Last flight at 400 AGL

[ryoder]

My last flight was with a CFI and we spent most of our time at 400 to 500 AGL.  It was an interesting experience.

 

[Raptor05121]

That rotor head fairing kinda looks like a Mooney tail, so....relevant?

[carusoam]

Ryan,

how are the costs of the R22..? Renting, fuel burn and instructor?  That kind of thing...

How many hours to add rotor to your license?

Best regards,

-a-

[ryoder]

Minimum is 20 dual 10 solo.  Realistically it's probably 30 dual 12 solo.  I don't know if it's worth the cost.  This helicopter rents at 255 an hour after discount.  The cfi is 55 an hour.  I found a lower cost school in Sarasota which would save 35 an hour putting training at 275 an hour.  

Helicopters are expensive to maintain as they require mandatory airframe overhauls and engine overhauls at 2200 hours.

http://www.robinsonheli.com/price_lists_eocs/r22_eoc.pdf

 

[Raptor05121]

So roughly $15k and then you'd still need to rent or buy to fly one privately. How much more for commercial? Makes it seem like military is the only way to go if you want hopes of flying civilian commercial helos.

[1964-M20E]

Been the done that the R22 is one of the most challenging helicopters to fly.  The R44 is easier but you also will pay $500 an hour for it.  I pay $250 an hour for the local 22 when I fly it but most of the time I fly with the sheriff's office and fly the Enstrom 480B which is a light turbine helicopter.  The check ride was $600 not including the ship.  The commercial is really about getting the time in and the check ride is the same just tighter tolerances and you have the written exam.

I really love being at 200 feet in a helicopter or 3 feet hovering and taxing about the airport.  However under 500 feet you really need to know where the radio towers are.

Helicopter are fun and I'm just about to break 100 hours in them.  However when i want to go somewhere I get in the Mooney.

I have used the machines for their intended purpose ferrying my plane or another across town.  I have been in 3 different aircraft in less than 2 hours moving them around.  Really fun flying over rush hour traffic in 10-15 minutes that would take you close to an hour.

 

 

Edited May 6, 2016 by 1964-M20E

[1964-M20E]

8 hours ago, ryoder said:

Minimum is 20 dual 10 solo.  Realistically it's probably 30 dual 12 solo.  I don't know if it's worth the cost.  This helicopter rents at 255 an hour after discount.  The cfi is 55 an hour.  I found a lower cost school in Sarasota which would save 35 an hour putting training at 275 an hour.  

Helicopters are expensive to maintain as they require mandatory airframe overhauls and engine overhauls at 2200 hours.

http://www.robinsonheli.com/price_lists_eocs/r22_eoc.pdf

 

Not all manufacturers have such time limits on parts.  Robinson seems to be the most in my experience.

 

 

[DAVIDWH]

My pvt. instructor (Ex Nam copter pilot) said I would be unable to become lisc. in a copter after I failed his practical exam of patting head and rubbing stomach and then switching on his command three times.

After another instructor said you never move the stick, you just think about it, I decided to stay with the Mooneys.

Congratulations and well done.

 

Best,

[ryoder]

I am taking a lesson in Sarasota tomorrow at Heli Aviation.  Their rates are lower.  I will try and negotiate an even lower rate.  It's what I do best.

[helitim]

The guy I used to fly with in his Bell 47 would tell me to "stay low, I get nosebleeds up high". We rarely ever flew above 500' AGL and usually much lower.

[ryoder]

Flew in Sarasota today. Beautiful cool sunny day but it was windy. Hovering was difficult.

[rainman]

$85/hr alternative, sweet fun ride, Rotax runs on car gas. Gyros aren't currently being certified in the U.S., experimental only. 

 

[ryoder]

8 minutes ago, rainman said:

$85/hr alternative, sweet fun ride, Rotax runs on car gas. Gyros aren't currently being certified in the U.S., experimental only. 

 

I'll do that one day. My friend sells them.  Silverlight Aviation.  http://www.silverlightaviation.com

[DaV8or]

3 hours ago, rainman said:

$85/hr alternative, sweet fun ride, Rotax runs on car gas. Gyros aren't currently being certified in the U.S., experimental only. 

 

Is the $85 an hour an owner's operating cost? I thought you couldn't rent experimentals as they couldn't be used for commercial purposes?

[helitim]

That is a rather high operating cost for an autogiro. A few instructors around the country "might" rent you their machine if you know them well enough.  It's almost impossible to get airframe insurance on them so not likely to rent.  I owned one for about two and a half years and had to rebuild it once when I smacked the ground one day.  Another 15K in parts and a lot of labor.  Fun machines but not practical at all unless you buy one of the very high end factory units. 

Tim

[N601RX]

You can rent experimentals for flight instruction as long as they are operated with a letter of authorization from the FAA. The FAA begain allowing this several years ago to make it possible for builders to get transition training before flying their own planes.  There is a guy down in Fl who gives multi instruction in an AirCam.

[ryoder]

Abid at Silverlight rents his out but his factory built it.  I stil think its an experimental with a LOA.

Its built by Abid and my awesome mechanic Clemens.

[helitim]

24 minutes ago, N601RX said:

  There is a guy down in Fl who gives multi instruction in an AirCam.

Receiving instruction in one is nowhere near the same as renting.  

[carusoam]

+1 for wearing the M - bassador shirt.  

Best regards,

-a-

[DaV8or]

14 hours ago, N601RX said:

You can rent experimentals for flight instruction as long as they are operated with a letter of authorization from the FAA. The FAA begain allowing this several years ago to make it possible for builders to get transition training before flying their own planes.  There is a guy down in Fl who gives multi instruction in an AirCam.

And that's my dream low and slow aircraft! That's what I would love to have for 400' AGL flight. One on floats please!

[rainman]

$85/hr is the solo fee wet. It can't be rented as I understand it, but once checked out I can solo in my instructor's gyro.  That gyro is the Magni M-16, very nice and flies great. If I had the cash and hangar space, I'd definitely get one. It's a blast.

[ryoder]

I flew again yesterday and logged 1.5.  I have the pattern work, lift offs, normal takeoff all down pat for a beginner.  However I get squirmy and tense when close to the ground.  I can hover for a few seconds and then get into oscillations that require the instructor to help me out.  I did some lift offs and set downs and those are ok.  All in all, he said I am doing fine but as a pilot I hate seeing the aircraft veering all over the runway or taxiway headed toward the grass.   Helicopter training is humbling.

[MB65E]

Once an autorotation clicks in your mind on what's going on, it's the coolest feeling you can have. Stringing several autos together is even better. They were hard to grasp. "Flare" has about 3 meanings. Once I figured that "flare" also meant arresting the forward speed and stopping things came together better. Robinson makes an amazing helicopter that really holds up well in the training environment. I had a great opportunity to finish my rating early this year. Coolest thing I've ever done! I thought It requires the about the same skill/concentration  sets as landing a Pitts in a 10kt crosswind. Auto rotations are like landing the Pitts with a 20kt crosswind. 

Highly recomended! 

-Matt

[1964-M20E]

yes it is it takes some time not fly the helicopter like a plane.  On routine flight s I still go to 1000 feet which is about double what most helicopter pilots fly.  It gives me a few more seconds should we have a problem especially when over populated areas and landing spots are scarce even for a helicopter.

 

[steingar]

My buddy flew helicopters with a local instructor for awhile.  Can't recall how much time he got.  Very pricey, had to stop when the instructor skipped town.  Gyros are on my bucket list.