"Andrew Crane" wrote:

If someone can pass their test after 16 hours or even 30, they'd be one in a
million though. In which case this isn't really that much of a catch...


Thats the legal requirement - not the practical requirement. I am,
myself, currently using fixed wing instruction to learn about
navigation, airport operations, communication, traffic patterns and
other things common to both. However, it is a total, absolute myth
that there is any similarity between controlling the two aircraft
beyond the fact that they both fly. I had been told that flying a
stick plane was similar to a helicopter in straight & level flight,
but after doing this, I learned it is not true.

However, I have been hearing more and more people claim that they have
been using simulators to greatly reduce the number of real helicopter
hours. I was able to hover in 1.5 hours. I thought that was good
until another guy was able to do it on his introductory flight after
15 minutes thanks to a lot of practice on sims.

I have yet to see a really decent helicopter sim, but most of the
better ones are good enough to help you out a lot even if they aren't
perfect. Obviously, even when they don't count towards your hours
(some do), they are far cheaper than a real helicopter and a lot
safer. If a sim can cause you to master an operation in a real
helicopter faster, then it is saving you the money you would have
spent in the real helicopter doing the same thing.

In short, I believe it is possible to get the HPPL in 30 real hours
with the aid of simulators and a background in fixed wing.

Dennis H.


Dennis Hawkins
n4mwd AT amsat DOT org (humans know what to do)

"A RECESSION is when you know somebody who is out of work.
A DEPRESSION is when YOU are out of work.
A RECOVERY is when all the H-1B's are out of work."

To find out what an H-1B is and how Congress is using
them to put Americans out of work, visit the following
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video: http://zazona.com/ShameH1B/MediaClips.htm