re: Nr Fairy Query (what?no instructor?)
Dear Nr:
Well, actually, no, I did not have the services of an instructor available. Two reasons: a) Pathfinder insurance, in its infinite wisdom, will not cover me if the left-side controls are installed UNLESS the instructor is named on the policy! So IF I track down a local instructor, I lose insurance coverage when flying with him! Strange but true. b) Being a gypsy, full-time RV travel with R22 on trailer, I am literally never in one locality for more than a week or two, so have no established training contacts.
(Admittedly, c) is not much excuse, I'm extremely distrustful of the run of flight instructors, who will, in general ASSURE one that they have LOTS of experience, and then proceed to preach utter hooey and doublespeak in the cockpit. As, for instance, in the fact that various instructors--20 or so in 17 years--have "converted" me to four very different versions of "maximum performance takeoff," each while insisting that there is only ONE proper m.p.t., and revealing ignorance (denial) of the other three.
Got me started, didn't you! Here's more: as a retired pilot examiner and senior f/w instructor (36 years + grey hair), I am aghast at the sorry state of helicopter instruction compared to f/w. A single example (from my limited r/w observation) is the H-V curve, which has been the survival guide for decades--not until Robinson factory safety school did I hear that H-V is purely a takeoff consideration, not really relevant to approaches (because blade pitch/induced drag/rpm droop are so much less in descent), so there is no flight test info on survivable approach profiles--just individual-pilot-guesstimates of how far to stretch the takeoff H-V.
Do you differ with me? WONDERFUL. I eagerly seek enlightenment, and/or published peer-reviewed analyses of performance issues. Perhaps we ought to go off the board (& exchange emails as individuals) so as not to bore our compatriots on pprune; but all knowledge is good knowledge!
For those pursuing the hi-altitude training thread: yes, that's where you are; small digression in this post (!). Thanks for the excuse to rant.
Dave
Even though your experimentation was "cautious", did you not have the services of an instructor available to you ? And as for the night thing - if you're operating off a runway then f/w = heli, but an engine failure at night is a different proposition - what would you have done then ? And if you're in a confined area at night then f/w definitely <> r/w.