my opinion is that this is indeed the typical first performance of a
pilot after training with my device (it is hard to be thought of as
objective when i sell Heli-Chairs for a profit); the fixed wing pilots
will follow this recollection quite closely....

when i first started training in a full sized airplane (cessna 172), i
had to consciously force my feet to steer left and right while taxiing
along the ground. turning the control yoke had absolutely no effect on
which way the plane was moving along the pavement. after driving a car
for many years, this new usage of my feet was quite awkward and took a
short while to get accustomed to. it is the training of your muscle
groups that is my first goal with the Heli-Chair. the chair teaches
you how to use your feet, how to use BOTH arms and at the same time use
your left arm for two functions, collective and throttle. this type of
muscle group training could occur in any flight simulator or flight
emulator...computer or otherwise.

the second achievement of the Heli-Chair is what i consider to be far
and above the computer flight simulators presently on the market, even
the very expensive ones. i have chosen to package my helicopter
cockpit controls with a remotely controlled helicopter that is every
bit as responsive to the laws of physics (aerodynamics) as a full size
helicopter. the feel of the cyclic, the ground effect when hovering
over uneven surfaces, the fact that moving the cyclic requires a slight
addition of power, these are all aspects of the model helicopter that
come across fully when flying in the Heli-Chair and they are very
important to understanding how to pilot a full size helicopter.

there is no "feel" when flying a model using the Heli-Chair and to add
a tactile response should be the topic of a funding grant from SBIR or
DARPA. however, rated helicopter pilots are able to successfully fly
the model using the Heli-Chair and this tells me that it is, at some
fundamental level, at least similar to a full size helicopter in the
way it reacts (obviously no surprise since it is after all just a
smaller version of the 'real thing'). incidentally, rated airplane
pilots have a surprising amount of trouble with even the torque pedals
because they are much more sensitive than the 'rudder' pedals in an
airplane.

an important concept for me to explain here is that flying the model
with a transmitter box (thumb and fingers method) in no way compares to
flying it with the Heli-Chair controls. my first flights with a model
helicopter were exclusively with the Heli-Chair and did not include
having a safety pilot. i simply pulled the collective until it was
light on the skids and started getting the feel of the cyclic, i
dropped it back down if things weren't just right. it was difficult
to say the least. only after mastering flight with the Heli-Chair and
the necessity of training new pilots did i even need to learn how to
fly with the transmitter. i can attest with first hand knowledge that
almost no motor skills learned from the transmitter relay to the
Heli-Chair and vice versa. using thumbs with precisely spring centered
gimbals is nothing like using your arms and feet with controls that are
constantly in motion. when i want to fly a model for relaxing fun,
i'll use the transmitter because it is easier. when i'm up for a
challenge, i will use the full size controls.

the owner of a Heli-Chair can successfully use the training videos and
materials i provide to teach themselves how to hover, without crashing
and rebuilding the helicopter. there is of course the option of
finding a local R/C helicopter pilot to have as a backup, but that is a
luxury that most folks certainly won't need. you can learn everything
you need within 10 feet of the ground. i have given many people a try
at flying while serving as the safety pilot. i select before lift-off
which controls they will be using and i do the rest. if things get out
of hand, i simply take over completely and set it down, then they try
again. i always start by teaching the pedals first, then pedals and
throttle, then progress from that point. most curious pilots can get
the feel of pedals and collective in a short while. the cyclic of
course is the key to everything and takes much more practice.

i also have a video system to put myself in the cockpit of the model,
but that is beyond the scope of basic training with the Heli-Chair. it
is really fun stuff for those looking for the ultimate experience in
remotely piloted aircraft but sure not required to learn how to hover.

http://www.heli-chair.com/pilot_vision.html

my goal is to have the Heli-Chair available at more flight training
schools as an inexpensive alternative to $200+ per hour for dual
instruction. afterall, my initial motivation for this entire project
was the dream of lfying a real helicopter. some folks will want to
purchase a Heli-Chiar for themselves and some will opt to take
advantage of hourly training or leasing options. if you are interested
in this but can't afford to buy the whole thing, talk to your local
flight school and get them interested if they don't already have one.
it is a small investment that draw in LOTS of new customers.

kas