How do I find a Bell 47...

....to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Cheers,

Mike

Mike wrote:
...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Cheers,

Mike


I'm mostly a lurker here but have you thought of a small or even an
ultralight helicopter? There are many experts here that can tell you
about them if fun flying is what you want.


--
Bob

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas
5NM West of Gray Army/Killeen Regional (KGRK)

boB wrote:
Mike wrote:
...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Cheers,

Mike


I'm mostly a lurker here but have you thought of a small or even an
ultralight helicopter? There are many experts here that can tell you
about them if fun flying is what you want.



Hmm, I've heard so many scary stories - how do you know if what you are
gettnig yourself into is really safe and tested?

Mike
Not a bad idea but have you considered the Hiller 12 series? I've got
several thousand hours in each and know of more than a few whyo have
bought the H12's logged their time and sold them for at least what they
paid.
You might try to contact John Brigham with Bettencourt Helicopters in
Atmore,CA for more info. John is boss of a helicopter ag outfit there
and is pretty tuned in to who has what in helicopters in CA. Tell him
Rocky said HI. I gave him his first dual in a Hiller many years ago.
Mike wrote:
...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Cheers,

Mike

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net wrote in
message ...
On 13 Oct 2006 10:53:45 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Twin Air in Van Nuys (Los Angeles area) has a Bell 47 that they train
in. Give 'em a call and ask for Bob or Yo-Yo.



Uhhhh, Yo-Yo????

I once had contacts for flying a Bell 47 near Sacramento - Mather
Airport and Marin County Airport north of San Francisco.
In the LA area go to Michael Zemlock in Chino (it was cheaper than a R22
there!). He's a DE.

Steve R wrote:
"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net wrote in
message ...
On 13 Oct 2006 10:53:45 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Twin Air in Van Nuys (Los Angeles area) has a Bell 47 that they train
in. Give 'em a call and ask for Bob or Yo-Yo.



Uhhhh, Yo-Yo????

Goes up and down a lot?

Mike wrote:
...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
..snip

Cheers,

Mike

Thanks to all with contact ideas. I'll look into these leads.

Cheers,

Mike

"JohnO" wrote in message
oups.com...

Steve R wrote:
"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net wrote in
message ...
On 13 Oct 2006 10:53:45 -0700, "Mike" wrote:

...to get a little stick time? I'm a newbie (about 180 hours split
between the 300C and the R22) and I would dearly like to buy a
helicopter. No justification at all -- just a huge fascination with
helicopters. I think my short list includes a Robinson or a Bell 47.
But I've never flown a Bell and don't know a lot about them, such as
real operating costs, onerous ADs, availability of parts and mechanics
who really know them (in northern California). I'm not even sure where
to start. I did take a 1-hour lesson in an F28 but the instructor
seemed like a goof, and I'm not sure I got a good intro to that ship.
I'm in the SF Bay Area at the moment, though I will end up in far
northern California in a couple years.

Twin Air in Van Nuys (Los Angeles area) has a Bell 47 that they train
in. Give 'em a call and ask for Bob or Yo-Yo.



Uhhhh, Yo-Yo????

Goes up and down a lot?


Maybe? Reminds me of a flight I made many years ago. I was enjoying a
lovely night flight, totally CAVU after a good frontal line cleaned all the
smog out of the area earlier that afternoon. Anyway, I was tooling around
monitoring Houston Approach on the south side of town. This was before
Hobby and Ellington were under the Class B (then called a TCA) airspace and
I wasn't in an area where I needed to talk to them but I still liked to
listen in on the frequency.

There was some guy who contacted ATC with something like "Houston approach,
this is Piper 123 Yo-Yo." Houston approach came back with "Piper 123
Yankee-Yankee, Houston approach, go ahead....." The pilot came back and
identified himself as Piper 123 Yo-Yo again and made his request. The
controller responded with "now I've heard everything!" and gave the dude a
squawk code with heading and altitude instructions. It took me a while to
regain my composure. It's probably one of those situations where you really
needed to be there but to me, it was funny as hell at the time.

Fly Safe,
Steve R.