How Many Here Are Full Scale Pilots?

[doctormike]

I got my private in 1964, when I was 19. Soloed in a Piper J-3. I flew all the Cessna singles and the Piper Cherokee. Don't tell my wife....but the best time of my life, litterally! Married my first wife, had kids...by, by flying. Can't afford it now, so I'm happy flying RC. The kid who introduced me to flying went on to fly for Eastern. They went out of business, then he flew transports all over the world. Of all things, he finished his career flying for Donald Trump! I'm SO envious !!!!!! :Crying2:

[Aros]

It's funny because as much as I talk about cost being an issue with getting my PPL, if I applied all the money I've invested in RC flying so far I could have my PPL AND own a 182! LOL

[Chief58D]

Flew a bit of fixed wing in the early '80's in college (which is also when I seriously started into RC), then got recruited by Uncle Sam and started flying helicopters for the Army in 1987.
Qualified in Hueys, OH-58 A/C, and Cobras, but flew mostly OH-58D Kiowa Warriors (Instructor, Maintenance Test Pilot, and Maintenance Examiner in the KW), with a few part-time seasons flying Bell JetRangers and LongRangers around the Smoky Mountains.

Got my wings clipped by a bad medical after my last overseas deployment in 2008 (THAT was an unexpected surprise!), then started supporting the programmatic side of military rotary-wing programs on Redstone Arsenal.
Pretty heavy into RC these days, flying a little bit of everything (WAY too many EDF's from MRC, LOL!! ).

It's fun, but still nothing like contour flight at 90 knots with the doors off!
(Although FPV does have potential...:Cool:)

[Aros]

I have crazy respect for heli pilots...Well, all pilots of course but heli pilots are flying a machine that is inherently unstable. A high wing trainer airplane really needs you to just go ape crap to make it unstable where a helicopter? Wow.

[F106DeltaDart]

I am currently finishing up studying to take my written test for my PPL. My first 50 hours or so were in Cessna 172s, flying out of Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles. On a separate note, there's a documentary from 2005 centered on this airport titled One Six Right. For anyone who loves aviation, it is a must-see film. It is a major factor in my love for aviation today, both model and "full-scale." I find it quite fitting that my first solo flight at age 17 was from that very same airport that sparked my passion for the hobby.

Good luck on the written Sam, I sure you'll have no problem! If you can manage learning at that large of an airport, the test will be easy! I learned to fly at a very small uncontrolled airport, so the high traffic controlled airports are still pretty intimidating to me. One Six Right is certainly one of the best pieces of aviation cinematography out there, as you said, an absolute must-see for aviation nuts. Beautiful plane by the way, flown in one once and loved every minute of it, enough that I got the Dynam Cirrus shortly afterwords.

[F106DeltaDart]

Flew a bit of fixed wing in the early '80's in college (which is also when I seriously started into RC), then got recruited by Uncle Sam and started flying helicopters for the Army in 1987.
Qualified in Hueys, OH-58 A/C, and Cobras, but flew mostly OH-58D Kiowa Warriors (Instructor, Maintenance Test Pilot, and Maintenance Examiner in the KW), with a few part-time seasons flying Bell JetRangers and LongRangers around the Smoky Mountains.

Thank you for your service Chief!

[Chief58D]

I have crazy respect for heli pilots...Well, all pilots of course but heli pilots are flying a machine that is inherently unstable. A high wing trainer airplane really needs you to just go ape crap to make it unstable where a helicopter? Wow.

LOL! Yeah, helicopters tend to bite back if you're not careful, especially during the hover phase.
In forward flight, they're not that different from fixed wing -
Well, if flying the same altitude that fixed wing normally fly at!! ;)

[Chief58D]

Thank you for your service Chief!

Thanks -
I'd still be doing it if it was up to me!

BTW -
VERY cool that 1:1 helicopter flying is a family event for you guys! :Cool:

[F106DeltaDart]

VERY cool that 1:1 helicopter flying is a family event for you guys! :Cool:

It's definitely great fun, and I can't be more thankful for having that opportunity in my life. Although after moving from MN to TX, I only get to fly when I visit home now, and am really missing flying. I guess that's why I am in the middle of about 3 scale heli builds.. Nice thing is, I left to take an engineering position with Bell Helicopter, so there are always rotors turning just outside the hangar. Just need to figure out how to get in some stick time on the Huey LOL.

[F106DeltaDart]

I have crazy respect for heli pilots...Well, all pilots of course but heli pilots are flying a machine that is inherently unstable. A high wing trainer airplane really needs you to just go ape crap to make it unstable where a helicopter? Wow.

It gets even more interesting in the older piston choppers, the stability is something you get used to fairly quickly, but the throttle is separate from the collective. So, you have to very carefully manage your rotor rpm and pitch at all times, or it will bite you. Especially on a hot day with a quartering tailwind.. A lot of the newer helicopters have automatic throttle correlaters, which makes this process a lot easier. Not exactly sure how it's done in turbine birds though, although I've heard some crazy stories from Vietnam Huey guys of fighting for every last bit of power to get of bad situations, even chopping through small trees with the blades to get a running takeoff out of a small LZ. I have a crazy amount of respect for those guys and their crews.

[Aros]

Wow, yes simply incredible.

[Chief58D]

It gets even more interesting in the older piston choppers, the stability is something you get used to fairly quickly, but the throttle is separate from the collective. So, you have to very carefully manage your rotor rpm and pitch at all times, or it will bite you. Especially on a hot day with a quartering tailwind.. A lot of the newer helicopters have automatic throttle correlaters, which makes this process a lot easier. Not exactly sure how it's done in turbine birds though, although I've heard some crazy stories from Vietnam Huey guys of fighting for every last bit of power to get of bad situations, even chopping through small trees with the blades to get a running takeoff out of a small LZ. I have a crazy amount of respect for those guys and their crews.

CONCUR on the description about flying reciprocating engines, LOL!!
My primary trainer was the TH-55 (Army-fied Hughes 300).
I don't remember the make and model of the reciprocating engine it used, but it didn't appear much different than engines I had seen on some riding lawn mowers ~
And, the tail rotor driveshaft was driven by 8 v-belts from the PTO on the back of the engine - QUITE the eye opener during my first days at the flight line!

The MOST "entertaining" feature was the mechanical overspeed governor that was linked directly to the throttle grip on the collective ~
You could always tell when students were soloing because of the left-to-right "dance" the TH-55 would do as the overspeed governor was fighting with the student for control of the engine RPM...

I had the fortune to fly with several Vietnam-era pilots during flight training, and later during border mission ops in Germany and combat ops in Desert Storm.
Yeah, those dudes DEFINITIVELY had some crazy stories to share!! :Cool:

[Aros]

<WOOSH>
(That's the sound of what you guy's are talking about flying over my head at warp speed). ;)

[F106DeltaDart]

Aros, I believe the correct sound is <WHOP-WHOP-WHOP-WHOP> ;)

[Aros]

LOL LOL

[Shirty]

Lmao

[F106DeltaDart]

CONCUR on the description about flying reciprocating engines, LOL!!
My primary trainer was the TH-55 (Army-fied Hughes 300).
I don't remember the make and model of the reciprocating engine it used, but it didn't appear much different than engines I had seen on some riding lawn mowers ~
And, the tail rotor driveshaft was driven by 8 v-belts from the PTO on the back of the engine - QUITE the eye opener during my first days at the flight line!

The MOST "entertaining" feature was the mechanical overspeed governor that was linked directly to the throttle grip on the collective ~
You could always tell when students were soloing because of the left-to-right "dance" the TH-55 would do as the overspeed governor was fighting with the student for control of the engine RPM...

I had the fortune to fly with several Vietnam-era pilots during flight training, and later during border mission ops in Germany and combat ops in Desert Storm.
Yeah, those dudes DEFINITIVELY had some crazy stories to share!! :Cool:

Funny thing is, I just looked it up and the T-55 actually had an earlier the same engine that is in the Enstrom that I fly, the Lycoming IO-360. However, the TH-55s had a 185 horse version, and ours is a turbocharged 205 hp model. I also have to ask... With the TH-55's tail being driven by the PTO, does that mean you lost all tail rotor control if the engine failed? I can't imagine that being a pleasant experience..

On another note, I just got my first ever turbine time last week on a civilian Huey (Bell 210), and it was awesome! A totally different world from what I'm used to, and definitely will be back for more :Cool:.

[Chief58D]

No, it still had the freewheeling clutch assembly -
But it was still a bit unnerving (at least at first) to have to check and make sure all the v-belts were in place that were needed to drive it!

Touchdown autos in that little bird were guaranteed to get the heart rate up -
And I would love to take one out for a few laps around the stage field again!!

Congrats on the turbine time! :Cool:
Cost aside -
Once you get used to turbines, you'll never want to go back!

[MichiganJarrad]

Never had my PPL, had my junior aviation license before I had my drivers license though, but always take every opportunity that I can to fly full-scale!