Benjamin Pitt

hehe me either, I thought cficare was maybe just describing each of his input's from downwind taxi to shutdown

I will add that when watching your airspeed indicator, you need to keep in mind that it is under reading given the wind is not presenting itself to the pitot tube from straight on. Hence the reason you appear to gain so much speed the instant you return to a balanced condition.

Do you mean while taking off/landing, or taxiing?

True, but I'm presuming the original poster is still not debating over what to do given it was almost two years ago. By I digress, by all means continue with advice for others in the same boat now though, as I'm sure many still are.

lol, check the thread date guys.

Hope things went well this time Brett :thumb_up:

Don't worry, you aren't the first and certainly will not be the last. Post up some questions you struggled with if you want, I sat the exams around 18 months ago so they should be fairly similar to what I sat. I know that jumping into the heli and going for a flight is hard to resist, but I do hope you heed my advice and hold of racking up the hours before finishing the exams.

Nope. Only if you fail reasonably is it a week, I think below 50% it is a month or so. I never had any trouble, but other students did that's how I know. That's good that you have already got fixed wing CPL out of the way Brett that saves you from doing 3 exams, and air law is very similar with some Heli questions thrown. . You need to sit AGK, AERO, PERF and OPS and AIR LAW. I've done it the other way from CPL H to CPL A. Coming from fixed wing you may really struggle with the aero exam and AGK to some extent as aero is thrown in for some questions, those that had fixed wing experience struggled in my class. The Longranger's fuel tank is a pain when doing PERF and OPS, the centre of gravity goes forward, back and forwards again during the fuel burn given it's and L shaped fuel tank on an angle.

Not sure if you have been told the low down on the theory, but if you fail an exam it can be a month or so before you can sit it again (depending on how much you failed by). Now considering you need to do your last 30 hours in 3 months (unless you fly the full 125 hour's) this can cause a problem. I'd recommend knocking over all of your exams before taking up training unless you are planning on finishing your exams months before finishing your hours. Stopping at 75 hours to pass that final exam is not what you want.

I think you are a little confused about the syllabus. You don't need to cover confined area's, pinnacles, cross country and low flying before circuit solo's. Infact the list you posted covers the entire syllabus in a 105 hour course, I think. Usually you get sent solo after covering emergencies, which can easily be done in the 20 hour time frame schools seem to be heading towards now. As I said my instructor went solo very early on, that same school now imposes a limit to the 19 or 20 hour mark for both PPL H or CPL H, it makes no difference at that early stage. If CASA have imposed a 30 hour limit, can you please post the link to where it is in the VFR CPL H syllubus please, I'd like to stay current on the rules. Anyway let us know how the lesson goes! Have you started theory (big issue) if you haven't, get that organised ASAP. I've known students having to stop flying due to not completing the exams late into their training.

Hmm, maybe your instructor is too hesitant??? The 10 minutes of hovering each lesson is normal, but he should have let you have a go on the cylic in the hover already, then he should have given you a go at all three at the same time. 10 hours is definetly too long, my first heli instructor went solo before 10 hours (6 or 7 I think) and while that was quick, it was not unusual (today schools usually have a set minimum hours before solo regardless of ability). 4-5th lesson seem to be where it clicks for most people who go on to be good helicopter pilot's. Of course some pick it up earlier with the first lesson being possible despite what some may say, "blessed by the hover fairy" my first instructor used to say.

Good luck Brett, gaining a CPL H will be one of the most fun things you do. This bit worries me though. Having completed my training a few years ago and watching many other students, I would advise you that if it does indeed take you 10 hours before you can maintain a hover, then heli flight isn't for you. After 105 hours, you could still see who struggled with controlling a hover, and an employer would too.