# Recreational Helicopters **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2001, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreational-helicopters/94752 "2001-11-22T09:29:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreational-helicopters/94752/21 "2001-11-26T01:24:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > what will most likely get you killed is vortex rings which you can’t see , you just lose power and turn into a grand piano . > > Nah, if you get into a vortex ring state (settling with power) just fly out of it. The only times I’ve been in such a state has been in training so that I know what it’s like (yes, you intentionally get into a settling with power situation) and during the checkride. Although the FBO did lose one R-22 to settling with power, I think it’s a rare occurrance. (The pilot, who along with his father survived the crash uninjured, was low-time.) > > I’d guess that “what will most likely get you killed” are failure to maintain rotor RPM, flying into something (cables and power lines seem popular), or mast-bumping due to putting negative Gs on a semi-rigid rotor system (like on the R-22). \*\* heh maybe for you i guess but not for a n00b like me I just gawk at the Hokum at MAKs do loops funnels and rolls ---
**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:** [November 26, 2001, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreational-helicopters/94752/22 "2001-11-26T02:15:12Z")
The FAA required additional training for R-22 pilots after a couple of people were killed. Pilot error, of course, but rumour has it one guy came from a rich family and pressured the FAA. Anyway, there was a video that showed a couple of crashes (interestingly, they were both in England). In one, a pilot took off from a birthday party where he was hired to give rides. He failed to notice the wire that was in the path of his chosen direction of takeoff. He caught it with the skids and the helicopter flipped over on its back. There may have been a fatality, but I don’t remember. I think the pilot broke his leg. The other video showed a helicopter coming into a high hover (like 100 feet) and it just fell out of the sky. The investigation showed that the pilot failed to maintain proper rotor RPM. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreational-helicopters/94752/23 "2001-11-26T03:36:53Z")
My dad bought the plans for one of those things, but never built it. I read through the plans and other stuff that came with it, and they suggest that you tie ropes to the bottom of the helicopter and then to some kind of ground anchors. This keeps you from getting the thing too high while you’re trying to figure out how to fly the thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreational-helicopters/94752.md?page=1)