A more expensive pastime than Ducati ownership
 

I've just achieved a lifetime ambition and done something that is just as exciting as riding my Duke, just as addictive but exponentially more expensive.

As a birthday present from a few weeks ago I've just been up in a helicopter for the first time and briefly taken the controls of a Robinson R22. The thing is incredibly sensitive to control inputs and it's almost as if you just have to think where to go and it goes there. Just keeping the thing straight and level is an art - and that's when they only let you loose on one set of controls at a time - goodness knows how much coordination and practise you need to balance all three controls.

An amazing and addictive experience, but at £200 an hour I don't think I'll be doing much of it, if at all :(

Stay away from those things :o:o:o

I've flown in more helicopters than I've had hot dinners and they suck :( Many's the time that I've landed and the fitters come and bolt everything back down :lol:

btw Wasn't Steve Hislop flying a Robinson when he met his untimely and tragic end?

I've always wanted a pilot's license ... one day maybe ...

Hey TP don't you find beer more expensive than Ducati ownership?:lol:

Pilot's licence a lot cheaper than helicopter licence. If only you would give up those two very expensive hobbies - Ducatis (plural) and children (plural) - you could have gotten three of them by now.

Steve was flying an R44.

I've done a few hours in an R22 and based on what i have learnt about them since i dont think i'll be doing any more! If you look at the AAIB site there are two or three incidents involving R22's each month.

Lets just say that they have some very "interesting" handling characteristics. Loss of engine power is one issue. In certain circumstances you've got two seconds to lower the collective before the rotor speed decays to a dangerous level.

Its was great fun at the time though!

Good point :(

I'm seriously biting my tongue here ...

Besides, you need fixed wing before you can get a 'rotary' license don't you?

[Edited on 7-9-2005 by TP]

No you dont Tony. If you have fixed wing you can get some allowance off the nav bits of the rotary wing licence and vice verca i think.

Pourquoi? I'm allowed to have my opinion on here same as any other topic that I know nothing about. I was given this information by a friend of a friend who works with a guy who used to date someone who definitely knew.