Learning to hover.......
 

Hey there,
Just got meslf one of them cool EXEC 162f kit choppers. She's a beauty! Problem is, I live up on a station in the Northwest of Queensland and can't be bothered getting an expensive flying instructor up here (there is one bloke, but he's a piss head & am pretty sure I can do it better than him anyway).
I'm bloody keen to get this puppy up in the air. I've watched a few vids and stuff (some bloody good stuff on YouTube) and I wanna give it a crack. Kinda figure it starts with hovering, at least that's what I wanna start with!
I was talking to me mate Davo at the pub the other night and he came up with the idea of strappin 2 X 20 foot long tubes to each skid, with a couple of cross supports. Reckon that would help me not loose it if she started to go a bit on me. What do ya's reckon?
I know there's some smart blokes on eer & would love it if ya tell me it's OK, or even better, if ya got a better idea (old Davo's had some shockers in the past, but this kinda seems like it might hold water)?
ps.Once I get her up & going, I will get some photo's......

This is surely a joke?

Wind up

Anyway, please send us a video or post it on you tube. It can be played at your quite likely funeral.

Well good luck in your retirement John. Knew you wouldn't sit around for long.

And at least you're getting the thrill of an election..........over here the miserable Scot has chickened out.

Shame about the rugby, old chap, but with you as PM for a little while I'm sure your country will recover.

This is your fifth post, your previous two where about pissing of Bristows pilots, now it turns out your not even a pilot and most of all don't have any sense at all. (You're also implying now flight instructor make to much money) Well dude, I suggest you go somewhere else with your utterly stupid remarks and questions.

You guys really do need to lighten up!
It gave me a chuckle

Crikey you dont need much in the way of bait do you..............:D:D


Shaun

Come on mate, don't be like that. Just wanna get up int the air & not kill meself.
Does that mean you don't like me pipe idea?:*

ps. plus mate, I didn't say flight instructors make too much money, just that the one here is a pisshead and the others cost too much to get here.
If I didn't know better, I'd reckon you wanna fight me mate!
I must warn you, I can't hover (yet), but I'm a good fighter!!

I had the same problem myself, simplest solution was to strap it on the roof rack of my car, staright ahead at first, that taught me for and aft cyclic control, then I strapped her on sidyways and learnt the side to side bit:)
Getting it up ontop af the car was a problem , but it soon came off, but now it wont go, and that long thing at the back with a propellor at the end rattles a lot and is pretty bent up, do you think its safe to fly

Geez, thanks for that mate. Davo mentioned at the pub the yaw-prop down the tail was important. Do ya reckon a bit of pipe strapped to the tailboom mite help with strength? I'm no engineer or nothin, but I reckon it can't hurt?
The car sounds like a ripper! Not sure if I should leave the pipes on....you know....just in case......
Thanks mate, knew someone would eventually take me seriously, instaed of all this angst & stuff.:ok:

Mate...Ya got it all wrong, ya could 'urt yerself like that...get them old innertubes out tha ute and fixem to tha end of the tubes and fastern them to the ground, and i reckon ya shoud use planks not tubes...Then ya can get airborn but not too high and if ya get too high yer can bounce back to normal height and she'll be sweet mate....Thats what I'd do...Send us a few snaps when ya get dun....Tell Davo e must have 2, you cudn't be that stupid playin with only one ...;) 170'

DOn't we have a winner here!!

Aaaaalright!

Here is a classic for your review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo82pnyMR44

Supposedly the guy was/is a 12K hrs ATPL plank driver and thought he teach himself flying the helo by reading a book - hey, might have just have a bad day! :ugh::ugh::ugh:

You sound like you have no problems with previous aviation knowledge, so that should take loads of conciousness off the process :)

ON the other hand, his was a certified ship, yours is an experimental, so might as well keep experimeting :)

Ask someone else to shoot photos of the event, as you most likely will not shoot anything for a while after, if ever again! :)

Suggest give it some practise with a simulator first!

The cheapest one only costs you a couple of bucks at homedepot or just borrow the broom from someone....

Try balancing it on your right hand - when you can maintain a conversation, hold the broom steady without having to run after it and possibly even look a the person dumb enough (that would most likely be your matey Davo...) to talk with you, instead of looking at the broom - you're close to try the real thing.

Get your tubes on, mount the whole thing on swiveling weels on all 4 corners, limit the collective travel (that's the sticky on your left - the power-stick) to a couple of millimeters and try to figure out what those pedals are for....

If you are still around, call in for the next lesson,.....:}:}:}

3top :(

i see your problem........
 

........why start with the hardest thing? Ignore the hovering, and start with the easier stuff.
Just find a flat bit of grass to get a good tow from Davo's car. As long as it can do about 40mph into wind you'll be fine. Make sure you take off with a full tank of fuel, which will give you the most time available to work out the landing. Again, just keep the speed on, and touch down gently.
Move onto the hovering when you've had a bit more practice at the basics!
Good luck:ok:

AndyJ,

...now let's get serious!! That might be a way to get even the dumbest a** into the air rotorhead-wise!!

A stable gyro-glider behind a car!!!!

If things go weird, just let go on the controls!!
No danger for the (non-existing) Instructor either....

They do that with plank solo students all the time (Cessna 152...)

.... don't ask how I know....





3top:(

First get the wife to spin the blades as fast as she can. Then turn on the key and it should start.
Pull the handbrake on and then move the stick between your legs around as fast as you can.
When you get the machine where you want it remember where the stick was at that precise time because if you want to go there again that is where you put the stick.
Easy peasy

Excellent.........thoroughly priceless. Made my night.


Cheers


Best Wishes

AA

Sweet, this is the kinda got stuff that is gonna keep me from breakin me bloody neck!
So, good point about tying her down. We got some bloody big chains here on the farm we use to clear land (tie em up to a big tree, other end on the dozer while we nic of for a cuppa letting her go round in circles clearing the big stuff). Ya reckon if I tied about 100 foot onto the skid, it might stop me from getting too high, or going too far? I reckon this & the tubes on the skids together should keep me pretty safe?

Some bloke suggested planks instead of tubes...wa that a bloody joke or what!!

Hey, give the guy a break. At least he's up to speed with his geography.

Nothwest QLD - The dark side of the moon:cool:

No way out of balance,
this dude is way further out there than just the backside of the moon....:}

That's a whole different planet where this guy is on .....

3top


.....maybe Pluto's moon

Agree!

Only joined yesterday but I cant say the replies haven't brought a smile to my face (especially the full fuel comment).
cheers