Yes, I do the same. If I am giving a ride to anybody who I don't know well or has no experience I always take the duals out. If my passenger is either a pilot of any sort or a frequent occupant then I don't mind having them installed if they happen to be there already.

However, if they are out as they normally are, I will leave them out and only specially fit them if I am flying with another helicopter pilot.

I once refitted them before I knew that the pedals were a left and right version, and if you get them reversed the back of the RHS one hits the LHS one. The full and free check showed that my passenger's camera bag was on the pedals, and after he had moved it I did not repeat the check. Big Mistake! When I lifted into the hover I had no left pedal travel and had to very quickly dump the lever. I always always check that left and right are in the correct positions now.

I think it is sensible to understand why the advice regarding the removal of dual controls is given. It is there so that the "lowest common denominator" category of passenger doesn't cause a control restriction or inadvertently cause control inputs.

Anyone of some intelligence, of sound mind and properly briefed would not do that. I would certainly leave the duals in for someone with ten hours rotary experience. We were sent solo after ten hours and were required to fly a full solo engine off landings sortie after 40 hours.

I once had the opposite problem. I turned up at a Gazelle on a rotors running crew change to teach EOLs. There were no dual controls fitted. I declined to take the aircraft, although there was no advice in the Flight Manual about that situation.

I would stress the briefing before flight! I did once have a scare after climbing out of a Whirlwind 10 after my sortie during a rotors running crew change. A fairly ancient Group Captain (he flew Mosquitos) was being taken for a familiarisation ride with my instructor. I remained at the aircraft "downstairs" ready to remove the wheel chock and was listening in on the intercom as the Groupie was being talked through his strapping in. I was leaning against the door sill on the right, with my back to the door and looking out of the disc.

My instructor said: "Now, just make sure you can reach all the controls..."

With that, the old Whirly gave a huge lurch to the right, tyres squealing and lifting me off my feet! I was propelled out and away from the aircraft. I kept running, I felt a jolt as my intercom pigtail jerked free but I went at least fifty yards or so before stopping to look behind!

"Groupie", being a fixed wing pilot, had done a "full and free movement" check, hadn't he! :D

'A' checks? High time?
 

Twiddle - am unsure if I am missing something here. I own and fly a 22, but have never heard of 'A' checks. What are they? Sounds like shorthand for "first, particularly thorough, pre-flight of the day", but I really don't know what you're referring to, and would like to. Don't recall any such checks referred to in POH but maybe I better read again. Are there 'B' checks, and 'C' checks as well? What do they all mean?
(This is not a sarcastic Q, BTW - I'm genuinely interested)

Also, for public consumption, I wonder what you guys would refer to as a low, medium and high time 22 pilot, respectively?

Well ackshirley in a Clipper it may well be as the LH Front Seat as 15lbs of scrap metal and gas in the seat collapse space.

And I would'nt fancy that up my :mad: in the event of a hard landing.

h-r;)