Flying Aircrafts Of War During Peacetime - My First Flight on the Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone

A multi-role shipboard helicopter that will eventually make it to the Canadian Forces.

Got this payware for X-Plane 10 and it was worth every penny. It's by DMO Flight Design and it packs 5 S-92 models and 22 liveries.

Early morning at Wallops Fligh Facility (VA, USA).

The passenger cabin is fully detailed. Doors and rear hatch can be opened.

The 3D cockpit features many functional buttons including the ones using navigation, autopilot, comms and lighting. Unfortunately, the MFDs buttons are not implemented.

Flying over DE, in route towards a frigate in the Chesapeake Bay. The cruising speed of this rotary wing aircraft is 145 KIAS and it certainly gets bumpy above that speed. Note the rotor blades tilted upwards.

I never made peace with Sikorsky's tail rotors ... So angled to the left! This forces me to fly with a slight left bank. Oh well.

The approach to the frigate was tricky. I don't know the exact speed of the boat, but it certainly felt like above 12 knots. 

The sunrise, the smell of sea and that CIWS pointing at me ... It doesn't get any better!

There were neither landing nor survivors. :)

On a serious note, so far the two rotary wing sims that do best are DCS Black Shark and X-Plane 9/10. I always felt a void for a single main rotor simulator, preferably around a military aircraft, and that's why I got this add-on.

I'm going to have a series of entries regarding helicopter flying. Already found in my flying a couple of bad piloting practices that I was not aware of.

Cheers,