GOING SOLO IN THE “MOSQUITO”

By Lt Maryke Lynn 

The fact that people say “the Robbie is the most difficult helicopter to master”, made us five newly qualified SAAF pilots a bit wary of going solo in it for the first time. However, it was nothing but pure bliss! 

Before you know it, after only a few weeks of intense training at Durban’s Starlite Aviation flying school, you find yourself in the RH-22’s small cockpit with the Chief Flying Instructor, Kate Esterhuyse, in the left-hand seat. This can only mean one thing – she is determining if you are ready (or not) to go for your very first solo in a helicopter – and suddenly a combination of mixed emotions overcome you… 

After a bit of hovering, a few take-offs and landings and a couple of circuits, she looks at you and says: “I think you are ready to do this on your own; I am getting out”. In a flash you are all by yourself and intensely aware of the crowd that has gathered to witness this glorious occasion. You take a deep breath: focus, focus, focus… do your final checks and slowly start raising the collective. 

After two quick circuits and a shaky landing later, course mates strip you of your badges and other insignia and then it’s a painful march to the makeshift solo pit for a well-deserved mud bath. In time course mates and bystanders became more resourceful and inspired in their ways of “punishing” the soloist – so you are lucky if you are one of the first to go. Covered in mud and soaked to the bone you proudly receive your bottle of bubbly and Starlite badge. 

Course 01/09 is making good progress on both the RH-22 and B-206 Jet Ranger and we are looking forward to returning to AFB Bloemspruit for the Oryx conversion.