The basic principle and purpose of both aircraft are the same; they both take you into the air and get you places. Some of the same operating techniques and laws regarding the two types are the same as well, but beyond that, there are many, many differences between the two aircraft. Airplanes and helicopters use the same basic principles to fly: lift, weight, thrust, and drag. The rotor blades of a helicopter spin incredibly fast and provide the lift that the helicopter needs to take flight.
An airplane requires constant airflow over its wings to stay aloft. An airplane is more limited than a helicopter in its abilities and will not be able to do all the things that make a helicopter so cool and useful.
For example, an airplane needs a long runway in order to take off while a helicopter can take off by lifting straight up.
Helicopters are able to land in many places that would otherwise be inaccessible, which makes them very useful in search and rescue missions. Helicopters are also able to hover and take tight turns. This makes helicopters especially useful in search and rescue operations because the helicopter can hover above the site while a rescuer is lowered down and a victim is brought back up.
Because a helicopter is so touchy and can maneuver in such small spaces, they are also more hands-on and require more vigilance to operate. An airplane pilot uses the control yoke and rudder pedals to operate the plane.
If the plane is stable and there are no strong winds, then all it takes is a few small adjustments here and there and a large airplane can nearly seem to fly itself. A helicopter pilot, however, must almost constantly use both hands and feet to control the aircraft. Helicopter pilots use the collective, cyclic, and anti-torque pedals to stay in control. The smallest movement of these controls has large repercussions, so the pilot must be vigilant and constantly make tiny corrections to the flight path.
Many helicopter pilots like and prefer the extra attentiveness and training that is required to properly learn the craft. Both aircraft require a lot of training and a lot of hands-on experience in order to become a pro. In addition to the way the two aircraft are operated, there are also differences in the laws that govern them and what pilots are legally able to do.
Due to safety regulations, airplanes must stay at a certain altitude above the ground at all times unless over open water or while landing. Helicopters have a little more freedom and are able to stay at a lower altitude. Airplanes are required to carry more fuel than helicopters are. Airplanes must carry enough fuel for the entire flight plus minutes of extra flight time. Helicopters are able to carry less fuel and need only carry enough for the trip plus 20 minutes extra.
Airplanes are easier to fly as they are an aerodynamically stable aircraft which means they want to fly. Helicopters are an aerodynamically unstable aircraft which means they do not want to fly. When first learning to fly, any aircraft can seem challenging, and to be honest, once you have your pilot license there are times when flying either aircraft is going to be difficult.
In general, a helicopter is a lot harder to learn to fly especially when it comes to mastering the hover, but no matter which aircraft type you choose you will be in for a fun and challenging journey! Aircraft designers have hundreds, if not thousands of things to consider when designing an aircraft. How it flies and handles are two of the most important, especially when there are going to be no sophisticated avionics or automated flight control systems.
Basic aircraft like those used for training and private ownership need to be as easy and stable to fly as possible but the type of aircraft will dictate just how easy these two factors are! All aircraft have two types of stability that affect how the aircraft flies:. Understanding these two principles will show you why a helicopter is much harder to fly than an airplane.
When an aircraft is affected by a gust of wind, a thermal current, or turbulence, for example, its static stability is how well the aircraft returns back to its original flight path after the disturbance. Just as before, when an aircraft is disturbed from its current flight path its Dynamic Stability is how the aircraft responds over time.
Think of ripples dissipating after a stone is dropped into a pond. The oscillations remain the same and constant. Think ocean waves on a beach. Most simple airplanes have characteristics of both Positive Static and Positive Dynamic Stability — This makes them easy to control. Most helicopters have characteristics of Neutral Static Stability and Negative Dynamic Stability — This makes them very difficult to control. Because a helicopter gets its lift by rotating its airfoils it creates a whole plethora of design challenges and its instability is just one of them.
The limitations of physics dictate how much the designers can manipulate the stability characteristics and still get the aircraft to fly. They are much more restricted compared to airplane designers. Its neutral static and negative dynamic stability characteristics are what need to be learned and controlled to safely handle a helicopter.
Some people are motivated by materialistic things and they measure their success based on the size of their bank account and the list of toys they have acquired. Be forewarned: working hours a week performing a job that you hate is not good. Would you rather make less money doing what you love flying? Simple, in the long run, you potentially make more money as an airplane pilot. This is due to simple logistics; Airplanes can carry more passengers or cargo.
If you are solely motivated by money, you may want to consider becoming an airplane pilot. Flying at high altitudes going in one straight line on autopilot is not very much fun for helicopter pilots.
Regardless of the pathway you choose, if you are considering becoming a Professional Pilot, you need to ask yourself what motivates you and why you want to be a pilot either type.
When you find that answer, Upper Limit Aviation is here to help you make it happen. For valid information regarding the job opportunities and salaries of airplane pilots, click here. New pilots take these jobs to build flight hours. They may fly for 2 to 5 years with a Regional Airline turbo-prop or jets before they can compete for a piloting job with a major airline.
Recently, Boeing proclaimed that the world will need at least 28, new pilots per year to keep up with the demand. The same report claims that the world will need , new pilots between now and This is great news for airplane pilots. It will take a year or two as a CFI to build 1, to 1, flight hours. Aviation Schools Online published an article recently pointing to reports from the Bureau of Labor Statics regarding job forecasts for all pilots.
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