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Old 19th Oct 2002, 18:11
  #16 (permalink)  
Whirlybird

The Original Whirly
 
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Belper, Derbyshire, UK
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On the other hand.....

1) Cost - while you f/w guys are taxi-ing and lining up and burning money and fuel, wishing you were up there, we whirly-people are hovering and having great fun. We may have gone too; I once jumped a whole queue at a fly-in, by asking if I could do a towering takeoff and leave from where I was parked; they were all green with envy...and I was probably halfway home.

2) Flight organisations- yes, there are less. But do you need more than one or two?

3) Types...do you need that many? How many can you fly at once?

4) IMC - who needs it when you have a helicopter? If the weather closes in, fly low if you can, or land in a field and have a cup of tea till it improves.

5) Endurance - well, an R22 with full tanks has over three hours. Does your bladder have more?

6) The community - yes, it's smaller, but it's big enough. We have our own forum on PPRuNe, and I seem to get to a fair number of rotary social occasions. We even talk to plank flyers...if we have to.

7) Hours - I think you'd have more fun in 200 rotary hours than 400 f/w hours (500 was an exaggeration; it's about double the cost).

Right, now you have both sides. So I'll confess - I really really really enjoy flying both. They are very different, and fun in different ways. Once you get over the initial stages they seem to complement each other so that your overall flying improves. For example, I took out a C152 today, the first time I've done any f/w flying for several months. I insisted on taking an experienced pilot with me, for safety, although everyone said with the amount of flying I do I'd be fine. We did stalls, steep turns, then some circuits. I wasn't perfect, and it was a nice day, but certainly no-one would have thought I was that much out of practice - I surprised myself actually. So in the long run, if you can possibly afford it, join us total aviation addicts and fly both.

Now that I've really confused you I'll shut up.
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