Helicopters

[TacitBlue]

If anyone is interested in learning how to fly helicopters, I found a good way to do it. I was messing around with that aircraft carrier in the San Francisco bay, landing small planes on it and such. I decided that I wanted to see the inside, so I switched to the stock Robinson helicopter, and taxied to one of the elevator platforms. My idea was to take off go out about 20 feet, decend 15 or 20, turn around and fly straight in through the door. This is not as easy as it sounds, but after you try and fail about 150 times, it gets much easier. Now I am halfway decent at flying those stupid things. Also, if your going to do this, you should know that the inside deck is NOT landable, you get a "crash" no matter how gently you land, so you might want to turn crashes off.

[Ben_M_K]

Thanks for the tip!

And slightly off topic...landing planes on the carrier will help you get more preseice on those approaches!

[wilderobb]

Great!! I'm just getting started on those heli things.  ;D

[wji]

Takes me back to FS98 days when we flew the B206D off the USS Carl Vinson's desk and went below decks. Also, in FS2k2 landing atop the WTCs from the river.

Welcome to the club.
bill

[FS_Pilot]

Bill
I agree I used to like flying off the USS Carl Vinson's desk as well. Just when they include something interesting they remove it in the next version.
Allen

[TrinidadN98AV]

I've been flying FS Helis since '00 edition, I don't suggest this as the primary method of learning.  It also depends on your helicopter.  If you want to get really good at helis, you've gotta spend hours upon hours flying and doing manuevers, practicing take offs and landings.  Tip to beginners: start out on the R22, a lot easier to fly than the bell.

[TacitBlue]

Oh, I agree, I was just saying that its great practice. It involves many of the heli skills - hovering, turning with the tail rotor, going up or down without going forward or backward. Also, "USS Carl Vinsons desk"? at first I thought it was a typo, but then someone else said it... was there a giant desk in FS98?