Helicopter Flight: Ellensburg, WA to a Friend’s House

A cockpit POV video from the FlyingMAir YouTube Channel.

COME FLY WITH ME as I leave Ellensburg, WA after an FAA check ride and take a scenic route back to the Wenatchee area. Along the way, I fly up a canyon I’ve never explored, go over the top of the Mission Ridge Ski Resort, and decide to make a stop at a friend’s house where I have some chores to do. This is a narrated flight with some radio chatter and lots of great valley and mountain views.

If I’d driven from the airport in Ellensburg to my friend’s home in Wenatchee, the ride would have taken nearly 2 hours. In this video, the flight is less than 17 minutes.

About Me and the Helicopter

  • I have been flying for about 20 years. My nearly 4,000 hours of flight time is in Robinson R44, Robinson R22, and Bell 206L (Long Ranger) helicopters.
  • The helicopter is a Robinson R44 Raven II — the same one that appears in the photo at the beginning of the video. You can learn more about them here: https://robinsonheli.com/r44-specifications/ I own this helicopter. It is the third helicopter I’ve owned since 2000.
  • My helicopter has ADS-B Out and is picked up by radar facilities. You can see my track for recent flights on Flightradar24: https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n7534D This is a great site for tracking any almost any flight, including the airlines.

About the Video

  • The video was recorded with a pair of GoPro cameras, one of which is connected to the helicopter’s intercom system. Both cameras record audio, but I dialed down the helicopter sound to about 25% of normal volume so it wouldn’t be annoying. I wouldn’t mind leaving it out altogether, but lots of folks seem to want it, so there it is.
  • The video was edited on a Macintosh using Screenflow software. (Screenflow was the only affordable software I could find that allowed me to do picture-in-picture.) Learn more about it here: https://www.telestream.net/screenflow/overview.htm
  • The intro music is by Bob Levitus, famed “Dr. Mac.” You can find him here: http://www.boblevitus.com/

I’m trying to drop flying videos like this one every Sunday morning and usually drop “extras” with more info about owning and operating a helicopter midweek. I also host occasional livestreams with Q&A chats. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything new! And tell your friends. The more subscribers I have, the more motivated I am to keep producing videos like this one.

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2 thoughts on “Helicopter Flight: Ellensburg, WA to a Friend’s House

  1. Like all you’re videos,I live in the Clockum so I’m very familiar with the terrian you were flying over.You were over the Nanum basin which is Dnr controlled so probably all right to land and camp.Have camped there myself,really nice.

    • I was told just yesterday that the good road in the video is gated at the opening of the canyon, which is somewhat unfortunate. I’m not sure about the rules for landing in DNR land; my experience is mostly with AZ where it was BLM (OK), State (OK), National Forest (not OK), and National Park (not OK). I’ll have to do my homework.

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