Chris and Speaker A discuss flying experimental helicopters, which skip FAA certification but allow owner maintenance. They debate whether turbine hours in experimental aircraft count toward turbine jobs, with mixed answers, and cover models like Rotorway and Mosquito.
Okay, here's another good one that comes up all the time, and it's experimental helicopter ownership. Welcome to HOGS daily flight brief. Chris, could probably give you a little better, a little more on this today. I'm not going to say a whole lot because I don't have any time in experimental helicopters. I went to fly one once. I looked at the little tag in the door when I got ready to climb. This aircraft does not conform to FAA standards. I got in the aircraft that made me a little bit nervous. The owner of the experimental only had like an hour or two of duel from the guy that was a private owner, wasn't even a cfi. I didn't have any experience in the helicopter and I just didn't feel good and went, you know what? Yes, he's a rated private pilot, but I don't feel good about this. And I got out. That's all I can really say about experimental. It's not fair for me to say a whole lot more. I just, I've always flown FAA certified airc. Okay, Chris, you have got some time in experimentals.
I do.
So I'm going to let you just. We didn't discuss this ahead of time. Give us your thoughts.
Experimental aircraft, are they helicopters? Yes, they are. And I can tell you right now that the experimental that I flew, I've got a handful of hours in and damn right I did log those.
Oh, yeah, of course you did.
I put that in my logbook.
I mean, you were flying. You were flying a helicopter.
It is a helicopter. So, you know, you get into the question's, should I own. Right, well, time, whatever. I just don't want to get sidetracked. So experimental. The thing with experimentals is they, you're right, they don't conform. They don't have to go by the FAA guidelines on maintenance. You know, you as the owner, you can work on it and, you know, if you needed an air filter, you can go down to Napa and pick up an air filter, put it on the aircraft. You can't do that with a certified helicopter.
Correct.
And that's it. But it's legal. You can do that. It's legal. The thing with experimental is you just don't know who built it unless you really do the research. Who built it, how, what kind of mechanical ability, the guy that built it, unless you build it yourself, you know. But do I have a problem flying? No, I would fly them if I. If I did my research and figure out who built it and all that and whatever. Now the question I don't have a problem with buying one and building time in one. The question that really that I get asked a lot is you can. And there's great, there's great experimental aircraft out there.
I'm sure there are.
I flew a rotorway. That's the only experimental I've flown. But I've heard mosquitoes are really good, safaris are really good. I do not have any experience in any of those, but I have read enough that I and seen enough that I believe that the safaris and the mosquitoes are really good aircraft. I would probably. Nothing against rotorways, but I would probably own one of those before I. Before I owned a rotor way. Sure. Anyway, so the question comes up, hey, I'm looking at this experimental. It's got a turbine engine, so I want to buy it so I can build all my turbine time. Do you think that's okay? I would say yes, but I would also preference this. And I've heard. And the problem is, I don't think anybody truly knows because I've spoken with guys that would say, you know, well, I've got 500 hours of turbine time, all of it in my mosquito versus I've got 500 time in my 500 hours of turbine in bell 206s and instrum 480s and an empty 500. I've heard guys say, no, I would not hire a guy that's got all his turbine time in and a mosquito. But I've also heard, hey, turbine time is turbine time. Okay? So I truly do not have the right answer for you, But I can. This is my feeling on it. And again, my opinion. I believe that if you built, if you had 500 hours of turbine time and it was all in your mosquito, I don't think an employer would like that. That's my opinion. Now, if you had two or three hundred hours in your own personal mosquito of turbine time, and then you also had two or 300 hours in a 480 or another certified aircraft, I. You'd be good to go. But to go to an employer and say, I've got a thousand hours of turbine time all on my mosquito, I don't think that would. I don't think that's gonna work. And that's only my personal opinion. Right. Would I. Would I fly mosquito, turbine, mosquito for 100 hours? Hell yeah. And I would log all that. But I also do have several hundred hours of other turbine time that I can preference, you know, that I can also use. But I don't personally think that an employer would like all your time in experimental turbine aircraft. Again, my personal opinion, I'm glad you.
Brought that up because I have heard that question asked and I didn't really have. You know, I've never really had a good answer for that. So that least gives a viewer some perspective to look at. And I think you're probably right. And again, it depends on every situation. Every situation could be a little bit different, but it certainly couldn't hurt.
I mean.
So hey, there's a lot of people that love their experimentals.
Again, helicopter's helicopter, right?
It's still a helicopter. Absolutely. So if it's beneficial to you, great. Alright. Hope that gives you some insight on experimental. Again, I tried to be fair and just say I don't know a lot about them. Not fair for me to go in. If you love them, let us know down below what are you flying and what do you like about them and argue the point for the safety of an experimental. I have heard people give good arguments from the experimental side about why their aircraft is safe. Awesome. So the next video coming up is this was Chris's idea. Can I land anywhere I want? What's the regulation? This is a great question. We'll get to it tomorrow. Speaking of landing Helicopter Maneuver Guide Down Below. If you don't have a copy yet, it's all free. It's Down Below. It's based on the Helicopter Flying Handbook maneuvers. It's just a cool PDF guide you can download, look at on your electronic device or print it off if you want. Make your own little book. Whatever you want to do, like subscribe and we'll see you tomorrow for Can I Land Anywhere? What's the regulation?
Peace out.
