PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - NZ CAA CPLh principles of flight exam
View Single Post
Old 27th September 2007 | 04:39
  #13 (permalink)  
remote hook
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
From: canada
Now THAT, is a post I can respond to. Well done.

First off, congratulations on your license, as earning a CPL in any county is an accomplishment. However...

There are a range of "skills" amongst helicopter pilots, but one of the the most important of those "skills," is respecting your equipment and fellow pilots. This has precious little to do with actual hands and feet, and everything to with common sense and the afore mentioned respect.

Any machine will only lift what it will lift within limits. This of course fluctuates with altitude, temperature, wind speed/direction, etc etc. You will come to learn that most helicopters will lift more than what they are certified for, and that "lifting" can sometimes be a whole lot easier than "putting down." Certain types will lift large amounts more than ever intended by the manufacturer.

There is a huge difference between barely moving a load, and moving one safely and effectively, with finesse, and respect for the machine and those who will fly it afterwards. This is the issue I was driving at. Kiwis in this country are becoming famous for pulling loads they really shouldn't. Blanket statement? Yes. There are of course many excellent Kiwi pilots who I respect and enjoy working alongside, but there are many others who I do not.
Personally, I think it's because most Kiwi men are short, but what do I know???

As for demonstrating ability... well, that's a whole other conversation that has nothing to do with Kiwi's specifically, and a lot do with our industry in general.

RH
remote hook is offline  
Reply