Craig Campbell wrote:

I never really thought much about doing fixed wing, would that be worth
doing just to have or really only if I really wanted to use it?
"601XL Builder" wrDOTgiacona@suddenlinkDOTnet wrote in message
...

Craig Campbell wrote:

I am about to start my private pilot helicopter course. I have been told
that learning fixed wing first makes it much easier.
I am not sure what to do as my heart was set on rotary but I want to do
it right first time.

Can anyone please give me feedback on this?
Thanks
Craig Campbell

If you plan on getting both get the fixed wing first. It will be cheaper.

If you don't plan on flying fixed wing, I'm not
sure it would be cheaper to get the fixed wing
license first. It's true that you can learn to
fly, navigate, and work the radios in $75/hr
airplanes instead of $200-$250/hr helicopters, but
you will still have to do the transition to
rotorcraft for your helicopter license.

The way I read Part 61.109 (copied below), the
minimum number hours you would have to have in a
helicopter for the transition would be:

3 hours (Combined Dual Night/Cross country)
2 hours (10 Dual takeoffs and landings to stop)
3 hours (Dual training prep for check ride)
10 hours (solo)
=====
18 hours helicopter minimum

If you could learn everything you needed to learn
on the helicopter in that time, it would be
incredible. A more likely transition scenario
would be something like 30 hours.

So in that case, you would save ten or so hours of
helicopter time, by spending 40 hours of fixed
wing time.

Doing the math with the following assumptions:

Fixed Wing = C150 @ $75/hr wet
Fixed Wing Instructor = $30/hr
Helicopter = R22 @ $225/hr wet
Heli Instructor = $30/hr
Heli Transition = 15 Dual, 10 Solo

Fixed wing plus Rotary route:

Fixed Wing (20*$105)+(20*$75)
Helicopter (15*$255)+(10*$225)
==============================
Total = $9,675 + Ground Instruction
and you would have a Fixed and Rotary Wing Rating

Heli only route:

Helicopter (20*$255)+(20*225)
=============================
Total = $9600 + Ground Instruction
and you would have Rotary Wing only rating

So it would probably be slightly more expensive to
start in fixed wing and transition to helicopter.

As far as the easy part, I found it relatively
easy to transition from fixed wing to the R22.

Regards,
Don W.

Part 61.109 (c)

c) For a helicopter rating. Except as provided in
paragraph (k) of this section, a person who
applies for a private pilot certificate with
rotorcraft category and helicopter class rating
must log at least 40 hours of flight time that
includes at least 20 hours of flight training from
an authorized instructor and 10 hours of solo
flight training in the areas of operation listed
in §61.107(b)(3) of this part, and the training
must include at least—

(1) 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a
helicopter;

(2) Except as provided in §61.110 of this part, 3
hours of night flight training in a helicopter
that includes—

(i) One cross-country flight of over 50 nautical
miles total distance; and

(ii) 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop
(with each landing involving a flight in the
traffic pattern) at an airport.

(3) 3 hours of flight training in preparation for
the practical test in a helicopter, which must
have been performed within 60 days preceding the
date of the test; and

(4) 10 hours of solo flight time in a helicopter,
consisting of at least—

(i) 3 hours cross-country time;

(ii) One solo cross-country flight of at least 75
nautical miles total distance, with landings at a
minimum of three points, and one segment of the
flight being a straight-line distance of at least
25 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing
locations; and

(iii) Three takeoffs and three landings to a full
stop (with each landing involving a flight in the
traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating
control tower.