The Moment of Truth
The day had finally arrived. After 6 months of flight training and intensive studying, it was time to earn my private license. Beginning December 2023, I had trained in the helicopter as often as my schedule allowed. While several aircraft maintenance delays pushed my test date back a few months, the overall process was undoubtably guided by God.
It was now June 2024. Some logistical hurdles made it necessary to travel out of state for the exam. The closest DPE (designated pilot examiner) I could book was in Sevierville, TN, located at Sevier County Choppers. So we loaded the family in the car and set out for a short road trip.
Upon arrival, the family dropped me off at the airport to do some last minute flight skill touch up and review some emergency procedures. To earn a private license, the applicant must prove his/her ability to perform basic flight maneuvering AS WELL AS emergency procedures necessary in case of various disasters. In helicopters, the pilot must be prepared for engine failure in flight and in hover, as well as multiple emergencies caused by wind and poor flight planning and assessment. After an hour of polishing up, it was time to head back to the hotel to rest up for the big day!
I woke up and took a deep breath. It was time to see if my skills were adequate. I would be attempting to get my license at the minimum hours. Doable? Certainly. Common? Not so much. But I chose to trust the Father and go for it.
My family drove me to the airport and dropped me off. Besides the early summer warmth, the weather was perfect. Clear skies and low wind. I said a quick prayer and walked in to begin. The first step in the test is the oral exam. This portion is exhaustive (can frequently take up to 4 hours long), but surprisingly I was far more comfortable and confident than expected. This portion tests knowledge of FAA laws and regulations, weather, helicopter systems, emergency procedures, and on and on. Once this was over I made my way to the ramp to preflight the helicopter.
"Preflighting" a helicopter is the process of checking every system, light, bolt, and part of the helicopter. From the emergency lights to the main rotor cotter pins, everything must be examined to ensure safety. After a thorough preflight check, I was ready to fly.
The flight test began as expected. Normal takeoffs and landings, flying at designated altitudes, and making radio calls. Then we began emergency procedures and complicated maneuvers. I performed slope landings (particularly difficult to maneuver since only one skid can contact the ground first), hover autos (simulated engine failure from a hover), auto rotations (simulated engine failure from flight at altitude), etc. etc. So far, so good. When we got to vortex ring state, I became more nervous, however. VRS as its abbreviated is a very hazardous predicament which you want to avoid at all costs. The only maneuvers to get out sacrifice sometimes hundreds of feet of altitude before the helicopter can regain safe flight. Needless to say, intentionally putting the helicopter into VRS isn't something to take lightly. But regardless, I climbed to a safe altitude, slowly pushed the helicopter into VRS, confirmed that I was free-falling in VRS and then quickly but steadily pulled full collective, put in right cyclic and adjusted the pedals to escape the vortex. Sigh of relief.
This continued for a couple hours demonstrating traffic patterns, confined landings, max performance, etc. until the DPE was satisfied with my performance. We returned to the ground, performed a safe shutdown procedure and exited the craft. The exam was done, I had passed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, I was now a licensed helicopter pilot.
