05LSV Report post Posted August 22, 2018 Headed to Ojai later in the month and not sure I want to drive 4 hours there and back. Has anyone used a helicopter for this sort of short range trip? I know a llttle about jets from past charters, but nothing about helicopters...at all. Any tips, recommendations, helicopter makes/models, estimated cost for 3 ppl with light luggage, etc? Anything will help. Thanks in advance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supercar Ace Report post Posted August 22, 2018 Headed to Ojai later in the month and not sure I want to drive 4 hours there and back. Has anyone used a helicopter for this sort of short range trip? I know a llttle about jets from past charters, but nothing about helicopters...at all. Any tips, recommendations, helicopter makes/models, estimated cost for 3 ppl with light luggage, etc? Anything will help. Thanks in advance. I don't know about helicopters but I will say the drive there is fantastic if you want fun, scenic roads. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanon Report post Posted August 22, 2018 Biggest thing I've heard is mandatory the pilot has a minimum of 10k flight hours. I believe that was Chad's rule. If you find an Agusta with retractable gear, post pics! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHADW Report post Posted August 22, 2018 And dual turbine power. Redundancy is important in the air, especially in birds that can’t glide. For short trips, it’s the perfect weapon. You won’t even have to give up the fun and scenery Ace mentions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Assman Report post Posted August 22, 2018 Dude. Really? Ojai is just up the road from my house. You staying at the Ojai Valley inn? Love that place. If you plan around traffic you can make the whole trip in 3 hours. Hit me up on text. I’ll fill you in. I do have a friend who may know chopper rentals locally. I’ll contact him for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SingleSeat Report post Posted August 23, 2018 And dual turbine power. Redundancy is important in the air, especially in birds that can't glide. More engines is better, but a helicopter glides just fine. It's called autorotation. The smaller the helicopter, the more survivable a full auto' would be. Jet Rangers autorotate like a champ! Unless the transmission shits and the wings stop. There's only one transmission, lol. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LSV Report post Posted August 23, 2018 More engines is better, but a helicopter glides just fine. It's called autorotation. The smaller the helicopter, the more survivable a full auto' would be. Jet Rangers autorotate like a champ! Unless the transmission shits and the wings stop. There's only one transmission, lol. I got in touch with a charter company nearby and got some info. The helicopter is an A-star AS350. It was just reinspected by the FAA today, so service and maintenance are both on point. I just asked the pilot/owner of the helicopter and charter company (all one in the same) how many flight hours he has. I didn’t think to ask that, just assuming if you own and helicopter, own a charter company, and fly people around for money, that you’re certified in some way. We’ll see what he says. The drive to Ojai is about 4 hours from my house, and that’s if I time it perfectly. It’s 4.5 hours coming home. If I have the helicopter, we could stay all day on our last day and leave when we want instead of having to leave at 11am because of traffic. This is all in the interest of time savings, yes, as the charter would be just over an hour compared to four hours in the car. But also, I’ve never been on a helicopter, and thought it would be cool... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emanon Report post Posted August 23, 2018 But also, I’ve never been on a helicopter, and thought it would be cool... It is. You'll definitely dig it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LSV Report post Posted August 23, 2018 Okay so I just spoke to the pilot/owner, who has 3500 flight hours under his belt. The helicopter is an A-star AS350 with a single turbine. Apparently it's an older helicopter, but it only has 4500 hours on the clock. The company is called Icon Helicopters, and they do aerial filming, charters, and commercial work, having just finished a job for Monster energy, who wrapped the helicopter in matte black for whatever they were doing. It looks pretty cool. Icon is about $2k less expensive than the other quotes I've gotten... Thoughts? Issues? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LSV Report post Posted August 23, 2018 Normal look without the wrap. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHADW Report post Posted August 24, 2018 It just looks old. Not a problem necessarily and priced accordingly. Sometimes you need a jet, sometimes a Cessna will do just fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LSV Report post Posted August 24, 2018 It just looks old. Not a problem necessarily and priced accordingly. Sometimes you need a jet, sometimes a Cessna will do just fine. Yeah after checking them out online, newer helicopters have a little more updated look for sure. Jet wasn’t a consideration bc the nearest airport is an hour away. Kind of defeats the purpose... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnsella Report post Posted August 24, 2018 Yeah after checking them out online, newer helicopters have a little more updated look for sure. Jet wasn’t a consideration bc the nearest airport is an hour away. Kind of defeats the purpose... Santa Paula Airport is less than 20 miles from Ojai. Might be an option for a fixed-wing charter. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LSV Report post Posted August 24, 2018 Santa Paula Airport is less than 20 miles from Ojai. Might be an option for a fixed-wing charter. That runway is too short for a jet. They said a Kingair 100 could land there though... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gLA Report post Posted August 24, 2018 Since its your first time I'd keep looking for a better ride. Don't get a "local" company. Call an LA company and have them come out and get you in something nice (without a wrap!). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gLA Report post Posted August 24, 2018 give Orbic a shout. They are super nice people, I was a student of theirs for a while. I dont think they have any Eurocopters knocking about but they will help you find something nice for your first time. http://orbicair.com/c-259806-helicopter-ch...os-angeles.html That runway is too short for a jet. They said a Kingair 100 could land there though... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLK85 Report post Posted August 26, 2018 Okay so I just spoke to the pilot/owner, who has 3500 flight hours under his belt. The helicopter is an A-star AS350 with a single turbine. Apparently it's an older helicopter, but it only has 4500 hours on the clock. The company is called Icon Helicopters, and they do aerial filming, charters, and commercial work, having just finished a job for Monster energy, who wrapped the helicopter in matte black for whatever they were doing. It looks pretty cool. Icon is about $2k less expensive than the other quotes I've gotten... Thoughts? Issues? I have nothing to add other than that model of Helicopter flew to the peak of Mount Everest, setting some kind of record. Im sure if it's maintained it will be fine. Helicopters are cool! I've ridden in two of them, although military ones. A Huey with bullet holes in it and a Blackhawk. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
05LSV Report post Posted August 26, 2018 Thanks again for the feedback. I went ahead and booked the trip on the as350. Seems like the charter market here is pretty small - I actually found 3 other charter companies (one was in Houston!) offering the same helicopter from Icon for more money. I know that’s how it goes with jets, so I’m not sure why I was surprised... On the cheaper end, I found a Robinson R44, but it’s smaller and looked a little scary. There was also a late model Bell available for about the same money as the Astar, but it did not have air conditioning. I’m not sure if that’s required, but I decided to go with as350 based on that, the size, and the price. I’ll get some pics outside of the hanger before we take off. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Constanza Report post Posted August 26, 2018 Thanks again for the feedback. I went ahead and booked the trip on the as350. Seems like the charter market here is pretty small - I actually found 3 other charter companies (one was in Houston!) offering the same helicopter from Icon for more money. I know that’s how it goes with jets, so I’m not sure why I was surprised... On the cheaper end, I found a Robinson R44, but it’s smaller and looked a little scary. There was also a late model Bell available for about the same money as the Astar, but it did not have air conditioning. I’m not sure if that’s required, but I decided to go with as350 based on that, the size, and the price. I’ll get some pics outside of the hanger before we take off. 1 BLK85 is right, the AS350 is a great and reliable helicopter, used all over the world, from rescue missions to military and police operations, you will be fine ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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