Aviation Forum / General / Rotary-wing / July 2005

My friends at Bell emailed me today to tell me that the BA609 has
returned to flight test.  Today it made four flights totaling about an
hour before bad weather rolled in.  More should be on the internet
tomorrow.  This should put them on track for achieving airplane mode

What is the purpose of this huge fin sometimes found on 212's?
I've seen these in my work, but never on any other ships except the 212
(maybe 214 too?).
Anyone?

Did anyone happen to catch the documentary on the history channel about
using helicopters to check HV lines.
Fascinating stuff, very wild to see the heli some inches from a 300KV line
with a handler hanging out the side with a grounding line to the heli. At

Have been thinking of things to post re;Ag Flying with rotorcraft. I
have to pay more attention to my work though! In many of my fields
here, they are irrigated with sprinkler pivots. Generally I'll have to
fly over them spraying to get the crops underneath. I haven't measured

Would someone please recommend the best one-seater autogyro?
I'm looking for the best combination of strongest, lightest frame an
quietest, most powerful engine with least vibration.  Thank you ver
much for your time and attention.

This may sound egotistical, but I am by far the coolest dad at my
kid's school..  I go on every field trip and school event, have missed
ONE basketball game since my daughter began playing on the team and am
on a 1st name basis with ALL the soccer moms and school staff..  2

As a lurker for some time, I am in awe of the ability it must take to
be an ag flyer. I have flown helis for several years but only as a PP.
The gentleman here who professes to be an ag pilot has more than a
little daring in him to perform some of his required feats.

Howdy group,
   I just got my private pilot certicate (for airplanes) last week and I'll
soon be starting on my gyrocopter certificate.  (Actually I've already got
16 hours of dual logged in a gyro, and by next spring I plan to have a two

for this update, you can see :
Private viewing : the first two axis PA, on the EC120B colibri
Helicopters at Paris Airshow
Open-days at Phalsbourg

Since I seem to have stirred a little interest, I'll try to enlighten
those who care to read it. I'm one of those fortunate few who get to do
stuff that many can't even dream of or imagine with helicopters. An old
friend of mine, corporate helo pilot with 12K+ hours did some ag ...