JAFO,
The only reason helicopters fly is because they are so ugly that occassionally the earth repels them.
No no no! You've got it all wrong. That's not why helicopters fly. And don't anyone else tell me it's because of lift and drag and rotor thrust and all that fancy stuff either.
Helicopters, like all other aircraft, fly because of MONEY. Flying is expensive, so your wallet gets emptier, and therefore lighter, so that eventually the aircraft can fly. Fixed wing aircraft need to taxi first, and do lots of checks and so on, so that you've spent enough money to allow them to get off the ground. Helicopters, on the other hand, are so expensive that they can take off and land vertically. Twins are even more expensive; that's why they fly so fast. Microlights are pretty cheap; that's why they go so slowly. Their engines fail pretty often too...no, no, no, nothing to do with being two-stroke; it's because microlight pilots don't spend enough money, so the poor little engine sometimes can't carry all that weight. Aerobatics is possible because as soon as you turn upside down the money falls out of your pockets, so the aircraft can happily keep tumbling around the sky, getting lighter as it goes.
So now you've all taken in Whirly's Christmas lesson in basic aerodynamics (an exam will follow, of course!), I'm sure you'll understand why helicopters are absolutely safe, and why you shouldn't complain at the amount your flying school, maintenance organisation, and insurance company are charging you; it's all helping to make sure you stay airborne.
