Nice post Whirly.
Whenever someone asks me about flying helicopters I always tell them it is no harder than driving a JCB digger.
I have owned a few of them over the years for purely private recreational landscape work.
I reckon both helicopters and excavators are as useful and dangerous on a par.
Excavator drivers tend to be less self important.
Slightly of topic but I have recently read Mary Meaghers wonderful Flying Granny book on a red eye flight back from Asia.
Happy to post free of charge if someone wants a nice read.
PM me