B4RT wrote:

Regarding the time to transition, I think a former poster was wrong about 18
hours. Depending on how you interpret the FAR it could be as much as 30.
When I transitioned from rotorcraft to fixed, I flew about 30 hours over a 1
week interval to get all the stuff out of the way.

I'm the previous poster, and I could for sure be
wrong. Have been before, will be again ;-) but:

Sec. 61.109
(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 Sec. 61.107(b)(3) of this part, and the training must
include at least--

Nowhere above does it say the 40 total, 20 dual,
or 10 solo must be flown in a helicopter. If you
look up 61.107b (3), and compare it to 61.107b (1)
you'll find that they are close to identical,
except with a few helicopter specific things added.

The next section specifies helicopter.

(1) 3 hours of cross-country flight training in a helicopter;
(2) Except as provided in Sec. 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

So if you did a 3 hour dual cross country at night
with one leg at least 50NM, you would fulfill all
of the above. (3 hours dual)

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

Based on my experiences I think that 10 takeoffs
and landings to full stop and go would take about
2 hours (2 hours dual)

(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

(3 more hours dual)

(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.

(10 hours solo)

So the way I read this you could meet the
requirements of 61.109 with 40 hours tt, 20 dual,
with at least ~8 hours dual and 10 hours solo in
helicopters. We both agree that in this very
litigious age, it would be a very unusual student
that would convince a CFI to sign them off for
solo with only 5 hours of dual.

To put it in perspective, however, my first CFI
signed me off for solo on my sixteenth birthday
with 4.7 hours of dual logged. Looking back, it
seems hard to fathom, but the logbook doesn't lie.
Also, I grew up from about age 4 flying with my
dad and granddad, so had already taken off and
landed a plane before my first "lesson". We
almost never landed on concrete or asphalt either ;-)

Rotorcraft CFI's feel free to chip in here if I'm
reading Part 61 wrong, or if the FAA has changed
the interpretation with a ruling that I don't know
about.

Don W.