I must say that I totally agree with 'in the green'. I flew more than 1200 hours ab-initio instruction in the R22 with no problems, nor did anyone else at the commercial training school where I was working have any problems with the aircraft. I had been instructing on Bell 47s before and was very much against the Robinson, but once I started flying it and instructing in it my views changed. From the way I felt before flying it I can understand how other pilots who have not flown it may feel, but all I can say is that they should try it and gain some experience on it and see if it changes their views. The R22 is one of 14 types I have flown commercially and I believe it to be a good training aircraft because its rather unforgiving characteristics teach pilots sound helicopter piloting techniques. The point has been made time and time again that as long as the R22 is operated in accordance with the procedures laid down by Robinson it is unlikely to cause a problem. It does, however, require good instruction from experienced instructors not, as has been said, someone with a fixed wing instructor rating and 50 hours helicopter setting himself up to teach others something he is barely competent to fly, let alone instruct on.......waits to get shot down in flames!!
