5. Flying a Helicopter

Sometimes I forget I’m not 25 anymore. Needing to reach something behind a dresser, I hoisted myself up instead of getting a stool to step on. Ouch! My ribs didn’t like that, and a week later I still wince getting out of bed.

So I bagged a more physically demanding adventure and decided instead to take a ride in a helicopter, and even better, to take a flying lesson. How cool is that?

At C-R Helicopters in Nashua, NH, I started in a classroom with my instructor, Phil, who used model helicopters to teach me what happens when you operate each of the three main controls: the cyclic stick, the collective lever, and the pedals. He also gave me mandated lessons about safety. 

Because this is a one-time adventure for me and not the beginning of a chopper-piloting hobby or career, I didn’t pay all that much attention. Riding the thing - and hopefully steering - would be really fun, but torque and pitch angles didn’t interest me, and anyway Phil, an experienced pilot, would be in control.

After the classroom instruction, we went outside to a little two-seater, so small that it reminded me of a Volkswagen bug with rotors.

So what did I do? Tripped over one of the landing skids hidden in shadow and fell face-down onto the pavement, glasses flying. Nice.

No major damage done, I picked myself up and climbed in.

Phil started everything up, we buckled in and put on our headsets, waited until the indicators on the dashboard reached the green zone, then lifted off. We reached somewhere around 1,500 feet and had a spectacular view. Depending on which direction we were facing, we could see Boston, Manchester, and the White Mountains.

Awesome!

With Phil at the dual control, I got to head us towards a lake, a fire tower, and straight along the line of a highway. Banking into turns reminded me of riding a roller coaster, a sensation I’d rather avoid, but heading straight felt great.

Great, that is, until I decided to take some pictures. Looking out at the horizon helped me stave off motion sickness, but focusing on my phone, turning on the camera app, triggered queasiness.

By that point, we were nearing the end of our half hour in the sky anyway, so started heading back. Phil brought the helicopter down close to the ground, then I got to make it hover - despite the queasiness, a really cool experience. 

A helicopter lesson would make a great gift. Phil and the other guys at C-R were so helpful and friendly, and made a novice like me feel welcome. 

Without the impetus of my adventure project, I would never have decided to spend a morning flying in a helicopter, but I’m so glad I did. What would help you try something new? 

C-R Helicopters $270.50 for a one-hour lesson (a half hour of ground instruction and a half-hour in the air); I had a Groupon, so paid $144.