One other thing to consider us a definition of first solo. For me, it was a complete circuit of Norwich but for others, it appears to be a hover solo.

Thomas, I've just audited your figures and I suggest you want to revise amount spent upwards! Are you looking at sales price or running cost? A single turbine is nearer £500 now with twins at £800-£1,500 per hour to fly.

Anyway, don't rub it in!:E

Cheers

Whirls

My solo was 3 years ago almost to the day, after 22 hours, in an R22. (24th Sept - my mums birthday)!

At the place I trained, NOBODY was allowed to go solo until they had completed at least 20 hours, sort of took the pressure off.

I turned down the chance to solo initially - didn't think I was ready, so I wouldn't go, but went off the very next lesson.

Amazing experience, which really hit home after the landing. Was on cloud 9 for days afterwards

ariel

Just interested to know if anyone has anything interesting or of value
to say about recent training experiences (theory and practical) that might add to the useful (and entertaining) comment and opinion of prior
postings here.

Shortly I shall be embarking from scratch on the
CPL - H with no previous experience apart from flying round in AS350s
doing parks and wildlife stuff. Being now 29, female, and out of
the nappy stage (well that's what my mum says, not my brothers) I've little doubt I will be able to hack it out there in the rough and tumble of real life
where low hour helicopter pilots strain and jostle for a start.

Attract the attention of Whirlygig - she's done it from the ground up and could tell you a thing or 2! Good luck - you're going to need it. {Not the course but what you do after you've got it in your hand.................}

My solo was in R-22 about at about 20 hours, I was fairly comforable by then. That Day I did a pattern with the instructor, he got out and I did 3-4 more. I definately notices a CG and power needed to takeoff change.

My instructor put a 20kg weight in the passenger footwell of the R22 to try and even out the weight inbalance issue. This did the trick as I didnt notice much difference at all (even though my instructor weighed a whole lot more than 22kg).

The key is to ensure that you are lifting to "light on the skids" where you balance the cyclic and then lift from there slowly. That way you should have compensated for any C of G issues prior to getting in the air and you shouldn't have any excess power issues as you gently bring it up. Easier said than done of course at 20ish hours.

Your first solo flight will be over in what seems like seconds, but the smile will last for weeks.. after that it gets harder.!
Peter R-B
Lancashire

Enjoy it, its over all too quickly. Mine was in an R22 at Aberdeen and I can remember thinking how little MP was required to hover taxi and trying to slow the damn thing down as I was only cleared to W5 hold.....anyway the nice man in the tower spotted the problem and was heard to say " see your making good progress cleared to line up on 32 and immediate take off " phew what a relief!
Once round the circuit and it all sorted itself out and they practically needed a SAM missile to get me down again. Hope all goes well.

BG