All this got me thinking . . . . . . last week as part of my normal routine I flew 5 diffrent aircraft, from 3 makes, Agusta 109E Power, AS350B3, AS355, Bell 206L4 & JetRanger, and a Bell 407, just last Monday I flew all of them except the Jet Ranger in one day. Never had to think much about the diffrerences amongst them.
Although there are some important differences, it just all clicks in after you fly them all for a little while. I just kinda mentally brief myself on the highlights of each aircraft while strapping in and looking at the cockpit.
For example . . . .
- Agusta 109E Power, just don't forget the landing gear!!! On the ones with the newer tail rotor watch the wind as you can run out of pedal.
- AS350B3, check hydraulics well, don't forget the ACCU after the flight, low tail.
- AS355, very limited power around here (10K FT DA usual), don't forget to match engines, ACCU after the flight, low tail, and those damn ignitions.
- Bell 206L4, easy to hotstart if you don't modulate carefully, very careful with tail rotor pedal as you will hit the stop with about 85% torque and any wind coming from the wrong direction will put you in trouble.
- Bell 206, is a delight to fly, easy to do everything, just manage your power/energy well.
- Bell 407, my very favorite, just make sure you understand the FADEC well.