Helicopter ride and lunch with Laura

[Beverley Sims]

Yessss!
Never miss a ride in any aircraft.

Too expensive to hire and fly these days, maybe I will buy an ultralight, just to get above the trees at least.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Angie G]

I'd love a day like that lucky girl.
Angie

[Laura912]

This gives me and idea. We will pick an airport in NC and give rides. Lana and Amy will be ticket takers and flight attendants. Tickets will be $100 but fully refundable for those who show up dressed properly...and you know what I mean.

[fly2188]

Helicopter flights are a ton of fun. Good on you Laura for introducing others to flight. I'm a fixed wing pilot, but have had a few opportunities for lessons in helicopters. I'd love to finish my rating in them, but its so darn expensive when compared to a fixed wing.

[Lana Mae]

Amy-Laura could not land in my yard as you can not see it from the air because of the trees! Yes I agree-Laura is a wonderful person and a true friend!
FeWill-Yes it was an awesome time! Welcome to the forum! You can learn a lot here!
Beverly-I have met a few people that have built their own! Beyond my expertise! (These were fixed wing craft!)
Angie-Yes I think so too!
Laura-Sounds good when do we start and where? LOL
Fly2188-Yes Laura is wonderful and patient! To me, all flying is expensive! That is part of the reason I appreciate what Laura did for me!
Thanks everyone for your responses!
Hugs Lana Mae

[Salina]

What a fun get together Lana Mae! I'm glad you faced a fear and had fun doing it! I may be the only girl on CD.COM to have never been in a helicopter. Thanks for sharing your story!

[Alice Torn]

Sounds like fun! About a month ago, my brother and I got to ride ona 1927 Ford Trimotor airplane, the first airliner ever in America. It carried ten or 12 people. Flying is always an adventure to me!

[Jennifer in CO]

Helicopters and ambulances - I've loaded people into both at race tracks but thankfully never been in one till two years ago in an ambulance and my "stressed induced cardiac event" as they called it. Since thats as close as I get to them, I'll pass on a ride in the bird...

[Aunt Kelly]

I will never forget my first helicopter ride. I had a critical trauma patient and went with the flight nurse to assist. As a fixed-wing pilot, you get used to the sensations involved in the take-off roll, rotation, and climb. There's precious little of that in a chopper. I was preoccupied with tending the patient's airway, of course. I recall hearing the engine's wind up and knew we'd be off the ground shortly. I finally had a second to look up and we were already 20 or 30 feet in the air, so smoothly did the pilot apply the collective to lift us into the 100 foot hover that would clear the nearby obstacles. It was weird then and that feeling has never gone away in subsequent chopper flights. I've heard other pilots say the same thing, and I understand that a fixed wing pilot moving to rotor wing craft has to "unlearn" some things.

Anyway, what a fun day. Helicopter rides and lunch, with a friend from the forum. Yay!

[Lana Mae]

Salina-yes it was fun and I did it! This was my first time and very exciting!
Alice-Yes, it was an adventure!
Jennifer-That is some sound thinking! Hope you are doing OK!
Aunt Kelly-It was great getting a helicopter ride and meeting with Laura for lunch! A dream come true!
Thanks everyone for your responses!
Hugs Lana Mae

[Alice B]

The R44 is the most populat one on todays market and lots of fun.

[Lea]

Glad you had a great day.

I have flown in UH-1's courtesy of the Army and some sight seeing helicopters.

It is a great way to see things.

[Lydianne]

Hi Lana Mae,

Wow, it sounded like a great day out! It's good to read reports of meetings in person, but a helicopter ride is another level! I can't conceivably see myself ever getting a heli ride unless it's for medical emergency reasons; so I'm highly envious. Definitely worth overcoming your vertigo for .

Very nice! .

- Lydianne.

[Rosemary+]

What a lovelly heart warming thread , thank you Lana Mae and Laura for allowing us to share your day.
It was beautiful to read

[Lana Mae]

Alice-Yes a black one landed when we were at the restaurant! There were two side by side!
Lea-Yes! It is a whole different perspective when you are up there!
Lydianne-Well, I wasn't so sure before we left the ground! Once up it was fine or well mostly! A little shaky in the more tight turns! LOL
Rosemary-Thank you! I am more than happy to share anything another might be interested in!
Thanks for your responses!
Hugs Lana Mae

[Kate Simmons]

Nice my friend. Yes it is a whole different perspective from up there. I still have never been in a chopper even having had two tours in Nam during the war, that wasn't my job. I did get rides on C-130's however, going from place to place over there. Maybe one day my GF Nancy and I will take a chopper ride. I have also flown in pipers a couple of times but not in recent years. Thanks for sharing that awesome experience Lana.

[Lana Mae]

Kate-I recommend that you and Nancy check it out! It was great! Hugs Lana Mae