Helicopter flying

THURSDAY
That being today.  Work was fairly straight forward.  I sent a quote to a customer.  I am working on a software issue.

I took off early to have a helicopter flying lesson.  Last weeks lesson was a bit ordinary and I decided I needed to do some homework and it paid off.

On the enjoyable side, I managed to evict the kids from the computer on a couple of occasions and fly my simulator.  I found how to connect separate throttle and collective to Microsoft Flight Simulator (FSX) and so I need to finish constrution of my collective which includes the throttle.

I also rehersed the start up procedure so that I could do it from memory.  It goes like this.
Get into Helicopter.
Check foot pedals are adjusted.   The equivalent in a car is adjusting the seat.
Seatbelts on.  There are no doors and so the seatbelts give one a sense of security.
Everything OFF flow check - Start from the top and visually inspect each instrument
    Compass - check its pointing in roughly the right place.
    Instruments look normal.
    All switches off except the beacon switch.
    All the radios etc off.
Battery Switch ON.
    Warning and caution lights on.  Press to test if required.
    Set Altimiter to 63 feet
    Set directional indicator. 
    Check fuel level (Should agree with the fuel dip test performed before getting in)
Prime Engine
   Throttle open 1 cm
    Fuel boost ON
    Mixture in 2.5 seconds then pull out.
    Fuel boost ON
Start Engine
   Magnitos to Both - This is a key switch like in a car.
   Press start button (In cenre of the throttle)
   When engine fires gently but firmly push in the mixture knob.
   1400 RPM
   Observe 25PSI oil pressure in 30 seconds.
Power Up Electronics
   Again work top to bottom.  Left to right.
   Altinator ON. Avionics ON.  Stop watch ON.  Put headsets on.
Engage Rotor
   Check area clear.
   1500 RPM
   Switch to slow. Switch to engage and back to Auto.
   Wait for rotors to start and the RPM needles to converge.
   While this is happening, set radio
      ATIS 120.9MHz.  Tower North on 123.6MHz
   Close switch Guard.  Wait for clutch light to go out.
After Rotor Engage Tests
    Set 2000RPM
    Warning & Caution lights all out except low rotor RPM.
    Check T's & P's in Green.
    Altinator OFF.  Check light and ammeter. Altinator ON
Cyclic Check -
    Frictions OFF.  Cyclic forward observe tip.  Cyclic left Observe tip.  Frict ON.
Power on to 2000RPM and 15MAP
Mag Drop Check.  125 RPM in 5 seconds.
Clutch Check
   Collective down, Throttle off.  Observe needle split as blades freewheel.
   Set 2000RPM.  Frictions ON.
Final Flow Check
   Warning Caution Lights OFF (Except low rotor RPM).
   Cage Artificial Horizon.
   T's & P's in green.

Radio
   Listen to ATIS
   Switch to SMC (That would be Surface Movement Control) on 119.9MHz.
   Call Tower
       Pilot:  "Archer Ground Helicopter Bravo Qubec November Hughes 300 in receipt of At V2 Parking for Operations Area Alpha Request Taxi"
       Tower: "Cleared for operations area alpha bla bla"
       Pilot (Repeats the jist of that and closes with call sign): " Taxi area alpha contact tower on 123.6 when ready Bravo Qubec November"

Lift Off
   Check area clear.
   RPM mid Green.  Raise Collective Look for light on Skids.
   Left pedal.
   Find balance point with the collective.  Continue to raise.
   If issues, pause adjust anbd continue to raise collective.
   On lift off, some aft cyclic.
    Hover at about 1 to 2 meters.
    Check warning & caution lights.  Eyes out - Now this is important.  Keep looking inside and you just spiral out of control.  You need that horizon to be able to keep even remotely still.

And there you have it.  Then go flying.

I memorised it all (well most of it)
Then we flew in circles and by the end of the lesson, I could almost take off, fly a circuit and land but being a bit too enthusiastic on transition to forward flight, then not really the 60knot attiture on ascent a bit of an over shoot above 500ft, Then too fats, too slow, too high and too low on the down wind leg.  Finally not getting enough power off on the base leg so we make the final turn a biot to fast, crab down the final approach, too fast , too high, over shoot the landing spot and lind nicely just a bit further on.  Then do it all again.