Drove a 412 for real!!

[DaveK]

Part of my job is to sit in the back of a 412 and treat and transport sick and injured to hospital.

Today we had a job about 20 minutes from base and was offered by the crewie to sit up front for the trip out.

Hopped in and its such a totally different view and sensation up there. After take off and stable at 1000 feet, the captain told me to grab cyclic, collective and feet on pedals and to fly and maintain 1000.

Obviously he was covering the controls but allowed me to move around the sky a bit and then short right base and fly down to about 20 foot before taking over and landing.

I have flow the sim quite a lot and though its kinda easy. Totally different when there is so much going on and its actually for real! no reset button in this one.

I gotta say its one the best things I have done in my life.. a dream come true even if it was short and closely controlled by the skipper.... something that I will remember forever and just needed to share with you guys

woot woot.. 

[ETomlin]

Awesome. Very awesome. Glad you got to do it!

[Bob Reed]

I hope you fly with that skipper more often! Totally differant when you have the controls, huh?

[DaveK]

in the cruise it was ok and as Bob says, its totally different when you got your hands on the stick, and there is no Pause or reset button!

The pilot i was with makes flying the machine look so easy and smooth, especially in the hover. One of the crewies had a go at hovering and hover taxi and you can certainly feel the power of the machine bucking around while he was moving each control and not intitially counteracting with the others.