Any actual helicopter pilots in here?

Well, Scott, how much did you actually fly? 

Same for you, Matt.  How much do you actually fly?

Don't beat around the bush.  Come out and actually say it.  Total time and frequency.

This is a comparison for me.  I know exactly what I'll be doing over the next 5-6 years, at least, if I stay on my current path.  I'd like to make an informed decision (well, as much as possible anyway).

Thanks everyone.

Chopper Dave;

Based off what little you have said for your reasons to become an Army Aviator, I feel it would be better if you pose this question to the members of the OH-58D community unofficial web page. Explain your exact and complete reasons for wanting to do it.

For more information, go to www.kiowapilots.com and check out their forum.

They even have a modelers section.

 

I was just wondering, how can you safely store helicopters without having the rotorblades been bent, or broken off from banging against their fellow fixed wing counterparts?

IronCross,

That depends on the type of helicopter.  For Hueys, OH-58A/Cs and Bell 47 type aircraft, you stow the main rotor blades parallel with the airframe, so all you really have to worry about is the single blade sticking out in front of you.  For multi-bladed rotors, quite often there is a blade-fold feature incorporated (some of us get them later in the airframe's life! the AH-64 JUST started getting blade-fold kits).  If there is no blade fold feature, the blades then have to be removed for transport and then reattached, retracked and rebalanced, a rather time consuming process.

Jon

I checked that place out.  Funnily enough, no one seems willing to answer a very basic, simple question.  Still.

IronCross1939 wrote:

I was just wondering, how can you safely store helicopters without having the rotorblades been bent, or broken off from banging against their fellow fixed wing counterparts?

A strange question because it seems so obvious, so I am not sure if the answer am going to give you is what you are looking for.

Make sure that when you put helicopters in a hangar that there is enough clearance between blades on each aircraft so they don't come into contact with each other. This is SOP in most military operations and at the helicopter company I work for now.

As has been mentioned, if a hangar is to be packed (i.e. for protection against strong winds) with helicopters, the normal practice is to fold the blades, (if they are equipped with blade fold gear or can be manually folded) if not, normal practice is to remove the blades in order to store the maximum number of airframes.

The fact is, when helicotpers are in a hangar the blades are not usually subject to forces that would cause them to  being "bent, broken off, or banging against" oher fixed or rotary wing aircraft, unless you have ground handling personnel who aren't paying attention to what they are doing.

HTH

Jonathan Primm