More Questions

[Cole]

Ok, so I called up a local pilot and asked if he would reccomend the r22 for flight training as I was planning to go with OKMH in Kelowna and he said that the r22 had definate disadvantages,pedal jam practise was a no and autos would be almost impossible to simulate. So he reffered me to Kootney valley helis in Creston and here is where you come in, they train on the s300 and aperently are very good at it.

 

Your thoughts?, Cole

[Rosco]

If you're gonna leave town to train, I'd suggest **** Woods with Valley Helicopters in Merritt.

 

I know he fell ill for while and I'm not sure of his status.

 

Maybe one of the inmates can give you the low down on ****'s health.

 

Cheers

 

R

[Skidz]

Cole,

 

I think you'll find "To Robbie or not to Robbie" is almost a religion in helicopter training. Most people who put down the R22 have never or rarely flown one. I did my training in the 300 and did my R22 rating afterwards.

 

There are major differences between the two, but that doesn't mean one is necessarily hands down better than the other. One of the advantages of the Robbie is the fact it's a two-bladed "teeter and cringe" design, like the Bell 206, and in many respects the handling characteristics are similar, which will give you an edge when transitioning to the JetBox.

 

Don't add thousands in expenses to go to a school further away just because of the machine, especially if you haven't at least tried the different types available.

[Skidz]

And oh yeah - I did pedal jams, engine failures and autos in the R22 same as I did in the HU30, RH44 and BH06. The only failure I wouldn't recommend simulating in the R22 is throttle governor failure. I think you only do those in instructor training...

[Ryan]

Yeah, I did my training in a R-22 with full autos and simulated stuck pedal landings too. Also did landings simulating governor failures too, didn't find it too hair-raising.

Not sure if it's been mentioned to ya yet Cole, but you could take a 1/2 hour intro flight in a R-22 and 300 and see which you like better.

[Jay Flight]

Hey Cole,

Im also Looking to start training and the best thing that I have done is go and talk to some companies and look at what they are flying, if you have some idea who you would like to work for you should be on the same aircraft as they have. For the aircraft that is best to learn on Im picking the r22 as everyone is saying its the hardest and I would like to learn and master the harder aircraft and then you should be better to switch to differant a/c without to much trouble. thats my plan

[Guest jesse]

I trained on the 300 and i have been looking for a job for a year now and none of the chief pilots i talked to seemed to care what i trained on even the ones with r22's in the fleet, they said it really didnt matter i still only had 100 hours. As far as it being the hardest to learn to fly therefore making it easier to transition to other aircraft, is it that much harder to learn than on the 300 and if so then how many more hours are spent mastering the r22 that could be used on confined areas or other exercises. Is it better to learn basic flying skills on a helicopter that is difficult to fly? Just questions as i have never flown the r22.

[Guest jesse]

Plus have you ever seen those R22 videos of all the crashes.

[Skidz]

Jesse,

 

I transitioned to the R22 after transitioning to the R44. I found them tougher to handle in the hover at first because of the T-bar cyclic, and the fact it hangs under that rotor. Autos are scary at first because mr rpm decays so fast on the R22.

 

I would think the first 20-30 hours in a 22 are probably a little more difficult than the first 20-30 hours in a 300, after that though, I don't think there's much difference. Seeing guys transition from R22 to HU30 can be funny, especially when they try to master the throttle governor on the 300

[vortex]

My $.02...Its a CHPL not a type rating. Learn to fly well and the junk around you can be any shape, colour or size. Pick the aircraft, instructor and school for what you want out of your career. If you want to get in to the IFR world you may want to pick somewhere different than if you want to do "bush" work. A lot of Robinsons are used in the oilfield and a 47 flies a whole lot like an internally loaded Bell medium. Power management is, in my opinion one the most important thing to learn for "bush" flying. If you get used to flying with lots of power, you'll always need it and use it. If you learn to fly with limited power, when it comes time to land at 7000' and you're loaded to the max. you might have an easier time. First lessons learned are longest lived.