Anyone flown a helicopter?
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Never flown a real one but have plenty of time in sims, it's a skill like driving that you'll pick up easily with enough time I'd think, the hard part about it would be keeping up with the cost of lessons and flight hours after you manage to pass your flight tests, it's not cheap unless prices have dropped since I last looked and that is highly unlikely.
When you say sims, do you mean like video games or proper simulators? Is there an accepted benchmark on what is "transferrable" or even comparable?
Eg I played dcs black shark on a X52 pro. Found it intuiative but want to know what its actually like.
regards
Video games, back in the day Longbow2 was considered very close and was used for training by apache pilots, MSFS is also supposed to be fairly good, obviously none of them are going to be close to a real helicopter but they will in essence give you a reasonable feel as to whether you can control one or not.
You'd probably be better asking about this over at somewhere like www.simhq.com on their helicopter sim boards as there are usually a few real pilots kicking around.
You'd probably be better asking about this over at somewhere like www.simhq.com on their helicopter sim boards as there are usually a few real pilots kicking around.
I've flown a helicopter. They're an absolute pain in the ass to fly and require you to be a eunic. The slightest pang of testosterone will have you in the same place as all the motorsport greats who have killed themselves in helicopters.
Fixed wing > rotary.
Fixed wing > rotary.
That was pretty definitive.
Are the basic controls similar to that of some games like FSX?
Regards
What is a eunic?
I think he means Eunuch, basically a man who was castrated before puberty to stunt hormonal development or just a guy who has been castrated or was deformed at birth.
My Father did one of those 5 day helicopter flying things, he's had a pilots license in the past so he expected it to be pretty simple, apparently it's just not due to the amount of things you need to concentrate on and do at the same time, every movement has a profound effect and simply taking off to about 10ft and landing without turning or moving took a while to get right.
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I've flown a helicopter. It's like trying to balance a tennis ball in the centre of a racket. While standing on top of a bowling ball. And you're drunk.
A serious amount of concentration and coordination is needed. You've got 3 axis' to worry about and any action on one requires a response on the other 2. I'm sure it would get easier with time and practice. My flight was an introductory package with about 30 mins of hands on. I didn't follow it up because I was sure I'd end up killing myself.
I've not played Black Shark so can't compare. However, it is nothing like flying the helicopters in Battlefield 2, GTA or Just Cause 2
A serious amount of concentration and coordination is needed. You've got 3 axis' to worry about and any action on one requires a response on the other 2. I'm sure it would get easier with time and practice. My flight was an introductory package with about 30 mins of hands on. I didn't follow it up because I was sure I'd end up killing myself.
I've not played Black Shark so can't compare. However, it is nothing like flying the helicopters in Battlefield 2, GTA or Just Cause 2
I've not played Black Shark so can't compare. However, it is nothing like flying the helicopters in Battlefield 2, GTA or Just Cause 2
Aww. I was getting good at that too!
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I've no idea... it's been more than 10 years since I took my flight. The tennis ball and racket is the best comparison I can think of regarding the balance required. Or maybe balance a golf ball on the centre of a flat plate?
Might help to read up on it to get a grasp of what skills are required. That's where I'd begin if I was going back in the cockpit.
Have you considered a fixed wing flight? I've heard that is the better place to start before you move onto rotary aircraft.
Might help to read up on it to get a grasp of what skills are required. That's where I'd begin if I was going back in the cockpit.
Have you considered a fixed wing flight? I've heard that is the better place to start before you move onto rotary aircraft.
Flown the Sea King training simulator at RAF St Mawgan. Landed it on an aircraft carrier off the cornish coast
Loved it, always had a passion for fixed wing flight when I was younger and flew a few times with the ATC, however flying the Heli sim was so much more interesting.
You have to be very co-ordinated, theres 4 things you need to be in control of and everything has to move as one (flight column - pitch/roll, pedals - yaw, collective - height, throttle - manual/automatic)
Loved it, always had a passion for fixed wing flight when I was younger and flew a few times with the ATC, however flying the Heli sim was so much more interesting.
You have to be very co-ordinated, theres 4 things you need to be in control of and everything has to move as one (flight column - pitch/roll, pedals - yaw, collective - height, throttle - manual/automatic)