Pilots?

[RockKrawler]

Hey all,

So how many real world pilots do we have here? I’m a commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

[munlander1]

I’m not a pilot, but that sounds really cool. I assume you instruct on helicopters and not fixed winged aircrafts.

[Shpaget]

Not a pilot, but I have ATC radar rating. Never worked as such after the training, though, so I would require retraing to get it valid again.

[Green Baron]

Former PPL, looong ago. Motor and Glider.

[benzman]

400 hours of sailplanes, quite a bit of P2 in single-engine aircraft and one trip in the back seat of an Iskra. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL_TS-11_Iskra

 

[RizzoTheRat]

8 hours solo in gliders but it was a long time ago. Would love to do more but it's an expensive hobby. 

My wife bought me an hour in a Piper Warrior for my birthday last year,  great fun. 

[XB-70A]

Same as @Green Baron, former PPL(A), with uninteresting IFR, MER, and some "special field" clearances (TFFJ, TFFS, TFFB (nothing exceptional)). Stopped almost four years ago now...

However, I wish I could have afforded the PPL(H) before I stopped.

Edited February 5, 2019 by XB-70A

[RockKrawler]

On 2/4/2019 at 12:57 AM, munlander1 said:

 

I’m not a pilot, but that sounds really cool. I assume you instruct on helicopters and not fixed winged aircrafts.

 

Yea I’m a heli instructor, trying to get some fixed winged ratings as well.

[pTrevTrevs]

One day...

[Guest]

On 2/4/2019 at 1:34 AM, RockKrawler said:

Hey all,

So how many real world pilots do we have here? I’m a commercial helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

Unpowered descent in a helicopter must be one hell of an experience (autorotation in an actual engine failure)

On 2/6/2019 at 7:48 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

One day...

Spoiler

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Guest

[RockKrawler]

6 hours ago, Aperture Science said:

Unpowered descent in a helicopter must be one hell of an experience (autorotation in an actual engine failure)

On 2/6/2019 at 4:48 PM, pTrevTrevs said:

It’s a normal procedure you have to learn...I probably do at least three autos a day with my students.

[Hotel26]

500 hours in the late 80s/early 90s, with complex and instrument ratings.  I owned a 1961 PA-24 250 Comanche at that time and did the bulk of the hours in it.  Averaged 2 hours per week, so it felt like a glove, getting into it.  I would sometimes fly from the RHS just to disorient myself enough to have to think clearly about everything as I did it.  Based in New England, did a trip to Stella Maris in the Bahamas, a couple to Tennessee, several to Michigan, one to Prince Edward Island, 3 to the left coast., 5 times down the Hudson River VFR corridor (first time during the day, and then late at night every time, which is a much better (and more relaxed/safer experience).  Lots of friends in a company-centered flying community so lots of rides in other airplanes, including a friend's Beech Baron and logging some time (~10h) myself in it.

Marvelous experience desired since age ~6 and one I knew I would never attempt to repeat when it came time to cut-away from the commitment entailed.

I've had rides in helos, since that's OP's interest.  First was work-oriented in a Bell JetRanger, 3 hours mostly hovering over traffic in Sydney, Australia, and finishing up with a routine auto-rotation at Mascot Airport upon return.  Then a ride in an Iriquois over the jungle of Malaysia on a ride up to a casino at Genting Highlands.  (That service was later stopped after a couple of fatal accidents.)  And another BJR, a company helicopter in a wild&windy ride from Nashua, NH, to Malrborough, MA, to pick up a 3rd passenger, and then a ride down the Charles at the 500' minimum with a 500' ceiling and poor vis, navigating by contact to the Boston GA(?) terminal to catch a flight.

Edited February 9, 2019 by Hotel26

[RockKrawler]

10 hours ago, Hotel26 said:

and then a ride down the Charles at the 500' minimum with a 500' ceiling and poor vis, navigating by contact to the Boston GA(?) terminal to catch a flight.

I have my instrument rating too but in the heli world we just say IFR means I follow roads

[StrandedonEarth]

The closest I got to being a pilot was getting my glider learner's certificate back in Air Cadets, but was only an alternate for the camp and wasn't called. but user @Sandworm on these forums is in (or should be by now) flight school with the RCAF.

He hasn't been on the forum for awhile, but his story is here:

 

[Triop]

I've skated lot's off half pipes in my younger years, does that count ?

[RockKrawler]

On 2/5/2019 at 10:42 AM, RizzoTheRat said:

 

8 hours solo in gliders but it was a long time ago

 

Gliders would be sweet, here in Florida we have plenty of thermals to keep you up all day.

[EchoLima]

I'm not a pilot, but I hope to get a PPL one day.

I went on two discovery flights and loved them.

[James Kerman]

I though you guys might get a kick out of this flight track of an Adelaide pilot running in a new engine:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-20/bored-adelaide-pilot-leaves-message-on-flight-radar/10829262

[Dan Kerman]

Spent 25+ years air traffic control...  we tell pilots where to go <g>

[StrandedonEarth]

1 hour ago, Dan Kerman said:

Spent 25+ years air traffic control...  we tell pilots where to go <g>

And how to get there!

i hear that’s a really high-pressure job, kudos on sticking with it that long!  I bet there’s some interesting stories there 

[RockKrawler]

On 3/1/2019 at 7:59 PM, Dan Kerman said:

Spent 25+ years air traffic control...  we tell pilots where to go

I much rather be in controlled airspace, I work at a G and it’s the Wild West most days.

[Green Baron]

2 hours ago, RockKrawler said:

I much rather be in controlled airspace, I work at a G and it’s the Wild West most days.

If you ever see a cumulus cloud with two boots sticking out, it is a probably a paraglider. Yes, they know the minimums. So ?

Edited March 5, 2019 by Green Baron

[Dan Kerman]

On 3/1/2019 at 8:06 PM, StrandedonEarth said:

And how to get there!

i hear that’s a really high-pressure job, kudos on sticking with it that long!  I bet there’s some interesting stories there 

Loved the job, even on the crappy days sometimes...  take it as a challenge. Saw one day tho that would make one quit and never come back. It was like a three ring circus in a one ring tent. The hardest part was the crappy hours.... our facility is 24/7/365.

[RockKrawler]

4 hours ago, Dan Kerman said:

Loved the job, even on the crappy days sometimes...  take it as a challenge. Saw one day tho that would make one quit and never come back. It was like a three ring circus in a one ring tent. The hardest part was the crappy hours.... our facility is 24/7/365.

Where were you based at? 

[Dan Kerman]

I spent my whole career at New York ARTCC. 1987 to 2013.