Helicopter PPL

[John R81]

I am a PPL(H) and I own an EC120 and an R44, and regularlyfly both of them. My daughter is training for her ATPL in an R44.

The question “which is worst” is a constant theme on theRotorheads section. If you analyse the views you will most likely conclude thatpeople are very happy with whichever machine they have chosen, and believe(with a passion) that anyone who made a different choice must be bonkers. If you consider that more flight schools useR22s than any other machine, then you will see that a very large number of currentprivate and commercial helicopter pilots began with the R22. That does not inany way mean that you should. The machine is not inherently unsafe but perhapsyou like the look or feel of another option, or it makes better financialsense; whatever. If you ask those who trained on R22 they might say it madethem faster to react, and therefore better pilots.

You can (in theory, I suppose) train on any helicopter – UK militaryused to use Gazelles as a basic trainer, and I know someone who trained on aJet Ranger, and a few private pilots who started with an EC120, which is (a)expensive (b) requires a dispensation from the CAA (more than 4 seats, you see)and (c) those that don’t like the EC120 would say it is not a good machine fora low-hour pilot because in certain circumstances it is “less forgiving” than[insert your favoured make]. That (c) view did not influence their choice.

In reality all helicopters are “unforgiving” in their own specialpart of the flight envelope. All themachines have their limitations. Learn them and stay within them. Once you gooutside you are now a “test pilot” for that flight.

I think the beast advice I have seen here so far (personalview, of course) is to work out where you might train, find out what machine optionsyou have and go from there.
If you intend to take more than one passenger,and can afford the cost, then train on the machine that you want to fly. More time on type is valuable. If cost is anoption, then training in a 2-seater and later doing a conversion to a largermachine that you do want to fly MIGHT be cheaper; but it might not. It would be cheaper if you are graduating toa 4-seat AVGAS machine (like an R44). Ifyou do intend to fly a jet powered machine like an EC120 (just for example)check out the insurance restrictions at the club you will rent from / theinsurer you would use for your own machine. If they ask for 50 hrs on typebefore you can fly solo, then learning on a (cheaper) 2-seater with a 5-10 hrconversion course will leave you paying for a safety pilot for the next 40+hours; learning on the EC120 MIGHT mean that you can fly it without a safetypilot much sooner. Only you can do themaths.

So: come over to Rotorheads and ask that question - a verbal handgrenade like that will create pages of argument. So much fun