Tuning In and Hot Take-Offs

Thanks for the memories of the good old Texas sun ..

Maybe my memory has really faded but for the life of me I only remember the
Hiller Killer H23s and a very few of the new Hughes Mattel Toys.
If memory has not totally failed me the H23 had a button "Chinese hat" that
was 4 way and we used that to center up the cyclic.. I know we had to fly
with out any friction so that we would learn throttle and collective
coordination and finesse..
The H13S models I flew during instrument phase at Rucker had friction and we
was allowed to use that while under the hood..You had to whistle tune the
AFD to get on freq..Same with the H21 and H34s that I flew later on when I
was between Vietnam tours..

The months I was at Mineral Wells the weather was pretty easy on the take
offs however my IP would compensate, made us use less RPM so you still had
to be very smooth on the pick up to a hover never three feet only inches
then just think about forward keeping the acft on the bubble and move ever
so graceful into translation lift.. Of course in learning that little skill
you arrived on the ground several times but then sweet success airborne on
the first try.. That experience went on to serve me well flying loaded C
Model gun ships on my first tour.. Many take offs where you and all on board
exhaled in order to become airborne..And it was mandatory for every one to
relieve the bladder prior to departure .. Only 545 made and I was lucky to
be able to fly one..