PPRuNe Forums - Rotorheads https://www.pprune.org/ A haven for helicopter professionals to discuss the things that affect them en Thu, 04 Jun 2026 01:13:08 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.pprune.org/images/misc/rss.jpg PPRuNe Forums - Rotorheads https://www.pprune.org/ Helicopter crashes into field in Devon https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/672246-helicopter-crashes-into-field-devon.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:27:06 GMT According to the BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3pdv1gl41o A helicopter has crashed into a field in an incident police have called... According to the BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3pdv1gl41o

A helicopter has crashed into a field in an incident police have called "ongoing". Devon and Cornwall Police said emergency services were at the scene in the Sourton Down area of Devon, near Okehampton. A road closure was put in place at about 05:00 BST on the A386 between the A30 at Sourton Down and the A3079 Fowley Cross in Okehampton while the incident is investigated. "The incident is ongoing and we will share more updates as we have them," a statement posted by police on Facebook said, external. ]]> Rotorheads kgbbristol https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/672246-helicopter-crashes-into-field-devon.html XCH-62 Boeing-Vertol Heavy Lift Project https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/672239-xch-62-boeing-vertol-heavy-lift-project.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:17:40 GMT Was reading up on the Heavy Lift history for the US Army, and tripped over a few stories about the XCH-62 (Boeing Vertol). (It looks like a Sikorsky... Was reading up on the Heavy Lift history for the US Army, and tripped over a few stories about the XCH-62 (Boeing Vertol).
(It looks like a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane had a baby with a Chinook, and it was huge).
The Sikorsky proposed offering for the Heavy Lift project was the S-73, which lost out to the XCH-62 - which itself was canceled in 1975.

Are any of the test pilots who worked on that project still alive?
The U.S. Army's XCH-62 HLH aft rotor transmission was finally successfully tested at full design torque and speed, but the US Congress cut funding for the program in August 1975
I am not sure if "the design torque and speed" means rotor speed/transmission speed, or actually airborne and flying. The article on Wikipedia suggests to me that the whole thing never go airborne.
My first run through of some archival info at DTIC doesn't reflect a flight test.
In 1983, NASA and DARPA ( Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency) plans were initiated to resume a Heavy Lift Research Vehicle [HLRV] test program, with a possible first flight in 1985, but was cancelled again.
(I have an inkling that the funding cut was associated with the general defense draw down related to the end of the Viet Nam war.)
Part of what intrigues me about that project is that it was going to be fly by wire in the 1970's.
EDIT:
(I finally got my answer: it never did fly. See the bottom paragraph of this page). ]]> Rotorheads Lonewolf_50 https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/672239-xch-62-boeing-vertol-heavy-lift-project.html <![CDATA[CPL(H) Funding & Careers Advice - HELP!!]]> https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/672238-cpl-h-funding-careers-advice-help.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:23:23 GMT I am a UK based 25 y/o and looking into a career as a commercial helicopter pilot. Ultimately with the aim of flying SAR, HEMS, NPAS etc. I have... I am a UK based 25 y/o and looking into a career as a commercial helicopter pilot. Ultimately with the aim of flying SAR, HEMS, NPAS etc.

I have tried the military route, passed RAF selection just to be told my dual nationality made me ineligible for service, and thus am now looking into self-funding my CPL(H).

The main issue I have is that the circa £90,000 – £150,000 costs of either the modular or integrated routes feel like an incomprehensible amount of money right now. My family are supportive, but as far as I know there’s no big inheritance waiting for me or a trust fund I can tap into. I know there is a scholarship offered at Helicentre, but I don’t think it’s wise to bank on this to make it work either.

I think if I stayed at my current job, maybe I could raise the money in 5-8 years. I currently earn £38,000 and have managed to save up almost £30,000 while living at home. But I cannot live at home forever and will be moving out soon.

Obviously, salary is not a significant motivation for a career as a helicopter pilot, but I worry about the sensibility of getting to 30 and putting my entire life savings into this job when the same amount of money could be put towards buying a pretty decent house or starting a family (both things that could well be on my mind in my mid 30s).

TLDR;

My questions are, for those who have self-funded a CPL(H):
  • How did you it? (loans, scholarships, years of saving, etc.)
  • What route did you take? (Modular, Integrated). I’ve heard people recommend the modular route but if it’s going to take the same amount of time to earn as you learn or save and do it all in one go, I think I’d rather go integrated.
  • Where did you do it? (UK, Overseas). Is there anywhere significantly cheaper once you consider travel, living costs, license conversions, etc.
  • What is the job market like? (particularly at low hours)
  • How has your financial situation developed throughout your career? (was the investment worth it? Did it cause you issues at any point? When did you see an ROI?)
I have also tried to get information from various helicopter schools, but it feels a bit like they’d say anything to sell you their package and would appreciate some real insight from pilots who maybe were in a similar situation to myself.

TIA. ]]> Rotorheads T0ny https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/672238-cpl-h-funding-careers-advice-help.html