Went down to Blacktown Airport today for my Helicopter Flying Lesson with
Heli Scenic. This was special because I've always wanted to go for a helicopter ride and I'm sure once I'd been for a ride in one I'd want to know what it felt like to fly one. Today was lucky to do both.
So, what is it like? Well, I thought it would be scary lifting into the sky so quickly, but it surprisingly felt pretty normal. Definitely had a few "ohh sh!t" moments as the helicopter wobbled and tilted during the flight. It was a similar feeling to when I first started riding a motorcycle, lots to take in, lots of different controls and lots of noise. The controls are super sensitive, so a slight movement in the Cyclic meant we were rolling one way or another.
There are basically 3 controls that you need to manage simultaneously, so its similar to driving a manual car where you need to balance clutch and accelerator, but with one more element. That, and all the controls are way more sensitive and need to be constantly adjusted to keep the helicopter going in the direction you wanted to. Plus the fact that you've got a long way to fall if you totally mess up. No pressure.
And on to the pics:
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Pic of the Helicopter I flew - Post Flight |
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getting fuelled up pre-flight |
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View as we were coming in for some low height practice followed by the pilot landing the chopper |
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Some of the other Helicopters in the hangar |
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Classroom Training Session |