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fandomhigh2008-05-14 11:07 pm
crazypilotman.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2008-05-14 11:07 pm
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Flight and Flying; Period 5, Thursday 5/15
There were five helicopters waiting in the Danger Shop. As well as the class instructor. A tall, skinny fellow sporting a brown leather jacket, blue ball cap and khakis, leaning casually against the side of a chopper. He wore a large smile and waved as the students who'd been handwavily informed of the class location drifted in.
“Hey, everyone! My name is HM Murdock,” he spoke with a slight drawling accent, “Welcome to Flight and Flyin’. I’m teachin’ this class ‘cause the usual instructor ain’t available. Y’all can just call me Murdock.”
“Hopefully we’re all here ‘cause we like to fly. Or want to learn how. If not, let me know and we’ll see if we can get it sorted out. I’d like to know who everyone is and the kind of flight experience you may already have. Any kind of flying counts. Even kites.”
He waited until the last student was done, then continued. “Now that’s all taken care of, we can get right down to it. Or up, in this case. I think the best way to start off is to handle something fairly common, namely the UH-1 Iroquois. Otherwise known as a Huey. Still in service the world over today. It’s a bit bigger than your run-of-the-mill radio and TV choppers that you’ve probably seen, but the process of flying them is still the same.”
"But first, it’d probably be a good idea to know where the controls are."
Murdock strolled over to one of the simulated helicopters and swung the door open so all the students could see inside. “Choppers use a cyclic stick, often referred to as just a cyclic. It’s a joystick, not all that different from the kind you’d find in a jet fighter. Pushing the cyclic in a particular direction will cause the chopper to move that way. The real difference between choppers and planes is in the altitude control.”
“The collective, or collective pitch, is found on the left of the pilot’s seat.” He made sure to point it out. “This is what you use to descend or ascend. Pretty simple; push it down, the chopper goes down. Pull it up, the chopper goes up.” As he spoke, he moved his hand up and down through the air to illustrate this point. “Easy as pie!”
“However, the anti-torque pedals are probably what’s new to you. Unless you happen to have prior experience with helicopters.” He waggled his eyebrows at a few of his students. “The pedals are located at the front of the cockpit, directly in front of the pilot’s seat on the floor. Much in the same location as you’d find the pedals in a car. These control which way your nose is facing and also how you turn the aircraft.”
“It should be obvious as to which pedal to use. Pedal on the left takes you left, pedal on the right takes you right. These babies right here” he pointed emphatically with both fingers into the cockpit, “are really what makes those tight turns possible.” He closed the door to the chopper and whirled back around to his students, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“I kept the number of birds to a standard squadron of five. You’ll pair off, two each in a chopper and take turns controlling your aircraft. And someone will get the dubious honor of being my co-pilot.” He smiled in a way that suggested it may not necessarily be a good thing *or* an honor.
“We’ll start off simple; clear open skies, flying in standard formation. If you can manage that, we’ll bump up to something trickier. River bed running.” Murdock smiled. “It’ll be a blast.”
“I’ve already laid out the course and did a test run myself. I scaled it down from what I’m used to for y’all, since I know these birds like the back of my hand. And while the course has some tricky turns, rest assured your bird can make it. If not,” he shrugged, “well, I guess you crash and die.” He smiled sweetly, “Are we ready?”
(please wait for the OCD is up! have at! ***edit***I'll be up for a few hours yet. Then sp from 9-5 est for the whole work thing. back at it after 7pm. whee!)
“Hey, everyone! My name is HM Murdock,” he spoke with a slight drawling accent, “Welcome to Flight and Flyin’. I’m teachin’ this class ‘cause the usual instructor ain’t available. Y’all can just call me Murdock.”
“Hopefully we’re all here ‘cause we like to fly. Or want to learn how. If not, let me know and we’ll see if we can get it sorted out. I’d like to know who everyone is and the kind of flight experience you may already have. Any kind of flying counts. Even kites.”
He waited until the last student was done, then continued. “Now that’s all taken care of, we can get right down to it. Or up, in this case. I think the best way to start off is to handle something fairly common, namely the UH-1 Iroquois. Otherwise known as a Huey. Still in service the world over today. It’s a bit bigger than your run-of-the-mill radio and TV choppers that you’ve probably seen, but the process of flying them is still the same.”
"But first, it’d probably be a good idea to know where the controls are."
Murdock strolled over to one of the simulated helicopters and swung the door open so all the students could see inside. “Choppers use a cyclic stick, often referred to as just a cyclic. It’s a joystick, not all that different from the kind you’d find in a jet fighter. Pushing the cyclic in a particular direction will cause the chopper to move that way. The real difference between choppers and planes is in the altitude control.”
“The collective, or collective pitch, is found on the left of the pilot’s seat.” He made sure to point it out. “This is what you use to descend or ascend. Pretty simple; push it down, the chopper goes down. Pull it up, the chopper goes up.” As he spoke, he moved his hand up and down through the air to illustrate this point. “Easy as pie!”
“However, the anti-torque pedals are probably what’s new to you. Unless you happen to have prior experience with helicopters.” He waggled his eyebrows at a few of his students. “The pedals are located at the front of the cockpit, directly in front of the pilot’s seat on the floor. Much in the same location as you’d find the pedals in a car. These control which way your nose is facing and also how you turn the aircraft.”
“It should be obvious as to which pedal to use. Pedal on the left takes you left, pedal on the right takes you right. These babies right here” he pointed emphatically with both fingers into the cockpit, “are really what makes those tight turns possible.” He closed the door to the chopper and whirled back around to his students, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“I kept the number of birds to a standard squadron of five. You’ll pair off, two each in a chopper and take turns controlling your aircraft. And someone will get the dubious honor of being my co-pilot.” He smiled in a way that suggested it may not necessarily be a good thing *or* an honor.
“We’ll start off simple; clear open skies, flying in standard formation. If you can manage that, we’ll bump up to something trickier. River bed running.” Murdock smiled. “It’ll be a blast.”
“I’ve already laid out the course and did a test run myself. I scaled it down from what I’m used to for y’all, since I know these birds like the back of my hand. And while the course has some tricky turns, rest assured your bird can make it. If not,” he shrugged, “well, I guess you crash and die.” He smiled sweetly, “Are we ready?”
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