5/5 Fox S. 1 year ago on Google
I
had
been
planning
for
a
couple
months
to
do
my
Discovery
Flight
on
my
52nd
birthday,
January
19th,
I
got
medically
discharged
from
US
Army
WOFT
before
I
even
left
for
BASIC,
1989
and
flying
a
Whirlybird
had
always
been
my
TOP
Bucketlist
item
ever
since,
but
it's
not
exactly
cheap,
or
without
trepidation!
But
I
was
DETERMINED
to
do
this
NOW,
however
I
caught
a
nasty
winter
cold
before
Christmas,
and
my
asthma
held
onto
the
cough
nearly
4
weeks,
so
doubts
were
creeping
in?!
I
had
wanted
to
do
R66
Ultimate
Discovery
flight,
but
it's
$795
more
for
my
coveted
jet
start-up
sound,
than
the
$895
R44
ULTIMATE,
this
was
with
a
Ft
Worth
Helicopter
Co.
So
I
delayed
scheduling
until
my
cough
was
defeated,
6
days
from
birthday.
Unfortunately,
the
weather
said
rain!
So
I
called
to
schedule
for
Monday,
and
it
was
4:59
pm
Fri
and
guy
said
they
were
already
FULL
up,
after
saying
it
was
5pm,
everyone
that
could
schedule
me
was
already
gone???
After
a
few
unexpected
bills,
I
couldn't
afford
the
R66
Ultimate
for
75
minutes
anyway,
it
was
$1,675!!!
The
R44
was
$895
for
Ultimate,
but
man
told
me
their
SIM
was
broken
anyway
(ULTIMATE
comes
with
30
minutes
SIM
too),
so
only
60
minutes
ADVANCED
was
available,
so
I
looked
up
price
of
"ONLY"
$990
for
turbine-powered
R66
WHOO
HOO
I
thought,
and
I
knew
it
was
hardly
checked
out,
so
I
asked
to
do
R66
Advanced
course???
No
pilots
available
he
said,
but
then
he
promised
he'd
contact
his
pilots,
and
call
me
back,
he
NEVER
did!!!
So
now,
after
waiting
for
promised
call
back
that
didn't
come,
now
it
was
close
to
6pm,
I
was
DESPERATE
and
I
had
been
searching
Google
for
possible
alternatives!!!
I
found
Sky
Helicopters
in
Garland
and
talked
with
Connie,
she
said
she
had
one
2pm
opening
on
Saturday,
and
a
half
hour
Discovery
was
ONLY
$275
in
R44?!
WHAT???
$275?!
But
only
30
minutes
of
flight
time???
She
continued
to
ASSURE
me,
my
mental
plate
would
be
PLENTY
full
at
30
minutes,
I
trusted
her,
kinda,
LOL
So
I
told
her
I'd
have
to
cb
in
morning,
she
said
ok.
I
called
my
wife,
asked
if
she
could
come
with
me
to
film
and
take
pics,
it
was
gonna
be
tight
timing
for
her
plans
in
morning,
but
she
said
she
would!!
I
immediately
called
Connie
back,
30
seconds
before
they
closed
at
6pm,
Connie
still
answered
and
booked
me
for
2pm
next
day!!!
I
got
there
at
1:45,
and
was
introduced
to
first-name
Sawyer,
I
loved
Capt.
Sawyer
and
his
name
immediately,
he
even
invited
my
wife
to
join
us
in
classroom,
then
we
did
a
brief
SIM
to
explain
cause
and
effect
of
all
three
controls,
then
we
went
out
to
R44
Raven
I.
Sawyer
further
instructed
my
wife
where
she
could
be
to
take
pics,
but
after
we
were
ready
to
start
engine,
where
she
need
to
be
to
safely
film
from.
Let
me
tell
you,
I'd
never
ever
even
sat
in
ANY
helicopter,
but
here
I
was
PIC
in
right
seat!!!
I
had
watched
dozens
of
hours
on
R44
and
R66
start-ups,
take-offs,landings,
autorotations,
etc,
and
I
was
upset,
AT
FIRST,
that
I
wouldn't
be
allowed
to
take
off
nor
land,
but
hindsight
being
20/20,
that
was
PURE
WISDOM
LOL
I
took
full
control
several
times
throughout
the
flight,
but
like
my
own
personal
Guardian
Angel,
Capt.
Sawyer
had
his
feet
and
hands
micro
millimeters
from
controls
in
case
I
got
in
the
weeds,
which,
in
Ground
effect,
hovering,
he
had
to
come
to
my
aid
every
time
Hahahaha
then
he
brought
us
in
for
landing
and
power
down.
All
to
say,
it
was
the
most
challenging,
rewarding,
yet
humbling
experience
of
my
life,
and
I'm
hooked!!!
It
may
be
a
couple
months
before
I
start
lessons,
but
what
a
FANTASTIC
and
affordable
experience...FWIW,
I
currently
weigh
265/270,
so
the
R22
was
never
an
option
for
me.
My
recommendation
is
trust
yourself,
and
save
your
money,
go
to
Sky
Helicopters
in
Garland
Texas,
Connie
will
steer
you
correctly!!!
And
yes,I
bought
a
logbook
to
record
my
first
half-hour,
Happy
birthday
to
me!!!
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