Who wants to learn how to fly a helicopter?

ADRidge

Well, after a few years of blood, sweat and tears I finally did it. My Temporary Airman Certificate is signed and I am officially a helicopter flight instructor. I've been incredibly busy over the past few months, which is why I haven't been posting much. I've definitely been lurking, but between working 40 hours a week at a gun store/range in the Dallas area and spending every other waking moment studying, I've been a bit preoccupied.

Working at the LGS, I've picked up a few new toys at a discount, which I'll eventually get around to posting and talking about. I've also had a few great experiences, a few bad ones and quite a few in between. It's been a heck of an educational experience too. The store I worked at has 200+ rental guns, some of which get shot more in a month than most people will shoot in a year. It's been neat seeing which ones hold up to steady abuse and which ones spend more time in a fedex box going to and from the factor than they do on the range. It's also been fun teaching people how to shoot and getting an idea of what the average gun person can do, as well as directly helping a whole bunch of non-gun types become gun owners and frequent shooters.

Anyway, it's good to have the stress level back to normal. Hopefully I'll be posting more, but either way I'm still here and seeing what's what on the forum.

Take it easy.

orchidman

Congratulations Drew. Looks like all the hard work has paid off.

I will look around for any 'Rotary' jobs going in my neck of the woods........perhaps wild venison recovery/culls etc.

Alec.

DoctorWho

I always wanted to get a helicopter pilots license, I messed up last time I was offered a commercial license course in exchange for doing various ground based chores such as paperwork and maintenance stuff that needed doing before and after he conducted flight Instruction.

scarface

Congrats on your CFI! Good luck finding your first instructor gig. In the next couple of months you will watch your flight time double! It is pretty cool to go from say around 200 hours to 400 hours in a matter of months. It was a life changing experience for me, and without my CFI I would not be where I am at today. Good luck and fly safe.

ADRidge

scarface wrote: »

Congrats on your CFI! Good luck finding your first instructor gig. In the next couple of months you will watch your flight time double! It is pretty cool to go from say around 200 hours to 400 hours in a matter of months. It was a life changing experience for me, and without my CFI I would not be where I am at today. Good luck and fly safe.

Thanks! Yeah, I can't wait to get that first gig. I've got quite a considerable network for my age and experience, and things are in motion. I'm not sure where I'll end up yet, but I think something should happen fairly soon.

scarface

ADRidge wrote: »

Thanks! Yeah, I can't wait to get that first gig. I've got quite a considerable network for my age and experience, and things are in motion. I'm not sure where I'll end up yet, but I think something should happen fairly soon.

The journey in aviation is just as good as the destination. Enjoy it every step of the way. In my short 9 years in the industry it has been quite a ride.

avmech

Almost 40 years in the av business.............................definitely have had good and bad experiences, but would not trade my present situation for any other (this one is better than good).

LMLarsen

Congratulations, Drew!! I'm proud of you.

shotgunshooter3

Well done! Where do I sign up?

LMLarsen

See if he'll give you a "friends & family" discount!

DoctorWho

"Who wants to learn how to fly a helicopter?"

Me !!!!

snake284

Thanks ADRidge, but no thanks. When I was a kid we viewed rotary wing craft as safer than fixed wing, but as i got older I figured out that was not the case. My hat is off to you guys that have mastered it, but if I fly it will be a fixed wing. My dad was a fighter pilot and I grew up around that. When I was 8 years old I flew for the first time in a friends supercub and that hooked me on flying for life. When I was a teenager I used to read everything I could find on flying. Later when I would talk to fixed wing pilots they were amazed that I know what I did about flying. I was absolutely eaten up with it. I have also logged a many thousands of hours in airline travel and I don't think anything about jumping in one and flying half way round the world. One day I want to at least take the controls of a plane. But not a rotary wing. My youngest son's dream is to become a warrant officer and fly helos. He's in the 82nd Airborne. He's working toward that dream now. But he can have it. I wish him well, but like I said, I have fixed wing in my blood.

BTW, congrats on realizing your dream. I know you've been working toward it for years now. The sense of that accomplishment must feel terrific.

TSchub

What is the rule for obtaining a private license with corrected vision? I was under the impression that it was not going to happen if you wear glasses, but have seen some guys with them on.

ADRidge

As long as it's correctable vision, it's absolutely fine. Heck, I have very little or no close-in depth perception due to an eye injury I sustained when I was about six months old. I was able to get my medical signed off after a quick review by a specialist. There's a waiver in civilian aviation for just about everything with a few exceptions.

snake284

ADRidge wrote: »

Well, after a few years of blood, sweat and tears I finally did it. My Temporary Airman Certificate is signed and I am officially a helicopter flight instructor. I've been incredibly busy over the past few months, which is why I haven't been posting much. I've definitely been lurking, but between working 40 hours a week at a gun store/range in the Dallas area and spending every other waking moment studying, I've been a bit preoccupied.

Working at the LGS, I've picked up a few new toys at a discount, which I'll eventually get around to posting and talking about. I've also had a few great experiences, a few bad ones and quite a few in between. It's been a heck of an educational experience too. The store I worked at has 200+ rental guns, some of which get shot more in a month than most people will shoot in a year. It's been neat seeing which ones hold up to steady abuse and which ones spend more time in a fedex box going to and from the factor than they do on the range. It's also been fun teaching people how to shoot and getting an idea of what the average gun person can do, as well as directly helping a whole bunch of non-gun types become gun owners and frequent shooters.

Anyway, it's good to have the stress level back to normal. Hopefully I'll be posting more, but either way I'm still here and seeing what's what on the forum.

Take it easy.

I know what you mean Drew. Up through most of November for the last 4 years I was busier than a one legged man at a butt kicking contest, or a one armed paper hanger. I finally completed my bachelors in Legal Studies on line. That was such a great feeling I can't describe it. It completed 45 years from the time I first entered college in 1967 until now. It's like a 500 pound weight taken off my back and I imagine you feel a similar relief. I know you have been through the mill as I have. Now to pic the fruits of our labor.

NN

Congrats Drew!

But their still gnats.

Michakav

Congrats!

I am sure it must have taken a lot of hard work and dedication.

Teach

Good on ya! Now, since you've been teaching people to shoot, and you've undoubetedly seen a few "stupid attacks", now you get to deal with students trying to get you both killed with a dumb move a couple of thousand feet above ground level. Yep- - - - -sounds like fun to me! I saw a few student pilots pull maneuvers in B-52's when I was at Castle AFB that made me glad I was on the ground watching it happen instead of up there trying to keep that big bird flying!
Jerry

ADRidge

Teach wrote: »

Good on ya! Now, since you've been teaching people to shoot, and you've undoubetedly seen a few "stupid attacks", now you get to deal with students trying to get you both killed with a dumb move a couple of thousand feet above ground level. Yep- - - - -sounds like fun to me! I saw a few student pilots pull maneuvers in B-52's when I was at Castle AFB that made me glad I was on the ground watching it happen instead of up there trying to keep that big bird flying!
Jerry

Honestly I'd rather deal with it up there than on the range. My second to last day on the job I had two people point loaded pistols at me within five minutes of each other, both with their fingers on the trigger. At least in the air it's generally just one person trying to kill you!

edit to add: They were both Springfield XD's too! One full-sized and one subcompact.

Slanteyedshootist

Congratulations. Good job.

timc

Congrats Drew! I know you have been at it for a long time, glad you finally got her done!

CHIRO1989

Congratulations! The FedEx report sounds interesting.

centermass556

Way to go brother...

104RFAST

A bit of advise, if you really want a career in aviation you must go where the jobs are!! don't fall in love with a particular
city or location, keep your bag's packed. Aviation has provided me with a very good living for over 40 years. I'm 69 & still flying
for a living ( over 17,000 hrs ) and I NEVER had a day when I hated going to work. The epicenter of the rotor-wing world in
the U.S. is the Oil business in the Gulf of Mexico, you need to build hours, that's the hard part, instructing is a good way to start.
I have more than a few hrs in Bell 47s, its a lot of nuts and bolts flying in close formation, keep an eye out for golf courses
and shopping centers, had a few unintended landings at both. Good luck & be careful!!!!
Bill

ADRidge wrote: »

Well, after a few years of blood, sweat and tears I finally did it. My Temporary Airman Certificate is signed and I am officially a helicopter flight instructor. I've been incredibly busy over the past few months, which is why I haven't been posting much. I've definitely been lurking, but between working 40 hours a week at a gun store/range in the Dallas area and spending every other waking moment studying, I've been a bit preoccupied.

Working at the LGS, I've picked up a few new toys at a discount, which I'll eventually get around to posting and talking about. I've also had a few great experiences, a few bad ones and quite a few in between. It's been a heck of an educational experience too. The store I worked at has 200+ rental guns, some of which get shot more in a month than most people will shoot in a year. It's been neat seeing which ones hold up to steady abuse and which ones spend more time in a fedex box going to and from the factor than they do on the range. It's also been fun teaching people how to shoot and getting an idea of what the average gun person can do, as well as directly helping a whole bunch of non-gun types become gun owners and frequent shooters.

Anyway, it's good to have the stress level back to normal. Hopefully I'll be posting more, but either way I'm still here and seeing what's what on the forum.

Take it easy.

104RFAST

A bit of advise, if you really want a career in aviation you must go where the jobs are!! don't fall in love with a particular
city or location, keep your bag's packed. Aviation has provided me with a very good living for over 40 years. I'm 69 & still flying
for a living ( over 17,000 hrs ) and I NEVER had a day when I hated going to work. The epicenter of the rotor-wing world in
the U.S. is the Oil business in the Gulf of Mexico, you need to build hours, that's the hard part, instructing is a good way to start.
I have more than a few hrs in Bell 47s, its a lot of nuts and bolts flying in close formation, keep an eye out for golf courses
and shopping centers, had a few unintended landings at both. Good luck & be careful!!!!
Bill

ADRidge wrote: »

Well, after a few years of blood, sweat and tears I finally did it. My Temporary Airman Certificate is signed and I am officially a helicopter flight instructor. I've been incredibly busy over the past few months, which is why I haven't been posting much. I've definitely been lurking, but between working 40 hours a week at a gun store/range in the Dallas area and spending every other waking moment studying, I've been a bit preoccupied.

Working at the LGS, I've picked up a few new toys at a discount, which I'll eventually get around to posting and talking about. I've also had a few great experiences, a few bad ones and quite a few in between. It's been a heck of an educational experience too. The store I worked at has 200+ rental guns, some of which get shot more in a month than most people will shoot in a year. It's been neat seeing which ones hold up to steady abuse and which ones spend more time in a fedex box going to and from the factor than they do on the range. It's also been fun teaching people how to shoot and getting an idea of what the average gun person can do, as well as directly helping a whole bunch of non-gun types become gun owners and frequent shooters.

Anyway, it's good to have the stress level back to normal. Hopefully I'll be posting more, but either way I'm still here and seeing what's what on the forum.

Take it easy.

Whitewookie

Teach wrote: »

Good on ya! Now, since you've been teaching people to shoot, and you've undoubetedly seen a few "stupid attacks", now you get to deal with students trying to get you both killed with a dumb move a couple of thousand feet above ground level. Yep- - - - -sounds like fun to me! I saw a few student pilots pull maneuvers in B-52's when I was at Castle AFB that made me glad I was on the ground watching it happen instead of up there trying to keep that big bird flying!
Jerry

Hey Teach...Did you ever see the film of the B52 Crash at Fairchild? We studied the crash sequence in The Flight Safety Program Managers corse. Nasty deal.

ADRidge, congrats on your achievement. I was always taught that fixed wing aircraft manage the air and helos beat the air into submission...

jgunpilot

Way to go, Drew! I have to say that you have a ton of determination and gumption. That will prove useful in the years to come.

Congratulations again.