# Could a military airplane pilot fly a military helicopter without any prior experience? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 3, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818 "2014-01-03T18:07:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818/81 "2014-01-07T18:12:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘What you’re wearing’; not ‘that’. :smack: And the 250-pound limit is per seat. With 331 pounds available with full fuel in a Beta II, she doesn’t have to be _skinny_ (as long as you’re not to _un_-skinny). Figure 10 pounds for a lunch and a blanket, 190 pounds of you, and you can have a 130-pound date. Don’t forget the weight of her purse. Plus, you’re gonna need a bottle of wine and some glasses for this kind of date. This is also why you need an autopilot… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818/82 "2014-01-07T18:18:59Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > Plus, you’re gonna need a bottle of wine and some glasses for this kind of date. [ **§91.17 Alcohol or drugs.** (a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft – (1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage;]([eCFR :: 14 CFR Part 91 -- General Operating and Flight Rules (FAR Part 91)](http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=0619473cd11128bef3abe20fff5cd4cb&ty=HTML&h=L&n=14y2.0.1.3.10&r=PART#14:2.0.1.3.10.1.4.9)) ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818/83 "2014-01-07T18:19:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [ **§91.17 Alcohol or drugs.** > (a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft – > > (1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage;]([http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=0619473cd11128bef3abe20fff5cd4cb&ty=HTML&h=L&n=14y2.0.1.3.10&r=PART#14:2.0.1.3.10.1.4.9](http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=0619473cd11128bef3abe20fff5cd4cb&ty=HTML&h=L&n=14y2.0.1.3.10&r=PART#14:2.0.1.3.10.1.4.9)) Who says you’ll be drinking? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818/84 "2014-01-07T18:20:13Z")
I understand the problems involved with piloting a regular helicopter, but how about helicopters with co-axial or intermeshing rotors? Since the operation of the rotor is no longer asymmetrical and reliant on the tail rotor to maintain a heading, would one of these be easier for the inexperienced helicopter pilot to fly? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818/85 "2014-01-07T18:25:55Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > Who says you’ll be drinking? ‘Do you believe in the hereafter?’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘If you’re not here after what I’m here after, you’ll be here after I’m gone!’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-military-airplane-pilot-fly-a-military-helicopter-without-any-prior-experience/677818.md?page=4)