Am I the only one who is tired of hearing this entirely unfounded claim:
"if you can fly the R22 you can fly anything"? Lets tell it like it is. If you can fly the Schweizer, you can fly anything. Except the R22. The R22 doesn't make you a better 300CB pilot, even though yes, it is easier to transition from the R22 to the Schweizer than vice versa. There is nothing in the nature of the R22 to give you superior skills - the teetering rotor means you have to learn
differently, that's all. It's the mistake of people who don't actually understand learning who assume if it's
harder, you learn better. If that were so, we should have all learned to write while wearing boxing gloves.
If you plan to fly R22s exclusively, then you will be best served by training in the R22. But consider this - we offer training in both the R22 and the 300CB. Many of our new students take discovery flights in both aircraft (we encourage it). Most of them choose the Schweizer, even at $15/hour more.
As whirlygig said, the R22 was not designed as a trainer. It is only used as such because it is inexpensive to buy and fly. Kudos to Frank Robinson for building a full-circle helicopter industry, but the Schweizer is the helicopter designed and built from the ground up for training. At the end of 1,000 hours in either, there isn't going to be any difference in piloting skills (except in the Robinson or Schweizer).
Anyone who claims differently is demonstrating cult behavior!
