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Any helicopter pilots on EuroGA?

I don’t recall anyone active here who also flies helis.

It’s curious… I wonder if the rotary community is almost totally disconnected from the fixed wing community?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I fly both. Professionally fixed wing and rotary mostly as a hobby (in the last week 14:35 fixed wing and 2:20 rotary). I’m also a named accountable individual for a helicopter AOC.

Yep, there’s a disconnect.

Fly safely
Various UK. Operate throughout Europe and Middle East, United Kingdom

I charter helos for work pretty frequently and talking to the pilots theirs definitely is a different world from us fixed-wing drivers.

I do recall aart having a helicopter licence. I have flown helicopters (just for fun), but don’t have the papers. A few pilots I know have dabbed into aeroplanes, but it’s a different world for the most part.

I would fly both if I were rich enough. I believe a few of us here have big r/c models which are at least an expression of interest.

I did a few hours on a turbine enstrom 480b, went solo, and gave up. As an aircraft owner with total flexibility, I didn’t see how a helo license would be anything more than a fad with occasional rentals. I figured once I had flown into a couple of hotels or golf courses the realty would bite realising it was expensive, annoying having to rent and travel to the base.

I absolutely loved it though! What a joy to do an auto rotation into a field directly below you. I also loved flying an approach with a constant angle and decreasing speed, transitioning to the hover. I will go do my license one day I’m sure.

EGKL, United Kingdom

Did training back in Sweden on 269’s. Went solo multiple times, the had engine failure on a ferry flight and auto rotated into a horse paddock… Loved helicopters, much more challenging to fly, but after engine failure I swore I’d only continue if I could afford to train on turbine. 20 years later and it hasn’t really happened yet, but it’s on my list.

I am shortly after my first solo on R44 and will be transitioning to EC120B after I get my license on R44. The first few hours were very very tough, it is really difficult to tame this horse but it is also a great fun. I will continue flying my TB-20 for longer trips but shorter trips and local sightseeing flights are going to be much more fun in a helicopter for sure.

LKHK, Czech Republic

I’ve done a few helicopter flights. I also own a couple of radio controlled helicopters, I love them, but there’s no way I could afford to run a full scale one. (Even the RC ones cost a fortune to run, probably for the same reasons that the full scale ones do). Unfortunately to get the same utility the Auster has in rotary, I’d have to be spending roughly an order of magnitude more money per year.

Funnily enough in the RC world I really struggle with fixed wing. I just can’t get used to the idea of not being able to come to a complete stop while still flying :-) Fortunately I don’t have this issue with full scale.

Andreas IOM

Thanks: I felt a bit silly for mentioning my r/c helicopters this morning. A bit like my 3 year old who was watching the air ambulance with his Aunty the other day… ‘Hey, your Daddy’s got an aeroplane hasn’t he!’ to which he replied ‘Yes, and I’ve got a pram!*’ But they really are glorious and in some way a worthy poor-man’s substitute.

I’m intrigued as to the difference between helicopter pilots and fixed-wing. I never meet them at the local airfield, but then I’d assumed that was simply because there’s only one private helicopter there (a Gazelle) and a few dozen aircraft.

* What he was actually referring to was the helicopter button on the pram, which causes it to levitate and make chuka-chuka-chuka noises, and which we need in order to navigate staircases.

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