# Riding In An Airplane -vs- Helicopter **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-in-an-airplane-vs-helicopter/504943 "2009-08-01T01:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-in-an-airplane-vs-helicopter/504943/41 "2010-10-01T00:40:59Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > > [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > > > Did it mention the “Jesus Bolt”, the single bolt that holds the whole thing together? > > I was told that it is a :jesus nut", and that it held the rotor on. Usually. Yeah “Jesus Nut” was in my head as well but I wasn’t sure. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-in-an-airplane-vs-helicopter/504943/42 "2010-10-01T01:44:12Z")
I’ve ridden in airliners, small planes (as passenger and pilot), and twice in a helicopter. The main differences are: 1. There’s a huge difference between an airliner and a light aircraft. In an airliner, you’re lucky to have a restricted view out of a tiny window. I like to know where I am; it’s hard to pick up any landmarks when the view is so restricted. You don’t know which way the next turn will be, or if there’s something special you want to see from the air, you don’t know which way to look. Light planes are like small cars, you can see out the front and both sides. If you want to see your house from the air, just tell the pilot and you can go right there. And you can always see the horizon, which tells you how steeply you’re banking and turning. My flights in a helicopter were similar. 1. It depends where you’re taking off from. I did most of my flying at airports with large runways; I could almost land crossways on them. It’s a comfort to have such a big margin of error, thought I tried to never use it. My first flight in a helicopter was from the back corner of a department store’s parking lot. I’m sure they can set down on a helipad ten times out of ten, but those telephone poles looked kind of close. Some airports are like that, too; the runway’s about as wide as a two-lane road. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-in-an-airplane-vs-helicopter/504943/43 "2010-10-01T02:05:30Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’ve ridden in airliners, small planes (as passenger and pilot), and twice in a helicopter. The main differences are: > > 1. There’s a huge difference between an airliner and a light aircraft. In an airliner, you’re lucky to have a restricted view out of a tiny window. I like to know where I am; it’s hard to pick up any landmarks when the view is so restricted. You don’t know which way the next turn will be, or if there’s something special you want to see from the air, you don’t know which way to look. > > Light planes are like small cars, you can see out the front and both sides. If you want to see your house from the air, just tell the pilot and you can go right there. And you can always see the horizon, which tells you how steeply you’re banking and turning. My flights in a helicopter were similar. > > 1. It depends where you’re taking off from. I did most of my flying at airports with large runways; I could almost land crossways on them. It’s a comfort to have such a big margin of error, thought I tried to never use it. My first flight in a helicopter was from the back corner of a department store’s parking lot. I’m sure they can set down on a helipad ten times out of ten, but those telephone poles looked kind of close. Some airports are like that, too; the runway’s about as wide as a two-lane road. Forget all that. Are you gonna. you know, Howard again tonight? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-in-an-airplane-vs-helicopter/504943/44 "2010-10-01T17:14:55Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > > > I’ve heard that people are less likely to become airsick in a helicopter because it doesn’t ‘float’ like an airplane. > > That’s interesting. My partner (who used to get sick in cars as a child, and gets sick on boats, but has never been sick on a plane) got very sick the one time we went in a helicopter. I have to say that I have ridden in the back of a [CG Helo](http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/hh-65.asp). When I was in the back (and therefor I did not have a window beside me), I got sick pretty quickly. When I moved up and they opened up that door, it was like pure heaven. No more sickness and there is nothing between you and the outside. It was great. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-in-an-airplane-vs-helicopter/504943.md?page=2)