Are helicopter pilots different?
 

Being both, I would agree that they're different - but not for the same reasons.

I think that the type of work and environment that helo pilots operate in attracts a certain type of individual. This type being more realistic about things in general. The exception this is the Northern bush pilots of Alaska and the Yukon, where terrain, wx and type of work leads to perhaps an even more realistic breed than the average helicopter pilot.

The IFR FW world is one of very little danger, real or percieved, and rightly so - therefore those operating in it have a different benchmark with which to measure danger. This attracts a different type of person.

An old friend of mine - IFR FW driver, came to visit me in the Territories a few years ago and after a couple trips in the 185 and Cub said to me, "Holy ####, I didn't know airplanes could do that, and didn't want to either...!!!"

AR

80% of my hours are helicopter, but the other 20% is in business jets, and everytime I fly with some of the business jet pilots what never ceases to amaze me is how reluctant most of them are to take the controls and fly the aircraft, even if they so much more stable and easy to fly than helicopters. I guess is that they get to fly so little since the AP's so most of the work that most have lost the ability to handle the aircraft.

To me flying these corporate planes has become more of a button pushing task than a flying task. It's the differece between being a pilot and a systems operator.

Of course landing a Hawker at Millon Air and getting the red carpet treatment is usually better than landing in the middle of nowhere and have dog come bark at you, and the money is usually better too.

"Are helicopter pilots different sort of people from aeroplane pilots?

Does each job attract different types of people?

Or do people's personalities change because of the nature of the job?"

WHAT? :mad: Yeehaa, ya varmint! I'll ding thee full o' lead fu' suggestin' such a thang! :suspect:

Sorry, no , actually I've always been like this, I blame something in the water. Or the vibration, or the flicker vertigo effect :\

Nurse, Oh, Nurse...... ;)

Just had an interesting conversation with our mechanic about this some days ago.

He works on FW and RW and said there is a big difference between the pilots who fly them.
His opinion was that RW pilots had a much higher awarness about what was going on with the machine. From doing better preflights to knowing the components of the machine.
Also the heli pilots seemed more lighthearted, almost like big kids with their toys, but serious when needed, while most FW are all business all the time.
He also said the differences only got more noticable the more hours the pilot has.

Don't know if I agree with all of this, but it is an interesting viewpoint from the outside looking in.

Heliport,
One small correction to that quote. Although it has been credited to Harry Reasoner it was actually penned by Andy Rooney, who was a CBS writer at the time. I had lunch with Rooney one time and he brought that up when we bagan to talk about helicopters.
Rooney is perhaps the funniest human I have ever met in person!

The biggest difference? If your in a bar, you'll immediately know the helicopter pilot... because he'll tell you!!! :p

People fly airplanes... pilots fly helicopters.

(so the theory goes - TIMTS answer makes more sense... about the toys, that is)

Of course we are different,

anyone present at any take off will stand and watch, and again when landing, we can hover, do 360's and loiter with gay abandon(strike out the gay)

I have never yet told anyone I am a Heli pilot, I think however the scrambled egg on my hat, the vintage green Ray-Bans and the white silk scarf might actually give the game away though ;)
Vfr

Yes, that's true. When I started training for my CPL I was a passenger in a 206 that crashed due to a less than perfect preflight. After that I realised that "he who inspecteth not his aircraft gives his angels cause to concern him".

Helicopter pilots are more sensitive!

Taking a slight tangent on this thread, apologies, but Mr. Lappos was crediting the article to Andy Rooney. Nick, were you one of the pilots that flew Rooney across the country in an S-76? I vaguely remember a TV special of his trip. I asked our Sikorsky sales rep if she might have a copy of it and she didn’t know what I was talking about. I always thought that video would be a nice little marketing tool.

Yep, you can usually tell a chopper pilot.

Not very much though.:} :} :}

Mmmmmmm
 

Just the word says it all. Refering to my handy dictionary......
Plain = ordinary, nothing special, predictable, boring
Plane = refer above
Or
Helicopter= Opposite of above

:ok: :ok:


Why fly in the air thats thin when you can get down and dirty with the wings that fling!!

If I'm not mistaken, Rooney went in an SA 365, not an S-76.

We are different. No question
Look at a FW pilot:
shiny shoes, clean hands, nice shirt with shoulder stripes, cool sun glasses and often those fancy military leather jackets with several pens in those special pockets on the left arm and an expression of a hero on the face - the dream of any mother in law.

RW pilot: Heavy shoes - you never know where you end up, dirty hands from the preflight, warm shirts - the lucky one, cheap sun glasses, heavy wests in signal colors and an expression of a nervous weasel because we are able to scan at the same time with one eye three engine instruments and with the other either do an IFR instrument scan or a VFR scan for traffic, cables and other things in our flight path. A haircut we get....
... when the forest fire is out
... when the concrete is dry
... whenever we get out of the bush
... next winter

As long as we know, that we are just a bunch of nice guys, I don't mind.

:}

One of the first European Rotorcraft forums (1979?) had a paper by the shrink that Schriener used for interviewing their pilots. I'll have to see if I can dig up my copy - basically he said that helicopter pilots were different because they operated away from the normally available support structure - air traffic control, runways, weather services etc. They had to make more independent decisions, were often the sole representatives of the company, etc.
Fascinating paper that helped to make why were are different a little more clear.

We like girls........

Yes with some exceptions we're different than airplane pilots.

Airplane pilots usually work as part of a team or they're employed by a big company with other pilots.
Helo pilots spend a lotta time working on their own.

Airplane pilots seem to enjoy the company of other people.
Helo pilots are often 'loner' types who enjoy their own company.

We know how to impress the ladies with our large, powerful, vibrating choppers :oh:

Helicopter pilots are more laid-back and much more observant - we have to be with all those fixedwing b:mad: s flying around reading the paper! I need to go and photocopy some more airmiss forms :uhoh:

And quite a few of us, whether we know it or not, have noticeable ADHD.

Having read those comments and comparing that to all the pilots I know I come to a conclusion:
We would all like to be special, but as human beings I think we are an average group of people who is special because we fly helicopters. Not the other way round.
I have seen everything. The calm, the nervous, the hot shot, the timid etc.
What attracts different people is probably the environment. A bush pilot in the north is a diffrent kind of person than the corporate pilot, regardless if they fly fixed or rotorary wing.

And it does not help with the girls at all. Or am I just to ugly?
:}

A helicopter in the mountains is the best aphrodisiac in the world.:E

"A bush pilot in the north is a diffrent kind of person than the corporate pilot, regardless if they fly fixed or rotorary wing.

"And it does not help with the girls at all. Or am I just to ugly?"


Is this something to do with the proverb:

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" ? :p

Now I always thought it was something like "a hand in the bush is worth two birds" but maybe that is just proving the point.

How does one begin to answer those questions posed by Heliport?

Looking back over almost forty years of helicopter flying in all sorts of tasking, locations, evironments, onshore, offshore, mountains, deserts, tundra,swamps, thicket and thistle patches, in peacetime, almost war, and wartime, longline, ladders, rappelling, spraying, drying cherries, and a host of other variables....the answer is easy. You have to be insane....or have some weird quirk in your makeup that keeps you doing what we do.

Yes it takes a different personality and over time that personality will change as we are products of our environment. Are we "special"...yes and no. We start out being somewhat ordinary folks but over time I suggest we do fall into the "special" catagory as a career flying helicopters can set you apart from the rest of our species.

Bush flying particularly.....as one finds oneself smack dab in the middle of no where...no support services....washing yer clothes in a bucket...oft times treading water in your sleeping bag...and stepping in fresh Bear poop barefoot as you do a 2AM star check after drinking a half case of beer for dinner. Do this for five months then find yourself in town for three days before you head back out for another stint.

Of all the flying I have done the Bush flying is my favorite by far! No regimentation, no one looking over your shoulder....no one to help you roll the fuel drums and pump your fuel....but no one to crowd you at the fishing hole either. Life was enjoyable and a lot of life's imponderables sorted out...the most important being....NEVER Allow yourself to tricked into living in a Geologist Fly Camp!

Does it change you this helicopter flying?

Imagine an accountant getting thrown out of Chilkoot Charlies, the Midnight Express, and PJ's in Anchorage, all in one night for being "rowdy".

(Other than fair Whirls perhaps....)

Our fair Whirls assures me she has be thrown out of better places than these...

The Life of a Helicopter Pilot:

Grand canyon tour,
Get up at 4.30AM, drive 90 miles to the ditch, have 5th cup of coffee, preflight, pee, get in start up, load up the midwestern beefeaters, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for an hour, fly for 30 minutes, fly for an hour. Can I have a break? No, ok, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes. fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for an hour, get out tie down, PEE, drive 90 miles home,eat, sleep, repeat.

Hawaii tour
See above but get to wear funky hawaii shirt and shorts...

Offshore Oil:
See above but the tourists smell bad and the river is a lot bigger...

Tuna Boat:
See above, but you get to chant: Where da fish, where da fish...

Powerline patrol:
See above but you get to say: tower one, tower two, tower 3, tower 4, tower 5......tower 496, tower 497, etc...

Pipeline patrol:
See above but you get to say: yup it's a pipeline. yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline. yup it's a pipeline,.....Sh# theres a wire, ok, yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline....

EMS:
Get to work, have 7th cup of coffee, preflight, pee,news, eat, sleep,eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, BEEP BEEP BEEP, motorcycle vs a big rig, fly 20 minutes, load patient, Yuuuuuuko!!! That looks like it hurts, fly 20 minutes, off-load, debrief, eat, sleep, eat sleep, eat, sleep, go home...

Logging:
Get up at 5, have 3rd cup of coffee, preflight, comin up, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log,log, Wipe up CP's puke, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, etc.. .Shut down go home drink a massive amounts of beer with hookers.

Fire:
Get up at 4 AM, drive an hour, have 9th cup of coffee, mission plan, you want to WHAT? Put on bucket go to fire. OH! big fire! Up down, turn around, fetch a pail of water, repeat 160 times. Shut down, wait untill 14 hours is over. Out of duty time, find tent, eat at base camp, visit little blue room, sleep up again, at 5am repeat...

CFI:
Get in at 9am, have 10 cups of coffee, 3 cigs,and wait for no shows, Non english speaking student shows up, preflight, flight, SCREAM: I HAVE THE CONTROLS!!, repeat 20 times, After hour flight, clean short, repeat 5 times, go home knowing your the pilot god that saved the R22 from the clutches of the student pilot, get on PC and type resume, yup getting 252.4 hours. look for way to get turbine time job with out flight time, go to sleep thinking how great it would be working as a real pilot!

Gordy http://smileys.on-my-web.com/reposit...ng/lol-045.gif you owe me some grape juice :ok:

But that does mean helicopter pilots are different :}

And yes, I have been thrown out of some "classy" joints including The Hatchet in Newbury Market Square :ok:

Cheers

Whirls



...glad this thread got resurrected after 5 years :)

There's a poster hanging on the wall of my old RW FTO of a cartoon of a guy sweating at the controls of a chopper with the very caption from Harry Reasoner quoted in post #1.

I am trying my best not to be biased (having more RW hours than FW) but I can't help noticing that there are appreciably more pilots with an ego in FW than in RW. This is particularly so with FW student pilots.:ugh:

I can still think of a couple of heli pilots with a problem attitude though, but that's the exception rather than the rule.:=

Gordy... while I tend to expect nothing less from your humor, that was the funniest thing I've read on Pprune in a long time! :D:D

COF...Unfortunatley that one is copied...Much that I would love to claim credit for it....I did however modify a few lines...

Whirls...I thought we had graduated you to the LaFawnduh Firebombs??? In the meantime...how about a Martooni? or 5....:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/Martooni.gifhttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/Martooni.gifhttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/Martooni.gifhttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/Martooni.gifhttp://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j3...s/Martooni.gif

Here is some more from my archives...Not sure about different...but certainly better...copied from a year ago, which most will like and copy--(Just like I did)...

This has been a serious debate for quite some time with battle lines well drawn and the debate field hot, furious, and emotional. Obviously, the heat of the debate and the surety of the participants are directly proportional to the amount of liquid intelligence that has been consumed. Nevertheless, this humble observer will present the evidence that clearly proves helicopter pilots are, as a matter of fact, the most superior pilots in the aviation community.

First, let’s talk about the numbers.
Airplanes have a lot of numbers, V1, V2, VTOSS, MMO, the figures many helicopter operations emulate. However, while helicopter pilots try to operate “by the numbers”, the operating environment often precludes such a luxury. The 757 pilot is, “going to come over the fence at Vref+15k” or some other such number like that. Meanwhile, the helicopter lands on a rig, perhaps with a 30K head wind, a 15K crosswind, or maybe he has to land in a remote area with no wind… and he will LAND AT 0K GROUNDSPEED! If you know anything about aerodynamics, I shouldn’t have to say anything else – the safety of the numbers does not always grace the helicopter pilot therefore, they need special skill to compensate when the numbers are not even applicable. The rotorhead may be landing at 40K IAS or 0K… airplane safety margins are all off!

Not convinced, let’s talk operating environment.
It would be nice to be able to land on a flat piece of paved real estate that was 200’ wide and 8000’ long, for every landing; but for helicopter pilots, that’s the exception rather than the rule (We are even told to “avoid the flow” of the starch wingers lest we upset their “numbers.”). Helicopter pilots are called to land on small offshore platforms, smaller shipboard platforms (that can be bobbing and weaving like Mike Tyson), rooftops, forests, jungles, and next to highways at night to pick up the injured. This is a VFR operation that would make most airplane pilots cringe. This goes beyond those fixed wingers who call themselves “bush pilots.” Helicopter pilots are the true Bush Pilots – they land and takeoff in the midst of the bushes!

To this, the helicopter pilot adds all the stuff the corporate or 121 operator does. They operate in dense airspace, fly instrument approaches, operate at busy airports, and fly in severe weather – often without the help of a four-axis autopilot with “autotrim.” (In fact, the only autopilot may be control friction… and any objective dual-rated pilots will confess the helicopter is quite a bit more difficult to fly on the gauges!)

At this point I have to interject for the prima Donna part 91 operators in their Citation X’s, Gulfstreams, and Falcon 50’s. There are a lot of helicopters with color radar, multiple MFDs, EFIS, digital fuel controls, 4 axis autopilots, and all the other goodies, so don’t go there! We can operate your fancy equipment as well!

I’m not done – what about workload?
The helicopter pilot is normally the “company man” on the job. Therefore, they must not only be able to fly the aircraft, they have to be the local PR man with the customer, often solving the customer’s problems so the aircraft is used the most efficiently. The helicopter pilot might have to arrange for his own fuel and even refuel his own aircraft. He checks the landing sites, trains people how to work around helicopters without getting injured, and makes sure the aircraft does not disturb Grandma Bessie’s chickens!

But wait, like the Ginsu knife, “there’s more!”
The rotor head does it all. He does all the pre-flight planning, submits the flight plan, prepares all the paperwork including the weight and balance, loads and briefs the passengers, loads cargo, and after landing takes care of the unloading and finally arranges for their own transportation and room. This is often interspersed by telephone calls to some company weenie that changes plans and expectations every hour.

Finally, the all important question, “What about control touch?”
I want to shut up all the hotshot fighter pilots. I’ve been in their aircraft and they have been in mine… I could fly theirs but they were all over the sky in mine! So then, Mr., Starch Winger; when you see a Hughes 500 or Bell 204 pilot hold one skid on a 5000’ knife edge ridge that is only 2 feet wide so passengers can step out onto the ridge, while the other skid is suspended in space… when you watch a Skycrane, Vertol, S61, 212, or 214B pilot place a hook, that’s on a cable 200’ below the aircraft, in the hand of a ground crewman… when you see a Lama, AStar, or Bell 206L land in a space in the trees that’s scarcely bigger than the helicopter… and if you ever watch a BK 117, 105, or A109 pilot land in a vacant lot next to a busy freeway surrounded by power lines – at night… Well then, you’ll have some idea who is the master manipulator of aviation equipment.

The bottom line is; if all you want is to get into the air, find a Cessna, Beech, F-16, or 757. However, if you want to truly fly, to be an artisan in aviation and develop a bird-like control touch; then, you want to be a helicopter pilot. After all, a rock would probably fly if you made it go 180K.

The real question for our fixed wing brethren should be, “How fast can you fly backward?”

Gordy,
Copied or otherwise, that was hilarious.:ok: I was a little miffed at the EMS pilot doing very little but eating and sleeping ,but then I realized I was on pprune during my shift!!:O
A few others I have picked up over the years:

A FW pilot is General Practitioner but a helicopter pilto is a specialist--- :).
Another one, admittedly a misquote from a movie but it works at the bar: FW pilots make movies----helicopter pilots make history.
Alt3.

A friend of mine is a fixed wing pilot of >14k hrs and about ~200 in rotorcraft.

He is an ex-bush pilot and a bus driver commanding the heavy iron.

10 years ago I asked him what I should learn to fly, rotorwing or fixedwing.

His answer, you want to fly, learn rotorwing, you want to get between a and b, fixed wing.

10 years later and no regrets flying helicopters.... the best part he is jealous of my flying these days!

When your driving a plank your throwing yourself at the ground at 60-130 kts. To me it makes much more sense to stop first, then land.

A student of mine is a fw first officer for a reputable carrier, flying 737's. the usual stuff, he focuses too much on the gauges rather than looking outside, horribly tense on the controls, jerky movements, sh&t scared doing emergencies (he confessed that when he was a fw student for his ppl that the only emergency they practised was a glide approach...).

anyway about 20 hrs into his training flying along straight and level, i casually ask him "so, why do you want to be a helicopter pilot?".

he looks at me with a smirk on his face and goes "mate, i just want to be able to pick up the chicks!" :ooh: :D:D

Differences.........
 

Helicopter pilots usually have a beard and smoke pipes..with the exception of Whirlygig!

GGR

Yeah, I've heard that Whirlygig sits playing the banjo, drinking moonshine after the days work :}

I only fly RC model Helis . The larger IC engined type .
Interestingly the Fixed wing RC guys have their own club not far from our heli club we dont mix . Some of our members will fly a plank but not often
The majority of members seem to be in or connected to the IT business .
We dont have any women members and Ive never seen a woman fly an rc Heli , dont know why though.

Well sir, I guess your chopper isn't big enough :cool:

Gordy

:D:D

Bloody funny, thank you.

GS

Gordy,
i can only copy what others have said: The funniest i have read on pprune. :D

Thank you, you made my day :ok: