Ken Omega's Helicopter Jungle™

Walking Around Taking Cel Phone Shots

2009-03-18T20:46:00.001-07:00

What a gorgeous day today! I had a brief meeting in Midtown Manhattan. And then, it was so nice out, I just started walking. I had taken the subway since I rarely drive into the City. And I just didn't feel like getting back on the train right away.

I walked to the West 30th Street Heliport and just hung out watching a few aircraft takeoff and land. I also snapped this photo there. That's a bell 430. Man! Talk about gorgeous!

After catching another photo or two at the heliport, I continued walking.

I was headed downtown, but went East and inland a bit so that I could walk through Chelsea and check out the art galleries and rusticism of that area. Chelsea is one of the last neighborhoods left in New York City that still has a great deal of character.

Many buildings from the turn of the 2oth century still stand. And there are even remnants of the now defunct New York Central Rail Line, that appear as an occasional rusted steel overpass here and there.

Incidentally, The world famous Meat Packing district - well known for its fashion, and television hype - borrows its ambience from Chelsea. The Meat Packing district lies basically on the border between Chelsea and the West Village. That is also the course along which my meandering walk took me this afternoon.

I eventually wound up in Soho, where I turned back onto Broadway from Spring Street and continued heading south. Finally, at Canal Street and Broadway - Chinatown - my legs could stand no more, and I jumped on the Q train for home.

That was easy. I only had to go one stop over the Manhattan Bridge.

As the train crossed the East River in the late afternoon sun, I looked out to the South and caught a glimpse of Wall Street Heliport. There were no aircraft parked or maneuvering there at that time. So I turned back around and got into my paperback.

Overall, it was a long walk. But I got some nice shots - especially considering all I was using was my phone to take the pictures. You can see the others by clicking here.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Main Reason I Would've Become a Cop

2009-03-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

I've been watching these guys fly over NYC for years. Back in 1996 on Marathon Sunday, I captured some footage of NYPD Aviation as they shadowed the race - And basically chauffered Mayor Giuliani around the city. They landed at a soccer field right near my house. I was using an analog 8mm video camera. And it wasn't until about two and a half years ago that I fianally got to digitize and edit the footage.
This was the idea I had for presentation. It reminds me of a Chanel "Share The Fantasy" advert.
At one point in my life I was very close to joining the force. I changed my mind at the last minute because I did some homework and found out that it's not that easy to get assigned to the aviation unit. I imagine being a policeman is an exciting and rewarding job. But I wanted to fly that Bell 412. So at the last minute, I figured I'd find some other means of achieving that goal, or one similar. Still, the scene that took place that morning was pretty cool to watch.
Hope you like it.
Enjoy!

These Guys Have the Sweetest Job

2009-03-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

Come on, Look at that bird! That's an Aerospatiale HH65 Dauphin. The US Coast Guargd uses it, along with the Sikorsky HH60 Jayhawk, for Search and Rescue operations. There is a US Coast Guard Air Base at the southern tip of Brooklyn, NY where I live. Whenever I'm out that way,

I try to stop of at the airfield just to check out this gorgeous helicopter.

It's got some pretty sophisticated avionics too. Auto-pilot hovering, and all the other glass cockpit stuff that's typical of a modern twin-turbine chopper.

It's really cool to see these guys whizzing by right over the tops of the Brooklyn brownstones in neighborhoods like Park Slope and Fort Greene. They also make a very distinctive sound.

Whenever I hear it, I know it's them. Seeing them fly by, always puts me a good frame of mind. It reminds me that some people are lucky enough to be doing something they probably enjoy very much.

That is right in line with my personal philosophy. And even though I don't get paid to do something as cool as this, I would never shlep at a job I hated. And you shouldn't either.

Follow your heart. Here's to inspiration.

One of My Favorites

2009-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

The Sikorsky S76 is such a slick helicopter.

Typically used in the Northeast geographic region in an executive transport role, I see them flying over New York City just about every day. If not hovering in to land or taking off from Wall Street Heliport, East 34 St, or West 30th, then Flying the east-west corridor that runs over brooklyn to and from JFK and La Guardia Airports.

When I was a kid, maybe 14 or 15 years old, I used to go to East 34th Street Heliport just to watch them take off and land. I was able to get right up to the fence there. So the vantage point was great. Anyone not accustomed to helicopters learns very quickly just how loud and powerful their rotor systems are when spectating close up. The sound is deafening, and the downwash actually blows you back.

They pick up gracefully. Then, ease slightly backward to get clear of the FDR drive - the highway that runs very close by and ony about thirty feet above the E34 St. Heliport. Next comes a graceful pedal turn, and the bird is up and away. Man, I think I used to sit there at least an hour or two when I'd go. I just couldn't get enough.

These days, the S76A which first flew in 1977, has evoved into the S76 C++. It can seat up to 8 passengers along with two pilots. It has a range of about 345 nautical miles - which is about 397 statute miles. And a max speed of 178 mph.

A newer version - The S76D is currently in the works. The specifications I'm not aware of (except that it will have a 1050 SHP Pratt and Whitney engine). But I know it first flew just last month on February 7, 2009. I believe roll-out is anticipated for 2010. I'll surely be looking out for that one.

One of the main operators of the Sikorsky s76 in the New York City - Tri State are is US Helicopters. They can get you from Wall Street Heliport to JFK in 8 minutes! That surely beats the 30 to 40 that it would take by car - perhaps even longer depending on traffic.

I've been to US helicopter's website, but they don't list their flight requirements for pilots.

Yet my knowledge of industry standards leads me to believe that it would be at least 2000 hrs PIC for Captain. And probably a minimum of 1500 for Second In Command.

Those numbers are primarily based on a recent conversation I had with a flight instructor who has close to 1000 hours, and is still going into the ARMY Warrant Officer program to fly Blackhawks. Until recently flyboys did one or the other; they either rack up civilian hours and get that job after a year or so f teaching, or go into the military and let Uncle Sugar pay for your training from the start. At the moment, competition among pilots is apparently higher than normal.

These dynamics vary every few years or so. But from what I understand, Military pilots are getting love once more. So a lot of guys are changing course even if they've logged a great deal of civil time. For a while there, Military pilots weren't so popular within the Civil Aviation sector, because they had a reputation for flying military style, abusing and damaging people's expensive birds.

Long story short, the track to an S76 at this point either goes via the Military, or is going to require flight instructors and other time building pilots like myself to acquire at least 1500 hours as opposed to 1000. And I'm pretty sure there'd better be some turbine time in there.

So the civiliany guy is most likely going to be stopping off at a 206 and/or an A-Star along the way.

But then again, it's not what you know, but who you know. Right?!

Sea Copter®

2009-02-27T13:09:00.000-08:00

Let's face it. We're visual creatures. And we live in a visual society. I imagine that even people who are visually impaired use their other senses to form mental pictures. So the way things look is something that's important to people. Many times, the way an object looks will invoke mental associations that are pleasing, interesting, exciting, etcetera.

That's the case when I look at many different helicopter configurations. One in particular is the fixed-float version. Any helicopter I've seen like this I think looks great. It could be an Enstrom, a Robinson, even an old 1950's Bell 47.

When a helicopter has floats, the first thing that comes to mind is some sort of riverine mission deep in the tropics somewhere. You've got harsh conditions - heat, humidity, thick jungle - yet there's this awesome machine to get you in and get you out. Those are exciting factors. Consider a typical hollywood action movie and you'll see my point.

One time I saw a Bell 206 flying by over the East River in New York early in the morning. It was equipped with pontoons. I was parked at the river's edge having coffee beneath a radiant sky when some lucky dog flew by in that helicopter not 25 feet over the water.

I watched him fly under the brooklyn Bridge off to my right and then continue steadily toward my left (approximately southward) until he hooked around past Wall Street. He then must have headed Northbound up the Hudson River, along Manhattan's West Side. It was one of the coolest looking sights I've ever seen.

That image is etched in my mind forever. All my boyhood GI Joe, action, adventure fantasies were immediately rekindled. I love inspiration. It's the fuel of genius. A child, for example can even come up with marketing terminology off the cuff. "Look, Dad! A Sea Copter". Sound familiar? That day flew by. I was just up and positive.

I was working for the Phone Company at the time. So I'm certain I hadn't finished my private rating yet because I quit that job shortly after I passed my private checkride. In fact, if it was before 1997 - which it may well have been. I may not have even started my training yet.

In any event, seeing things such as the helicopter that flew by low with the floats on it - and other similarly beautiful sights - all played a part in keeping me inspired and motivated to reach my goal of learning to fly.

I may never get to land an S92 on an oil rig. But I bet I'll fly some floats one day.

Flying Over The Beach On A Beautiful Day

2009-02-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

This was a few summers a go. A beautiful woman whom I had become romantically involved with had flown all the way from Milan, Italy to see me. I believe she stayed in New York with me for about a week. During that time, I took her out to the airport in long Island where my flight school was located so that we could spend an hour or so together in the air. Although I am a city boy, I had done enough flying over eastern Long Island while getting my private rating, to know the area pretty well. So I was excited to show my girlfriend some of the cool stuff I had seen from above.

Just as an aside, the fact that 'New York is where the money is' is typically just excepted by most people and not necessarily evaluated to any extent. I suppose most people just envision wall Street when that topic arises. But listen. I am a native New Yorker. And I had no idea just how much ridiculous wealth existed in this state until I began to fly - especially over Long Island. I was dying to see this woman's reaction when she saw some of the sprawling estates they have out there from the air.

We arrived in Ronkonkoma on the Long Island Railroad at 10:40 or so in the morning.

The airport is situated right next to the train station. But with air fields being as vast as they are, it was still a good 15 minute walk - essentially around the runway - to the school entrance.

Nevertheless, we were just in time for the eleven o'clock reservation I had made.

The weather was perfect. Eight degrees, crystal clear, and the wind was light and variable.

After starting up the helicopter with an instructor and hover taxiing out to the vicinity of the helipad, I set the helicopter down and the instructor disembarked to retrieve my companion who was waiting a safe distance away. He walked her cautiously over to the aircraft and helped to get settled and strapped in. Once he was clear, he gave me the thumbs up and my girlfriend and I rose gently into a five foot hover.

I already had the current ATIS info and a clearance in the Class C airspace, so I thumbed the radio, and contacted Long Island Ground for permission to taxi the rest of the way to the pad.

Once permission was granted, I maneuverd the helicopter to the pad, set down again and switched to tower frequency.

Tower cleared us for take off as I picked back up into a hover, and we were off. At abot 300 feet above the ground, I put in a shallow right bank and brought us about on course, Northbound at 500 feet. I gave the tower a position report at 600 feet as we zipped toward Long Island's North Shore. Five minutes later, we were clear of Islip Class C and I squawked VFR on the Transponder. Moments later the coast came into view, and I began to steer a little to the East to save time.

We flew out over the beach at around 700 feet, and headed due East Toward Mattituck.

All the while beautiful cliffside mansions dotted the landscape below. I pointed out the staircases that ran from the backs of these homes down the cliff to the private sections of beach. It was fun to share the thrill of flying with someone close, glance over occaisionally and see them enjoying it as well.

About thirty minutes later, we arrived at Mattituck for a touch and go. I did that so I could log the cross country time. After departing Mattituck again toward the north, I came about South bound and headed for Westhampton Helipad. Westahmpton - or Eighty-Seven- November - as it is know to pilots - is a really fun place to land and take off from. It's basically a fifty foot by fifty foot cement rectangle right next to Dune Road on the South Shore. It's not very easy to spot - even if you know the area. It feels adventurous, and makes a low-time pilot feel like he's doing something for real. So much fun! Sometimes I would fly solo, go there and just fly patterns to and from it several times in a row to practice my control and precision.

As we came in on short final to West Hampton, the cars going by on dune road looked made the landing even more exciting. I love flying in light wind, the helicopter is much easier to control.

The landing was perfect. I set the skids down baby soft dead center of the pad and lowered the collective full down to savor the moment. My travel companion and I looked at each other briefly, and exchanged elated grins. I then scanned the area on all sides and picked back up.

Just a slight pedal turn to the right got us pointed away from the highway. I checked the warning lights, guages, and RPM's. Everything still looked good. So away we went back toward the airport.

On the way back home, i went in for one last fun approach to a deserted stretch of beach. I you look closely at the picture, you can see my companion's seat belt dangling from when she got out and quickly ran fifty feet or so to the side in order to snap the photo. I'm inside the helicopter waving. Man! What a day. And um, needless to say, that night was pretty awsome too.

© Ken Omega 2009

On Paying For Helicopter Training, Passion and Then Some

2009-02-26T00:08:00.000-08:00

I'd like to talk briefly about my experience with helicopter flight training.

Like most pilots I know, helicopter's and aviation in general have been something I've been interested in since childhood. Fortunately, once I was older, I was able to Identify flight and all the elements that surround it, as something I'm very passionate about. I'm also glad that I had the sense to pursue that passion. The pursuit of passion is something we all must undertake if we are to be truly happy.

You have to be passionate to make the sacrifices involved to reach any significant level of achievement in the flight training field. That is, unless you or your family has serious money. Even then however, although finances may not be a burden for you, you must still have passion in order to see your training through. And certainly to then settle for meager pay as a flight instructor until you can build up enough time to get that first serious job as a pilot.

While training to fly helicopters for almost twelve years now, I've met many instructors and fellow students in that time. The instructors I've known all seemed to have followed a similar trajectory - go all out, get a loan, pay for your flight training all at once, finish in about eleven months and start teaching. The students were more varied on the other hand. Some were part 61 like myself. While most others were part 141 and just about to finish up.

Albeit somewhat silly, one of the hardest things for me to swallow, was the fact that I had usually begun training before many of my instructors and fellow students. Only to find out shortly thereafter that they had surpassed me in hours and were 'on their way' so to speak. Yes.

Pride is a bitch. In any event, it seemed that no one's situation was quite like mine. And while I'm sure there are students and pilots out there who can relate. I don't know of any off hand. That is what prompted me to tell of my seemingly unique experience as a helicopter student, and now Commercial Helicopter pilot.

Just to get other worldly for a sec, I have often felt (and still do) that I was I helicopter pilot who died in the Vietnam War. I was born in 1967. So chronologically, the idea isn't so far fetched. Then, one time when I was going to join the army as a Blackhawk Helicopter mechanic, I bumped into a Marine sergeant right before I was about to swear in. He and I had exchange that went something like this:

"Ken?"

"Yes."

"Welcome back."

Go figure. Sorry to sidetrack. But I felt compelled to indicate just how karmic as well as serious my experience with helicopters has been over the years. This sort of thing only served to affirm my drive If I ever had doubts - which I seldom did. If so, They were probably financial in nature, because all my money was being spent on training. Which brings me back to the main point.

I started training in January of 1997. and it wasn't until last year - October 2008 - that I finally got my Commercial rating. The reason it took so long is simple. Money.

I am not from a wealthy family. I did a stint in show business as a rapper from 1989 to 1991 (Downtown Science - Def Jam / Sony), only to emerge from that endeavor bankrupt and climbing telephone poles by 1994. I knew then more than ever that it was high time to get on track to fly. But my credit was shot. I couldn't get a loan. So I began to use the proceeds from my new and very well paying job with NY Telephone Co. to finally start doing what I wish I would have been doing all along.

Ironically, when I took the show business route, I had just finished 60 credits including College Level Physics at a local community college. I was in school because I had qualified for a now defunct US Navy program called NAVCAD that promised qualifying minority applicants a 'shot' at flight school and Officership in exchange for an initial enlistment of at least two years, I think it was.

Before that, I had graduated New York City's prestigious Bronx High School of Science with a 92 GPA, and wanted to go into aeronautics. That would have been the ideal springboard for a military flight career. But my mom was clueless about the whole college process. And my stepdad basically shot it it down. As far as he was concerned, everybody should become an electrician like him. I know. I need a violin, right?! But seriously, how many current flight instructors or career pilots come from this sort of background? I'm curious.

My record deal came through right after the semester ended and I was supposed to ship out. When I told my recruiter that I was opting for entertainment at the last minute, he looked at me like I was crazy. That's actually putting it mildly. Looking back, I suppose he was onto something.

So there I was. Climbing telephone poles - which did appeal to my cowboy side for a hot minute, but got old even faster. I spent the better part of my workday daydreaming about how to get into one of those beautiful Sikorsky S76's that kept whizzing by over my head while I was out in the field. New York City is a pretty fabulous helicopter environment. (My other favorite was and still is the coast guard's orange HH65 Dauphin. What a beautiful bird! Oh. And I can't forget the UH60 airframe - Blackhawk, Seahawk, Pavehawk, Jayhawk, whatever - I love it!) What I saw in the skies over head inspired me daily.

By 1999 I had my Private rating and was gradually building time. I was able to take a few friends flying and had all sorts of fun as a newly certificated pilot... There's nothing like flying a helicopter over the beach in the summer with the doors off... Finally, I got fed up with the Phone company and quit in 1999 shortly after I had finished my private rating. Best decision I ever made. I was following my heart. Fortunately, I had already let them pay for the completion of my Bachelors in Business and Aviation while I had been attending school at night. But now I was free.

I liquidated my 401K, paid the taxes and penalties for early withdrawal, and basically went flying. I also traveled a bit. It soon began to dawn on me however that I was still quite a ways off from flying professionally. Especially as the instructors and fellow students continually blew by me.

One consolation was that I had already proven to myself that I wasn't really a clock punching kind of guy. So there was a notion that performing pilot duties in an employment capacity might ruin things a bit for me. At least along the lines of freedom and idealism. But then, how would I ever fly an S76? A Dauphin? A Blackhawk? I had no idea. Intuitively though, I felt that access to a wad of cash would certainly alter the parameters.

1999 turned to 2000. Then eventually 2005 and 2007 appeared. I had been plodding along with the hours as I struggled to get by as a single man living alone in NYC. It's not a cheap place to live. There usually isn't much money left over to fly once the bills are paid. So I still had not acquired a Commercial rating.

Understand that even though I am single and have no children, when I quit the Phone company and liquidated my 401K, that was it. Once that was all spent up, I had to be very imaginative in getting by. It was all I could do to imagine food and shelter at that point, never mind steady flight training. So logging flight time between 2001 and 2007 was slow at best.

Ultimately, in 2008 I broke down and applied for a Sallie Mae loan in order to finish my Commercial rating. I was only 25 or so hours shy of the flight time requirement. So I figured I could go away and get it done in six to eight weeks with little trouble.

When my loan was approved, I hit the ceiling! Finally that bankruptcy from the mid 1990's was no longer a factor. Also, loans weren't so difficult to get in early 2008. This certainly not the case now. So I'm glad I jumped at the chance when I did.

Aside from acquiring the money, other concerns were subletting my place and giving up my income for the two months that I would be away training. I say 'away' because I had naturally chosen to finish my training in Hawaii. Who wouldn't?! By the way, thank you to Mauna Loa Helicopters for an awesome experience. Worth every penny!

And to the guys and gals out there who are struggling to pay for their hours. If you're passionate, don't give up. It will happen. I'm living proof. Sure, I still could use an instrument rating and perhaps an instructor's ticket. but I view those as minor hurdles at this point. At the end of the day, I can fly whenever it's reasonably nice out, and get paid for it! And quite frankly, I'd rather fly when it's sunny and mild.

As a footnote, anyone who thinks that being in the military is the only way to fly a UH60 need only look at the prince of Brunei. He bought one for personal use. And, although he most likely rides in the back, I'm sure he could afford the training required for a right-seat pass. Who knows. Maybe he's chummy with the pilot (or has the pilot intimidated - tee hee), and gets to fly up front on a whim. Hey, the truth is stranger than fiction.

Moral of the story: Never give up. I know I won't.

I mean... after all... I died in Vietnam and the Sergeant said 'welcome back'.

Well, here I am!