Rotorheads -- I just took my first helicopter lesson today!

Yeah, I'm a CFII in fixed wing so I'm hoping the helicopter add-ons will go relatively quickly without having to invest too much $$$.

 

Only the Coasties are insane...look at the weather they fly in. Army/Marine guys only get shot at.....LOL

 

Hey know don't be leaving out Air Force rescue. Those guys get shot and take missions that the Coast Guard can't because of their limitations, i.e. no inflight refueling capabilities.

 

I have the highest respect for the Air Force guys. They picked up a buddy of mine who crashed in Iraq during a storm and no one would get them except the AF. Thanks for bringing him and his crew home...back to Hawaii. It was a CH-47 that augered in.

 

I'd love to hear what missions are.....

 

Awesome

 

I hope this information helps.. If you are looking into licensing... PLEASE check the underlying financial health of the company. Many airfields have services that are run on a shoestring budget. Don't get into lessons and the huge cost to have a company go under. I work in the aviation on the financial side.

 

From 1988 till 2006 the 56 Rescue Squadron was stationed at Keflavik Iceland and provided 24/7, 365 SAR coverage for the country.

http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123127635
Here is a cool story about a mission our guys did while I stationed over in England. All in all our crews flew nonstop for 14 hours on this mission, daisy chaining off of a C-130 tanker that was daisy chaining off of a KC-135.

 

How many Coast Guard helicopters have been shot down in the past decade?

I'm not saying what they do isn't dangerous, because it's dangerous as all get up (flying out over rough seas to save people from the sea), but flying in a high altitude, unforgiving environment (Afghanistan) where people are actively trying to kill you is a different story.

 

Flying in fog, hurricanes, low light, overcast nights...Hoisting from tiny boats etc etc etc is a different story.

There are guy who have no problem flying into hot LZs that would literally turn around and go home doing what I do. And I'm not about to try to go flying thru small arms fire any time soon without some more training. There are a lot of find nuances to what we all do...Different mission sets lead to difference strengths. The CG's strengths are in areas that have a fair bit of commercial application.

 

This isn't the time or place to engage in a rotorhead dick measuring contest between CG and Army/USMC pilots.

 

Considering you aren't...It's not. And if you took the time to read it-I said we have different skills and strengths. Not to mention the number of Army/USMC pilots that come to the CG to fly...

It's a FACT the IFR skills are more valuable than dodging enemy fire in the commercial flight realm. You take it any way you'd like.

 

Fink

 

Take your own advice, read Chris4x4's post, and then read mine.

OUT.

 

I would love to be a helo pilot!

would near sightedness be a hinderance?

 

Okay- So what does getting shot DOWN have to do with getting shot AT??

 

I'm also medically retired from the USMC, so I couldn't go back in :/

 

I don't know the minimum requirements...but if it messes with the numbers (20/20 20/200 etc) it could...but there are a LOT of old folks and what not that fly with glasses and stuff like that.

 

Had my 4th lesson and finally got hovering and hover taxiing pretty much figured out. Did some cool stuff in the last lesson, like followed a meandering river below the treetops at about 40 ft agl at 60 kias and landed on a couple gravel bars. I thought those low level maneuvers among trees seemed a bit "advanced" for a 4th lesson, but was super fun and learned a lot about adding power thru steep turns to maintain altitude and constant airspeed, while staying trimmed with tail rotor. Did a couple of confined space performance to&l's in a postage stamp sized field surrounded by tall trees. I was discouraged by my inability to hover a couple of lessons ago, but now I think I'm hooked.