In aviation, there is a lot of arguing about which types of aircraft are better. But rarely do people pay attention to the debate of helicopters vs airplanes…
People are often too busy arguing about Bombardier vs Embraer, or Airbus vs Boeing. As a result, many have neglected helicopters, and just how vital they are in global aviation.
So this begs the question, which is truly superior?
Pros of helicopters
Helicopters may be forgotten more often than not, but it doesn’t mean that they’re any less amazing! There are so many upsides to helicopters that are often overlooked- not today!:
- Weather. Unlike many other forms of transport, helicopters don’t really get affected by the weather. This is thanks to the ability to hover, which means that they can avoid the worst parts of bad weather.
- Technology. Depending on the type of helicopter you fly on, there is much better technology on some of these helicopters. Less noise, less vibrations, even better avionics and nav systems which helps too!
- All three dimensions. A helicopter can go vertically, horizontally and side-to-side, which means that it can avoid the worst parts of everything! Bad weather, bad views, you name it!
- Needs smaller landing area. Let’s face it, there are just some places that no airplane, no matter how good, can get to. A Cessna 172 just isn’t going to be able to land near a hospital. But an Sikorsky can!
- Access more locations. As a result of needing a smaller landing area, helicopters can get closer to the action. You don’t see a Cessna 172 hovering next to Mount Everest, but a helicopter could!
- Medical uses. Whilst there is nothing that stops a 747 from being used as a flying hospital, logistics-wise, it’s a nightmare! However, helicopters are big enough to have a patient laid down and a team operate around them mid-flight!
- Faster short distance. If you are traveling short distance, and speed is your main objective, helicopters are often faster than some short haul regional jets. Not to mention trains, buses or cars!
- Increased visibility. There’s certainly something about a helicopter’s ability to hover, that gives it an edge over conventional airplanes. It gives both the pilot, and passengers a better vantage point to see, which can help for a number of purposes!
- Less altitude pressures. If you’re flying with a broken bone, chances are, you don’t want to fly on an airplane, due to the risks associated with it. However helicopters don’t have that issue!
- More luxurious. Possibly thanks to these factors, or just the convenience that helicopters present, many celebrities use helicopters as VIP transport! As such, manufacturers have made helicopters that are more luxurious than most 5* hotels!
Pros of airplanes
Considering that, perhaps airplanes are overrated, however, that doesn’t mean that they have any less qualities! These include:
- Better long distance. If you are aiming to go further than around 200 miles, helicopters vs airplanes is out of the question. Airplanes it is. This is simply down to the amount of fuel airplanes and helicopters can carry!
- Safety record. With the recent high-profile death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter, safety questions surrounding helicopters have been raised. With airplanes, there isn’t that worry, as flying commercially is safer than driving by car!
- Cheaper than helicopters. Helicopters are complex machines, which require a lot of maintenance and skill from the pilots. As such, helicopters can be very expensive. Comparatively, airplanes are much cheaper!
- Less chance of motion sickness. Flying by airplane is similar to other modes of transport in how the move. Forwards. As such, our bodies are more used to it, and as such have less a chance of being motion sick!
- Sometimes the only way to get to some places. Whilst a 747 can’t get to a rural village, it can reach other places that simply can’t accommodate a helicopter. These are often arctic places, due to airplane’s ease of getting rid of condensation that helicopters can’t!
- More uses. Airplanes tend to have a more widespread use. For example, the Cessna 172 can be used as a trainer, general aviation aircraft and an agricultural aircraft. A helicopter however, cannot!
- Smoother journeys. If you fly on slightly older helicopters (pre-2000), the vibrations can often get unbearable after a while. On an airplane however, this is not present, equally so for noise concerns!
- Easier to control. From a piloting point of view, flying a helicopter is far harder to control and fly than an airplane is. This is due to the aforementioned complexity of helicopters in comparison with airplanes!
- More options to choose from. When it comes to booking a flight on the two, there are more options (and thus a lower price) for airplanes when compared to helicopter operators!
- Better views. If you are flying regionally, chances are that you’ll get a window seat. From that window seat you get a better view than you might in a helicopter, simply due to your speed and your height!
Helicopters vs airplanes: which is better?
Many Avgeeks probably haven’t really given this much thought. After all, there are often more pressing issues such as the best photography spot, or whether the A380 is better than the 747.
(It’s not by the way!)
As with many comparisions that we do, the question of helicopters vs airplanes can be very personal. Some av geeks will say that airplanes are better, whilst others will say that helicopters are better.
Then we come to the pilots. Naturally, many airplane pilots, whether commercial, military or civilian, will often argue that airplanes win everyday in a question of helicopter vs airplanes.
Naturally, many helicopter pilots too will argue that helicopters are better, although many would also disagree saying that helicopters are often death traps!
There are several stories online of near misses from helicopter pilots in their helicopters, not to mention the stories of helicopter pilots who were taken up in airplanes, only to perform a landing that would’ve ended badly in a helicopter!
Personally, as a former commercial pilot, I’d say that airplanes are better, although you could (and probably should) argue that I’m perhaps a little biased.
Although, I would like to point out, when I joined the military, I was trained as a helicopter pilot, although (for some reason I am unaware of), I was transferred to the fixed-wing flight school and flew F-16s!
So perhaps, if you had a time machine and went back to when I was training to become a helicopter pilot, I’d have probably answered “Helicopters” if you’d asked me “Helicopters vs airplanes?”
Helicopters vs airplanes? Who will you choose? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of the US Pacific Fleet.