Bored?

[mike papa delta]

Having just watched the video of the R44 over Heathrow I wondered whether anyone could grow tired of such an seemingly interesting flight.

Which leads me to ask...

Other than being asked stupid questions by wannabe's, what bores you about being a professional helicopter pilot?

Ta.

[Fatigue]

I was one of those wannabe's once, thank god those professional pilots gave me the time to all the stupid questions I asked, (especially the Cpt. at the old Mcalpine helicopters who wrote back to me with whom to contact and where to go for information)!
now I return the favour everytime....anyway, what bores me.....Hmmm, waiting around for the weather to clear(or not) for the next flight.....just want to fly or go home...
Unfortunately, part of the job!
Regards,
Fatigue.

[Paracab]

Other than being asked stupid questions by wannabe's, what bores you about being a professional helicopter pilot?

Edited cause hindsight is a wonderful thing !

[mike papa delta]

Paracab - I guess I did not make it clear but I am the wannabe asking the stupid question!

Sorry you that you got the wrong end of my self-depricating question.

Still, it's good to know that you disliked what you percieved to be an arrogant attitude - I feel a little less bad about asking the stupid question now... Thanks.

Cheers Fatigue too.

Anyone got anything else to offer?

[Capt Hollywood]

Don't be fooled by all the hype, it does become 'just a job' after a while. But every now and then you're on a flight, the sky is clear, the scenery is beautiful and the pax are having fun and it reminds you why you became a pilot in the first place.

Hollywood :cool:

[NickLappos]

"Just a job?"

When you are flinging along at 1000 feet above the ground, your craft supporting itself by displacing an impossibly large volume of air, the entire stability of your craft resting in the first two fingers of your right hand, you cannot forget how great it is.

You could be sitting on a bench, a tool in your hand, drilling assholes in hobby horses, but instead, you are flying for a living!

[Paracab]

MPD,

My apologies, it all becomes clear now !

[Letsby Avenue]

Nick.. ROFL.. Very Good:p

[RDRickster]

Nick... that WAS pretty funny!

LOL :D

[Bravo 99 (AJB)]

Good ness guys, been away from the threads for a while (working) you guys seem a little tence at the mo

chill guys thats why its such a great job nice machines sometimes good looking pax (allthough currenty blokes in rubber suites) not my thing. and getting paid for it
not bored yet.

its great to get up in the morning and cant wait to go to work.
enjoy it.

Sincerely

Bravo 99 (AJB)

[Capt Hollywood]

G'day Nick,

Apologies to MPD for my opening line, it was a little pesimistic, the last thing I want to do is put you off flying mate!! Don't get me wrong, I am the first to admit that I have a great job, people tell me that every day.

I suppose a lot depends on what type of flying you do on a daily basis. I am lucky at 2500hrs to have had the opportunity to do a variety of VFR flying. Bush fires, police work and film work especially are all jobs I thoroughly enjoy as they utilise the aircraft and my skill to the best of their respective abilities. The majority of my flying though consists of 30min scenic flights with passengers who usually don't speak English so I can't even chat to them. I don't think I'm the first to say that it does get a little monotonous sometimes. Not quite 'boring' though!

Good luck with it MPD, you'll love it up here!!!

Now where's my drill................... :ok:

Cheers,

Hollywood :cool:

[ec135driver]

The first time my instructor started the engine on that R22 in September 87 I felt my heartrate rise, still does it every morning when the FADEC starts the engine for me!

It NEVER gets boring

Ok, maybe I am a little luckier than most, when we put our HEMS ship down, everyone is pleased to see us!

[Leprechaun]

MPD

We all get ground happy for a while! It doesn't last! I would be distraught if I lost my Medcat tomorrow!!!

Good luck buddy! How are you planning to break into this low flying nirvana anyway?

[mike papa delta]

How are you planning to break into this low flying nirvana anyway?

By spending an obscene amount of money, working hard and hopefully seeing/doing things others can only dream of...

Thanks for answering and being so tolerant of (or at least ignoring) my question - poor Quijibo!

Drilling assholes into rocking horses - not for me thanks.

[offshoreigor]

NICK!

LOL!!!!!

When it starts feeling like a job, I'll quit!!!!

Cheers, :eek: OffshoreIgor :eek:

[slowtolearn]

How many years did it take to get to your current posting?

thanks

[CyclicRick]

I think just flying dead straight with a box of screws in the back for 3 hours there and 3 hours back can get pretty tedious, I suppose it's a bit like riding a motorbike, round the corners is much more fun :cool:
Apart from that I wouldn't swap it for the world.....unless I get an offer from NASA to fly the shuttle now that might get me pondering! ;)

[NickLappos]

Cyclic Rick,

That boredom is the product of a fine helicopter, fine maintenance and fine flying.

New Flying Saying:
May your checkrides always be the most difficult thing you have to do!

[StevieTerrier]

CyclicRick -

Although flying the shuttle sounds pretty cool, I'm sure flying for NASA would end up like every other flying job -

"So where we going today, man? Oh crap, it's the Moon.....AGAIN

[rotaryman]

Jeeezzz NOT! the :mad: ing moon again man!

I did the Moon last week,,i want to go were no man has gone before.

Star Treking across the Universe only going forwards cause i cant find reverse :{ :ok:

[CyclicRick]

Nick Lappos: Thanks, sounded like a compliment! :cool:

SteveTerrier: Well I suspect you can't beat the view even if it is the "bloody moon again"!

Saying that, are there any astronauts on PPrune?, now that would be a nice chat. :ok:

[SASless]

Nick ol' buddy....there's been some times that hobby horse drilling would have been a delight....but that depends upon the hobby horse, the industrial procedure being used.....and whose hobby horse it was!:ok:

[Gomer Pylot]

Sitting on an unmanned platform, 90 degrees in the shade if there were any shade, not a thing to do but wait for the pumper to waste enough time so he can go back to the quarters without having done a single lick of work all day, can get pretty boring. I've done that more times than I care to think about.

Contract production companies in the GOM hire people to go out there and stay 10 or 14 days, working 12 hours/day, with generally half that much time off, and pay barely above minimum wage. Consequently, they get minimum work from the minimally mentally competent persons they can hire. The days get really long sitting around just killing time in the summer. Flying for a couple of hours across the water into the sun can put you to sleep, too. I wish I had logged all the time I flew asleep in a 206. :ooh:

The job can get boring sometimes, but at least I'm not up on a roof nailing shingles.

Saying that, are there any astronauts on PPrune?

Maybe, but you can bet the rent money they're not on Rotorheads. :p

[Ascend Charlie]

Bored?? How can anyone be bored when you get paid for doing your hobby?

A few years back i was flying some 30 min scenics around Sydney, a sparkling day with visibility all the way to New Zillund. As we zoomed along the beaches, the Mexican pax in the front seat said to me,"You know what's wrong with this country?"
Me: "Err, no, you'd better tell me..."
Him : "You can't see the air! In Mexico City you can grab a handful of the air, but this country is too clean!"

It reminded me just how great my job is, and how the view from my office can't be beaten.

These days, the office window has a bigger glare shield and goes faster, but nearly every trip takes me along the beaches again, and I am glad for the one-minute run-down time to allow the h@rdon to go down!:)

[CRAZYBROADSWORD]

how can you be bored ? well it's 0745 am there is 1 helicopter between 3 instructors and you have to pay for the tea, it's now 1930 you have done maybe 4 hrs teaching, your students are pissed off cause they cant get the machine for long enough to do what they need to, the management are on your back to do more flying, the locals are complaining about the noise and you still cant get a free cup of tea why would it be boring.

I am not saying that instructing is boring but banging your head againts a brick wall is.:hmm: