Habits, by Andy Stein

Sometimes, all it takes is a simple comment to change your flying habits. When I bought my first helicopter, no one was going to tell my how it was done. I was fortunate, however, to meet a very experienced helicopter ag-pilot while having some work done at Big Valley Aviation, located at the Stockton airport. This guy had bounced around, like some of us, from one gold mine to the next looking for that dream job.

I started out by purchasing a Bell 47G3-B1. It was a very nice bird, very low time and priced right. I bought her, transported her home and had Big Valley Aviation perform her annual. While there, this guy happened to drive by, saw the spray booms on the trailer and came over. He ended up showing me that it was possible, and is actually preferred, to turn the helicopter around at the top of the turn with your feet on the floor. Hmm...Let the rotor system do all the work? I was impressed! Pull back on the cyclic and up a bit on the collective to go right; nudge the cyclic a little left and push collective down to turn left. It took a while to become comfortable at it, but hey, it works well and it is easy on everything.

That was in 2004. In 2006 I became a hired pilot. My first helicopter job since being self-employed was with a large company flying the Bell 47. My first flight check went well, as I was very easy on the controls, again using what I was taught from the guy I had met in Stockton. While at this company I picked up the habit of using the pedals more and more to make my turns. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. It just came naturally over the course of time. I may have even started to pick this up while still self-employed.

I ended up leaving that company after two seasons. I gave three months notice and everything. I did not want to leave any hard feelings, so that’s the way to do it. Give plenty of notice...a good habit!

At my current job, the comment was made that I was sliding through my turns. I had become a pedal pounder! I was actually glad to hear the comment (so I could change!) because I had been turning like that for a while, maybe the last two seasons or so. It just crept up on me and for whatever reason no one ever mentioned it to me. Maybe they just didn’t know any better either.

It took a couple of additional working days to revert back to what I was taught in the beginning. Since then, I have transitioned into the Bell 206B. These machines are very comfortable to fly. It is like going from a car built on the 1950s to any modern-day car. Until you make that transition, you just don’t know. But, I strongly feel that starting out in the Bell 47 or Hiller is the best way to learn. The older helicopters require a little more work and finesse. Not to say that the 206B or OH-58 doesn’t, but it is different in a nice way!

I think we should all be open to change. Our industry is always changing. It may take longer for equipment changes to show up, but at every NAAA convention you will see something different, a newer design or different way of doing the same thing.

Update: Since starting this article, I have transitioned into the OH-58C. This machine is a bit better in the ag-flying environment. No more ITT temping out and a bit more power. I once again found myself using the pedals in the turns, but have finally broken that habit. In all honesty, it is not a natural feeling to make all my turns using only the cyclic and collective, but slowly it is becoming second nature.