A short YouTube interview by Kenny Keller documenting Zoe’s first flight in a Robinson R44 after transitioning from the R22. The video records preflight expectations (notably curiosity about hydraulics), in-flight impressions (hydraulics feel powerful, more forgiving autorotation/auto landings, more power), and a brief postflight debrief where Kenny encourages continued ground study and predicts an easy commercial training path for Zoe.
Chapters
Live to fly another day. Helicopterground.com.
Well, hey, we're welcome. Welcoming Zoe here today. Hogs member did her private network on her commercial and she's going to go out for her first R44 flight. She's got R22 time, first flight in R44, which will be easy because it's basically like flying the R22. Just a little cooler because it's a little bigger, a little heavier, flies better. I wouldn't say better, but you'll notice a big difference. And so she never got a Hogs button because she never. Or Hogs no go. She never sent in a picture from her private. So I'm like, well, hey, promise to send us a picture when you get home. And here's your no go button. So there you go to take back home with you. So what was it like experiencing the HOGS hanger for the first time?
It's pretty awesome. Pretty cool. Looks just like it does on all the videos.
She drove five hours to come up here today. So relaxed atmosphere. We're just going go have some fun, run through the maneuver. Since she's working on commercial, let her experience the R44. Do you have any expectations for the R44? Anything on your mind that you're thinking about?
I don't know if I have any expectations. I'm curious to see what it's like to fly with hydraulics, though.
Yeah. Oh, okay. See, I didn't think about that.
42 doesn't have hydraulics.
That's right. Well, be good experience for you. And I'll tell you, I know in the past I've heard people say, well, it's a lot like flying the Jet Ranger. And I agree with, with that. Right. Jet Ranger has hydraulics, has even kind of the same feel because of the shape and everything. So that'll be a good experience for you. It's been a long time since I've been to R22, so I can't remember kind of what it's like going from R22 to R44, but I'm sure you'll like it.
I'm excited.
All right. Since the airplane started, we'll push this thing out, we're gonna go fly and we'll take you along for the ride.
Sounds good.
How do you think the hydraulics feels to you for the first time?
It's very. It's just powerful.
Is it? How much different does it feel than the R22?
A lot. Honestly? Yeah. More than I was expecting. I didn't know if I would really Notice it that much, and you can definitely notice it.
Okay.
You don't have to control near as much.
We're 19 minutes in now. What are you thinking?
I think I love it.
Good answer. Good. Needles are split. RPM's nice. Or raise a hair collective. We know it's going to build when we start our flare. So we're in good shape. 70. Beautiful. I can see treetops. We'll start it gentle. We'll make it bigger. And it's just kind of nice. We'll go bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger. Level out. Roll in the power. And look at that. Right back to the green. Boom. What do you think of the straight in auto in an R44 compared to.
Totally different, isn't it? I don't feel like a rock sinking out of the sky.
It wants to fly.
It does want to fly. That's awesome.
Okay. We just signed Zoe's law book for her intro flight. You did really, really well. As I told you when we. When we were shutting down, when you got your time. Commercial for you is gonna be no big deal.
Appreciate that.
You know, work on the ground between now and then and piece of cake to train for the maneuvers, you're gonna have no problem.
Thank you.
No problem whatsoever. 85 hours and you fly like that. You got it.
I appreciate that.
Build your time. Stay after the ground. Because that's what everybody always lacks on. In my 22 years, everybody flies. Most everybody flies. Well, some people not so much, but most people do. But almost everybody lacks in the ground. So I'm not going to bore you to death. What did you think of the R44 just now that we're back on the ground? You've had a couple minutes. Quick, quick. One or two sentences on the R44.
I mean, one sentence. Can we go again?
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Awesome. I mean, hydraulics were a big difference. I could definitely tell the difference, but power difference for sure. But it was awesome. I loved it.
By the time we did, we shut down by zero point. So by the end of that 0.9. Do you feel like you're not intimidated now by learning the hydraulics?
Yeah. Yeah, I was a lot. Even a lot more comfortable. Even just second. Second time we did a traffic pattern. I mean, I just felt like, okay, you just don't have to move as much. You know, it's just very little.
So probably another hour or two.
Oh, yeah.
No big deal, right? Yeah. What'd you think of the auto in the R22 compared to the R44?
Well, I'm not. I'M not a sinking rock in this thing you just glide to your spot yep you're a little more forgiveness you don't have to slam the collective down I like that a lot and what.
Did you think of we had a good setup we did it together and once we entered it did we not just sit there and do nothing yeah we did we did nothing we just.
Maintained we didn't have to chase we.
Had the speed set we raised a hera collective just kind of lead it in a little bit ahead of time and then it was just ride the rest of the way down it was just sit there and wait for the flare and then flared it and rolled the power back in and almost a non event yeah it's wonderful just like.
We do it every day or something.
It'S awesome well all right thanks for coming up today and thanks for having me don't forget to subscribe and like and comment below Peace out. See you.
