A good starting point?

Forgive the question if it has been beat to death but "What is good a
aircraft to start with in getting a rotorcraft rating? I currently have an
A36 Bonanza with a CP-ASEL. I live in TN. I don't think I want to deal
with R44's based on comments from some in our area. I'm leaning toward the
Bell's due to same comments. But I find it easy to recommend what I know so
I solicit the comments

Thx In Advance, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

"Victor J. Osborne, Jr." wrote in message
...
Forgive the question if it has been beat to death but "What is good a
aircraft to start with in getting a rotorcraft rating? I currently have
an A36 Bonanza with a CP-ASEL. I live in TN. I don't think I want to
deal with R44's based on comments from some in our area. I'm leaning
toward the Bell's due to same comments. But I find it easy to recommend
what I know so I solicit the comments

Thx In Advance, {|;-)

Victor J. (Jim) Osborne, Jr.

Consider a Schweizer , Bell 47, Jetranger, Enstrom, or newer R44 ... I've
got no
desire to draw flames here, but theres no damn way you'd get me in a R22.
There's zero margin for error in those machines; thats why theres a SFAR
written
just for it.

Bart

Bart
I'll second that feeling. I've got about 25 hours in the R-22 doing my
IFRR and the CFIIR.Thats all I ever care to fly the R-22 no matter what
anyone else says! I've got lots of time in the 269/300, BH47 and
variants, Hiller 12 variants, 206, and F28, etc, so my feelings are
based on personal experience.
Rocky

wrote
Bart
I'll second that feeling. I've got about 25 hours in the R-22 doing my
IFRR and the CFIIR.Thats all I ever care to fly the R-22 no matter what
anyone else says! I've got lots of time in the 269/300, BH47 and
variants, Hiller 12 variants, 206, and F28, etc, so my feelings are
based on personal experience.
Rocky

The only piston heli. I've flown is the F28, which I thought was a
pretty nice machine. My opinion of the R22 stems from when a
friend of mine asked me for advice on cross rating in one.

I read the NTSB reports and then asked a few people at
the hangar who'd flown it what they thought. They told me
about how low inertia the 22's system was, and about the
ease and consequenses getting into unloading or low-rotor rpm.
I then had a hard look at the machine itself. Yikes. I think
the Safari kit chopper looks more substantial than the 22.

No one that I respect had anything bad to say about the 44,
but a couple people said that the newer/higher inerta rotor
system version was a vast improvement. The only people
who said good things about the 22 where those who didn't
really have a choice, or didn't have enough time in anything
else to know better.

Everyone I know who's experienced enough to know said
the Schweizer and Bell 47 where the safest piston training machines.
The only thing I didn't like about the Enstrom was how easy
it was to get it into ground resonance if the oleo struts weren't
tweaked right. Being a huge Bell proponent, I've always
wanted to fly a 47, but the opportunity has never come up.

Rocky, IFR in a 22? Wholey Crap thats a scary thought.
Our 'Ranger is one of the few that were IFR cert'ed
(it no longer is due to a Bell boondogle) Its difficult enough
as it is in our machine, I cant imagine how hard itd be to
do SPIFR in a 22.

Bart