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Old 30th Jan 2014, 21:19
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Buttocknurdler
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sutton
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I remember a mountain flying course many years ago. Tony Clarke in the left seat of an R22, me, a rather rookie PPL in the right seat.

Ready to lift from the Seiont Manor, I started to raise the collective and came upon my first problem; the distance between the collective levers in a dual-controlled R22 is only so much; Tony being somewhat portly, was so much plus a couple of inches. It was virtually impossible to raise the lever past Tony, and keep hold of the throttle twistgrip. He gave me a look as only Tony could, so I grasped the throttle as firmly as I could and somehow found a way to roll off the throttle as I raised the lever (pre-governor days!), when the mechanics of the situation was trying to do exactly the opposite.

Rather pleased with myself, I continued increasing power until I reached the maximum permitted manifold pressure for the current conditions. The helicopter remainded resolutely on the ground! After a few seconds, Tony slowly turned his head to me and bellowed "You're ****** well gonna have to over-pitch it, or we're not going anywhere!". My rookie brain attempted to rationalise this with everything I had been taught over the preceding 12 months, but Tony's expression and x000's of hours experience won the day and we duly lifted-off.

Happy days!!
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