After 15 years of not flying helicopters...

[AdamFrisch]

..I was back behind the cyclic yesterday! 1.9hrs of hard work, I might add. It's amazing how much you forget, and I was sweating like a pig.

Funny thing was that the hovering came rather easy and I suspect once you've learned it, it doesn't really go away (bit like cycling). However, after just flying fixed wing (and for a long time not flying at all), what I'd totally forgotten about was the relationship between MP, cyclic and collective when it came to descents and climbs. Just basic climbs were tricky, not to mention my approaches and circuit/pattern work. They were all over the shop - too low, too high, too slow or too fast. I kind of got the hang of it by the end of the session, but it will certainly need some work.

I also had problems setting the helicopter down - for some reason the hover is fine, but letting her get back gently the last foot always seemed to not go very well. Just nerves, I suppose. I also did the classic tensing up and was stiff as a pr**k in all my limbs - never a good thing when you want to execute smooth maneuvers in a heli and this could have something to do with the botched setdowns. The 300CB's non-governed throttle didn't help either.

But great almighty, was it fun! As soon as I get my FAA fixed wing conversion, I'll be adding that as a rating. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it!

[spinwing]

Mmmm ...

Perhaps your problem was being 'behind the collective' .... most of us now days sit next to it!


:=

[smiley41]

Just out of interest, after that length of time out of an aircraft do you have to retake your PPL or just need to get up to speed and have a check flight?

[AdamFrisch]

Never took it back in Sweden, but the hours still count. I had 23hrs when the engine seized and we did an emergency landing on a small island. That and the cost of flying put a damper on it 15 years ago.

I was flying solo quite a bit already, so I could just as easy have been alone when that engine quit, thankfully my instructor was along for the ride. Not sure I would have made it had I been alone.

Smiley...I meant cyclic. That's how long it's been!

[Shawn Coyle]

Learning to fly helicopters is a lot like learning to ride a bicycle, except the falling off part.
Or like learning to windsurf, except drier.

[[email protected]]

Adam, you appear to have forgotten about the concrete/tarmac/grass monster that reaches up and grabs the skids when they are about 6 inches from the ground, waggles them around and generally spoils your landing.

Appease the monster by reciting the following

' Look well ahead and pick a marker,
Then relax, it'll help me park 'er.'

[rotornut]

Adam, you appear to have forgotten about the concrete/tarmac/grass monster that reaches up and grabs the skids when they are about 6 inches from the ground, waggles them around and generally spoils your landing.

Actually the 300 series are very easy to land, unlike 206s and AS350s. You don't get that "monster" attacking you and the machine settles nicely. The only thing that is a bit different in a 300 is that when you are landing solo the right skid is lower than the left but you soon get used to it.

[pilotmike]

Never took it back in Sweden, but the hours still count. I had 23hrs.... 15 years ago.
Ah! 23 hours isn't really a long time to drill and perfect all those climb / descend / hover / land manoeuvres to a really high standard, is it now?

Initial reading of the thread seemed to imply that there were many years / hours of experience that you were hoping to fall back on, but they had sadly disappeared in the intervening 15 year lay-off.

Being realistic, a 23 hour ab-initio student couldn't reasonably expect a high standard of ability even if they had been training just the day before - leave alone 15 years between lessons!

I'm not entirely sure what you were expecting...?

[Two's in]

Sounds like you did a good job of recalling your experience after such a long lay off, especially as 23 hours is not a huge amount to fall back on in the first place. It seems like you got past the point of learning the techniques to the stage of refining the techniques - good for you, the main thing is you enjoyed putting all that effort into it.