CONVERTING FROM FIXED-WING TO R44

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SITTING at the bar at White Waltham, on a dismal autumn day, my friends suddenly fell silent. Every one of them was opened mouthed, jaws touching the bar top. They looked at me as if I had two heads or had said something like, “John Prescott is sorely missed.”

The reason for this scene was that I’d said, that after 25 years of fixed-wing flying, I had decided to get my Helicopter licence (PPL(H)). The silence was broken with comments like, “You’re mad”, “Wellsy has lost the plot”, and “You’re full of it sometimes, correction, all of the time”.
“So what are you going to learn on?”
“Well I’ve done my research and I’ve decided on the Robinson R22.”
“Ha!” came the response. “You’ll kill yourself!” “Most dangerous aircraft of the lot,” came another. “Flown one have you? “ I responded. “No fear, death traps all of them, I’ve read the reports.” And so it went on. This made me even more determined.

WHET MY APPETITE
At 16, I wanted to fly. I tried to join the RAF but because of my childhood asthma I was told they would not take me as aircrew. Quote, “You’ll never fly if you’ve had asthma”. In my teens and early twenties I learnt to parachute. I then got my PPL, followed by a night rating, IMC, AFI instructor rating, QFI instructor rating and the very novel BCPL.

In the 25 years that followed I progressed into aerobatics and had shares in various aircraft, from homebuilts to a Chipmunk, a Pitts S1-D and a Chinese Nangchang CJ6 fighter trainer. I decided to sell the Nanchang share to fund my PPL(H) as a 50th birthday present to myself, although I still kept my share in a Piper Cherokee (hope the wife’s not reading this).

The desire to fly helicopters has been there since seeing the TV show Whirly Birds in the 1960s. Reading books such as Chicken Hawk, watching films like Apocalypse Now and mind-blowing videos like Dennis Kenyon’s The Helicopter Experience, bought for me as a Christmas present ages ago, only served to whet my appetite even further. So here the story starts. What the heck is it like to go from decades of fixed- wing flying, to the mysterious art of ‘bovver in the hover’?

YOU CAN DO IT
First, ignore people who say it is much easier to learn  without having fixed-wing experience. If you have a PPL(A), you obviously save time in having air experience. You’ll be used to circuits, joining, cross-country navigation and radio etiquette.

After a bit of asking around about schools and many a recommendation I chose HeliAir at Denham. My introduction was not what I expected. My instructor, Dave Nieman, looked at my log books and said, “Right, let’s see what you are made of.”

We did a ground brief on the effects of controls, then proceeded to the aircraft and did a pre-flight check on the Robinson R22 and then started the familiarisation flight. I admit I was apprehensive and my first attempts to fly the aircraft were abject failure. The aircraft was in control not me.

Still, it seems Dave was happy to continue and, in his words, “knock me into to shape”. So I left Denham with a receipt for 10 hours block paid at a discount, and copies of the requirements and books to read.

I won’t go through the basic principles of helicopter flight as there are better, more detailed publications dedicated to this, but the strange thing is a PPL(H) requires 45 hours flying with ten hours solo, including five hours cross country navigation and five hours of instrument appreciation to simulate IMC flight, even though flying a helicopter in cloud with a PPL(H) is not permitted.

If you have a PPL(A), the CAA allows six hours dispensation but it does not say which six hours of the course is not required.

After five hours of instruction I was finding it difficult to keep the R22 stable in the hover. I was not controlling the aircraft – it was controlling me and it was really frustrating. I can remember saying to my wife, “I don’t think I can do this.”
“Why?” she said.
“It is more difficult than I thought.”
“But you’ve flown loads of types.”
“I know but this is so different”.
Back at the airfield Dave was also losing patience. After eight hours he told me to land at the far side of the airfield.
“Right,” he said. “I’m getting out!”
In fright, I shouted, “What?” He repeated, “I’m getting out, watch my signals and slowly get into the hover and do not land ‘til I tell you!” Before I could protest he was standing in front of the chopper.

He motioned for me to ascend. I took it slow and increased manifold pressure by slowly raising the collective, scanning the instruments, gradually feeling the aircraft get lighter as the power built and gently increasing left rudder to counteract torque.

The aircraft began to ascend. I constantly adjusted rudder to keep the aircraft straight and level. I glanced at my instructor, directing me to climb higher to a safe altitude. Hardly moving the cyclic, controlling the revolving disc above my head. This was slightly pointed into to wind to keep me stationary over one spot.

I then realised I was on my own, solo flight in the hover. “Ooo-er missus!” I shouted, or words to that effect. I started to descend, keeping the aircraft steady with the pedals and lowering the collective, scanning the instruments and looking beyond my instructor to avoid moving forward. Looking directly down as you are landing, tends to draw you into a forward motion.

Dave had other ideas and indicated, in rather rude terms, that I should go back up and keep flying! Eventually, and with great relief he motioned me to land. “Right, that’s that then. All you needed was to believe you could do it. I knew you could do it but you didn’t!”

IN THE CIRCUIT
After a few more mandatory lessons and practice emergencies, I was in the circuit, wondering what all the fuss was about.

One thing that did surprise me, was my habit transfer from fixed-wing flying. Things you do automatically. In a high-wing aircraft you always lift the opposite wing to check the sky before you turn. In my head the helicopter had the ‘wing’ above and I was picked up several times doing this but at least I was looking out.

The great thing about being a helicopter student is you can fly almost every day of the year. Lots of times we were the only aircraft flying at Denham – when the cloudbase was too low for fixed-wing. You can always practice on the airfield mid-week as there are many aspects of learning to fly a helicopter that you can do at a hover taxi height. One of these is the Quick Stop, a manoeuvre that looks impressive from the safety of the clubhouse as you fly at very low altitude in a fast hover taxi. You use a combination of attitude and power management to stop the aircraft instantly with a fairly positive pitch up and recover. A lot of fun and a skill much needed on a busy airfield.

Others include landing on uneven ground, flying in a circle keeping the tail over one spot, and flying backwards and side ways. All exercises in low altitude handling are good practice that build confidence and pave the way for the more interesting and practical aspects of helicopter flying, such as taking off and landing in confined spaces.

HeliAir has a list of rotor friendly landowners and we practiced landing in woodland and tight unusual strips of land. You can also take advantage of their facilities at High Wycombe and Wellesbourne in addition to Denham. The fixed-wing mindset of “I’ll never get in there” kicks in when you first start to practice operating in confined areas and it can be quite unnerving, as the site always seems too small to land on.

But that is the beauty of choppers, their ability to land almost anywhere. Obviously many factors dictate safe operation at the limit of the flight envelope, from location, weight, outside temperature that has an effect on performance and obviously wind, but learning this new skill is so much fun.

I really was enjoying this new found flying freedom. Soon leaving Denham for my first solo sortie was due. My instructor told me to plan to go to Westcott from Denham and then return. “Can’t I go somewhere else?” I pleaded. “Where do you want to go?” “Well, I can’t wait to go to White Waltham just for a cup of tea and then return.” He smiled, “Only if you phone me when you land and before you take off.”

So for the first time in my life and with great pleasure I flew a little R22 helicopter from one airfield to another. I was pleased to be greeted on arrival by my friends from the Nanchang CJ6 group, the plane I had sold my share in to help fund my PPL(H). It was a personal milestone for me. On par with my first fixed-wing solo and one never to be forgotten. My favourite mount is a particular R22 derivative, G-DMCD. This R22 has a rare American instrument training panel. I find it is easier to reach than the normal R22 panel. Helicopter pilots only have one pair of hands and both are employed flying the aircraft! Changing frequencies and pressure, transponder settings, all require a free left hand to implement.

In the R22 you cannot let go of the control column (cyclic) with your right hand. You can however, increase friction to the collective and let go with your left hand, to do vital tasks only. So you need to be able to write with your left hand and do ordered tasks etc.

FLIGHT TEST
I found the Flight Test for the PPL(H) to be more involved than for a fixed-wing. The examiner really needs to understand that the student appreciates all aspect of rotary flight. In particular, the student has to demonstrate a greater understanding of quick reaction emergency procedures – especially in the event of engine failure and being able to implement autorotation instantly.

Unlike some other helicopters, if the engine fails, the R22 has a very short reaction time before it metamorphoses into a brick. If the attitude and speed in the descent is not achieved instantly, it can result in unfortunate pain to say the least.

Saying this, my instructor started introducing autorotation almost from the outset and on every single flight, we would practice autorotation. This helped to take the mystique from the exercise, until it became pure habit and produced a confidence in safe reactionary flying.

One of the key components to maintain good progress is concentrating on keeping the aircraft in near perfect balanced flight, using the rudder pedals. Even if you have lots of time on taildraggers, foot control is vital for quick progress from take-off and landing, to fuel-efficient cross-country.

Through my early instruction, I admit I was quite sloppy. There is a tell-tale, string attached to the front bubble on the outside of cockpit glass, exactly the same as in a glider. Along with the familiar balance ball on the control panel, they indicate graphically if the helicopter is flying out of balance. Feel and sound should also be instant awareness tools that build with experience. One day Dave said to me, “That’s enough, the aircraft’s out of balance again. Every time it ‘is’ out of balance you owe me £5.”

That day he demanded £25 off me and he was not joking! I paid him and I never did it again!! Amazing how the stick and carrot technique works!

After passing the technical exams, and Human Performance and Limitations exam (an exam I had not previously taken, as in the dark ages it did not exist), I took my Flight Test. The other advantage of having a fixed-wing PPL is that the other exams, Met, Radio and Air Law, are already valid, so you only need to do the type specific exams.

On 1 April 2006 (fortuitous date), I passed my GFT and took all my paperwork to the CAA at Gatwick to get my new licence. I now had 12 months of building experience before another full GFT was due. Which I am pleased to say I passed.

A PPL(H) requires a full GFT every 12 months on type, every type and not a simple bi-annual, as in fixed wing. Since then I have also added the Robinson R44 to my licences, flying with Sloane Helicopters in Majorca, and that’s another story. The CAA requires that you need to have a full separate rating for the R44, with four hours on type, pass a technical exam and complete a full GFT. Oh and also another £75, just for someone at Gatwick to type ‘R44’on your licence.

So if you have ever fancied rotary, book a trial flight. It’s not that much ‘bovver in the hover’ after all!
Ken Wells can be contact by email: ken@kenwells.co.uk

TRAINING FOR THE PPL(H) – WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Course leading to the award of a PPL(H) consists of flight and ground instruction designed so that the pilot-under- training is given the experience, the competence in flying and the knowledge of aviation technical matters necessary to pass the flight test and the ground examinations to the standard required by the CAA.

You need to be 16 years old to fly solo and 17 to apply for a licence. The minimum flying experience required to qualify for the issue of a PPL(H) is 45 flight hours of which 10 hours is solo. For the holder of a PPL(A) the minimum is 39 hours.
The student must pass a Skill Test and ground examinations in the following:
Aviation Law and Operational Procedures
Aircraft General Knowledge & Principles of Flight
Flight Performance and Planning
Navigation
Meteorology
Human Performance & Limitations
Radiotelephony

The flight training and ground instruction are integrated throughout the course and although the ground subjects may at first seem daunting, with instruction, guidance and self-study, the examinations will present no great obstacle.

Exams are set by the CAA but can be administered and marked at the flying school. They consist of multiple choice questions and are quite straightforward.

At the completion of the Course, the student will take a flying Skill Test conducted by a CAA approved examiner.
Approximate cost of training on the R22 is around £225 + VAT per hour but this varies from school to school. Many schools also offer a prepayment option which can bring down the cost when you buy in bulk.
Thanks to Sloane Helicopters for providing the information. To learn more about the PPL(H) course contact the team.
T: 01604 790595
W: www.sloanehelicopters.co.uk 

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