How to Fly a Robinson R44 Helicopter
The Robinson R44 helicopter is a rotor-style aircraft. Rotor aircraft is the industry term for helicopter. The R44 is a four-seat rotor craft with an ability to fly to almost 9,000 feet above sea level and has a 350-mile flight range. Flying a helicopter is a challenging endeavor, not to mention expensive. The FAA has stiff requirements for rotor aircraft licensing, including ground school time, in-flight training, courses in aerodynamics and solo hours. Before you make the plunge and drop a large deposit at a flight school for a license course, check out the flight schools for an introductory flight to see if it is for you.
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Instructions
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Direct an Internet browser to the Robinson website (see Resources). Follow the menu links to Robinson Courses.
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Schedule an appointment at the Robinson facility for an introductory flight. You get time at the controls on the intro flights, giving you a solid feel of what it is to pilot a rotor aircraft.
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Follow the Robinson links to flight school listings for your area if you are unable to go to the Torrance, California factory for the Robinson introductory flight. Find a school that offers training in the R44 in your area. Schedule an introductory flight to fly and learn about the R44. The introductory flights tend to be lower priced than the actual flight school costs as a way of ensuring potential students understand what they are signing on for.
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Abstain from any alcohol or prescription drugs that cause drowsiness 24 hours before the scheduled introductory flight. Arrive early and bring a government-issued picture ID and proof of U.S. citizenship, as the FAA rules post-9/11 require these documents of flight school students.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit helicopter image by cico from Fotolia.com
