# I have a helicopter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 23, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775 "2013-03-23T23:16:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 23, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/1 "2013-03-23T23:16:38Z")
AOPA just sent me a letter informing my that the insurance on my Hughes 269A-1 is about to expire. Wait… I have a Hughes 269? :eek: And someone has been paying the insurance on it? Why didn’t anyone tell me? 'Cause if I have a helicopter, I want to know about it! For a Hughes 269/TH-55/Schweizer 300/Sikorsky S300 I’d dance naked in Pioneer Square! Gosh, I hope it’s not just a marketing gimmick… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/2 "2013-03-24T00:09:16Z")
I’d send them all my bank-account info, just to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/3 "2013-03-24T00:50:36Z")
The helicopter is currently in Nigeria. Please send me your banking information, sorry, no Paypal, so we can start processing the shipment to the US. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/4 "2013-03-24T00:55:08Z")
Just to be clear, it was mailed correspondence from AOPA; not an email. Around 2001 I came _this close_ to buying a 1960 Hughes 269A and asked for an insurance quote. Since insurance would have been $13,000/year, I decided not to buy it. I’m guessing the quote request is knocking about in a database somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/5 "2013-03-24T02:00:55Z")
So they think you’ve had insurance for your helicopter for about 12 years and you’ve never paid your premiums? Just wait until they send that to collections! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/6 "2013-03-24T02:17:21Z")
Check with **Elmer J. Fudd** ; maybe he’ll buy it from you. He’s already got a mansion and a yacht. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/7 "2013-03-24T02:34:55Z")
In Thailand, a “butterfly” is what you call someone with many sexual partners. This has led some exceptionally active bargirls to refer to themselves as “helicopters.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/8 "2013-03-24T04:25:36Z")
Maybe you should suggest that you’ll be happy to pay the $13,000 premium if the insurer gives you a 1960 Hughes 269A, seeing as you don’t currently have one. You get a helicopter with insurance coverage, they get the insurance premium. Win-win! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/9 "2013-03-24T15:43:04Z")
Did the insurance cover theft? Because yours was stolen and they owe you the replacement value. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/10 "2013-03-24T16:02:48Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > In Thailand, a “butterfly” is what you call someone with many sexual partners. This has led some exceptionally active bargirls to refer to themselves as “helicopters.” Good to see they take such pride in their work. But is their insurance $13K a year? But now I know, if I see some expat in Bangkok with helicopter-pilot wings pinned to his hat I should not assume… ---
**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:** [March 24, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/11 "2013-03-24T17:59:59Z")
I should have bought the helicopter then. It was only $39,000 and I had the money. Now the cheapest one I can find is a '66 for $80,000 (eBay BIN price). Insurance would be lower if it was not put into leaseback, and I could have flown it quite a bit before having to do the $20,000 engine overhaul and $45,000 rotor blade replacements. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/12 "2013-03-24T18:48:37Z")
I knew maintaining aircraft was expensive, but never realized just how big a hole in the sky that you throw money into it was. I do like the idea of paying the renewal, then filing a claim for a stolen helicopter. Unfortunately, the insurance company will take a dim view of insurance fraud.) ---
**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:** [March 24, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/13 "2013-03-24T19:15:36Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I knew maintaining aircraft was expensive, but never realized just how big a hole in the sky that you throw money into it was. The second thing you hear, after ‘Helicopters are inherently unstable’, is the old joke ‘What makes a helicopter fly? Money.’ All airplanes need to be overhauled periodically. But helis have to have their rotor blades replaced from time to time. That’s like replacing the wings on an airplane. Then there’s the tail rotor, the transmission, and all the stuff that is common to fixed-wings. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/14 "2013-03-24T21:50:33Z")
Anyone else reading the title in LOLcat? ‘I can haz helicopter?’ If so, it wasn’t intentional. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/15 "2013-03-24T22:00:07Z")
Can I borrow your helicopter? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/16 "2013-03-24T23:05:16Z")
1. Claim it was stolen. 2. When questioned, say “Well you don’t _see_ any helicopters around here, _do you?_” 3. Collect much money! ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/17 "2013-03-25T00:37:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Anyone else reading the title in LOLcat? ‘I can haz helicopter?’ > > If so, it wasn’t intentional. Yes, actually! I feel less insane, now. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2013, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/18 "2013-03-25T00:39:15Z")
> [@Ms.Pumpkin](#): > > Yes, actually! I feel less insane, now. You are as sane as I am. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/19 "2013-03-25T00:47:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You are as sane as I am. …Says the man with the invisible helicopter. :dubious: ---
**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:** [March 25, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775/20 "2013-03-25T00:49:04Z")
[I’m feeling _much_ better now! =8^)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8KdtJOCzOU#t=0m26s) . [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-helicopter/653775.md?page=2)