constitutes a failure of the exercise on a commercial flight test.

and yes....study, study study! good luck!

 

[Winnie]

Agree with 412Driver. Not using checklists constitues a FAIL on the Flight Test with Transport Canada. That is part of the reason why most everybody has stopped doing cockpit blindfold checks.

You may well emmorize procedures, but use the list, that is what it is there for!

 

[Blackmac]

The only time you don't need a check list is when the engine quits.

Even old time engineers that are smart, use a check list, it's called a maintenance manual.

Good way to become old and experienced.

Cheers, Don

 

[rainman]

Hey Ryan, Glad to hear you're having a blast. Fun isn't it. Bob is a great instructor, very fair and also demanding. A great choice for training.

He gave me my flight test and subsequently my first job mopping up floors etc...

Best of luck and maybe i'll stumble down to the grill in the fall sometime and see how things are going.

Watch out for the diversion on the Nav trips, He likes to put you in a bit of a tight spot for holding altitude, bank angle and coming up with all the info you need to give him. Have fun

R :wacko:

 

[cap]

Ryan ------ enjoy, master and remember your different autorotations. Everything else you are doing you will get to do over and over again during the ensuing years and you'll get better and better at them. It has been decided in recent years that "full-on" autorotations are too dangerous to practice and they are now gradually fading into the sunset. So after completing your course you may not do another one for a decade or more...........until you HAVE TO.........and I'll almost guarantee you that it won't be over an open field of any sort. At that moment in time just remember not to flare at 200' and try to bring the power back in.

 

[Ryan]

Thanks for the tips and encouragement guys! Did circuits for an hour yeasterday and my aproaches into the hover are getting better. Still ugly, but better. Then myself and another student stayed behind to wash and wax the R22. I was gonna throw a car air-freshener inside as a joke but figured it might be a bad idea. Might not be able to snif out burning oil or a fuel leak. Besides, a helicopter should smell like a helicopter...av gas, leather and sweat.

 

[Blackmac]

Ryan; You are an actual inspiration with your outlook on life, love your attitude.

Send me a PM with your hight and weight and address, I have a nomex flight suit that I will send you. Don't need it anymore.

Cheers, Don