What did you do when you had just got your ppl(h)?

[DEldridge]

Hi All

I just completed my ppl(h) in an R44 at Cotswold Helicopters. A great experience, I can't speak highly enough of my training and the whole experience. Steve Dean was my instructor - first rate, great fun and taught me a huge amount very quickly - and Ollie Heynes is the very knowledgeable CFI.

Anyway, as I wait for the CAA to issue my licence, I am planning the coming few months flying. What did everyone else do? Take out friends and family? Take the wife/husband away for the weekend?

Fascinated to hear ideas and experiences.

All the best,
David

[Rotorwashed]

I doubt too many places will allow a brand new pilot to take any passengers up in their helicopters without a cfi. generally youll have to wait til you start your instrument training in the 44, or hit 100 hrs (the usual minimum for pax in the 22).

After I got my ppl I had a permagrin for at least a week. That was about it, besides some celebration;)

[Aucky]

David - Congratulations :ok: I hope you enjoy it and have a very safe future flying.

Did you undertake the whole PPL(H) in the R44? If so, good choice if your going to be soon taking your dearly beloveds out in it, always a better idea IMO than those with just the 5hrs type rating + test immedaitely after PPL. Either way get out there and build some confidence on your own, ask an instructor to take you down the London helilanes a few times, or to Le Touquet, or the Isle of wight, also there are a surprising number of nice pubs (for food obviously) with helipads/air strips in the UK, but I'd suggest sticking to ones that have been recced by someone experienced that you know initially because the fact a website for a hotel/restaurant states 'helipad' certainly does not imply that it is necessarily suitable! (nothing creative there but there is a good reason people do them)

My personal advice is build a good deal more experience before trying to land at too many off airfield sites until you build an understanding of how the helicopter behaves with 3-4 pax etc... Also do some nav's further afield and build confidence crossing MATZ's, busier Airspace, and landing at busier airports so you aren't afraid to request the more direct routings that aircraft are good for. Remember that there are always people who will happily fly with you if you want to try somewhere you haven't been before or a new skill... also never at any stage in your flying career think that any question is too stupid, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

I spent a good six months in a classroom with Steve in 2004 doing our ATPL exams together so do pass on my regards if you see him :ok:

I doubt too many places will allow a brand new pilot to take any passengers up in their helicopters without a cfi. generally youll have to wait til you start your instrument training in the 44, or hit 100 hrs (the usual minimum for pax in the 22).

That's odd, maybe more a U.S. attitude, if they don't think your ready for taking passengers then you shouldn't be granted a license that entitles you too IMO, also we can't do 'instrument' training in the R44 in the UK as it's not an IFR ship... That said operators/owners do sometimes apply restrictions such as no SFH until 5hrs P1 on type post-license. You should be able to hire without restriction from the people you trained with if they thought you were up to standard to put you in for test...

Enjoy
Ali A

[Whirlygig]

I doubt too many places will allow a brand new pilot to take any passengers up in their helicopters without a cfi.

UK CFI = Chief Flying Instructor
US CFI = Certified Flying Instructor = UK Flying Instructor.

In the UK, yes, many schools will allow you to take passengers - that's what a mean PPL means.

However, in the UK you cannot take passengers until you've got the physical licence in your grubby little mitts - until then, you can only fly solo (with an FI on the ground) or with an FI.

Once I'd got my licence (about 4 weeks from test), first passenger was me Ma. Then me Da. Then diverse friends and family for trips and jollies around Norfolk. But I knew I'd be going onto CPL so I used my hour building wisely to that end. It may be different if you have no further licensing plans.

Aucky makes some good points for PPL flying so ask your local school if they organise any events.

Cheers

Whirls

[Rotorwashed]

That's odd, maybe more a U.S. attitude, if they don't think your ready for taking passengers then you shouldn't be granted a license that entitles you too IMO, also we can't do 'instrument' training in the R44 in the UK as it's not an IFR ship... That said operators/owners do sometimes apply restrictions such as no SFH until 5hrs P1 on type post-license. You should be able to hire without restriction from the people you trained with if they thought you were up to standard to put you in for test...

perhaps it is a US attitude. All I know is thats how it goes at my school. I think its more of an insurance thing then a trusting your abilities as a safe pilot thing.

What ship do you guys fly for your instrument rating if the 44 isnt qualified? Here we can use it to train, but not to go actual imc.

[Aucky]

The most common for the IR in the UK is probably the AS355 twin squirrel, although the A109 and the EC135 are also widely used. On these you can qualify for the Multi-engine IR, which is the one worth having. You wont get much change from £45k in Europe for twin type-rating and ME IR....

Aucky

[Gordy]

Rotorwashed:

perhaps it is a US attitude.All I know is thats how it goes at my school.

Nope---sounds just like your school. This kind of policy is, or at least "was" recommended by Frank Robinson, for almost the same reason he pushed for the SFAR in the US---it has less to do with the pilot but more to do with the aircraft handling abilities----but that has been battered to death many times so will just leave it at that----feel free to search and discover what I am talking about.

DEldridge:

For the first couple of flights just go out and fly around for a while without trying anything difficult. Then lunch trips seem to be the norm....

[SASless]

I agree with Gordy....as usual!

Stay well within your comfort range for a while....stick to faimilar surrounds...go for that pub lunch at a nice place....but lay off the Beer!

Ask Gordy how he wound up in a motel with mirrored ceilings (quite by accident he said....sumpkind about bad weather as I recall!). Seems his girlfriend was not suitably impressed.

[John R81]

I also trained / passed on the R44, at Redhill

Whilst waiting for my license, I flew the London Heli-lanes a few times with an instructor on-board and 2 family pax in the back. Good experience (both the lanes and the weight).

When the license arrived, a few local trips with 1 - 3 pax (not landing away).

Each time I wanted to do someting "different" - first hotel landing, first trip to Hull, first Heathrow crossing, etc - I paid for an instructor to be there with me. I certainly don't regret that cost - I learned a lot each time. Think of it as the equivalent of "pass plus" (UK thing) in a car.

Most enjoyable moment of my first year - landing an EC120 solo in the back yard of a major Kent Police station (by invitation, PPR, etc).

Congratulations, enjoy.

[FLY 7]

Agree with the idea of continuing to build up hours and advancing your training with your instructor.

Passengers will alter the characteristics of the helicopter and can be a distraction. Remember there is a legal requirement to give them a safety briefing. And, don't fly Robinsons, but isn't there a requirement to remove the l/h controls on an R44 if an unqualified person is in the front l/h seat?

[Jarvy]

Once I passed mine the first person I took up was my wife, then various friends and family. I also went for afternoon tea at Eastwell Manor, with an instructor up the London heli lanes and also went across to Le Touquet, also with an instructor.

[topendtorque]

A great pilot Ernie Howlett who was on tour at the place where i had a job flying (privtely) says to me the very second I arrived, take 'er for a fly.
I waited till next day then five years later ventured to Air Log to find out about H269's and commercial ops and a few other things all in the one go.

No glass mirrors though, it was before 'Arnie' came to power.

And Mr or Ms Eldridge I suggest you get yourself a co-pilot like Gordy has now, if you haven't seen him in any of his picture posts, he's one who will always nod approvingly, keeps his traps shut and always seems to keep a good lookout. Unlike the one he must have had before, according to a previous post.
all the best
tet

[Peter-RB]

Congrats, When I passed I had a smile that would put off most people from speaking to me, possibly looked totally mentally gone, but one thing I would say, weight makes a heli handle vastly differntly, in power use and responce so take things in small steps dont try to be the taxi driver to the whole gambit of guys wanting to fly into a hotel for lunch,

oh and when you do start that, take some good poly bags with you for the guys in the back...just in case.....it tends to happen when you are least expecting it and it stinks..!!

PeterR-B

[wokkaboy]

Went to the pub :ok:

[GPS user]

Goodness me how I didn’t have an accident when I was first issued with a PPL (H) i don’t know. I had a PPL fixed wing with about 130hrs PIC time and I did a conversion onto PPL (H) as the station I was head stockman for wanted me to fly their machine. This was in 1982 and I was 24. I went solo at 9 hrs, received my PPL (H) at 41hrs and was with no mustering endorsement mustering into a portable yard at 43 hrs Total time helicopter on very difficult feral cattle. I remember getting into vortex ring state once in the wing of the yard about 80ft up and recovering ok. I had my only engine failure at around 230 hrs and auto'd ok while once again yarding feral cattle into a portable yard, it was right in the wings and I landed behind them and all the cattle went in, never lost a beast.

Thankfully I was never required to carry anyone and had a great power margin.

While there are many things that can get a new pilot into trouble i believe the worst is being fully loaded and operating on the upper limits of your power margins. If at all possible for your first 3 or 400 hrs don’t load your machine beyond 75% capacity of allowable load and if you do need too take it very gently. The R44 is a popular private machine but it can bite very hard if overloaded or out of C of G. Dont be tempted by that empty seat and ensure that you do carefull weight & balance calculations

[foxmead]

Congratulations on achieving your licence, being rated on the 44 you can take three passengers so enjoy, helilanes would be great experience and if the wallet will stretch take a trip overseas, northern France for example. The French are very pro friendly to Helis.

If you do the heli lanes take an instructor for the first trip and once you do it yourself make sure any passengers you have take plenty of photos, along the Thames and over Heathrow it is sure to impress family and friends.

Advice from your school of where to visit and practise confined areas will hone your skills, remember how your driving skills had developed after 6-12 months, flying is not much different, just much more heavier on the wallet, so enjoy.

[DEldridge]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

During my training I often took passengers during the lessons - and sometimes was pretty heavy. It was great experience for sure!

I'm still waiting for my license - phoned the CAA and they are saying 15 working days at the moment - so in the meantime I'm planning some supervised solo locally, and also with Steve Dean my instructor on board I'm hoping to fly the London helilanes. Then when the license arrives I'm planning a trip away for the night with the wife to a Devon hotel.

Thanks everyone for your help/suggestions. I appreciate having such a great online community!

[oibal60]

Hi,
First congrats!

I got my PPL(H) in a R-22 and spent the next 50+ hrs. going on a bunch of SOLO cross-country flights (200nm min.) so as to get 'entirely comfortable' with the machine, handling, solo decision-making, discipline, planning, etc. etc. -- so that, when I eventually DID take up my first passenger, I was as comfortable as I normally am in the 'fixed wing world'.
(Fixed Wing World: 15yrs. flying, CPL-A/S-MEL-IA, 1300hrs. TT).
Passengers 'pick up', v. quickly, whether YOU are 'entirely comfortable' in the cockpit environment and THAT influences whether 'they' enjoy the flight or just 'endure it' (and relay as much to their friends.)
FWIW, I have found nothing better - that builds 'personal confidence' -than SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY flights (to airports/fields *other* than the ones you encountered during your training!)

Just my two cents, as they say.
Cordially,
Gerry

[Thomas coupling]

Is this thread in the right section???

[Soave_Pilot]

Whilst waiting for my license, I flew the London Heli-lanes a few times with an instructor on-board and 2 family pax in the back. Good experience (both the lanes and the weight).




That's the way to do it!! :ok: