Ever flown a helicopter you just don't like?

Ian_J

Ian_J

Hubschrauber Flieger
Staff member
The airplane version of this thread got me thinking. In that thread, I immediately thought of an airplane I didn't like (C-177RG). With five models under my belt, I haven't really flown a lot of different helicopters. But out of those five, I liked them all.

Anyone have a helicopter they just hate?
 
Astars scare me. We have one in our hangar and I'm always surprised that it can carry a 3400 pound external load.
 
I've only flown a few since I'm a lower time guy, but the r22 is "interesting" on a gusty day. Most of my time is in an Enstrom, which flies great. Extremely stable, plenty of power, and autos like a dream compared to the Robinson. I didn't like the heavy controls and cyclic trim at first, but after learning how to use it correctly, it can be extremely stable. I do wish it had a governor at times, but the correlater works pretty well. It just needs minor adjustments to keep the rpm in the green.
 
I wish I could fly a helicopter so I could give a real reply :(

Really though, I friend let me fly his Bell 206 once and that's all I have experience in. However, being a fixed wing dude, I wouldn't mind another chance in a helo. Love being 20 feet off the ground doing 10 kts sideways in a noisy machine.
 
I hate Astars because there is a helo ramp full of them a stone's throw from our maintenance hangar and the noise in summertime is atrocious.
 
Didn't fly, but HMX-1 had the following.

CH-53E = absolute beast. Could life almost anything, fast, and can do a loop and a roll (NATOPs forbid it, but the Sikorsky test pilots would).

CH-46E = tired old bird. Most of my time was in the back of the phrog, the pilots loved it, mechs not so much.

VH-60 = never even rode in one. Never broke, never maxed out, got to go on all of the fun depoyments.

VH-3 = Take an old obsolete design, throw in a VIP interior, hardened avionics, and even a lav, what you get is a DOG of an aircraft.
 
The only helicopter I've flown was an R22 and it was amazing fun and from the little bit I've heard they aren't really a very good helicopter... so, not sure what that says about the others.

All I can do is imagine, but I would think the AH-6 would be just about the most fun you could have flying rotor wing.
 
R44 and R66. Didn't care for either one of them; just seem like they are missing something......
 
I wasn't crazy about the R22 when I first started flying it. Too damn touchy and a real pain to keep on altitude/airspeed on a windy or summer day. I'd really like to fly some of the other little piston helos to compare. I've heard good things about the Enstrom, including the post here, but have yet to find one to fly.

I thought the B206 was as easy to fly as the Huey, but my god, what a lack of power. I guess I've been spoiled flying military helos for most of my time but I really don't think it's too much to ask to have more than 3 foot hover power with two people and a full tank of gas.

I'd really like to fly an H-60 without all the crap the AF has hung off ours. I hear the Army Mikes can go 150+ kias straight and level. Our range sorties would go a lot faster if we weren't struggling to hold 120 while cycling off the TGT limiters. I keep hearing we're gonna get new birds, but I'm thinking my crap hand will fill up before my hope hand on that one.
 
Well, obviously I don't really have an oar to put in the water on this, but I've yet to talk to anyone who's flown an Astar (DeathStar, FallingStar) who has much nice to say about it. The best I've heard is along the lines of "Well, it's not as bad as it's made out to be"...
 
Ian J said:
The airplane version of this thread got me thinking. In that thread, I immediately thought of an airplane I didn't like (C-177RG). With five models under my belt, I haven't really flown a lot of different helicopters. But out of those five, I liked them all.

Anyone have a helicopter they just hate?
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Revolution Mini-500. Poorly designed, underpowered, two-stroke power, damaging vibration.
 
Boris Badenov said:
But like in a good way, right? RIGHT?

I'd sell minor body parts to get to fly a little bit of HEMS (with the option to go back to my boring stuck-wing work at any moment, obviously). So basically rawr but meow. ;)
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A good friend of mine is an HEMS guy. Honestly, I'm a bit of a pansy when it comes to stuff like low level flying at 3 AM in marginal WX. I think I'll stick to wings that don't move.
 
I have about 5 minutes of stick time in an A109....











...They were some of the best five minutes of my life. :D

(^ Insert sophomoric joke here.)
 
Nope.

Never set foot in one of the contraptions. Although, a number of years ago someone thought they would pollute my mind with how awesome it would be to be a WO in the Army Guard. Hmm...
 
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