Bart is so right that the only way he could be so right is to have the
Tshirt, Shorts, Sox , anc Jock Strap for having Been There and Done That. I
soloed my Safari and was flying about OK as long as nothing went wrong. One
day it did and I reacted like a well trained fixed wing pilot and nearly got
killed. There certainly are some serious fixed wing trainings that need to
be erased the moment you start up with the collective. If I had done what I
know now to be the proper response, I wouldn't have rolled my Safari up in a
very little ball and dinged my body up. I've done the add-on training and
still feel like I got a license to learn and have to be very careful. I
taught myself to fly a Benson Gyrocopter in the 60's when dual was not
available. I never dinged a thing. The helicopter is another story. I
can't imagine even after having several beers teaching myself to fly a
helo. I'm sure that I don't have enough dual to achieve the safety level I
would like to have yet. I have more than 200hrs. now. The only 16hr helo
pilots that I would ride with are Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover and I would
have a dialogue with them first.
Stu Fields.
"Bart" wrote in message
...
Transition to rotorcraft is not like a new type rating. I really wish
people would stop promulgating this myth. It is NOT faster or cheaper
to get your ASEL stuff first. You can not be a safe helicopter pilot
with only 16 hours in one. Also, transitoning from fixed wing
to rotorcraft requires you to un-learn some nasty "instinctual"
behaviors that might get you killed if you apply them.

If you need to be convinced of this just take a quick lesson where
you land the helicopter on a dolly on the leeward side of some
buildings on a gusty day. That'll shrink your sphincter and ego
enough to ensure you'll want a few more lessons before taking a
checkride. Part 61 does not govern the laws of physics or physiology.

Bart


Skyking wrote:

Due to costs, it would be wise to get your Airplane,
Commercial-Instrument
or at leat Commercial before working on the Rotorcraft Rating.
You can read FAR Part 61 for the hourly requirements.

Oh, BTW, "Catch 22", once you obtain that coveted rating all of the
ptoential employers will want you to have logged thousands of hours
that you won't have.

Good luck,

Skyking