Today was the day I finally took the FAA written test for my private helicopter license. It’s the first of three final tests before I get my pilot’s license.
To pass, you have to score at least a 70%. Though, in reality, the first number of your score ought to be an “8.” If it isn’t, there are probably some important things you don’t know.
Most of my practice tests scored somewhere in the 80-88% range, so I figured I’d probably score around 83-85%. Continue reading
While it’s very unlikely to ever happen, some day, I may be flying along in a helicopter when the engine decides to crap out.
Most people seem to think engine failure in a helicopter signals instant death.
Yea…not so much.
On the off chance the engine dies, you enter an autorotation. You begin a rapid descent, and the air flowing up through the main rotor maintains the rotor RPM. Around tree top level, you start a flare to slow the helicopter back down, and then perform a run-on landing. That’s a landing where you keep some forward momentum as you touch down and skid to a stop. (Yep, that’s why they’re called skids.)
When performing ANY landing, you always want it to be into the wind. Should the engine die when the wind is on your tail, you need to a 180-degree autorotation. That involves, you guessed it, a 180-degree turn *while* doing an autorotation.
It’s more difficult than a regular auto, but that’s why you practice, practice, practice.
A funny thing happened on Friday…I actually flew.
That’s something that hasn’t happened much in the last two months. The lack of posts may have been a tiny hint…
Once 2012 rolled around, everything that could possibly get in the way, did get in the way. The biggest problem was weather. It was always too windy, too rainy, too foggy, icing conditions or all of those things at once. From when I started in late September, to the end of the year, I bet we only had to cancel 2 or 3 days due to weather. I’ve lost count how many weather days we’ve had since January. Continue reading
That title makes sense, right?
You can watch the whole flight in the video at the bottom of the page. No, it's not 2 hours long.
This can only mean a new phase of training has started; Cross-country flight training. At last, I don’t have to fly that damn loop around the airport all day!
With a title like that, I assume you’re expecting this to be the post where I tell you how I didn’t fly so well today and then blame it all on the wind.
Well….sort of.
The problem was not the wind per say, but the fact that I’m not yet a good enough pilot to fully adapt when the wind gets, well, windy. Continue reading
The day after Christmas, lot of people might be tempted to lay around and eat the remaining Christmas tree-shaped cookies. Not us.
Monday afternoon, I took one brother and sister-in-law down to the heliport, and then flew back up to Saginaw. Once on the tarmac, we swapped one brother and sister-in-law for the other pair.
We managed to fly over downtown Saginaw, my parents house, a pickle factory, dodge a seagull with a death wish and freak Lauren out with a steep angle, orbiting turn.
Who needs cookies?
In-cockpit video from Monday’s solo flight.
“Well…..nice knowing ya!”
That’s the last thing Dennis said to me over the intercom before he opened the door, got out, and turned me loose for my first solo flight today.
