Conundrum ; What bird to own for PPL (H)
not sure about that
I might sound a bit intolerant because I rode with those types,
pilot with very poor finesse, letting the speed bleed to hover while fumbling with the map
landing down wind thinking to be upwind (did you do a power check? huh no)
badly unaware of trafic or obstacles, what you gonna say that's their R44.
the EASA CPL is quite hard you won't get out until you can nail any type of autorotation (hover, 360, long-range, and mixed, like a patern to a spot)
learned some excelent techniques for managing power and became much better at staying ahead of the aircraft. in turn I got more bandwidth for the rest of the general awareness.
All my FAA instructors have been quite useless, stay away from them
pilot with very poor finesse, letting the speed bleed to hover while fumbling with the map
landing down wind thinking to be upwind (did you do a power check? huh no)
badly unaware of trafic or obstacles, what you gonna say that's their R44.
the EASA CPL is quite hard you won't get out until you can nail any type of autorotation (hover, 360, long-range, and mixed, like a patern to a spot)
learned some excelent techniques for managing power and became much better at staying ahead of the aircraft. in turn I got more bandwidth for the rest of the general awareness.
All my FAA instructors have been quite useless, stay away from them
@Agile: Frankly, I have seen also both sides of the pond and I had good and bad instructors on both sides. My first instructor was in now EASA-land and frankly he was awful. I had some very good FAA instructors, who showed me, among other things, good autorotation techniques. But the main thing that kills people is CFIT in helicopters. I personally think, that there is a unjustified emphasis on autorotations in the current training scheme. My instructor for PPL and CPL was Australian trained (ex mustering pilot, and a bit crazy) and we had quite few flights, where he showed me different scenarios where I would not see obstacles. THAT was helpful.
@Robbie: Oh my. I think you don't realise how that additional training has sharpen your skills.
@Robbie: Oh my. I think you don't realise how that additional training has sharpen your skills.
@HoYea: With a PPL-Ticket fresh of the press, you are not a save pilot. As my examiner said, it is a license to learn. The CPL with it's higher standards, gives you an additional step up and a sense of accomplishment. The training is helpful. The additional theory that you would not need is just that part, what a commercial pilot can do or not. Everything else makes you a better pilot. As a private pilot, you will never get the same additional training a commercial pilot would get, because most instructors will be a bit more easy on you, because you have not trained to higher standards.
And you can tell yourself a thousand times you cherish your life. Every single pilot out there does that. And the single thing that will prevent you to be a statistic, is training. There is never too much of it.
And you can tell yourself a thousand times you cherish your life. Every single pilot out there does that. And the single thing that will prevent you to be a statistic, is training. There is never too much of it.
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And of course I’m not implying in anyways that after a PPL, you’re an experienced pilot!, just saying that it’s the start.
One thing about training. If you don't test it, it will be less efficient. See HoYeah, the thing is, if you do some course somewhere and you pay a lot of money for it, you will just sail trough. You are a customer and they want to make you happy. If you take a sling load course as a PPL, nobody ever is going to believe you will ever use it. If you instead go through a training with the goal of achieving a new certification, you will study hard and work for it. The examiner gets his money if you pass or not. Passing an exam is very satisfying. Assuming we are about the same age, a few years ago I deep dove into physics, especially cosmology with the help of EdX. I have later worked my way through text books about general relativity to understand more of it, but nothing gave me more pleasure and satisfaction, when I passed all the tests in those first courses. Which are, as they claim, about the standard of an undergraduate course. The satisfaction to do something to an established standard is worth the effort. If you don't have to work hard for it it is not worth it. The same goes for the CPL and IFR, you have to work hard for it, it does make you a better pilot and no courses on the side will ever give you the same satisfaction. You claim you want to do something, you always dreamed of, but from the beginning you want the easy way. Accomplishing your dream will be so much more amazing, if you set the bar high.
not sure about that
I might sound a bit intolerant because I rode with those types,
pilot with very poor finesse, letting the speed bleed to hover while fumbling with the map
landing down wind thinking to be upwind (did you do a power check? huh no)
badly unaware of trafic or obstacles, what you gonna say that's their R44.
the EASA CPL is quite hard you won't get out until you can nail any type of autorotation (hover, 360, long-range, and mixed, like a patern to a spot)
learned some excelent techniques for managing power and became much better at staying ahead of the aircraft. in turn I got more bandwidth for the rest of the general awareness.
All my FAA instructors have been quite useless, stay away from them
I might sound a bit intolerant because I rode with those types,
pilot with very poor finesse, letting the speed bleed to hover while fumbling with the map
landing down wind thinking to be upwind (did you do a power check? huh no)
badly unaware of trafic or obstacles, what you gonna say that's their R44.
the EASA CPL is quite hard you won't get out until you can nail any type of autorotation (hover, 360, long-range, and mixed, like a patern to a spot)
learned some excelent techniques for managing power and became much better at staying ahead of the aircraft. in turn I got more bandwidth for the rest of the general awareness.
All my FAA instructors have been quite useless, stay away from them
As for that "additional training" Rotorbee? It was basically a week of 180° autos and off airport landings. Two things I was never allowed to do as a renter, lol.
Hoyeah
Best advice is find a good utility pilot , preferably one that has a load of lifting experience who is obviously an instructor. If one can lift loads all day on a line then you will find they know more about handling helicopter than almost anyone else. You will be taught how to really fly a helicopter
All the best
Best advice is find a good utility pilot , preferably one that has a load of lifting experience who is obviously an instructor. If one can lift loads all day on a line then you will find they know more about handling helicopter than almost anyone else. You will be taught how to really fly a helicopter
All the best
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Speaking of statistics
@Rotorbee totally agree that the more you fly the better you should get and that includes regular training on emergency procedures and other techniques.
I’ve checked the TSB stat report on aviation for 2021: https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/stats/avia...ssao-2021.html
Here are the stats that break down the helicopter accidents in Canada per year 2011-2021.

Stats from 2011 to 2021

Footnotes for the same stats
For example, It shows 28 accidents in 2021; 19 for commercial and 9 for Private. Unfortunately it does not isolate flight hours and movements of Private vs Commercial and one could argue that the % for Private would be much higher than the one for Commercial.
What seems to generally transpire from your comments is basically ; CPL’s holders should be the only ones safe and qualified to fly and they should do it on a full time to be on top of things as opposed to PPL holders that just got their tickets from flight school because they’re happy to take your money and will just please you, releasing you from training as a liability. -A short resume😋-.
I’ma bit puzzled by what you’re saying. I don’t agree that getting a PPL is “a short and easy way” to achieve the dream of flying without efforts. Why would one could not get the satisfaction of achieving something by completing this training? PPL’s are not handed out in Cracker Jacks boxes as far as I know?
I also don’t really agree that taking additional training, for example long line or mountain flying would be useless, there is always something to take for any training that stays in your mind, the process of learning AND the content of what you’re learning can’t be qualify as useless just because you’re not doing it for a living. No?
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one could argue that the % for Private would be much higher than the one for Commercial
Do as you wish. You might change your opinion when the insurance quotes drop in. Some insurers have been known to demand a safety pilot for quite a few hours after a PPL. 50 hours isn't uncommon, depending on the complexity of the aircraft/helicopter. The savings in insurance premium alone could pay for your CPL. And you do the hours anyway.
PPL’s are not handed out in Cracker Jacks boxes as far as I know?
There you go. You have the ships you can buy, anything from the R22 to the H125 or A119. Try them out. Write the check.
See ya.
PS: The only 911 worth having ist the Dakar.
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Hours do not a pilot make - I've flown with people with 200 hours with whom I would trust anything and people with 17000 with whom I would trust nothing.
Neither does the type of licence - in the essentials, they are just the same. I don't teach someone half of dynamic rollover just because they're doing a PPL!
Certainly get an instructor who has been out in the real world and can teach you good habits right from the start. But it's a fair point that a CPL may help with insurance companies, but they don't live in the real world either. It's not a lot of extra work.
Neither does the type of licence - in the essentials, they are just the same. I don't teach someone half of dynamic rollover just because they're doing a PPL!
Certainly get an instructor who has been out in the real world and can teach you good habits right from the start. But it's a fair point that a CPL may help with insurance companies, but they don't live in the real world either. It's not a lot of extra work.
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Rotorbee I have to agree with you about that! Can’t wait to have my Dakar delivered, with a scheduled build date of 12/23 I still have a few months to wait🤦♂️
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I also don’t really agree that taking additional training, for example long line or mountain flying would be useless

I have to agree with you about that! Can’t wait to have my Dakar delivered, with a scheduled build date of 12/23 I still have a few months to wait
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