Greetings! It has been a while since I have posted. I haven't been flying much because of work and school. I have however determined that I need help paying for flight training. I setup a GoFundMe page and ask that if you are able to and willing, please make a donation. My goal is to get enough money so I can get my commercial license. This money will help me finish flight school in a reasonable amount of time so I can begin to build hours towards becoming a pilot for an air ambulance service.
With out these funds it will take longer to achieve my goal and there is a possibility that I will have to stop flying altogether. Air ambulance services provide quick transport for patients who need to get to a treatment facility. I want to help people get the help they need so they can begin to get better. The first step for me is earning my commercial pilot license. After I get my commercial pilot license, I will have to build hours and gain experience flying. I will have an array of jobs before I will meet the common qualifications to be hired by an air ambulance provider, but getting my commercial license is the first step. This first step is what I need help with.
Please share this with your friends and families. I will continue writing about my flight experiences as I complete flight school and begin flying and gaining experience. Thanks for the help and support.
Here is the link to my GoFundMe page.
R48
Monday, August 25, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Video (as in that video I shot is finally ready!)
I finally got the video I recorded of my flight on 29 June edited and worked into a format that I like (Since then I thought of a better way to present the videos, so I am working on them some more). I am going to begin with a picture of the dash of the Robinson R44.
I was working on the videos and realized it would probably be better to narrate what is going on in the video versus showing the video and writing about what is happening. I think it will be a better experience for those who view the blog.
Here is a video of me climbing to 2000 feet MSL and practicing a turning auto. As I climb the vertical speed indicator (gauge #7) shows a climb of over 1000 fpm and the Manifold pressure (gauge #5) shows about 25 inches, meaning I am at almost max power. The Altimeter (#4) shows the climb from 1000 to 2000 feet. The auto begins when the engine tach needle drops below 80%. The rotor tach needle stays above 90%. Although in the turn it drops below 97% which activates the Low rotor RPM horn and light.
The whole auto lasted 40 seconds and you can see the vertical airspeed indicator peg out at 2000 fpm descent and we lost almost 1200 feet of altitude in the process.
R48
I have numbered some of the gauges on the instrument panel. They are:
- Tachometer - The needle on the left is for the engine and the needle on the right is for the rotors
- Airspeed - This shows the airspeed of the helicopter.
- Artifical Horizon - This is primarily used in Instrument flights with little or no visibility.
- Altimeter - Indicates your elevation above sea level.
- Manifold Pressure (MAP) - This shows the air pressure in the intake manifold. The higher the indication the more power is being demanded from the engine. There is a limit on how much power you can safely pull.
- Low Rotor RPM light - This is light and a horn activate when the rotor system drops below 97%.
- Vertical Airspeed Indicator - This shows the rate at when you are changing elevation in feet per minute either up or down. It maxes out at 2000 ft/min.
- Clutch Light - The drive belts are tensioned automatically; when the light is on the tension mechanism is active.
I was working on the videos and realized it would probably be better to narrate what is going on in the video versus showing the video and writing about what is happening. I think it will be a better experience for those who view the blog.
Here is a video of me climbing to 2000 feet MSL and practicing a turning auto. As I climb the vertical speed indicator (gauge #7) shows a climb of over 1000 fpm and the Manifold pressure (gauge #5) shows about 25 inches, meaning I am at almost max power. The Altimeter (#4) shows the climb from 1000 to 2000 feet. The auto begins when the engine tach needle drops below 80%. The rotor tach needle stays above 90%. Although in the turn it drops below 97% which activates the Low rotor RPM horn and light.
The whole auto lasted 40 seconds and you can see the vertical airspeed indicator peg out at 2000 fpm descent and we lost almost 1200 feet of altitude in the process.
R48
Monday, July 28, 2014
Passengers (as in I brought a sibling)
Today's flight (20JUL14) I brought a sibling from out of town with me and because I had a passenger we couldn't do some of the riskier maneuvers. We didn't do autos or slopes, I can't remember if we did run on landings. So it was mostly normal take-offs, normal landings, steep approaches and max performance take-offs.
I setup the GoPro and had configured it to record in 720 because my computer struggles with resolutions above that, but it defaults to time lapse so I got a time lapse sequence and I didn't think it showed anything interesting or was particularly neat. I am almost done editing the videos from the only flight I have recorded. In fact, a video is rendering right now!
I did pretty good with the flight today. Having a passenger was a good experience as to how the balance and performance change. Hovering took more power, which meant I was up to max continuous power quicker and even used into the power available for 5 minute take off. What it translated into was that I had to fly more like an airplane than a helicopter. The rotors produce lift but when the helicopter is moving the increased airflow across the rotor disc produces more lift. It was something I can't remember experiencing; the other helicopter I had flown with passengers was fuel injected and had more horsepower available because of it.
I had to abort one of the max performance take-offs because I was the 5 minute take-off power and stopped climbing. After slowly lowering back to the ground, I made a normal take-off. I thought I was going to be nervous with my sibling riding along, but she was so quiet I basically forgot she was in the back.
Over all it was a good flight and I experienced a few things that I don't think I would have experienced until much later in my training.
R48
I setup the GoPro and had configured it to record in 720 because my computer struggles with resolutions above that, but it defaults to time lapse so I got a time lapse sequence and I didn't think it showed anything interesting or was particularly neat. I am almost done editing the videos from the only flight I have recorded. In fact, a video is rendering right now!
I did pretty good with the flight today. Having a passenger was a good experience as to how the balance and performance change. Hovering took more power, which meant I was up to max continuous power quicker and even used into the power available for 5 minute take off. What it translated into was that I had to fly more like an airplane than a helicopter. The rotors produce lift but when the helicopter is moving the increased airflow across the rotor disc produces more lift. It was something I can't remember experiencing; the other helicopter I had flown with passengers was fuel injected and had more horsepower available because of it.
I had to abort one of the max performance take-offs because I was the 5 minute take-off power and stopped climbing. After slowly lowering back to the ground, I made a normal take-off. I thought I was going to be nervous with my sibling riding along, but she was so quiet I basically forgot she was in the back.
Over all it was a good flight and I experienced a few things that I don't think I would have experienced until much later in my training.
R48
Monday, July 21, 2014
Break (as in no flight this week)
Today (06JUL14) I spent C2 working on ground school, reviewing all the things I need to know for the oral part of the check ride. Aerodynamic, emergency procedures, rules and regulations. I need to study some, but know most everything I should.
R48
R48
Monday, July 14, 2014
Prep (as in Check-ride prep)
I am a little late this week with this post; school and work have been taking all my free time.
Today's flight (29JUN14) was longer and it was working on maneuvers for the check ride. Working on the maneuvers that I can do well to maintain the skills I do have and improve the others. Overall, I am getting better at doing the maneuver on the first try. I brought and mounted my GoPro camera (Full disclosure: I own GoPro stock); I was able to capture video of the flight, but because we had the doors off and I haven't bought an adapter cable, you can only hear the audio when the engine is idle and airspeed zero. I will eventually buy an adapter cable that will capture all the intercom and radio communications.
After getting the helicopter started, we headed out toward the TV station again. Being the only off-airport location they have permission to land at, we went there to practice off-airport operations. I made my assessment of the area and began my approach. I wasn't descending like I needed to, so I went around again. I made a better approach the second time and landed as needed in the field. The field at the TV station has some slopes that are not as steep compared to the Quincy airport, so we tried a new technique for landing on slopes. I did better at slopes on the first try and the new technique helped overall. I made a max. performance takeoff from the field and headed towards Quincy.
As we were approaching Quincy we heard the jump plane call "4 parachutes out over Quincy", so we flew towards town and climbed up to 2000 feet for some turning auto-rotation practice. I entered the auto, established the glide and properly managed the RPMs as we entered and exited the turn. I rolled the throttle back on and flew towards the airport. The jumpers were on the ground, so we made a normal approach.
I did the approach fine on my first attempt. I took off again and landed with a steep approach. Performed an air taxi, followed by a quick stop. A trip around the pattern for a running landing. A running (sometimes called a run-on) landing is used when you don't think the helicopter can hover. Maybe one magneto is malfunctioning, you are at a high gross weight, or at a location with high density altitude. A running landing is also one of the components used if I had to make a real forced landing; after the auto-rotation you flare to reduce descent and airspeed, then you let the helicopter settle to ground and touchdown with the skids level, running on them until the helicopter stops.
After running landing, we moved to the slopes. The slopes at Quincy are pretty steep, nothing outside the limits of the helicopter, but probably close to them. I did OK, on the slopes at Quincy, better than the last time.
After slopes, we waited for the jump plane to take off, then I went around the pattern and setup for a straight in auto-rotation. I entered the auto slower than normal and lost additional airspeed as I descended. You need the airspeed to have energy to use at the end for the flare and touchdown. I got the airspeed back, but I lost RPMs. The maneuver was recoverable, but in the interest of safety, both C2 and I at nearly the same instance said to add throttle and go around. Went around again and had a successful auto.
I setup for a turning auto. Sometimes the best place to land isn't in front of you, so you have to turn to land safely. The first one went OK, I did pretty good. I turned kind of tight so I had to adjust to make my spot. The second one was good, but I turned very steep, which drove the rotor RPM almost to max. With jumpers on their way up we taxied to the fuel pump, shutdown and got fuel. After a short break, we started up with an airplane really close to the tail rotor. It made us kind of nervous, so we quickly started and hovered away from the fuel pumps.
I did another running landing in preparation for a hydraulics off landing. The R44 has hydraulics to reduce the force from the pilot needed to control the helicopter. When the hydraulics fail, hovering will be practically impossible. After a successful running landing, I took off for the pattern and once I was in the downwind leg, the hydraulics went off. Controlling the helicopter without hydraulics is not hard, sort of like driving a car without power steering. Fine until you need to travel through a parking lot at low speed. The camera battery ran out as I was on final. I landed perfectly and was happy to have the hydraulics back.
After this, I am pretty sure we took off and went back to Tallahassee.
R48
Today's flight (29JUN14) was longer and it was working on maneuvers for the check ride. Working on the maneuvers that I can do well to maintain the skills I do have and improve the others. Overall, I am getting better at doing the maneuver on the first try. I brought and mounted my GoPro camera (Full disclosure: I own GoPro stock); I was able to capture video of the flight, but because we had the doors off and I haven't bought an adapter cable, you can only hear the audio when the engine is idle and airspeed zero. I will eventually buy an adapter cable that will capture all the intercom and radio communications.
After getting the helicopter started, we headed out toward the TV station again. Being the only off-airport location they have permission to land at, we went there to practice off-airport operations. I made my assessment of the area and began my approach. I wasn't descending like I needed to, so I went around again. I made a better approach the second time and landed as needed in the field. The field at the TV station has some slopes that are not as steep compared to the Quincy airport, so we tried a new technique for landing on slopes. I did better at slopes on the first try and the new technique helped overall. I made a max. performance takeoff from the field and headed towards Quincy.
As we were approaching Quincy we heard the jump plane call "4 parachutes out over Quincy", so we flew towards town and climbed up to 2000 feet for some turning auto-rotation practice. I entered the auto, established the glide and properly managed the RPMs as we entered and exited the turn. I rolled the throttle back on and flew towards the airport. The jumpers were on the ground, so we made a normal approach.
I did the approach fine on my first attempt. I took off again and landed with a steep approach. Performed an air taxi, followed by a quick stop. A trip around the pattern for a running landing. A running (sometimes called a run-on) landing is used when you don't think the helicopter can hover. Maybe one magneto is malfunctioning, you are at a high gross weight, or at a location with high density altitude. A running landing is also one of the components used if I had to make a real forced landing; after the auto-rotation you flare to reduce descent and airspeed, then you let the helicopter settle to ground and touchdown with the skids level, running on them until the helicopter stops.
After running landing, we moved to the slopes. The slopes at Quincy are pretty steep, nothing outside the limits of the helicopter, but probably close to them. I did OK, on the slopes at Quincy, better than the last time.
After slopes, we waited for the jump plane to take off, then I went around the pattern and setup for a straight in auto-rotation. I entered the auto slower than normal and lost additional airspeed as I descended. You need the airspeed to have energy to use at the end for the flare and touchdown. I got the airspeed back, but I lost RPMs. The maneuver was recoverable, but in the interest of safety, both C2 and I at nearly the same instance said to add throttle and go around. Went around again and had a successful auto.
I setup for a turning auto. Sometimes the best place to land isn't in front of you, so you have to turn to land safely. The first one went OK, I did pretty good. I turned kind of tight so I had to adjust to make my spot. The second one was good, but I turned very steep, which drove the rotor RPM almost to max. With jumpers on their way up we taxied to the fuel pump, shutdown and got fuel. After a short break, we started up with an airplane really close to the tail rotor. It made us kind of nervous, so we quickly started and hovered away from the fuel pumps.
I did another running landing in preparation for a hydraulics off landing. The R44 has hydraulics to reduce the force from the pilot needed to control the helicopter. When the hydraulics fail, hovering will be practically impossible. After a successful running landing, I took off for the pattern and once I was in the downwind leg, the hydraulics went off. Controlling the helicopter without hydraulics is not hard, sort of like driving a car without power steering. Fine until you need to travel through a parking lot at low speed. The camera battery ran out as I was on final. I landed perfectly and was happy to have the hydraulics back.
After this, I am pretty sure we took off and went back to Tallahassee.
R48
Monday, July 7, 2014
Jumpers (as in Avoiding them)
Today's flight was longer but more of the same, prepping for the up coming check ride. We took off and flew towards a TV station that the school has permission to use their land for off-airport landings. C2 had not been there and I have only been there once. We departed TLH and flew to the North looking for a small clearing and the tower by the station building. We found it and I proceeded to perform an off airport landing.
I started by circling the field at a high altitude looking for any obstacles and searching for something that would indicate wind direction. The field at the station is surrounded by power lines, trees, and has two tall towers on either side. It is a fair representation of what an off-airport landing could be. There was smoke in the distance that showed the wind was probably from the North. I made a lower circle around the site and planned my approach so I would land into the wind.
I slowed down and began my decent, holding altitude over the trees, waited until I was sure the tail would clear them without contact, and continued descending. I was in a steeper than normal approach, but not a real steep approach. I continued my descent ending in a hover near the middle of the field. C2 asked how I was going to take off, so I explained I was going to hover to the back of the field and make a maximum performance take-off. Waiting until I was clear of the trees and power lines in front of me to begin any forward movement, picking a path over the shortest trees with an open field behind them. C2 showed me a few things about the max. performance take-offs, confined areas and off airport operations. He also has a different way of doing the max. performance take-off; I like it better than the other way I was taught.
I made a max. performance take-off out over my planned departure path and we headed to Quincy. I found Quincy and made a normal approach. That was good because my first approach was a good one. Sometimes when the first time I do a maneuver while flying it is bad, but when I do it again later in the flight it is good. One of the things I have to do as I prepare for the check ride is to make the first maneuver a good one. We headed for the slopes and I did them really poorly, I mean really poorly. One of the mistakes I was making was looking at the ground close to where I was trying to land. Noting that slopes still "need improvement", I held a hover while Jump1, the plane from the local skydiving school, took off and ascended with jumpers. C2 wanted to look for more potential off airport locations and I needed to practice recovering from settling with power (AKA vortex ring state).
We took off and headed Northeast of the airfield looking for the field I had used once before to practice off airport landings. I found the field but trees has been planted since I used it making it unusable for off airport operations. Settling with power is a condition where the helicopter sinks into the vortices created by the main rotor. These vortices disrupt the airflow causing a loss of lift, applying power to stop the descent makes it worse. To recover from settling with power you must reduce power, which stops the vortices, and apply forward cyclic to move the helicopter away from the disturbed air. After you gain some airspeed, you can add power to start climbing and finally leveling the helicopter returning to a normal flight profile.
The jumpers were still in the air as we traveled back to the airfield, so we continued out over the town of Quincy and climbed to 3000 feet. It is common to introduce new concepts at higher altitudes so you have time to recover if things don't go as planned. C2 discussed the points of a turning auto-rotation and what to watch out for and how to manage the rotor RPM. Turning causes the rotor RPMs to increase, so to avoid an over speed, you have to raise the collective (which will decrease rotor RPM) before you turn. I entered an auto-rotation, got into a glide and began to turn. I controlled the RPMs the whole time! Since we were well above the ground, at the point where you begin to flare for landing, I rolled the throttle back on and allowed the governor to take over. After the engine and rotor RPMs had stabilized I added power and again headed towards the airfield.
The jumpers were on the ground and we practiced a few more things before heading back to Tallahassee. I am getting better at all the maneuvers I need to be able to do. I feel confident on the controls of the helicopter.
Leave a comment if there is something you want me to explain in more detail or if you have questions. I got the mounts I needed for my GoPro camera so I will be able to add pictures and videos soon.
R48
I started by circling the field at a high altitude looking for any obstacles and searching for something that would indicate wind direction. The field at the station is surrounded by power lines, trees, and has two tall towers on either side. It is a fair representation of what an off-airport landing could be. There was smoke in the distance that showed the wind was probably from the North. I made a lower circle around the site and planned my approach so I would land into the wind.
I slowed down and began my decent, holding altitude over the trees, waited until I was sure the tail would clear them without contact, and continued descending. I was in a steeper than normal approach, but not a real steep approach. I continued my descent ending in a hover near the middle of the field. C2 asked how I was going to take off, so I explained I was going to hover to the back of the field and make a maximum performance take-off. Waiting until I was clear of the trees and power lines in front of me to begin any forward movement, picking a path over the shortest trees with an open field behind them. C2 showed me a few things about the max. performance take-offs, confined areas and off airport operations. He also has a different way of doing the max. performance take-off; I like it better than the other way I was taught.
I made a max. performance take-off out over my planned departure path and we headed to Quincy. I found Quincy and made a normal approach. That was good because my first approach was a good one. Sometimes when the first time I do a maneuver while flying it is bad, but when I do it again later in the flight it is good. One of the things I have to do as I prepare for the check ride is to make the first maneuver a good one. We headed for the slopes and I did them really poorly, I mean really poorly. One of the mistakes I was making was looking at the ground close to where I was trying to land. Noting that slopes still "need improvement", I held a hover while Jump1, the plane from the local skydiving school, took off and ascended with jumpers. C2 wanted to look for more potential off airport locations and I needed to practice recovering from settling with power (AKA vortex ring state).
We took off and headed Northeast of the airfield looking for the field I had used once before to practice off airport landings. I found the field but trees has been planted since I used it making it unusable for off airport operations. Settling with power is a condition where the helicopter sinks into the vortices created by the main rotor. These vortices disrupt the airflow causing a loss of lift, applying power to stop the descent makes it worse. To recover from settling with power you must reduce power, which stops the vortices, and apply forward cyclic to move the helicopter away from the disturbed air. After you gain some airspeed, you can add power to start climbing and finally leveling the helicopter returning to a normal flight profile.
The jumpers were still in the air as we traveled back to the airfield, so we continued out over the town of Quincy and climbed to 3000 feet. It is common to introduce new concepts at higher altitudes so you have time to recover if things don't go as planned. C2 discussed the points of a turning auto-rotation and what to watch out for and how to manage the rotor RPM. Turning causes the rotor RPMs to increase, so to avoid an over speed, you have to raise the collective (which will decrease rotor RPM) before you turn. I entered an auto-rotation, got into a glide and began to turn. I controlled the RPMs the whole time! Since we were well above the ground, at the point where you begin to flare for landing, I rolled the throttle back on and allowed the governor to take over. After the engine and rotor RPMs had stabilized I added power and again headed towards the airfield.
The jumpers were on the ground and we practiced a few more things before heading back to Tallahassee. I am getting better at all the maneuvers I need to be able to do. I feel confident on the controls of the helicopter.
Leave a comment if there is something you want me to explain in more detail or if you have questions. I got the mounts I needed for my GoPro camera so I will be able to add pictures and videos soon.
R48
Monday, June 30, 2014
Standards (as in Practical Test Standards)
On the 15th I made a flight with C2, we flew out to Quincy and went through most of the maneuvers that are part of the flying portion of the check ride. This let me practice them and gave C2 an indication of what I needed to work on. We practiced slopes again, I have always had trouble with them in the past; I did pretty good this time. We did air taxi, quick stop, steep approach, maximum performance take off, normal approach, normal takeoff, pedal turns and auto-rotations.
The flight was brief and intense. I did really well on most everything, noticed some improvements myself and C2 said he got a clear picture of what we needed to work on (this was only our third flight together). The last auto I did was really good and I had the controls 100%.
As we headed back to Tallahassee we discussed a plan that would have me ready for the check ride. We did some ground work and set goals for having a check ride in 4 weeks. That happened to be the same week as my brother's wedding, so we made it 5 weeks for the check ride.
I am pretty excited for it to all happen, it is the start of a new phase of life for me. I am glad that I have the support of my family and friends.
R48
The flight was brief and intense. I did really well on most everything, noticed some improvements myself and C2 said he got a clear picture of what we needed to work on (this was only our third flight together). The last auto I did was really good and I had the controls 100%.
As we headed back to Tallahassee we discussed a plan that would have me ready for the check ride. We did some ground work and set goals for having a check ride in 4 weeks. That happened to be the same week as my brother's wedding, so we made it 5 weeks for the check ride.
I am pretty excited for it to all happen, it is the start of a new phase of life for me. I am glad that I have the support of my family and friends.
R48
Monday, June 23, 2014
Alone (as in Flying Alone)
Sunday (8 June 2014) I was back at the airport for a solo flight. The helicopter was light on fuel and C2 wasn't able to be un-escorted airside (pending background check, etc.). So we discussed how to get the fuel I needed to fly and get it done in the quickest way possible. Time is money when the engine is running. We decided it would be best to start up, fly to Quincy together, shutdown, and get fuel. We would start up again, move away from the fuel pump, C2 would exit the helicopter and wait in the building while I flew patterns for an hour. Practicing my approaches, landings, take offs, hovering, and pickup/set down.
Again for this flight C2, was going to let me do everything and only take the controls if needed. We flew out of the Tallahassee Class C airspace and made our way to Quincy. I can find it navigating by landmarks now, I often forget to program the GPS before I take off. We landed and I maneuvered to the fuel pump. For most of my training, I got really nervous when I have to operate really close to things that can damage the rotors. Getting close to the trees or fuel pump always got me tense, this time, I decided I could put all that aside and do it myself! My instructor told me where to park and I maneuvered to the spot and set us on the ground. As I followed the shutdown checklist, C2 got out and began the fueling process.
Getting fuel involves bonding the aircraft to the fuel pump. It is often referred to as grounding, but technically you aren't grounding the helicopter. The fuel moving through the hose can generate static electricity, if the static discharges near the fuel fill spout; it can start a fire. Bonding to the fuel pump causes the pump and helicopter to share the static charge.
After getting fuel and taking a bathroom break, I did the start up and hovered away from the fuel pump. C2 gave me a few last minute pointers/reminders and with the throttle fully off, he exited the helicopter and I was alone. After waiting for him to clear the area, I rolled the throttle back up to 80%, let the governor take over and waited for the RPMs to stabilize. After a quick check of the instrument panel, I made a radio call announcing my movement from the fuel area to the active runway and slowly raised the collective.
I picked up really quick and began on a forward track half freaking out half trying to figure out why the controls seemed so strange. The winds were calm but occasionally blowing from the South, so I was using runway 14. I made a normal take off and then I remembered, 90% of the time there are two people in the helicopter. When you take half the load out, in this case C2, it is really light and flies very different. Then I remembered what I needed to do different to control the helicopter properly.
I flew traffic patterns for most of the hour, worked in some hovering practice and worked around the airfield with other aircraft as they flew around. There weren't any skydivers but it was much earlier than when I normally flew on Sunday. A few planes landed, got fuel and took off. It was a pretty uneventful day at the airport. After I had my hour of solo time, I taxied over to near the airport office and reduced the engine to idle. C2 made his way out to the helicopter and after he had his seat belt buckled, I rolled the throttle back on and we made our way back to Tallahassee.
This hour of solo time was the list requirement I had not met to qualify for my private license. After this all my flights will be working to improve my skills to meet the standards established by the FAA. In about 4 weeks I will have my private pilot check-ride, then I start working on my instrument and commercial ratings.
R48
I picked up really quick and began on a forward track half freaking out half trying to figure out why the controls seemed so strange. The winds were calm but occasionally blowing from the South, so I was using runway 14. I made a normal take off and then I remembered, 90% of the time there are two people in the helicopter. When you take half the load out, in this case C2, it is really light and flies very different. Then I remembered what I needed to do different to control the helicopter properly.
I flew traffic patterns for most of the hour, worked in some hovering practice and worked around the airfield with other aircraft as they flew around. There weren't any skydivers but it was much earlier than when I normally flew on Sunday. A few planes landed, got fuel and took off. It was a pretty uneventful day at the airport. After I had my hour of solo time, I taxied over to near the airport office and reduced the engine to idle. C2 made his way out to the helicopter and after he had his seat belt buckled, I rolled the throttle back on and we made our way back to Tallahassee.
This hour of solo time was the list requirement I had not met to qualify for my private license. After this all my flights will be working to improve my skills to meet the standards established by the FAA. In about 4 weeks I will have my private pilot check-ride, then I start working on my instrument and commercial ratings.
R48
Thursday, June 19, 2014
New (as in New Instructor)
I had already planned to do a two flights this weekend. One Saturday with the instructor to practice maneuvers and one Sunday morning to fly the last hour of solo time I needed for my private license. Saturday morning I get up and drive over to Tallahassee for a flight. I also got to meet the new flight instructor. I knew the school was getting a new instructor, but I didn't know it was going to happen so quickly. After introductions, discussing where I am at in my training, and what I wanted to do for this flight, I did the pre-flight and we were taking off toward Quincy.
Charlie2 (Code name for my new instructor, hereafter shortened to C2) said he was going to observe and only intervene if he felt it was absolutely necessary, so he could feel OK with me flying solo the next day. It's about 20 minutes by air from Tallahassee Regional to Quincy Municipal; I flew the whole way with out issue. C2 noted several times that I was flying well and he didn't notice anything that would cause him concern in me flying solo.
We practiced some maneuvers that I felt I needed to practice, slopes and auto-rotations. We were limiting the flight length because thunderstorms were forecast to begin and we wanted to be on the ground before they started. I did really well at slopes and fully executed a straight in auto rotation 100% on my own.
Not everywhere you land will be a nice flat surface and helicopters have limits on how much of a slope they can safely land on. Anytime the helicopter is on uneven ground a dynamic rollover is possible; this video shows one. When landing on a slope the pilot is also working to avoid a tail strike, the maneuver has you analyze the landing area, pick a landing spot, safely hover to your spot, land the first skid on the ground while holding your heading and keeping the helicopter level, lowering the other skid to the ground, fully reducing power and making sure the helicopter is stable on the slope. Then reversing the process to pick up off the slope and navigate away safely. I don't think it would be so bad if there weren't trees so close to the few slopes available at the Quincy airport (if you look it up, there is a picnic table on the west side of the paved runway. It is in the area where I do slope practice.).
We moved on to auto-rotations or "autos". In the event of an engine failure, the pilot quickly enters an auto-rotation; this allows the helicopter to "glide" back to the ground. Auto-rotations are complex because you are using altitude to build energy in the rotor system so what when you get to the ground, you use that energy at the end to stop your decent and most forward speed to gently land. You have to balance airspeed, rotor RPM and altitude so you have enough rotor RPM at the end to land safely. When you practice auto-rotations, you also have to protect the aircraft from an over speed. The rotor system has limits on what it can handle and if you exceed those limits it leads to very costly inspections and possibly having to replace components. In a real emergency, the primary goal is get on the ground and live. We did a few autos and on the last one I did it was good. That was the first time I had executed the maneuver 100% with no control input or correction from the instructor. It was pretty exciting for me.
I am very close to earning my private license and am working hard to make sure I know everything I need to know in both flight skills and regulation knowledge.
R48
Charlie2 (Code name for my new instructor, hereafter shortened to C2) said he was going to observe and only intervene if he felt it was absolutely necessary, so he could feel OK with me flying solo the next day. It's about 20 minutes by air from Tallahassee Regional to Quincy Municipal; I flew the whole way with out issue. C2 noted several times that I was flying well and he didn't notice anything that would cause him concern in me flying solo.
We practiced some maneuvers that I felt I needed to practice, slopes and auto-rotations. We were limiting the flight length because thunderstorms were forecast to begin and we wanted to be on the ground before they started. I did really well at slopes and fully executed a straight in auto rotation 100% on my own.
Not everywhere you land will be a nice flat surface and helicopters have limits on how much of a slope they can safely land on. Anytime the helicopter is on uneven ground a dynamic rollover is possible; this video shows one. When landing on a slope the pilot is also working to avoid a tail strike, the maneuver has you analyze the landing area, pick a landing spot, safely hover to your spot, land the first skid on the ground while holding your heading and keeping the helicopter level, lowering the other skid to the ground, fully reducing power and making sure the helicopter is stable on the slope. Then reversing the process to pick up off the slope and navigate away safely. I don't think it would be so bad if there weren't trees so close to the few slopes available at the Quincy airport (if you look it up, there is a picnic table on the west side of the paved runway. It is in the area where I do slope practice.).
We moved on to auto-rotations or "autos". In the event of an engine failure, the pilot quickly enters an auto-rotation; this allows the helicopter to "glide" back to the ground. Auto-rotations are complex because you are using altitude to build energy in the rotor system so what when you get to the ground, you use that energy at the end to stop your decent and most forward speed to gently land. You have to balance airspeed, rotor RPM and altitude so you have enough rotor RPM at the end to land safely. When you practice auto-rotations, you also have to protect the aircraft from an over speed. The rotor system has limits on what it can handle and if you exceed those limits it leads to very costly inspections and possibly having to replace components. In a real emergency, the primary goal is get on the ground and live. We did a few autos and on the last one I did it was good. That was the first time I had executed the maneuver 100% with no control input or correction from the instructor. It was pretty exciting for me.
I am very close to earning my private license and am working hard to make sure I know everything I need to know in both flight skills and regulation knowledge.
R48
Monday, June 9, 2014
Exam (as in FAA Knowledge Exam)
I scheduled to take the FAA written knowledge exam on Thursday. Luckily there is an FAA testing center in town; otherwise I would have had to take a day of vacation and drive to Tallahassee to take the test. I showed up at the testing center (a local vocational school) ready for my test only to find out the lady who usually administers the tests had a dental issue and wouldn't be in. She was supposed to have left the test materials out for the tests, but the booklet I needed for my test was not left out. The book was locked in a cabinet with some FCAT (state standardized testing) testing materials and state law dictates that those materials have very limited access.
The ladies who were filling in made an amazing effort to gain access to the cabinet but were unable to. I left with the plan that I would come back at 4 pm to take the test. They called around noon saying they would not be able to get the test materials that day but to call them to schedule a different time to take the test. I decided I would take the test during my lunch break on Friday.
When I showed up Friday, they had everything I needed and after registering and paying for the test, I began. I had been averaging around an hour whenever I would take an online practice test and scoring in the low to mid ninety's. After an hour of answering questions, performing weight and balance calculations, and figuring out how long it would take to fly from one place to another, I completed the test and passed with an 83. Now with the written exam completed I can focus 100% on the practical and oral exam that are part of what is commonly called a "check-ride".
R48
The ladies who were filling in made an amazing effort to gain access to the cabinet but were unable to. I left with the plan that I would come back at 4 pm to take the test. They called around noon saying they would not be able to get the test materials that day but to call them to schedule a different time to take the test. I decided I would take the test during my lunch break on Friday.
When I showed up Friday, they had everything I needed and after registering and paying for the test, I began. I had been averaging around an hour whenever I would take an online practice test and scoring in the low to mid ninety's. After an hour of answering questions, performing weight and balance calculations, and figuring out how long it would take to fly from one place to another, I completed the test and passed with an 83. Now with the written exam completed I can focus 100% on the practical and oral exam that are part of what is commonly called a "check-ride".
R48
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Update (as in This just in...)
Things have been quite busy the last several months. Between a change of flight instructors and a helicopter crash (I was not involved) progress has been really slow.
My original flight instructor had flown enough hours to get a job flying off shore to and from oil rigs. Since the flight school only has one instructor, it took a bit to get a replacement. That flight instructor left and it was a little bit longer to get a replacement.
I started flying with the newest instructor and I am making good progress. My maneuvers are getting better and are very close to check ride standards. I am taking the FAA written exam this week and have been studying hard for it.
The training helicopter crashed and it took almost 8 weeks to procure a replacement. They have a smaller helicopter, but the instructor and I would not meet the weight and balance limits.
I have decided that ultimately I want to be a Helicopter EMS (HEMS) pilot. Flying people from accident sites to hospitals or patients from one hospital to another. I will need a lot of hours to get a job like that, but I know that it will be worth it.
I want to update this blog more regularly than I have in the past. I also hope to get a GoPro camera to begin capturing video and images of my flights. This weekend I have a solo flight to get the last of the PIC hours I need for my private license.
I have been thinking of crowd sourcing the funds to pay for flight school. Doing so will ensure that I (hopefully) have enough money to complete my flight training and can begin my path to flying HEMS. Currently funds for flight training are tied to the degree I am working on in Aviation Management. If I can't get enough money from the loans offered while attending school, I won't be able to finish flight school.
R48
My original flight instructor had flown enough hours to get a job flying off shore to and from oil rigs. Since the flight school only has one instructor, it took a bit to get a replacement. That flight instructor left and it was a little bit longer to get a replacement.
I started flying with the newest instructor and I am making good progress. My maneuvers are getting better and are very close to check ride standards. I am taking the FAA written exam this week and have been studying hard for it.
The training helicopter crashed and it took almost 8 weeks to procure a replacement. They have a smaller helicopter, but the instructor and I would not meet the weight and balance limits.
I have decided that ultimately I want to be a Helicopter EMS (HEMS) pilot. Flying people from accident sites to hospitals or patients from one hospital to another. I will need a lot of hours to get a job like that, but I know that it will be worth it.
I want to update this blog more regularly than I have in the past. I also hope to get a GoPro camera to begin capturing video and images of my flights. This weekend I have a solo flight to get the last of the PIC hours I need for my private license.
I have been thinking of crowd sourcing the funds to pay for flight school. Doing so will ensure that I (hopefully) have enough money to complete my flight training and can begin my path to flying HEMS. Currently funds for flight training are tied to the degree I am working on in Aviation Management. If I can't get enough money from the loans offered while attending school, I won't be able to finish flight school.
R48
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)