How Can I Convince My Family That Helicopter Flying is No More Dangerous Than FW?
The Original Whirly
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OK Kerosine, point take. Perhaps I was a little too blunt at the wrong time, but I felt that what I said needed saying.
I meant the first of Garfs' posts which you quote (or the second which he wrote, depending on how you look at it). It sounded like he was more or less demanding that his mum agree and help to fund his flying, and getting annoyed when she wouldn't. I gather from his later post that perhaps I was wrong about that. But I in no way tried to suggest he needed to choose between keeping his mother happy and his career; what I actually said was.....
Anyway, shall we stop wasting bandwidth and let Garfs get back to sorting out his career.
I meant the first of Garfs' posts which you quote (or the second which he wrote, depending on how you look at it). It sounded like he was more or less demanding that his mum agree and help to fund his flying, and getting annoyed when she wouldn't. I gather from his later post that perhaps I was wrong about that. But I in no way tried to suggest he needed to choose between keeping his mother happy and his career; what I actually said was.....
there's no law that says a parent has to help a child in the career they want. It's your parents' money, not yours. Maybe you'll have to fund it yourself, as and when you can, even if it means waiting years and years. Some of the rest of us had to do that, and it didn't kill us.
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On parents...
My parents begged me to become a lawyer or engineer. I became a radio newsreader. They were mighily, sometimes embarrassingly proud.
When I left broadcasting, I became a painter and decorator and then a shopkeeper. My parents begged me to return to broadcasting.
I am now re-training to be a helicopter pilot. My parents have implored me to remain a shopkeeper.
I think the point is... parents adapt. They just want you to be happy, safe and financially secure.
Follow your dreams. I have and it's worth the journey.
When I left broadcasting, I became a painter and decorator and then a shopkeeper. My parents begged me to return to broadcasting.
I am now re-training to be a helicopter pilot. My parents have implored me to remain a shopkeeper.
I think the point is... parents adapt. They just want you to be happy, safe and financially secure.
Follow your dreams. I have and it's worth the journey.
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Not sure how old you are Garth or where you live but if you would like to bring your mum down to Denham, just off the M40, M25 ; I'll take both of you flying.
Once she sees the potential in a great career she might change her views
Just PM me if you need to!!
Once she sees the potential in a great career she might change her views
Just PM me if you need to!!
The Original Whirly
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Ken,
Garfs wrote, on page 2 of this thread....
Bit of a long way from Denham.
Garfs wrote, on page 2 of this thread....
I am out in Malaysia, where the average wage is peanuts, and training is going to cost me roughly £278 per hour.
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Thanks Whirlybird, just broke one my own rules of not reading the damn thread properly.
Still it is late and I should go to bed, off flying around the Western isles tomorrow.
Still it is late and I should go to bed, off flying around the Western isles tomorrow.
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Just got back to the thread 
Well mum and I are ok now, and yes I agree with Whirlybird that theres no point in falling out over this. Sorry if it sounded like I Was being unreasonable.
When I said my mother was being unreasonable, it was because in a conversation, she was comparing helicopter flying to when I was in the British army. I had to leave due to an injury in the end, and said the same thing would happen if I flew helicopters, ie that I would have to stop doing it before I could get a job. I felt this was unreasonable and she has since also since admitted that this was an unfair comment, but thats a separate issue
Thanks for the offer Ken, but as Whirly Bird pointed out, it would be rather far to travel. I have already asked my parents if they fancied a ride in a helicopter, but they are both afraid of heights
I just dont want my parents (mum esp) to be unhappy for years and years to come if flying helicopters is what I am doing. At least if she understand more about it, then maybe she would sleep easier at night and not be so unhappy. If they are happy, it would just make me sleep much easier at night
Well mum and I are ok now, and yes I agree with Whirlybird that theres no point in falling out over this. Sorry if it sounded like I Was being unreasonable.
When I said my mother was being unreasonable, it was because in a conversation, she was comparing helicopter flying to when I was in the British army. I had to leave due to an injury in the end, and said the same thing would happen if I flew helicopters, ie that I would have to stop doing it before I could get a job. I felt this was unreasonable and she has since also since admitted that this was an unfair comment, but thats a separate issue
Thanks for the offer Ken, but as Whirly Bird pointed out, it would be rather far to travel
. I have already asked my parents if they fancied a ride in a helicopter, but they are both afraid of heightsI just dont want my parents (mum esp) to be unhappy for years and years to come if flying helicopters is what I am doing. At least if she understand more about it, then maybe she would sleep easier at night and not be so unhappy. If they are happy, it would just make me sleep much easier at night
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If an actual helicopter ride is out of the question, you could take your Mum and Dad to a local school and ask an instructor to have an impartial chat and try to allay any fears they have. They could be shown round a helicopter (although if it was an R22, they might not be too relieved!!! 
) and ask whatever questions necessary.
Or you could show her this thread!
Cheers
Whirls
) and ask whatever questions necessary. Or you could show her this thread!
Cheers
Whirls
The Original Whirly
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Garfs,
Just to explain further, I think you should fly helicopters if that's what you want to do, no matter what anyone else thinks. It's your life, not theirs. However, I (mistakenly) thought you were determined to get someone else to pay for it, and were falling out over that. And while the dosh would be nice, you can't expect or assume that will work. That was my point. Right, that's over, phew!
I agree with Whirlygig. It would be good to take your parents to a flying school, where they could see that perfectly normal people fly helicopters (sort of normal anyway; someone will pick me up for that!!!). And being scared of heights is not an issue; I am too, and so are lots of pilots. Being in a helicopter doesn't affect me; I think because there's no clear connection with the ground so no perception of height. But I don't like climbing ladders, and cliff edges are horrible!
Drop along with your parents to an airfield for a cup of tea, and take it from there.
Just to explain further, I think you should fly helicopters if that's what you want to do, no matter what anyone else thinks. It's your life, not theirs. However, I (mistakenly) thought you were determined to get someone else to pay for it, and were falling out over that. And while the dosh would be nice, you can't expect or assume that will work. That was my point. Right, that's over, phew!
I agree with Whirlygig. It would be good to take your parents to a flying school, where they could see that perfectly normal people fly helicopters (sort of normal anyway; someone will pick me up for that!!!). And being scared of heights is not an issue; I am too, and so are lots of pilots. Being in a helicopter doesn't affect me; I think because there's no clear connection with the ground so no perception of height. But I don't like climbing ladders, and cliff edges are horrible!
Drop along with your parents to an airfield for a cup of tea, and take it from there.
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I havent really spoken to my family in the past day or so about helicopters 
Thing is, where I live, theres no local helicopter school. The only option for them if they want to ride in a helicopter is if we charter a Jet Ranger for an hour for about £400, and I doubt they will do an autorotation for us which is fair enough as they(the local heli op) are not a school after all.
Other option is to fly out to where the school is (2.5 hours away in a Commercial liner), but my dad hates travelling and flying
, so theres that one gone
I do think the next step tho is to get a pilot or instructor to speak with them, give them an honest opinion from someone whos been in the industry.
Whirly Bird, I would be lying if I said that funding from them in form of a loan didnt matter at all to me, but its not that important to me as their happiness. As you rightly say, its their money to loan me, and their right, and to demand would be wrong, and also something I would never do
I feel I am well, errrr young (ish) at 27 so even if it takes me a good few years, hopefully I will be up and ready and starting to job hunt by the time I am in my mid to late 30's
Thing is, where I live, theres no local helicopter school. The only option for them if they want to ride in a helicopter is if we charter a Jet Ranger for an hour for about £400, and I doubt they will do an autorotation for us which is fair enough as they(the local heli op) are not a school after all.
Other option is to fly out to where the school is (2.5 hours away in a Commercial liner), but my dad hates travelling and flying
, so theres that one gone I do think the next step tho is to get a pilot or instructor to speak with them, give them an honest opinion from someone whos been in the industry.
Whirly Bird, I would be lying if I said that funding from them in form of a loan didnt matter at all to me, but its not that important to me as their happiness. As you rightly say, its their money to loan me, and their right, and to demand would be wrong, and also something I would never do
I feel I am well, errrr young (ish) at 27 so even if it takes me a good few years, hopefully I will be up and ready and starting to job hunt by the time I am in my mid to late 30's
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How can I convince my family....?
You could try telling lies.
If you fly rotary, how far will you have to drive to get to work? How does that compare with the distance you will have to drive to fly fixed wing?
Driving to work (if your job involves flying anything) is far more dangerous than work itself - and that's true for both civil and military aircrew.
When I was in the Air Force, they paid the 'aircrew excess' (the amount the Insurance companies loaded my insurance policy) for 7 years (the Insurance companies removed the loading after 7 years.)
Nobody paid the 'aircrew excess' on my car/bike policies and nobody really gave a damn about 'extra risk'.
Young drivers/riders tend to have more accidents in their cars/on their bikes than do older, more experienced motorists.
It may well be that young pilots have more accidents than old pilots (the 'old, bold' pilot argument) but I doubt it.
Flying is a bloody sight safer than many other jobs and it's also safer than driving to work.
You might indeed get killed in a heclopeter. You could be run over by a bus.
When I told my dad I was going to fly for a living, he was (slightly, for a few seconds) concerned. I reminded him that "What goes up, has to come down. What goes down, doesn't have to come up." Then I asked him what his dad had said when he told him he was going to sea.
If you want to fly rotary, go for it. You're alive, you get one life, this is not a practice run.
If you fly rotary, how far will you have to drive to get to work? How does that compare with the distance you will have to drive to fly fixed wing?
Driving to work (if your job involves flying anything) is far more dangerous than work itself - and that's true for both civil and military aircrew.
When I was in the Air Force, they paid the 'aircrew excess' (the amount the Insurance companies loaded my insurance policy) for 7 years (the Insurance companies removed the loading after 7 years.)
Nobody paid the 'aircrew excess' on my car/bike policies and nobody really gave a damn about 'extra risk'.
Young drivers/riders tend to have more accidents in their cars/on their bikes than do older, more experienced motorists.
It may well be that young pilots have more accidents than old pilots (the 'old, bold' pilot argument) but I doubt it.
Flying is a bloody sight safer than many other jobs and it's also safer than driving to work.
You might indeed get killed in a heclopeter. You could be run over by a bus.
When I told my dad I was going to fly for a living, he was (slightly, for a few seconds) concerned. I reminded him that "What goes up, has to come down. What goes down, doesn't have to come up." Then I asked him what his dad had said when he told him he was going to sea.
If you want to fly rotary, go for it. You're alive, you get one life, this is not a practice run.
