I bought a Raven II with AC last month and hit the training hard. Today culminated with the commercial and instrument checkrides. Far and away, the hardest checkrides I've taken to date. They felt more like initials than add ons. Examiner was tough but fair!

I bought the R44 to use as my Florida Cessna 172 to use for business and fun within 100 miles of my home in central Florida. In 77 hours in 6 weeks, I've done nothing but put oil and gas in it. It's a wonderfully reliable, well made machine with great performance. I think I'm going to really enjoy owning it.

Other than knowing the rules and how to talk on the radio and fly instruments, I didn't feel there was much correlation between flying airplanes and helicopters. There's some similarity in the low level environment with seaplanes but not much.

FUN? The absolute most fun I've ever had in any aircraft. If I had to have 1 toy and live under a bridge homeless, I'd keep the R44.

Congratulations! To fly is human; to hover is divine.

That's a heckuva collection of ratings you've got going.

Great post! I need to learn to fly helos.

Congratulations on your new ride, or magic carpet, to be more precise. I totally agree on the fun part of rotorcraft, and your post brought back many fond recollections.
I ran a small flight school with three R 22's, and greatly enjoyed it. I recall helping Frank Robinson correct the wear that the push-pull rods were having on the fairlead right behind the cabin bulkhead.
R 44's were not out yet, and I missed having one for my operation, as life got in the way.
Most fun was going to work in the machine: The helipad at the hospital was spacious, and the only time I had any problem was when a prima donna neurosurgeon complained about me... I think he was sore because his Porsche couldn't fly, or perhaps because many a young nurse was delighted to share lunch with me atop the mountain that presides over my hometown.
Autorotations in the R-22 were about as exciting as landings in the Pitts Special... not much room for error. I once did one in a Hughes turbine, and could have had lunch on the way down.
Thank you for rekindling great memories, I know yours will be similar.

Tom

Can you share details on costs for maintenance, how’s the 12 year 2,200 hour thing? Is it expensive to comply with?,

Wow, multi-engine sea on your cert...

Congrats on the ratings. Mine has also been very reliable. I fly it a few times each week and it just goes. I have about 1,000 on my R44 and had about 800 in my R22. I took mine down to the end of Baja last November about 100 high off the Sea of Cortez. It was like sitting in a recliner in an air conditioned IMAX theater watching the coast go by.

I think a 12 year overhaul is on the order of 50-60% of the list price of a new R44.

...and Congrats Michael!

To the best of my knowledge, no one part 91 is doing the 12 year overhaul if they haven't hit the 2,200 hour mark. At 12 years, most 91 operators are just replacing the blades. Mine got new blades from the previous owner which were about 60K. So, it's $5K a year in blade amortization. At 2,200, depending on what shop you use, it's around 200-250K to do the full overhaul but that includes new blades which you may or may not need and could sell.

Long story short, at 675 hours TTSN, it is going to cost me about $100/hour in airframe depreciation and about 15 GPH to fly. It's going in for its annual inspection at the end of this month and it was flat rated at $1,700. Let's say $2,500 out the door.

Seriously, its operating costs aren't much different than a 182.

Well done Mr. Tarver!!!

I did my helicopter rating last year and it was challenging and a ton of fun.

Lots of shark and ray sightings with low coastline flying this time of year in FL.

Did not know part 91 allowed to go past 12 year or even engine hours I thought that was a hard deck.

A good friend of mine bought a factory overhauled R44 with my help last month and it is superb, even though it is a bit more money I think the factory overhaul is definitely worth considering.

To the best of my knowledge, no one part 91 is doing the 12 year overhaul if they haven't hit the 2,200 hour mark. At 12 years, most 91 operators are just replacing the blades. Mine got new blades from the previous owner which were about 60K. So, it's $5K a year in blade amortization. At 2,200, depending on what shop you use, it's around 200-250K to do the full overhaul but that includes new blades which you may or may not need and could sell.

Long story short, at 675 hours TTSN, it is going to cost me about $100/hour in airframe depreciation and about 15 GPH to fly. It's going in for its annual inspection at the end of this month and it was flat rated at $1,700. Let's say $2,500 out the door.

Seriously, its operating costs aren't much different than a 182.

The insurance. That’s the big nut.

^^^^^^
This

Include hull coverage and tell us the numbers.

Congrats. I keep having dreams of having a S-76 as a FW replacement, but have heard from numerous people they'll eat not only my lunch, but everyone else's, too!

Good bargains on S76 these days.

Could be quite affordable. Right up until something breaks.