Flew a helicopter today

[teeonethousand]

I was thinking about doing the Helicopter licence some years ago when it would be about 12k. I did a lot of research, YouTube etc on it all and really fancied it as I have had a few passenger flights and loved it

In the end I decided that when your life is absolutely on the line for even a slight mistake.... like not spotting a line or something... that I did not trust myself to be flawless.

I bought a Harley instead😁

 

[ColinJ]

In the end I decided that when your life is absolutely on the line for even a slight mistake.... like not spotting a line or something... that I did not trust myself to be flawless.

I bought a Harley instead😁

Your life is also on the line when riding a Harley at 70+ mph... Unless crashing into a stationary vehicle or clipping a kerb don't count!!

 

[gbb]

Excuse the language..but freaking awesome

 

[Drago]

Your life is also on the line when riding a Harley at 70+ mph... Unless crashing into a stationary vehicle or clipping a kerb don't count!!

To be fair his Harley is unlikely to drop out the sky.

 

[figbat]

The R22 and its close relatives were one. I don't recall the technical term but theres a manoeuvre rookie or unskilled pilots get into which causes some kind of pogo effect and the rotor head doesnt fare well.

I believe the phenomenon you are referring to is ‘mast bumping’. The Robinsons (and other models) can be prone to it under certain flight parameters which include low g. On the one I flew there was a note on the yoke to the effect “no push-overs”.

 

[DaveReading]

Another was the Twin Squirrel Eurocopter. I was looking at applying for the air observers job at work (turned out I was too tall and heavy, so ineligible anyway) and he advised me not to because of their safety record. Sure enough it crashed not long after this and the Warks bobby who got the job was sadly killed. If memory serves that one may have been pilot error, but the timing was such that I was suitably chastened at the time.

Yes, the pilot of the Warwickshire Twin Squirrel became disoriented in fog, so clearly not a reflection on the safety record of the type (which is actually very good).

The fact that two of the three on board survived is a credit to the construction of the helo.

 

[presta]

How about a hang glider flight?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I had a 40 minute introduction lesson with Heli Air from Wellesbourne Airfield.

That just leaves flying a Spitfire…. 🤞

Wellesbourne is the home of XM655
It's the one that Guy Martin taxied, in one of his TV programmes
We've stayed at the 'Charlecoate Pheasant'(?) hotel closeby, & I walked round to look at XM655

https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/vulcan/survivor.php?id=57
https://xm655.com/


https://www.spitfires.com/spitfire-flights/

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

How about a hang glider flight?

Or a glider. I flew a few single engine aircraft and found it dull. But a glider is great fun. Learnt when I lived in France and 1st solo is really exciting as with on engine once in the air you are on your own, can't do a bad landing approach so open throttle and go round again. I was flying from a commercial airport (glider runway 100m parallel to commercial runway. After my 1st solo I was a bit told off as I was concentrating so much on getting down safely I failed to clear landing with the Air Traffic Control and just flew in

.I also do a lot of sailing and gliding is a bit like sailing but in 3 dimensions and without any 2nd chances.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

To be fair his Harley is unlikely to drop out the sky.