Interview here:
I did not start with fixed wing, though I have flown fixed wing a couple of times, not logged. I wanted to do fixed wing when I was younger, but helicopter seems a better bet now.
The reason is because the fixed wing industry is mostly airlines. And when I say "mostly", I mean 90% or more. That means that the fixed wing industry is subject to the volatility of demand for airline travel. Even before COVID, I knew it was volatile; 9/11 made that clear as well. With COVID being endemic and people not relaxing restrictions, I doubt the fixed wing industry will really recover to what it was. It might, though; my neighbor trains pilots for an airline, and his schedule is full right now because they can barely keep ahead of the demand for new pilots. And there are still other jobs, so the fixed wing demand might remain pretty high.
But rotorcraft was really only affected in one area: tours. The rotorcraft industry is much less volatile, and the demand is just as high. That's why I chose it. Also, it's easier to learn to fly helicopters and then to switch to fixed wing later if necessary.
The downside is that getting your Commercial certificate for rotorcraft is far more expensive, just because even the lightest helicopters cost far more to run per hour.
I can't say which is right for you, but that should at least give you more info.
Good luck with your progress, and hope the medical knot untangles itself.
"Moving forward" means tilting the rotor disk. Even when spinning, this will induce a little thrust, which will help clear the "dirty" (turbulent) air from the tail rotor, and as you said, induce a wind vane effect, which would stabilize the spinning a little, which would then allow more forward airspeed, and it would compound. I could see the helicopter flying a widening spiral as it gained forward airspeed until it fully stabilizes in straight-and-level flight.
Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness is a big deal in most helicopters where the tail rotor is not big relative to the size of the helicopter. In Robinson helicopters, the typical trainers, the tail rotors are massive for the size of the helicopter, and you will almost never run into Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness.
[1]: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/a...
[2]: https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/a...
Did you read the references I provided? The tail rotor can absolutely be in the turbulent air generated by the main rotor disk on takeoff and landing.
> No, "moving forward" means "moving forward." "tilting the rotor" means "tilting the rotor." those are very different things, as any helicopter pilot would know.
Do you have any training in helicopters? I do.
I used the terms I did because I was making a comment meant to be read by people who don't know the terms. I was trying to make it accessible. When I said that moving forward means tilting the rotor disk, I was saying that that's what I actually meant, but again, I used "moving forward" to make it understandable to others. In essence, I was providing a translation of the layman terms I used.
> I cannot discuss this with someone that doesn't understand English well enough to speak it.
It's not enough to "understand English"; you have to communicate too. That's what I was doing. I'm sure you understand the difference.
> I have no need to prove anything to you, anyway.
No, you don't, except now I think that you are only claiming to know what you are talking about, where I actually have time in a helicopter.
Unless you prove otherwise, I'm just going to think that naikrovek is someone who talks the talk and puts others down for not doing the same while naikrovek can't walk the walk.
That being said, I've talked to a few Vietnam helicopter pilots and all of their stories were ... well, exaggeration is a common theme.
if the pilot tipped the helicopter to the right after leaving the ground, and then continuously held the control stick in the direction of the movement of the helicopter, the body of the helicopter would begin to face the direction of travel unless the pilot actively countered that turn via the tail rotor.
Yes, which is why it would work to just push the stick forward, even if the helicopter was spinning.
With regards to Vietnam, a legend that I was told (but cannot confirm) was that Hueys had such bad tail rotor authority that they would take off straight up with the whole airframe spinning. Once high enough, the pilot would start the helicopter moving forward, which would allow the tail rotor to bite more, and the helicopter would stabilize.
Crazy if true. And after seeing a stunt like that by a bona fide insane and top-tier veteran pilot, I believe the legend.