#16 Learn how to fly a helicopter

Groupon and LivingSocial have improved my life... in an eye-opening "Hey, I didn't know that even existed!" way.  This post, #16 Learn how to fly a helicopter, is all thanks to Groupon and LivingSocial. Without their daily emails telling me about discounts on a variety of amazing activities, I would have never known taking a helicopter lesson was even a possibility!

And even though it may seem like a random thing to do, I figured it couldn't hurt to learn how to fly a helicopter, right?  What if something happens and the only mode of transportation is a helicopter and you're the only one who knows how to actually fly it?!?!  Because that would TOTALLY happen one day.  Totally.

So, I knew, for the good of mankind, or at least my future fellow passengers, I needed to learn how to fly a helicopter.  Without further ado, here's what it was like!!!

First, it was a surreal experience. The time flew when I was flying... seriously 25 minutes felt like it was half a minute.

Second, I realized that I have a habit of signing my life away... (Remember my skydiving adventure?) This was no exception... I signed my life away again... I wonder if I should be concerned?!?  HA!

Third, the instruction for how to fly the helicopter took all of 20 minutes.  Now, that doesn't mean that I can fly a helicopter by myself.  No, not at all.  But, it did give me the basics to be able to steer the aircraft while in the air... But know that flying a helicopter is a full body experience...

One of the instructors telling us how a helicopter works...

Fourth, helicopters are expensive. We flew an R22, which is a very small copter (they kept calling it a "ship"), that costs $316,000.... More than a Ferrari! There are the blades on top and blades at back, which control various features...

So, after the 20 minute presentation, I was given a "boarding pass"

...and then I was loaded into the helicopter...

...put on a headset, surrendered my boarding passes...

...And then we were off.  We hovered above the ground about five feet maybe, and "taxied" like an airplane to the runway of the Linden Airport and took off as if we were an airplane... Of course we could have just gone straight up, but since it is an active airport, they did it this way. 

The helicopter has huge windows, so you have an amazing view of what's happening in front of you. Linden is close to Newark, so the view isn't really that great, mostly rivers, bridges, highways, but still - you're in a freaking helicopter and I didn't care if what I was looking at was the Taj Mahal or a freaking highway... 

My instructor, Morgan, was monitoring everything, working the pedals with his feet.  When sitting in the cockpit, you have the throttle on the side of your seat, a governor in the middle, and the steering wheel can be moved back and forth between you and the pilot.

So once we got up, Morgan moved the steering wheel to me, and I started to fly the helicopter!  You hold the steering wheel in between your legs with your right hand, and just like you're trying to keep a car in the middle of your own lane while driving, you use light movements to fly a helicopter.  I steered toward a smokestack, and then took a right to fly down a river, over a few tank ships.

I flew for about five minutes, and my arm got tired, so then I turned it back to Morgan, my instructor, and enjoyed the rest of the ride and sights.

It was over too quick, I could have stayed up in the air seeing the sights forever... It was cool to experience seeing what a pilot sees - all the various instruments, and the three gears that you constantly are working (I only worked the one, which was plenty enough for me!)

To celebrate being alive and not crashing a $300,000 machine, I met my awesome roommate at our favorite bar, Texas Arizona, for a burger and a beer :)

Oh, and I also received a certificate of flight training that is FAA certified and counts towards the 40 hours needed to get a helicopter pilot license!!!

...which makes me want to continue taking lessons... I mean, why not?!? :)