the paper is white

[troglodytis]

and the pilot be I


That?s right ladies and gentlemen, check ride day.

I wasn't even nervous, maybe my senses where a bit heightened.

Then on the way to the airport (on time, but not early) I realized that I had not done a weight and balance. WHAT!?! Panic, fret, what to do?think, man, think...wait, wait... I?ve got it...

I keep all my past flightplan and w&b sheets. I?ve done a w&b for a guy that weighs the same. Same aircraft????? Yes! Ok, it may take a minute to transfer it to another paper, but I can do that in the parking lot. I?m good to go. Calm re-enters my being. Not the best beginning, but it will work.


Get to the airport and he's waiting for me. I?m still 15 minutes early. Ok.

The time we have the aircraft basically splits my oral time in half. We go into the office and the questions start flying: aerodynamics, performance, charts, flightplan, settling with power, weather, and navaids. I knock'em out. It?s there, in my head, and thankfully, it's willing to come out. I have to pry a couple of the answers out, but most of it comes easy enough. Things look to be lining up good.


Time to fly.

I preflight, he makes a call. We climb in. It?s warm, so we have the doors off of the helicopter. I go through the start up checklist. He laughs when I tell him not to kill himself as part of the safety briefing.

As I pull up on the collective and oh-so-smoothly ease the R-22 off the ground I know, I?m flying well today. We are heavy, high (5045msl), and it's hot. Smooth I need to be, and smooth I am.

We takeoff and start on the flightplan. The winds have changed, as they always do here, so I correct for that and explain why. After a couple of checkpoints we deviate to a practice area. He throws me a curveball by having me go governor off for my first pattern and approach. I did get the low rpm warning once, and I corrected more smoothly than swift. It was all gravy from there.

We ran the gamut of maneuvers. All went well. Until, there is always an until, after a great crosswind run on landing and good slope landing and take off, I screw up the hovering auto. Ok, I didn't blow it completely, but it was very close to the 10 degrees of yaw no-go line, questionable at best. Did it again, and I did it again, the other way. Oh great! I?m gonna throw my license out the window on my last maneuver. One more time, !*POW*!, I hit it. Not dead on, but it's good enough. Hover back to the pad and it's as good as done.


We go over the last part the oral exam as he's filling out my temporary airman certificate. This time I flat out miss a question. During emergency procedures he gives the scenario of complete tail rotor failure and I give the answer for stuck pedal. DOH! But all was forgiven, and the paper is white!


White. I?m a private pilot, rotorcraft helicopter.

HOTDAMN! It?s just one step of many, but I?m on my way.

 

[Cyberian]

I don't really understand all the details, but congratulations!!

 

[Atrail]

That is great!
Good for you...
Is this for a career or just recreational flying? (i.e. what do you plan to do with your license)

 

[crab]

Sounds cool... I would've gotten my chopper rating, but I couldn't really justify the costs. Theres not much money to be made either. Wouldn't mind taking a little Enstrom or Robinson for a joyride though

Glad it went well...What next? Instrument?

 

[dude8604]

Originally posted by: troglodytis
During emergency procedures he gives the scenario of complete tail rotor failure and I give the answer for stuck pedal.

What <U>are</U> you supposed to do for a complete tail rotor failure?

 

[crab]

Originally posted by: dude8604

Originally posted by: troglodytis
During emergency procedures he gives the scenario of complete tail rotor failure and I give the answer for stuck pedal.

What are you supposed to do for a complete tail rotor failure?

Without training, I'd slide it in because the chopper will spin like CRAZY if it slows too much without yaw control

 

[troglodytis]

Is this for a career or just recreational flying? (i.e. what do you plan to do with your license)

definitely going for a career. this is just my second major mile marker(soloing was first)

What are you supposed to do for a complete tail rotor failure?

I'd slide it in because the chopper will spin like CRAZY if it slows too much without yaw control

crab, correct answer........for stuck pedal.

it is generaly recomended that in complete loss of tail rotor you do a full down autorotation.
full down auto = engine to idle(not powering the main rotor, or tail rotor for that matter) and glide down to a landing.

2 reasons to not do a run on landing: whatever caused you to totally lose your tail rotor can sometimes destroy your helicopter (get rid of the power), and if you tried to do a run on at speeds you need to maintain and sort of heading you'd have to be travelling at about 70 knots (at that speed w/o a tail rotor you'd probably roll it and that is a ton of energry to be absorbed).

 

[crab]

So are you bringing it to idle to bleed off some torque (to keep it from spinning) before bringing it down (auto rotate) instead of a normal powered landing? Or is it simply to stop anymore damage?

 

[troglodytis]

by entering an auto(first thing is lowering collective and rolling throttle all the way off) you disengage the engine from the rotors via a sprage(sp) clutch in the R-22. dramaticly reduces torque and thus reduces yaw. also it can help prevent or lessen further damage in the event of drivetrain damage.

 

[dude8604]

But if you turn off the power to the main rotor, won't the helicopter fall?

 

[JustinSampson]

Originally posted by: dude8604
But if you turn off the power to the main rotor, won't the helicopter fall?

Momentum my friend. And a hole bunch of other things not worth explaining.

 

[OutHouse]

Congrats Troglodytis!! Thats really cool!

This Sat morning at 9am I am going on a discovery flight for fixed wing. My dream would be Rotor but to much money for me.

how long did it take you from day 1 to your check ride?

 

[yakko]

That post seems extremely familiar.

 

[troglodytis]

But if you turn off the power to the main rotor, won't the helicopter fall?

yep. you will fall, but you will also glide. as you fall air passes through the rotor and turns it much like air turning a pinwheel. as the rotor keeps on turning it can generate lift, not as much as with the engine powering the rotor, but enough to glide the helicopter to a safe lading and manuver it while you come down. as justin said, there is a bunch going on, but that hopefully will put some sort of picture in your head.

it is an extremely steep glide(especialy in the R-22), but a controllable glide none the less.

how long did it take you from day 1 to your check ride?

i started training on the 19th of december. after 10 hours of flight time, which took 2 weeks to get, i had to take a 6 week break to get some loan problems worked out. so, if we remove the 6 week break, it took me about 4 months, and 86 hours. had i not taken the break i could probably have done it in less time.



/edit

That post seems extremely familiar.

you gots to know i copy and pasted this thing all over the place.