#42 Weight Limitations in Flight Training, Pilot Jobs, Helicopter Rides

Okay, serious topic for today. Too heavy. Who's people ask me all the time. Here's my scenario. Am I too heavy for flight training? This is a serious subject and, and I want to make this just right straight to the point. And I've seen it over the years. There have been people that have been, have come in, talked to me and they like, they know I need to lose weight to get into this and they've done it. So for those of you that have done that, good for you and you can do it. So I want, I'm going to cover this in several ways. One for flight training, one for helicopter rides and one for careers. So today, and for those of you have lost, who have lost the weight to get to chase your dream, here's to you. Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important. They knew their dream, they went after it. Develop from the negatives, capture the good times and if things don't work out, take another shot. Okay, so for flight training, what is too heavy? Now, there's no simple, absolute answer for this because you have many different aircraft out there and a lot of people are watching these videos now. So we've got the standard FAA helicopters, got experimental and there's fixed wing pilots that are watching our videos because they're interested in doing helicopter add ons. So depending on the aircraft is going to determine whether you're too heavy for flight training or not. The nice thing about the Enstrom specifically is there isn't a seat weight. And I have a question I want to read to you because it came from a gentleman, very interested and I like what he had to say. He's got an aviation background and he's interested in coming to fly the instrument and he has lost a bunch of weight. He's a fixed wing pilot and his question today was realistically, what is too heavy for the instrument? I know some helicopters have seat weight limits, etc. And I didn't look at the weight and balance when I had those couple lessons. He had lessons a few years ago. Now I'm six foot four and about 280. I was 412 pounds 18 months ago. That's another part of my life that's getting to a good place. Awesome. Again, I've seen people do it. Okay. I have seen people that want to chase the dream of being a helicopter pilot that were too heavy and they went and lost the weight and they came back. So people do it. Okay. For his question in the instrument 280, is that too heavy? No, we might be limited on some days, due to high temperature, high humidity, we're going to have to run less fuel. Maybe on some days. I am 223 pounds right now. I just checked myself before making the video with a cup of coffee. I'm 223. That's my winter weight. I lose a little bit in the summer. I've been around that weight for quite a few years. It's never stopped me from flying anything that I want to fly, and it's never stopped me at a job. 280. We could do in the instrument some aircraft that would be too heavy. But he already knows that going into it because he. Because he mentions that on another aircraft that he can't fly in. So depending on the aircraft, you're going to be limited to weight. That's the one beauty of the instrument again, is we don't have a seat weight. But it's not just weight, it's also on how people are built. Because depending on what aircraft you're flying. And I want you to think about the cyclic. And this is one thing in the instrument, a person can be built a certain way, right? And if you got a big belly, you can run into cyclic problems when you have to pull aft cyclic. So depending on where your weight is, this is why, again, there's not an absolute to the weight, right? Because a person could be broader up here, they can be bigger down here. So you have to think about the cyclic. In order to safely auto rotate, you have to pull aft cyclic to flare the helicopter during a landing. So if you're going to run into problems with clearance coming back with your. With the cyclic, that's going to be an issue. So again, there's not an absolute. It depends on the aircraft that you're going to be flying. If you're on the heavier side, may be restricted more by fuel on certain days. I did have one gentleman who we flew in the instrument. I think if I remember right, it's been a while ago. I think he was around 315 and we still did it. And we could fly, but we were limited on the weight, on the weight on the fuel we could take. And he knew that he was a bigger guy, right? So he understood the limitations. And there was days that when it was really hot and humid, we just couldn't go. And that's just the reality of it, okay? And he understood it and he was cool about it because he understood going in and he was working on losing weight. But it can be a restriction, so people can also lose the weight. You Know and more power to you if that's what you got to do to go for your dream. I'm a dreamer. People have done it and I have watched people over the years do it. They approached you, approached me for training. They're like, yeah, I know I need to lose some weight, but I'm working on that. And they've done it. So to all of you who have went for your dream, lost the weight, you can do it. Careers. I have a lot of people ask me about weight limits on careers. The company that I worked for, I flew the EC 135 and the BK 117. I was fine around the 220, 225 mark. Never had a problem. I have seen EMS jobs with a seat limit of around like 210 or 220. So there are companies that have a weight limit and again, it depends on the aircraft. So. And I know I flew where I flew. There was a couple of guys that were bigger than me and I don't know exactly what they weighed. They were probably around that 250 to 280 mark. And they flew in the BK and the EC135. So again, career path, you will be limited by some jobs. It depends on the aircraft that any company is using. So seat limits, Excuse me. Seat limits are what they are. And the last one I want to mention is helicopter rides. You. You know, I'm glad I don't do helicopter rides anymore because, you know, when people come to a festival and they want to take a ride and depends on what aircraft you're flying again, what is the seat weight, what's your temperature for the day? How many people can you take? And sometimes you have people walk up and you have a couple and they're just playing too heavy. And it really sucks when you have to tell somebody they can't go up. But it's something as a pilot we have to deal with. You're always going to figure be figuring weight every time, every flight, everything you're doing, weight always comes into it. So I've had some people say, well, you know, I wouldn't feel bad about it. Limits what it is. Well, that sounds great. But when two people come walking up together and they're holding hands and they just, they want to go on that flight. When you have to turn somebody down for weight and tell them, well, only one of you can go at a time, it always made me feel bad. So I'm glad that I don't do helicopter rides anymore just because I Hated dealing with that. I hated telling somebody that they were too heavy. So put your comments down below about weight and flight training. So again, it depends on the aircraft and there's so many aircraft out there and there's, you know, also how are you going to fit in the aircraft? So again, weight is the limit, but it's also, where is the late, how are you, how is, how proportionally are you carrying that weight? How are you built? So it's going to depend on aircraft, make, model, how you fit in the aircraft. Bottom line, you know, it's almost a sensitive subject, but not really. Weight limits are what they are. And for everybody that has lost their weight to get the flight training that they needed and wanted or their career, here's to you. You can do it. So don't feel bad. For those of you wanting to get into flight training and you're worried about the weight, you're going to have to research it for the aircraft that you want to fly. Don't be afraid to approach the flight school and just say, hey, I'm interested in flight training. I know there might be some weight limits, but if you're working on it and say, well, I'm going to do this and I'm going to come back because I've seen people do it. You know, people have done it. Put your questions down below about weight and flight training or any other ground and flight training subject. Hope that helps some of you help. Hope that motivates you a little bit if that's what your goal is and that's what you're working for. Because this is a topic that I do get questions a lot and I know people probably feel embarrassed a lot of times and they at least have the guts to send me an email and ask me, say, Kenny, you know, I'm worried about the weight and you know, here's what I weigh. So again, hopefully what I put earlier in the video is going to help a lot of you on making the decision and knowing what you got to do. So please subscribe to our channel. Doing a daily video Coffee with Kenny. We're having a blast debut. Try to debut a new coffee cup every day. Again. Cheers to all of you who have went for your dream, lost the weight. Keep it up. For those of you that want to do it, just know you can do it too. Please subscribe the channel, click the little bell when you do and go down below helicopterground.com to check out all of our ground school courses. Private commercial, CFI instrument and we have a big professional pilot course. Includes everything. You can get all that information down below. And we just created a new link yesterday, Hogshoodies.com so many people are asking us about where can I get the hoodies? Where can I get your shirts? They're below all the YouTube videos, but for some reason on some devices, they don't show up. So if you go to hogshoodies.com you can grab one of our cool hoodies. Thanks for tuning in. Subscribe, click the bell, and we'll see you tomorrow.