[n86121]

I started with an Enstrom F28 in the late 70's.
About 500 hours in it.
To impress girls.

Married the first one who was impressed by my ability to FLY it, vs own it.

In Washington DC, airlines driving me nuts (to visit aforementioned woman then in Boston).

Transitioned to fixed wing. What, maybe 10 hrs C152, 3 in a C172.
Then bought my RSTOL 337.

Closest thing I could get to a helicopter:
Great view.
Almost as short a landing roll.

But it was QUITE a transition.

"Do NOT terminate at zero airspeed in a 2 ft hover"
"Remember to lineup with the runway before touching down"
"Do NOT land with your nose still 45 degrees into a crosswind"
"What do you mean pull BACK to climb?"
"Get too slow and this thing can STALL!!!"

The 337 is hard to shoot down
(would become useful later over DC, when someone tired and hit my rear prop).

Inline redundancy makes helicopter altitudes even better (and legal).

I was flying with Tom, a friend, GA pilot and NTSB judge.
Up the Potomac River at "less than 500"

Not being an idiot. Staying away from homes, boats etc.
Similar to how I would fly down coast to Hatteras.

I asked Tom, "What would NTSB think of this flight?"

He replied, (paraphrase 91.119)
"Over populated it is 1000ft and 2,000 from nearest etc."
"Unpopulated 500..., or over water, .."
"with enough altitude to land in the event of power failure"

"In this airplane you can lose an engine at gross and still climb to 16,000ft"
"So it is safe"

I you check out flightaware n86121 tracks
you will see I often do what I call a "river return" back into Potomac.

Once a helicopter pilot....