Let The Celebration Begin - YF's Mastermind Is Turning 50

Hi,

There is probably good reason for this as I found on some R44 Operators website.

Most helicopters have two massive cyclic sticks poking up from the floor in front of the pilot seats. The Robinson has a spindly cyclic coming up from the center of the ship with horizontal arms at the top. If the left side arm is attached, either pilot can apply pressure to the cyclic at any time.

One downside of the T-bar cyclic is that, even with the left side controls removed, the actual cyclic is very close to a passenger's right leg and right arm. A passenger is much more likely to nudge the cyclic accidentally than he or she would be in a Jet Ranger or Hughes 300. A more serious problem is that a passenger might intentionally yank on the cyclic. Social conventions and the wide cockpit would probably prevent a passenger from reaching down between your legs and grabbing the pilot's side Jet Ranger cyclic. A local flight school owner was giving rides at a county fair in an R44. One strong young teenager, when they were in a hover at the end of the 6-minute ride, grabbed the top of the T-bar and shook it, asking "what does this do?" Fortunately he learned the answer before the helicopter rolled over... Consider adding a "this is the control that rolls the helicopter over if you touch it" line to your preflight passenger briefing.

Sounds like a great b'day. For my 50th my wife got me a ride in a glider...I don't like heights and am clostraphobic. Only saving grace was that she was in the back of the small, underpowered tow plane (she also doesn't like heights). Turning 50 is actually a fun time. My friend/dogwalker is about to turn 90. She doesn't know it yet, but she's going for a ride on the Harley. Enjoy the second half, and remember, you're only old on the day before you die whether that's 100 or 20.