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#1
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First helicopter (Remember those days?)
Hello everyone,
I bet this has been covered many times before, and I apologize for asking yet again. I further apologize for the long post. I'm one of those new, soon-to-be pilots that needs a lot of advice. I thought if I gave a bunch of information, some might see how serious I am and might also recognize how much I need and appreciate the advice of the experience in this group. I've always wanted to pilot rotorcraft, and to own one for recreational purposes. I'm finally at a stage in life where I can do this kind of thing. I'm all of about 1.5 hours into flight training in an R22. Cyclic control in hover seems to be my weak point right now, but I suspect this is normal. My goal someday is a UH-1N, twin turbine huey. Rough as it may be to some, it is my hero...and dream. I'm a collector of military vehicles, this is merely a vertical extension of that love. Mark my words folks, I will have a huey someday (even if not a -1N (..sob)). Now, on to current reality. I'm quite a way from there. I need flying time. I really want to *know* the helicopter. Getting my pilot privileges and then simply keeping a helicopter under general control is akin to the average house-mommy driving her SUV (no offense ladies). I'm not that kind of motorist. Renting would seem like the right way to go initially, but I live in NY, near CT. The only place I can find to rent a heli is at Danbury, CT. The R22 there requires 100 hours PIC, Robinson training (California), no passengers, and nothing but airport landings. Totally unacceptable to me. Thus, I think I should buy a helicopter. I recognize this is not an inexpensive proposition, and one full of various complications. Still, I can't think of a better way to learn something than to be married to it. Money is a real consideration, yet I almost shy away in saying that. I'm not trying to be cheap or to get something for nothing, I'm just not made of money. A difference of even $30K is significant, although not necessarily a deal stopper. I'd appreciate any recommendations for a first-timer like myself. The R22 is ugly in my opinion, I don't really like the t-bar cyclic, and it seems very sensitive...but then again...what do I know?!! The rotorway heli's are VERY cheap, but I read VERY mixed reviews on them. Honestly, while I am a meticulous mechanic and fully capable of building or repairing a helicopter, I just don't have the time. Maybe when it comes down to shining castle nuts on my baby (the UN-1N) I'll find the time to roll-my-own. The 300C/CB/CBI? Baby Bell/Safari? What's a good starter? Decent re-sell, lower per-flight costs, relatively low entry cost, etc. Is there an optimum, or is it really just personal taste? I won't be seriously looking/buying for about 6 months, but the sooner I have a "target" the better. I appreciate your time and replies. Thanks, No, really...Thanks! Jim Stead Yorktown Heights, NY |
#2
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Jim wrote:
I'd appreciate any recommendations for a first-timer like myself. This isn't a recommendation, but Brantly may be one of the the least expensive options. http://www.brantly.com/ http://www.brantly.info/ What's a good starter? Decent re-sell, ... This is a recommendation, don't buy a homebuilt helicopter. But if you do, don't buy a Mini 500. |
#3
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They had a 269/300C, but I don't know what happened to it. They're
looking into getting a 300CBI, but the no passengers and airport-only landings is part of their rental contract regardless of the model. That part bugs me. I have some properly upstate NY that I'd like to go to with my wife or a camping buddy, but napalming 1000' of grass and trying to register it with the FAA as an airport seems like the long way around.....Then there's the matter of sneaking my wife or friend through a hole in the fence at Danbury.... Think it's best I get my own :-) Jim (Micbloo) wrote in message Dont they have a Hughes 269 there or did I read somewhere that it crashed? Gerard |
#5
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#6
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Some months ago someone posted a couple of pics either to this group
or the aviation binary group showing a piece of (ruralish) property next to a large pond with a 206 sitting betwen the house and the pond, next to trees, etc., and with a neighbours house (property) visible in the background. The poster indicated that the homeowner parked his machine in his back yard on a regular basis. I asked a general question in this group as to whether it was a little close to the neighbours house, the appropriatness and legalities of parking one's helicopter on their property in built up areas, etc., etc. A couple of people in this group responded by saying that you could basically land the machine wherever you wanted to. No sweat. Now as a lurker and armchair pilot I didn't argue the point but my gut to me that might not be quite true. A well know individual to this group and rec.aviation.homebuit, named Bill Phillips posted a couple of pics a few years ago showing himself and his helicopter parked on the fringes of a National Park. Correct me if I am wrong on the details. In his case fringes meant that the skids were a few feet on National Park land and someone in the newgroup who didn't like him complained to the FAA. I do believe he physically received a visist from them and was admonished and possibly fined for that transgression. I find it a little hard to believe that a helicopter pilot could land in a McDonald's parking lot a go in and pick up a sack of burgers, or just land in someone's back yard in a residential area. Now if you owned or were visiting a piece of rural property like really rural with no neighbours for a mile of so it might be different. But what do I know about the legalities. Anybody here know what the law, or rules and regulations really state, and or allow.....??????? |
#7
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Yes, the default condition is you can land anywhere.
The default condition can be varied by a law, ordinance, regulation, statute, etc. that prohibits it at a specific location. Large- and medium-sized cities often have ordinances that say aircraft can only land and take off within city limits at an airport, unless a permit is issued for a specific operation. These permits are easy to get if you have a good reason and promise to take reasonable safety precautions. Example, a permit to land your helicopter at a school for a career day show and tell. Can be gotten on short notice and by fax if they know you. There is no consistency. In a metro area, even some of the larger cities might not have an ordinance, but the dinkier suburbs might. I know of one person who as a prank landed a R22 at his college fraternity house. This was in a city that had an ordinance. The cops arrested him and he had to take the helo out on a trailer. I am not aware of any general county or state prohibitions on helicopter landings, so city ordinances are normally all you have to worry about. I am ready to be proved wrong on this for some county or state outside my local area. Common sense also tells me to check it out before landing at a state penitentiary or county prison farm. The feds do have a general prohibition against landing on national parks, wildlife refuges, Corps of Engineer dams, etc. I know of people locally who have been fined for landing on a federal dam. Once a friend was down at the sea coast and landed on a beautiful, uninhabited, little islet just to look around. At the shoreline, facing out, were signs that said "Seabird nesting area, entry prohibited." Whoops, but luckily no one ratted him out. So out in the boonies you can land almost anywhere without fear of violating a *government* regulation. But you still have to worry a little about *individual* land-owners' rights. Your operations on property that belongs to others can be effected by trespassing laws. Normally you have to be told first, "You're trespassing, don't do it again" before the land owner can do anything. Even then it would be such a hassle to file a trespassing lawsuit it would have to be pretty weird, repetitive situation for that to be a consideration. So around here anyway we just land in an open field if we feel like it. Never had a problem with it. Your operations on your *own* property can be restricted if what you are doing is found to be "nuisance" impacting your neighbor's right to peaceful enjoyment of his property. Let's face it, helicopters are loud and scary to non-enthusiasts. So before you put in your own heliport, better inform your neighbors, offer rides to their grand-kids, and plan approaches and departures to be the least nuisance-causing as possible. Obviously the closer they are, the more likely they will be to take effective action to stop you. I'd guess if their property line was 100 yards or more away, they'd have a hard time establishing that you are a nuisance. But I have heard of people with sensitive livestock like high-dollar horses getting their neighbors with helicopters to agree to restrict their operations. "Bernie the Bunion" wrote in message ... Some months ago someone posted a couple of pics either to this group or the aviation binary group showing a piece of (ruralish) property next to a large pond with a 206 sitting betwen the house and the pond, next to trees, etc., and with a neighbours house (property) visible in the background. The poster indicated that the homeowner parked his machine in his back yard on a regular basis. I asked a general question in this group as to whether it was a little close to the neighbours house, the appropriatness and legalities of parking one's helicopter on their property in built up areas, etc., etc. A couple of people in this group responded by saying that you could basically land the machine wherever you wanted to. No sweat. Now as a lurker and armchair pilot I didn't argue the point but my gut to me that might not be quite true. A well know individual to this group and rec.aviation.homebuit, named Bill Phillips posted a couple of pics a few years ago showing himself and his helicopter parked on the fringes of a National Park. Correct me if I am wrong on the details. In his case fringes meant that the skids were a few feet on National Park land and someone in the newgroup who didn't like him complained to the FAA. I do believe he physically received a visist from them and was admonished and possibly fined for that transgression. I find it a little hard to believe that a helicopter pilot could land in a McDonald's parking lot a go in and pick up a sack of burgers, or just land in someone's back yard in a residential area. Now if you owned or were visiting a piece of rural property like really rural with no neighbours for a mile of so it might be different. But what do I know about the legalities. Anybody here know what the law, or rules and regulations really state, and or allow.....??????? |
#8
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wrote:
IMHO, the brantly is way too ugly. Aw, come on! Look, it's beautiful! http://www.brantly.com/B2B_pic149.jpg As far as me, I bought a Rotorway Scorpion One single seat helicopter for a song and am in the process of restoring it. It looks just like the scorpion 133 only thinner. I saw one at an auto show, seems about 40 years ago. Evinrude motor, right? |
#9
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Somebody is hangaring a brantly at the helicopter school I train with and I
took a look at it one day. My biggest concern is how short the mast is, or rather how low the blades are to the ground. I'm an average guy 5'11" and I could see someone being decapitated very easily approaching this aircraft with blades turning. Just an opinion. Dave |
#10
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